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Do you own a 2006 – 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid whose battery just doesn’t seem to be holding a charge like it used to? You are not alone. In fact, according to a story found in the Los Angeles Times a growing number of complaints from Honda Civic Hybrid owners has kicked off an investigation by the California Air Resources Board (carB), as well as attracted the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A growing chorus of Honda Civic Hybrid owners has voiced its anger and disappointment with the shrinking range of their electrically-powered automobiles, with many Honda Civic buyers going straight to Honda demanding some kind of fix. A significant number of Honda Civic Hybrid drivers have had to have the battery packs on their automobiles replaced due to the deterioration of the nickel-metal-hydride units that store the electricity needed to motivate the automobile. In fact, carB automatically became involved when more than four percent of the 2006-2008 Honda Civic Hybrids sold in California underwent this replacement procedure, which is the highest battery failure rate in the hybrid automobile industry.
Honda Civic Hybrid owners are specifically concerned about the dismal fuel economy and dramatically reduced battery range associated with the battery failures. Some owners have reported losing as many as 10 miles per gallon or more – dropping down from the factory rating of 45 miles per gallon in the city to the low 30s. In fact, about 30 percent of all complaints received by the NHTSA for certain model years of the Honda Civic Hybrid have been about poor battery performance. In extreme cases, the battery system “crashes” entirely, which not only impacts fuel mileage but also removes the additional power generated by the battery entirely from the driving equation.
Honda finally responded to both regulatory and customer inquiries on the issue by sending notice to over 100,000 Honda Civic Hybrid owners that a software patch would be made available in order to preserve battery life by altering certain characteristics of the vehicle’s electric charging system. Among the changes made: reducing the amount of additional thrust provided by the electric motor while working in tandem with the car’s gasoline engine, which limits the number of charging cycles for the battery, and also changing the vehicle’s shutdown behavior at idle.
Some owners were placated by the software patch and lauded Honda for stepping up. Others, however, have been disappointed by seemingly tempered fuel mileage compared to when the automobile was new, and many have reported that their vehicle no longer seems to enjoy the same acceleration as it did before. This latter point is related to the absence of full battery-powered assist under full throttle. An additional wrinkle is added by fact that the patch itself does not repair any batteries which may already have deteriorated. Given that Honda will only install new batteries if the original ones are completely dead, there are many Honda Civic Hybrids out there which are currently running on only a partial charge, with their owners counting down the days until they finally run out of steam so that they can get a warranty replacement.
If you are considering purchasing a used Honda Civic Hybrid, make sure to ask about the condition of the vehicle’s battery pack. If the vehicle has ever experienced any battery crashes, or if its fuel mileage is considerably less than it once was, you may want to move on. You should also inquire as to whether the Honda software patch has been installed on the vehicle, and if so, take it out for a test drive to see if you can live with what many have termed a compromised hybrid system. Finally, you may wish to put off purchasing this vehicle if you live in the state of California, as carB is currently investigating whether the patched Civic Hybrid is still capable of meeting emissions regulations.
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Tags: auto, automobile, car, cars, Hybrid
Posted in Cars and Trucks · September 4th, 2010 · Comments (0)
Car Troubles? Get a Better One With Online Cheap Cars 4 Sale
If you are having van troubles again, it might be time for you to get a replacement car. The most convenient and cheapest way for you to buy a replacement car is with online Cheap Cars 4 Sale.
A Car Purchase That Won’t Bleed You Dry
We all know how difficult it is to find the right van. When you buy a automobile, there are a lot of details that you have to worry about such as the performance of the truck, how much gas it consumes, its price, its mileage. All this details can drive you to distraction, especially when you are driving from one van dealership to another, looking at cars and being accosted by overzealous salesmen.
Furthermore, with all that traveling that you are doing, you are also consuming a lot of fuel and in your search for a truck. With today’s fuel prices, you really should not waste your time driving up and down on a search that, more likely than not, will end unsatisfactorily. You can use that cash to increase your budget for your planned automobile purchase.
So how do you keep your expenses down while you are looking for a automobile to replace the old and clunky one that you have right now? Simply, go for online Cheap Cars 4 Sale. Online Cheap Cars 4 Sale offers a very affordable and convenient way for you to purchase your next truck. With online van auctions, you choose and purchase your van or truck through the internet. This means that you can find the automobile that you want while you are sitting at home, relaxing. You also save on all that gas cash that you would have spent if you had gone out and looked for the automobile person to person.
Dealing With Used Cars by Owner Online
Used Cars by Owner online are very common. Many automobile dealers have jumped on the internet bandwagon and are selling their trucks through the internet. The convenience of shopping from the internet is very hard to ignore. These days, most automobile dealerships have an online counterpart where customers can see their automobiles without even leaving their homes. Some truck dealerships even maintain an online presence only. Often, these truck dealers offer more affordable prices as their business has a lower overhead than other car dealerships.
So where do you find Used Cars by Owner online. Simple, just do a search about Used Cars by Owner online and you will quickly find a large number of choices to choose from. You will surely have a great time with your search. There are plenty of cars to choose from Used Cars by Owner online. Whatever make, model and style you want, you are sure to find one.
Once you have made your choice, you can then contact the owner for details. One of the advantages of buying from Used Cars by Owner online is that owners are often sell their trucks below market price. If you are looking for a place to buy used cars online, I found a great one here http://www.carandtruckauctionsonline.com/.
The only real downfall to buying a car online is that some of these cars might be too far to go pick up. However, the savings you receive in most cases will be more than it will cost you to hire a auto transport company. There are various car transport companies out there which makes prices for car shipping services extremely competitive.
Tags: Buying a car, car, cars, truck, trucks
Posted in Cars and Trucks · August 24th, 2010 · Comments (0)