Honda CR-V Cold Start Problems: Battery Sensor Issue?

Hey there! I had low experience with car repairs until I dealt with a similar issue on my 2018 Honda HR-V last winter. The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I experienced, super sluggish starts and occasional no-starts, especially on cold mornings. My mechanic diagnosed it as a faulty battery sensor microprocessor, which was messing with the whole charging system. Got it fixed and the problem hasn't come back since. The repair set me back about 315 Euro, but it was worth getting it sorted properly. What's your battery's age? And have you noticed any warning lights on the dash? Those details would help confirm if you're dealing with the same issue I had.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My CR-V has 262441 KM on the clock, and yeah, I'm seeing similar symptoms. No warning lights yet, but the battery's about 3 years old now. The current one is still the replacement I got during my last major service. Really helpful to know about the sensor microprocessor issue you faced, that could definitely explain my starting troubles. I'll mention this to my mechanic when I take it in. Good to have a rough idea of the repair costs too.

Hey again! Just wanted to follow up since I saw your reply about the battery age and mileage. You know what's interesting? When I had my HR-V checked, my battery was also around 3 years old, seems like that's when these issues start popping up! But here's something I didn't mention in my first response, before replacing the sensor, my mechanic actually tested the battery itself and found it was still holding decent charge. That's what really pointed to the sensor being the culprit rather than just an aging battery. Initially thought I'd need both replaced but got lucky there! If your symptoms are this similar to what I experienced (especially with that 3-year-old battery), I'd definitely push to have both the battery and sensor thoroughly tested. Could save you some cash if it turns out to be just one or the other. BTW, after getting it fixed, I noticed my fuel economy improved a bit too, guess the wonky sensor was making the charging system work harder than it needed to. Keep us posted on what your mechanic finds!

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! That's super interesting about your battery test results and the fuel economy improvement. I hadn't even considered the connection between the sensor issue and fuel consumption, but it makes total sense. I'll definitely ask for both battery and sensor testing, really hoping it's just one of them causing the trouble! I've actually noticed my fuel economy has been a bit off lately too, now that you mention it. Will schedule an appointment for next week and let you know how it turns out. Really appreciate you taking the time to share all these details about your experience, it's exactly the kind of real-world info I was looking for!