Turning off headlights/battery issue

zroger73

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I was at a drive in theater trying to turn off my headlights while having the radio on, but as many of you probably know when the car is in accessory mode it switches to the DRL (daytime lights) rather than turning off completely. On google I found a way around this by activating the parking brake before turning the engine off, but for some strange reason after the movie was over the engine wouldn't start and I needed to get a jump. Car hasn't had issues starting since then (about 2 months ago) but it would be nice to know how to turn off the headlights at night without this happening. Also I'm not sure why/how those two issues are related.
(1) As long as the parking brake is set before the ignition is turned on, the DRLs will not illuminate.

(2) The DRLs don't illuminate in accessory mode, which is the mode you should be in if you only want the radio on by itself. (One push of the start button without your foot on the brake on models with pushbutton start or ACCESSORY position I on models with a key.)

(3) The Ridgeline's Truck Bed Audio will play for up to 11 hours, though its battery is a bit larger (48/620 amp vs 51R/500 amp).
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shihabp79

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Lmao, if you guys are going to tax your battery like this, go replace the factory with a deep cycle one like an Optima Red Top or at least swap it with another one with more cold cranking amps. Problem solved.
 

turbo lover

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Lmao, if you guys are going to tax your battery like this, go replace the factory with a deep cycle one like an Optima Red Top or at least swap it with another one with more cold cranking amps. Problem solved.
Probably better to look for one with more amp-hours. Cold cranking amps is a measure of how much power the battery can provide for a short burst. Amp-hours is a measure of the battery's overall energy capacity over a longer drain period.
 

xcivicx

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drive in movie? havent seen one of those in 25 years, at least not one that was open.
always wondered how long this puny battery could go just listening to the radio. guess not long at all.
 

zroger73

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shihabp79

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Probably better to look for one with more amp-hours. Cold cranking amps is a measure of how much power the battery can provide for a short burst. Amp-hours is a measure of the battery's overall energy capacity over a longer drain period.
They're having issues starting the car after draining off a significant amount of charge on running electronics while the engine is off. Cold cranking amps fixes that. Anyways, I said they should get a deep cycle battery like an Optima Red Top, which are higher amp-hours batteries.
 

grumpyguy6

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There's at least one that's alive and well since 1979 right down the road from me in Tyler, Texas. You'll have to leave the kids with the baby sitter, though! ;)

http://lucidinc.com/apache-drive-in/
Wow...the fact that something like that even existed (and bafflingly continues to exist) is awkward on so many levels
 

SnapdragonTX

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So after 2 years of ownership, and 50k miles on the clock (Houston...) the battery failed the test and was replaced on my recent visit for service. Of course, it is out of warranty and something that Hondacare does not cover. $117 to replace. I pressed my service advisor about the premature wear, he just looked dazed and indifferent to the situation. This new battery comes with a prorated warranty. Maybe Honda intentionally placed weaker factory batteries to the screw some owners over...but now I'm just brewing up conspiracy theories.

@rickkonk , that is always a terrible answer from a dealership. Like electricity (or in our case battery drain lol), the dealers look for the path of least resistance to spout out an answer.
 

brian72

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So I hope you guys are still checking this thread!

In March, I bought a new 2018 Honda Civic Touring. In July, my daughter sat in the car to charge her phone in accessory mode - the first button push where climate controls are not on, etc., and visually just the radio. Doors closed, lights off, windows open on a 70 degree day. 45 minutes later, car wouldn't start. I called Honda Corp. and they said it's not normal, it's under warranty and take it in. Dealership says this is normal, all the bells & whistles drain the battery. While the dealership had it and found a bad VSA (vehicle stability) module, they gave me a 2018 Accord rental. I accidentally left the interior lights on overnight, and that started fine in the morning.

So I get that all the bells & whistles drain the battery. Is it a matter of a better battery? Wouldn't or shouldn't Honda have put in a better, more reliable battery for it? While it's under warranty, how can I persuade the dealer to replace the battery? I don't want to threaten them, but I am frustrated with them trying to "normalize" malfunctions. (I've called 4 other dealerships, one said the same thing as my dealership about not using accessory mode for more than 5 minutes, one said comparable but closer to an hour, and the other two never heard of such a problem and didn't think it's normal.)

In the end, what have y'all done that's "fixed" this? I, too, occasionally go with my kids to one of the last remaining drive-ins, or play the radio while I wash the car, and this battery issue is not ok.

Also, anyone have a newer Civic? Any other odd experiences to share? One thing that's been like chalk on a chalkboard is the ACC - it clicks on & off every time it accelerates or brakes, and that clicking sound is noticeable and really frustrating, and I don't recall that during the test drive! (Another "normal" thing per the dealership, something I don't hear in this Accord rental.)
 


 


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