Honda Grace Hybrid Battery Issues: Dim Lights & Weak Start

Hey there! I've got some experience with hybrid vehicles (I'd say moderate expertise level). Actually, I had a really similar issue with my 2016 Honda Insight, pretty close to your Grace! The symptoms were identical, weak starts and flickering lights. My regular workshop diagnosed it as a faulty battery sensor microprocessor. Got it fixed about 6 months ago and it cost me around 315 Euro. Since then, everything's been working perfectly. The Honda City from the same year in my family had similar issues too. Before suggesting anything specific though, How long have you had these symptoms? Does it happen more during cold starts? Have you checked if your battery terminals are clean? This info would help me give you more relevant advice from my experience! Let me know, and I'll try to help further!

Hey, thanks for the detailed response! I've had my Grace since new (93615 KM on the clock now), and these symptoms just started about 2 weeks ago. It's definitely worse during cold starts, and I actually cleaned the terminals last weekend, but no improvement. The battery sensor issue you mentioned sounds spot-on. I'm due for service next month anyway, so might get it checked then. Really appreciate you sharing the cost info, helps me budget for the potential repair. Did your workshop mention how long the repair took? I'm trying to figure out if I need to arrange alternative transport. Thanks again for the help!

Hey again! Ah, those symptoms do sound really familiar, exactly how mine started! Given your mileage and the fact that cleaning the terminals didn't help, I'm even more convinced it's the battery sensor microprocessor. When I had mine fixed, it took about 2.5 hours in total, but that included some diagnostic time. For me, it was pretty straightforward once they identified the issue. I dropped off my Insight in the morning and picked it up after lunch. No need for alternative transport unless you're really pressed for time. The actual replacement only took about an hour. Just a heads up though, make sure they check the battery itself while they're at it. In my case, the faulty sensor hadn't damaged the battery, but I've heard from other hybrid owners that sometimes these issues can affect battery life if left too long. Since you mentioned it's worse during cold starts, that's exactly what I experienced too. The flickering got really annoying, especially in the mornings. After the fix, it was like having a new car again, no more dimming lights or weak starts! Let me know how it goes at your service appointment. Curious to hear if it's the same issue as mine!

Thanks so much for all this helpful info! It's really reassuring to hear your experience was so similar to mine. 2.5 hours doesn't sound too bad at all, I can probably just work from the workshop's waiting area. Good point about checking the battery itself. I'll definitely mention that when I take it in. The morning starts have been getting more annoying lately, so I'm actually looking forward to getting this sorted. Hopefully it'll be as straightforward as your repair was! I'll update you after my service appointment next month. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience in such detail. It's made me feel much better about the whole situation, and at least now I know roughly what to expect cost-wise too. Thanks again for all your help! You've definitely made this less stressful for me.