Right now, our family is on a very tight budget. We've had our 2005 Honda Hybrid Accord for about 3 years, however...

The car will no longer start. Even after JUMPING it, the charge will last while the car is moving, but when it is shut off, we will have to jump it again to get it moving.

We don't have any dash lights coming on for warning and I have an ODBII reader with Torque Pro, and no correlated codes come up. (one for an O2 sensor, but that's it).

No IMA warning lights. When we discussed it with a Hybrid Tech, he said it sounds like the IMA. He offered to recondition the battery for $1000 (which is cheaper than the actual battery) and that's with labor. However, I am wondering if it just may be the actual starting battery itself, and not the IMA.

I have noticed a drop in MPG, tho, which I can get on So Cal freeways during 3-4pm at around 30MPG. It used to be at 35.

So, my question....what do you think is causing the car not to start? The IMA? The starting battery? Another issue?

Help!

Thanks in advance, and Happy Holidays.

 

The problem can be a bad under-hood regular non-IMA battery (used for starting and to run accessories), excessive parasitic drain, or bad DC-DC converter.

Since it doesn't sound like the charging indicator lamp is on (gauge control module/instrument cluster), it probably is not the DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter is involve in the charging of the under-hood regular battery. The DC-DC converter is not something you would want to replace yourself.

Get the regular under-hood battery tested. May just be due to the regular non-IMA battery.