Battery questions (Pilot 2006 EX L)

[jerryoster]

My Pilot is just about 5 yrs. old and has its original battery. I have read that 5 yrs. is probably approaching the limits of service for this battery, even though I see no sign of deterioration, and maintenance checks have been OK, though they can give only limited assurance. Do members of the forum advise changing the battery at this time anyway? Winters are fairly cold here and require a lot of night driving with accessories on. The car is garage kept overnight.
If I change the battery, I guess a lot of computer related items will lose their ROM and need to be restarted, such as radio, clock, computer? Any tips on these? Will I have to reactivate my SAT Radio subscription signal?
Is there any way to avoid the complete shutdown while installing a battery; such as attaching the cables to a charger unit or plugging in a hot start battery rescue unit to the lighter? I am worried about blowing fuses etc.
Thanks

[cofetym]

I've disconnected the battery several times and resetting is a piece of cake.
You'll find lots of tips on the forum and in your owners manual.

This will get you started. Replacing Battery Honda or other brand

[jerryoster]

OK, Thanks

[rocky]

5 years is exceptional for the factory battery. Most fail long before that.

If you are really clever and careful with a set of jump cables and the new battery you can swap the two batteries over without killing power to the car-however the downside to this is that if you screw up you'll might find some fried electronics.

[jerryoster]

You're correct; I have been driving 55 + years and have never had a battery last 5 years! The problem is that there often isn't a lot of warning before they go. I guess sometimes a short kills it quickly, rather than gradual deterioration. In the "old days" we used to test the battery with a hygrometer to see if the specific gravity of the fluid was compatible with a well charged battery. Now with everything sealed, unless you notice a cold cranking problem, or dim lights, you often can't tell.
You would think that battery shops and dealers would have a simple system around to supply enough current to a car (minimal) to do away with the need for resetting electronics when changing a battery. I will likely (in addition to the car computer settings etc. ) lose all my programmed sat radio and other stations, my Bluetooth pairing connections, clock etc.

[xGS]

Originally Posted by jerryoster

You would think that battery shops and dealers would have a simple system around to supply enough current to a car (minimal) to do away with the need for resetting electronics when changing a battery. I will likely (in addition to the car computer settings etc. ) lose all my programmed sat radio and other stations, my Bluetooth pairing connections, clock etc.

You would think that by now someone would have devised a gadget to do just that:

[jerryoster]

Thanks, I'll have to look for that!

[jerryoster]

Success; replaced my 5 year old original battery with an INTERSTATE 800 CCA MegaTron Plus battery; original equipment battery was 550 CCA. The installer (Firestone dealer) kept enough juice going while installing so none of the electronics needed resetting. After a rebate for signing on for a Firestone Credit Card, the cost was around $110 total, including installation.
Thanks for everyone's advice!

[jerryoster]

Just a "dumb" question! Is it harder on the alternator system to keep a higher capacity battery charged than a lower one?

[humanoid]

The higher CCA is not higher capacity, CCA=cold cranking amps.... pretty self-explanatory.

[jerryoster]

I understand the CCA; but the battery is also rated at 1000 AMPS, whereas the next model down with 600CCA was around 750 AMPS; I guess that refers to current output, all being at 12 Volts in an auto. Forgetting the "CCA" does it take more generator energy to keep the battery filled with current available at 1000 AMPS vs. 750 AMPS output ability. And, if so, would a generator or alternator wear faster? At first it might seem so, but I guess it depends on use and demand, which might remain the same for each. (Yike!)

[blusteel7]

The original owner bought my 06EXL in June 2006. I had the car serviced at a Honda dealer last week and they told me the battery was down to about 450CCA and was weak. This was the original battery and although it was showing no signs of impending failure, I replaced it today with the 700 CCA Everstart battery. The dealer offered a Honda battery for about $120 but I decided to go with the $77 Everstart because I have had good luck so far with them.

[KKL]

Originally Posted by jerryoster

I understand the CCA; but the battery is also rated at 1000 AMPS, whereas the next model down with 600CCA was around 750 AMPS; I guess that refers to current output, all being at 12 Volts in an auto. Forgetting the "CCA" does it take more generator energy to keep the battery filled with current available at 1000 AMPS vs. 750 AMPS output ability. And, if so, would a generator or alternator wear faster? At first it might seem so, but I guess it depends on use and demand, which might remain the same for each. (Yike!)

A "Good" (more expensive) battery can source higher current into a load because of a lower internal resistance. The CAPACITY of a battery is given in ampere-hours. For example, a 60 AH capacity allows you to draw 1 amp for 60 hours, or 2 amps for 30 hours, etc. You can look up the capacity of your new battery to see if it has a bigger number than the run-of-the-mill ones. Of course, starting from EMPTY (totally discharged), the alternator would have to work longer to fully charge the battery. But once the battery is charged up, the alternator does not have to do extra duty to take care of it. Almost all the current put out by the alternator goes to supply the onboard electrical equipment.

[jerryoster]

Thanks, KKL. That makes sense! When buying a new battery, can we assume its fairly charged at the onset, even though it may have been sitting for awhile in storage? Should I put it on a slow charger even if new, or just forget about it and hope normal driving peaks it quickly. (I do a lot of night driving at present, and the weather is quite cold here in Maryland, so I use a lot of accessories.)

[KKL]

Originally Posted by jerryoster

Thanks, KKL. That makes sense! When buying a new battery, can we assume its fairly charged at the onset, even though it may have been sitting for awhile in storage? Should I put it on a slow charger even if new, or just forget about it and hope normal driving peaks it quickly. (I do a lot of night driving at present, and the weather is quite cold here in Maryland, so I use a lot of accessories.)

New batteries are supposed to be fully charged. Large retailers (Walmart, Sears) keep tracker of how long the batteries have been on the shelf and trickle-charge them in the back room if necessary. Walmart uses a sticker to date the charge operation. Apparently you did not have any problems with your battery for the last 5 years and you replaced it just for peace of mind, I think you are OK with all the accessories you run. However, if you are still concerned, get a voltmeter. Check the voltage with the ignition off. If it reads 12.5V or above, you are good. If it reads lower than 12V, use your charger. I would definitely avoid running a lot of accessories for a long time while the engine is idling.