honda accord battery
 

hey all

I have a 2004 honda accord. The battery on the car died. my mechanic
says it was the battery.

my question here is. How do I tell if a battery in the car died?

The cars instrumentation does not have a battery gauge, but it does have
light indicator for battery. the problem here when the car wouldn't
start up, it showed several light indicators. It showed the engine,
battery, brake indicator, I think 2 other indicators showed up too as
well, don't recall off hand what they were.

Horn worked, it seemed it was getting power, but wouldn't start. I
thought it may be the starter, but as my mechanic said, it was the battery.

--
Dilbert Firestorm

Opus is food for Orcas!!
Yummy! Zizzle that Penquin!
Rare, Medium, Medium-Well, & Well-Done!
Wheres dat penquin!
Zizzle that Zizzle!

Re: honda accord battery
 

On Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:06:16 -0600, dilbert firestorm
<scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:

>hey all
>
>I have a 2004 honda accord. The battery on the car died. my mechanic
>says it was the battery.
>
>my question here is. How do I tell if a battery in the car died?
>
>The cars instrumentation does not have a battery gauge, but it does have
>light indicator for battery. the problem here when the car wouldn't
>start up, it showed several light indicators. It showed the engine,
>battery, brake indicator, I think 2 other indicators showed up too as
>well, don't recall off hand what they were.
>
>Horn worked, it seemed it was getting power, but wouldn't start. I
>thought it may be the starter, but as my mechanic said, it was the battery.

voltmeter will tell you in a second.

starter takes 100x the power of the lights and radio, often little
stuff will work with a battery that won't start the car.

how old is the current battery? My OEM battery in the 2007 car died
in under three years - got a new one on warranty. if you have the
original battery there, you got a lot of life out of it.

my friend is driving around his 19xx Ford Tempo with a four year old
battery that loses charge now if he leaves it for three days, but he
seems bound and determined to get himself stranded a few more times
before he replaces it. "maybe it's a loose wire" he says. Right.
but he carries jumper cables, no problem.

J.

Re: honda accord battery
 

I don't think the battery was ever replaced to my knowledge.

It's actually my moms car. My dad handled everything with the car
before he passed on.

what kind of voltmeter??

JRStern wrote:
> On Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:06:16 -0600, dilbert firestorm
> <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:
>
> >hey all
> >
> >I have a 2004 honda accord. The battery on the car died. my mechanic
> >says it was the battery.
> >
> >my question here is. How do I tell if a battery in the car died?
> >
> >The cars instrumentation does not have a battery gauge, but it does have
> >light indicator for battery. the problem here when the car wouldn't
> >start up, it showed several light indicators. It showed the engine,
> >battery, brake indicator, I think 2 other indicators showed up too as
> >well, don't recall off hand what they were.
> >
> >Horn worked, it seemed it was getting power, but wouldn't start. I
> >thought it may be the starter, but as my mechanic said, it was the battery.
>
> voltmeter will tell you in a second.
>
> starter takes 100x the power of the lights and radio, often little
> stuff will work with a battery that won't start the car.
>
> how old is the current battery? My OEM battery in the 2007 car died
> in under three years - got a new one on warranty. if you have the
> original battery there, you got a lot of life out of it.
>
> my friend is driving around his 19xx Ford Tempo with a four year old
> battery that loses charge now if he leaves it for three days, but he
> seems bound and determined to get himself stranded a few more times
> before he replaces it. "maybe it's a loose wire" he says. Right.
> but he carries jumper cables, no problem.
>
> J.
>
>


--
Dilbert Firestorm

Opus is food for Orcas!!
Yummy! Zizzle that Penquin!
Rare, Medium, Medium-Well, & Well-Done!
Wheres dat penquin!
Zizzle that Zizzle!

Re: honda accord battery
 

On Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:16:20 -0600, dilbert firestorm
<scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:

>I don't think the battery was ever replaced to my knowledge.
>
>It's actually my moms car. My dad handled everything with the car
>before he passed on.
>
>what kind of voltmeter??
>

If the mechanic said it is your battery replace it. I fail to see the
need for this discussion.

>JRStern wrote:
>> On Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:06:16 -0600, dilbert firestorm
>> <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:
>>
>> >hey all
>> >
>> >I have a 2004 honda accord. The battery on the car died. my mechanic
>> >says it was the battery.
>> >
>> >my question here is. How do I tell if a battery in the car died?
>> >
>> >The cars instrumentation does not have a battery gauge, but it does have
>> >light indicator for battery. the problem here when the car wouldn't
>> >start up, it showed several light indicators. It showed the engine,
>> >battery, brake indicator, I think 2 other indicators showed up too as
>> >well, don't recall off hand what they were.
>> >
>> >Horn worked, it seemed it was getting power, but wouldn't start. I
>> >thought it may be the starter, but as my mechanic said, it was the battery.
>>
>> voltmeter will tell you in a second.
>>
>> starter takes 100x the power of the lights and radio, often little
>> stuff will work with a battery that won't start the car.
>>
>> how old is the current battery? My OEM battery in the 2007 car died
>> in under three years - got a new one on warranty. if you have the
>> original battery there, you got a lot of life out of it.
>>
>> my friend is driving around his 19xx Ford Tempo with a four year old
>> battery that loses charge now if he leaves it for three days, but he
>> seems bound and determined to get himself stranded a few more times
>> before he replaces it. "maybe it's a loose wire" he says. Right.
>> but he carries jumper cables, no problem.
>>
>> J.
>>
>>

Re: honda accord battery
 

On 2009-12-09, dilbert firestorm <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:
> I don't think the battery was ever replaced to my knowledge.
>
> It's actually my moms car. My dad handled everything with the car
> before he passed on.
>
> what kind of voltmeter??
>

There's not a lot of kinds of voltmeters. You want one that reads...
Volts. DC.

I think the point is kind of moot, though. He said the battery was
bad, you replaced the battery, the car starts. Sounds like problem
solved to me... ;-)

--
Joe - Linux User #449481/Ubuntu User #19733
joe at hits - buffalo dot com
"Hate is baggage, life is too short to go around pissed off all the
time..." - Danny, American History X

Re: honda accord battery
 

Joe wrote:
> On 2009-12-09, dilbert firestorm <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:
> > I don't think the battery was ever replaced to my knowledge.
> >
> > It's actually my moms car. My dad handled everything with the car
> > before he passed on.
> >
> > what kind of voltmeter??
> >
>
> There's not a lot of kinds of voltmeters. You want one that reads...
> Volts. DC.
>
> I think the point is kind of moot, though. He said the battery was
> bad, you replaced the battery, the car starts. Sounds like problem
> solved to me... ;-)
>
>
Yeah, I know its moot. but this the kind of job I could have done
myself. it ain't that hard to replace a battery is it?


--
Dilbert Firestorm

Opus is food for Orcas!!
Yummy! Zizzle that Penquin!
Rare, Medium, Medium-Well, & Well-Done!
Wheres dat penquin!
Zizzle that Zizzle!

Re: honda accord battery
 

On Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:31:09 -0600, dilbert firestorm
<scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:

>Joe wrote:
>> On 2009-12-09, dilbert firestorm <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:
>> > I don't think the battery was ever replaced to my knowledge.
>> >
>> > It's actually my moms car. My dad handled everything with the car
>> > before he passed on.
>> >
>> > what kind of voltmeter??
>> >
>>
>> There's not a lot of kinds of voltmeters. You want one that reads...
>> Volts. DC.
>>
>> I think the point is kind of moot, though. He said the battery was
>> bad, you replaced the battery, the car starts. Sounds like problem
>> solved to me... ;-)
>>
>>
>Yeah, I know its moot. but this the kind of job I could have done
>myself. it ain't that hard to replace a battery is it?


When you are 16 and get your license you should learn how to do basic
car maintenance like changing a battery.

Re: honda accord battery
 

dilbert firestorm wrote:


> Yeah, I know its moot. but this the kind of job I could have done
> myself. it ain't that hard to replace a battery is it?


It should be one of the easier things you can do.
The only issue I'm aware of is the need to reset the radio security code.

Re: honda accord battery
 

Greg <nospam@null.net> wrote in news:BHRTm.548$%E6.340@newsfe06.iad:

> dilbert firestorm wrote:
>
>
>> Yeah, I know its moot. but this the kind of job I could have done
>> myself. it ain't that hard to replace a battery is it?
>
>
> It should be one of the easier things you can do.
> The only issue I'm aware of is the need to reset the radio security code.



That, plus all the ECM/PCM "relearn" stuff. It will take a few days for the
car to feel "right" again as the ECM/PCM does all its relearning.

A BIG word of warning: do NOT overtighten the terminal nuts. They are
tightened ONLY until the terminal cannot be easily rotated with light hand
pressure. And it helps to support the other side of the terminal as you
turn the nut.

If you overtighten the terminal nuts, you flex the terminal post in the
case, causing the case/post seal to break. That's when you get that green,
fuzzy corrosion.

As for the radio code:
<http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/radiocode.html>

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: honda accord battery
 

> Yeah, I know its moot. but this the kind of job I could have done myself.
> it ain't that hard to replace a battery is it?

Yeah, even I did it myself, once, before radio codes and all.

Drove into Pep Boys and wanted them to do it, but
looked like a three-hour wait so I did it myself
in the parking lot, took all of three minutes.

Actually, the new battery was physically smaller
than the OEM so needed a couple of shims on the
hold-down, but it was still pretty much kindergarten
stuff. Never had a problem with it.

OTOH the install fee was about ten dollars, I would
happily have let them do it while I sat at Starbucks
and kept my fingers clean,
if they could just have got it done sooner.

J.

Re: honda accord battery
 

"dilbert firestorm" <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote in message
news:f7-dnd7gKYnMrYLWnZ2dnUVZ_rudnZ2d@xfoneusa.net...
> hey all
>
> I have a 2004 honda accord. The battery on the car died. my
> mechanic says it was the battery.
>
> my question here is. How do I tell if a battery in the car died?

5-6 years, it's a good bet. I just changed out the one in my '04. It
wasn't dead, but it was turning over a little slower. A new battery
worked out just fine for it.

>
> The cars instrumentation does not have a battery gauge, but it does
> have light indicator for battery. the problem here when the car
> wouldn't start up, it showed several light indicators. It showed
> the engine, battery, brake indicator, I think 2 other indicators
> showed up too as well, don't recall off hand what they were.
> Horn worked, it seemed it was getting power, but wouldn't start. I
> thought it may be the starter, but as my mechanic said, it was the
> battery.
>

It's probably time.

> --
> Dilbert Firestorm
>
> Opus is food for Orcas!!
> Yummy! Zizzle that Penquin!
> Rare, Medium, Medium-Well, & Well-Done!
> Wheres dat penquin!
> Zizzle that Zizzle!

Re: honda accord battery
 

"Clete" <lecllaij@halifax.ca> wrote in message
news:i8evh5p39inddbilf75217lske7fgoprar@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:31:09 -0600, dilbert firestorm
> <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:
>
>>Joe wrote:
>>> On 2009-12-09, dilbert firestorm <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote:
>>> > I don't think the battery was ever replaced to my knowledge.
>>> >
>>> > It's actually my moms car. My dad handled everything with the
>>> > car
>>> > before he passed on.
>>> >
>>> > what kind of voltmeter??
>>> >
>>>
>>> There's not a lot of kinds of voltmeters. You want one that
>>> reads...
>>> Volts. DC.
>>>
>>> I think the point is kind of moot, though. He said the battery
>>> was
>>> bad, you replaced the battery, the car starts. Sounds like
>>> problem
>>> solved to me... ;-)
>>>
>>>
>>Yeah, I know its moot. but this the kind of job I could have done
>>myself. it ain't that hard to replace a battery is it?
>
>
> When you are 16 and get your license you should learn how to do
> basic
> car maintenance like changing a battery.

Most of my daughters friends didn't even know how to check their oil.
Shameful....

Re: honda accord battery
 

"dilbert firestorm" <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote in message
news:f7-dnd7gKYnMrYLWnZ2dnUVZ_rudnZ2d@xfoneusa.net...
> hey all
>
> I have a 2004 honda accord. The battery on the car died. my mechanic says
> it was the battery.
>
> my question here is. How do I tell if a battery in the car died?
> The cars instrumentation does not have a battery gauge, but it does have
> light indicator for battery. the problem here when the car wouldn't start
> up, it showed several light indicators. It showed the engine, battery,
> brake indicator, I think 2 other indicators showed up too as well, don't
> recall off hand what they were.
> Horn worked, it seemed it was getting power, but wouldn't start. I
> thought it may be the starter, but as my mechanic said, it was the
> battery.
>
> --
> Dilbert Firestorm
>
> Opus is food for Orcas!!
> Yummy! Zizzle that Penquin!
> Rare, Medium, Medium-Well, & Well-Done!
> Wheres dat penquin!
> Zizzle that Zizzle!

My OEM battery died on my 06 in less than 3 year. It was sudden death -- no
warning and the "little things" worked.

Re: honda accord battery
 

"tww1491" <twaugh5@cox.net> wrote in
news:9PyUm.64453$X01.60363@newsfe07.iad:

>
> "dilbert firestorm" <scanb31@bytemeati-55.com> wrote in message
> news:f7-dnd7gKYnMrYLWnZ2dnUVZ_rudnZ2d@xfoneusa.net...
>> hey all
>>
>> I have a 2004 honda accord. The battery on the car died. my mechanic
>> says it was the battery.
>>
>> my question here is. How do I tell if a battery in the car died?
>> The cars instrumentation does not have a battery gauge, but it does
>> have light indicator for battery. the problem here when the car
>> wouldn't start up, it showed several light indicators. It showed the
>> engine, battery, brake indicator, I think 2 other indicators showed
>> up too as well, don't recall off hand what they were.
>> Horn worked, it seemed it was getting power, but wouldn't start. I
>> thought it may be the starter, but as my mechanic said, it was the
>> battery.
>>
>> --
>> Dilbert Firestorm
>>
>> Opus is food for Orcas!!
>> Yummy! Zizzle that Penquin!
>> Rare, Medium, Medium-Well, & Well-Done!
>> Wheres dat penquin!
>> Zizzle that Zizzle!
>
> My OEM battery died on my 06 in less than 3 year. It was sudden death
> -- no warning and the "little things" worked.
>
>
>

Because the starter draws a huge amount of power from the battery when
cranking the motor.
all the other stuff draws little power compared to the starter.
So,a bad cell may stil be able to supply enough power for the
horn,lights,radio,but fail when trying to crank the motor over.

Often it's because the electrolyte level has dropped too low.
If your battery has accessible cell covers(many "maintenance-free"
batteries do have them),you can check the level every 3 months and top off
with distilled water and your battery will live longer.

and have your charging system checked to see if it's overcharging the
battery,boiling off the electrolyte.

typically,car batteries last only 4-5 years.Perhaps less in hot climates.


--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

Re: honda accord battery
 

Where do you people live that you need to change batteries after 4-5
years?

I live in Northern Illinois temps can range from -30F to 102F.

1988-1997 Had Ford Escort never changed battery never a problem.
1997-2006 Had Ford Probe GT never changed battery never a problem.
In each of these vehicles had nice stereo systems (3 amps, 1000watts, 2
15"subs) sucking power at times. No battery issues.
Wifes 1995 Grand Am bought nov 1994 replaced battery dec 2007.
I have now a 2005 Pilot not even close to thinking about changing the
battery.

Ray

Re: honda accord battery
 

Thus spake Tegger <invalid@invalid.inv> :

>Greg <nospam@null.net> wrote in news:BHRTm.548$%E6.340@newsfe06.iad:
>
>> dilbert firestorm wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Yeah, I know its moot. but this the kind of job I could have done
>>> myself. it ain't that hard to replace a battery is it?
>>
>>
>> It should be one of the easier things you can do.
>> The only issue I'm aware of is the need to reset the radio security code.
>
>
>
>That, plus all the ECM/PCM "relearn" stuff. It will take a few days for the
>car to feel "right" again as the ECM/PCM does all its relearning.
>
>A BIG word of warning: do NOT overtighten the terminal nuts. They are
>tightened ONLY until the terminal cannot be easily rotated with light hand
>pressure. And it helps to support the other side of the terminal as you
>turn the nut.

Also important (many a young man learned this one the hard way, I
learned by observation): attach the hot terminal (positive) first,
then the ground (negative). Done the other way around and you might
find yourself part of the circuit. 12 volts DC SHOULDN'T kill you,
but it can hurt.

>
>If you overtighten the terminal nuts, you flex the terminal post in the
>case, causing the case/post seal to break. That's when you get that green,
>fuzzy corrosion.
>
>As for the radio code:
><http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/radiocode.html>
--

- dillon I am not invalid

I love my country, It's my government I fear.

Hey, turnabout's fair play.

Re: honda accord battery
 

QUAKEnSHAKE wrote:
> Where do you people live that you need to change batteries after 4-5
> years?
>
> I live in Northern Illinois temps can range from -30F to 102F.
>
> 1988-1997 Had Ford Escort never changed battery never a problem.
> 1997-2006 Had Ford Probe GT never changed battery never a problem.
> In each of these vehicles had nice stereo systems (3 amps, 1000watts, 2
> 15"subs) sucking power at times. No battery issues.
> Wifes 1995 Grand Am bought nov 1994 replaced battery dec 2007.
> I have now a 2005 Pilot not even close to thinking about changing the
> battery.

I've been wondering the same thing. My 2001 Accord has the original
battery in it and there are no issues with it at all. I have owned it
since December 16th of 2000. For that matter, the only things that have
been replaced in its 208,250 kilometres are the rotors and pads, timing
belt and water pump, air and cabin filtres and the two rear wheel
bearings since it was new. Along with the usual oil and filtre changes
and tires in its life.

Re: honda accord battery
 

QUAKEnSHAKE wrote:
> Where do you people live that you need to change batteries after 4-5
> years?
>
> I live in Northern Illinois temps can range from -30F to 102F.
>
> 1988-1997 Had Ford Escort never changed battery never a problem.
> 1997-2006 Had Ford Probe GT never changed battery never a problem.
> In each of these vehicles had nice stereo systems (3 amps, 1000watts, 2
> 15"subs) sucking power at times. No battery issues.
> Wifes 1995 Grand Am bought nov 1994 replaced battery dec 2007.
> I have now a 2005 Pilot not even close to thinking about changing the
> battery.
>
> Ray
>

Well, I live in Arizona, temps range 20F to 120F, usually six months out
of the year it's 100+. I don't remember getting much more than three
years out of a battery, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Toyota, doesn't much matter.
And I'm pretty diligent about keeping them filled & terminals clean.
We'll see how the 08 CR-V does...it's just over 2 yrs old now but just
hit 10K miles the other day and spends a lot of its time garaged.

Re: honda accord battery
 

On 12/11/09 7:03 PM, in article
29128-4B22EBC8-2042@storefull-3172.bay.webtv.net, "QUAKEnSHAKE"
<QUAKEnSHAKE@webtv.net> wrote:

> Where do you people live that you need to change batteries after 4-5
> years?
>
> I live in Northern Illinois temps can range from -30F to 102F.
>
> 1988-1997 Had Ford Escort never changed battery never a problem.
> 1997-2006 Had Ford Probe GT never changed battery never a problem.
> In each of these vehicles had nice stereo systems (3 amps, 1000watts, 2
> 15"subs) sucking power at times. No battery issues.
> Wifes 1995 Grand Am bought nov 1994 replaced battery dec 2007.
> I have now a 2005 Pilot not even close to thinking about changing the
> battery.
>
> Ray
>

I used to live in Northern Illinois. I used to get 6-8 years on a battery
when I lived there.

The thing is, you only see those temperature extremes for a couple of days,
maybe a week, in any given year. (actually in the 18 years I lived in
Northern Illinois the coldest it ever got was -22F & that only lasted 2
days).

You also only get a few days of 102F, maybe a week or two in the high 90's
if its a really bad summer.

Here in Texas we get a month or two of 100+F. Its death on batteries. 2-3
years on a battery is considered a success, & that assumes constant
maintenance in the summer to insure the cells don't dry out. The longest I
ever got out of a battery here was an OEM Nissan battery from Japan in an
Infiniti that lasted 6 years. I have yet to encounter a Honda battery that
lasts longer then 3 years here.

Re: honda accord battery
 

Hi,

I just bought an 06 Civic which has Honda battery that I assume is the
original. This battery says "guaranteed 100 months". I'm really
impressed with the car, first Honda I have owned. I have had Nissans
for 15 years. To me as an engineer Honda's design and quality are
excellent. If the battery lasts for 100 months it will be a revalation
to me. Most of the batteries I have had of late, Autozone, WalMart,
Advance Auto have lasted 3-4 years. Tha'ts in Maryland where
temperatures range from 20F to 110F.

Al Moodie.

Re: honda accord battery
 

On 12/14/09 7:37 AM, in article dhfci51arog53ne0sgeb16kqp712je7jsa@4ax.com,
"Al Moodie" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I just bought an 06 Civic which has Honda battery that I assume is the
> original. This battery says "guaranteed 100 months". I'm really
> impressed with the car, first Honda I have owned. I have had Nissans
> for 15 years. To me as an engineer Honda's design and quality are
> excellent. If the battery lasts for 100 months it will be a revalation
> to me. Most of the batteries I have had of late, Autozone, WalMart,
> Advance Auto have lasted 3-4 years. Tha'ts in Maryland where
> temperatures range from 20F to 110F.
>
> Al Moodie.

That 100 month guarantee means the same thing as when it is printed on a
die-hard or some other brand. That's the length of time they will pro-rate
the price of the replacement when it fails.

Re: honda accord battery
 

Al Moodie wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I just bought an 06 Civic which has Honda battery that I assume is the
> original. This battery says "guaranteed 100 months". I'm really
> impressed with the car, first Honda I have owned. I have had Nissans
> for 15 years. To me as an engineer Honda's design and quality are
> excellent. If the battery lasts for 100 months it will be a revalation
> to me. Most of the batteries I have had of late, Autozone, WalMart,
> Advance Auto have lasted 3-4 years. Tha'ts in Maryland where
> temperatures range from 20F to 110F.
>
> Al Moodie.

While 100 months (8+ years!) would be nice, 3-4 years in MD is less than
I get in upstate NY where my batteries typically last 6-7 years. I'd
expect them to last a year or two longer in MD. If you still have that
car, you might want to check to make sure your charging system is up to
snuff.

--
JRE

Re: honda accord battery
 

On Sat, 12 Dec 2009 09:20:38 -0600, "E. Meyer" <e.p.meyer@verizon.net>
wrote:

>On 12/11/09 7:03 PM, in article
>29128-4B22EBC8-2042@storefull-3172.bay.webtv.net, "QUAKEnSHAKE"
><QUAKEnSHAKE@webtv.net> wrote:
>
>> Where do you people live that you need to change batteries after 4-5
>> years?
>>
>> I live in Northern Illinois temps can range from -30F to 102F.
>>
>> 1988-1997 Had Ford Escort never changed battery never a problem.
>> 1997-2006 Had Ford Probe GT never changed battery never a problem.
>> In each of these vehicles had nice stereo systems (3 amps, 1000watts, 2
>> 15"subs) sucking power at times. No battery issues.
>> Wifes 1995 Grand Am bought nov 1994 replaced battery dec 2007.
>> I have now a 2005 Pilot not even close to thinking about changing the
>> battery.
>>
>> Ray
>>
>
>I used to live in Northern Illinois. I used to get 6-8 years on a battery
>when I lived there.
>
>The thing is, you only see those temperature extremes for a couple of days,
>maybe a week, in any given year. (actually in the 18 years I lived in
>Northern Illinois the coldest it ever got was -22F & that only lasted 2
>days).
>
>You also only get a few days of 102F, maybe a week or two in the high 90's
>if its a really bad summer.
>
>Here in Texas we get a month or two of 100+F. Its death on batteries. 2-3
>years on a battery is considered a success, & that assumes constant
>maintenance in the summer to insure the cells don't dry out. The longest I
>ever got out of a battery here was an OEM Nissan battery from Japan in an
>Infiniti that lasted 6 years. I have yet to encounter a Honda battery that
>lasts longer then 3 years here.


I'm a little late in my reply here but I used to live in NY and I
think I got about 4 to 5 years typical lifespan. I now live in Texas
and 3 yrs is the norm, 4 if you are lucky and 5 is on borrowed time.
Also to the OP, some auto parts stores will test your battery for you
free. I know they do this in Texas because I once had it done for
free. I agree with others, likely 5 year old battery might need to
be replace. Of course the first thing I'd check is the connections
to the battery to see if they are tight and not corroded but even so,
5 year old battery is probably not worth keeping especially if the
mechanic said so.