havoc UK

Gad - sure I will!

Jamie - thanks for that!

Dembo - nothing at all - no click, no dimming/light changes. Which was why I initially thought alarm, but it's worth checking the battery, esp. as it's flattened itself before.

I'm off home at lunch to jump-start the car. If it starts, I'll go to Halfrauds or similar, just get them to check and if necessary fit a new battery. If it doesn't do anything, then it's the alarm/immobiliser acting up and I need to talk very nicely to the RAC...

NeilB

get a multimeter and test the battery terminals! cheaper than a battery and will last a lifetime!

Also a dodgy alarm may well drain the battery, happened to a friend of mine on his MX-5 with a Toad. Would be OK as long as the sun wasn't too hot. Weird things electrics.

Ste_Nova

i assume halfords is more than 1/4 mile from your house

MB

They tend to last almost bang on 5 years from what I can gather.

Even when flat I think you will find the lights and electrics will work but its not enought to engage the starter motor, which uses a lot of juice. Its a bit confusing when you think all else is working!

Id bet my last penny that you just need a new one.

havoc UK

Mark...I hope so. A new battery will be cheaper and less hassle than a tow to a dealership to sort out the alarm/immob!


Just to clarify...the Halfords HB053 WILL fit, whereas the one on their system has the wrong-size terminals?!? (Yes, I am going there...one of the cheapest places to supply and only want

Dembo

Do you mean that literally?

Try your electric windows. You'd expect them to be sluggish if the battery was flat.

havoc UK

OK, it's not the battery. It's got to be the alarm.

But...dealer can't LOOK AT it until Weds, and then they'll have to order whatever part is required in, and apparently parts for H-P alarms can be 'quite difficult to get hold of' (why do service advisors (Dave excepted) always sound so negative and pessimistic about stuff?!? Does nothing to create a good relationship, all this "we can't do this, we can't do that for a week, we can't, we can't...")

And of course I need to get it recovered to them myself, as their own recovery agent is booked out for about two weeks...

Just called RAC, got India, and they just didn't understand English. So am now trying again...ooh, got India again...now got UK and got hung up on...now on hold as they're all busy...got India again! Giving up...got to get back to work, have already been away for an hour trying to sort this.


...oh, and still awaiting a call back from Honda UK Customer Service too...

Ste_Nova

bypass the alarm

MB

I failed to notice your alarm issues - the doris has similar probs with her Celica at the mo and that isn't battery either, its the alarm unit itself.

Alarm probs worry me as asking anyone to look at it tends to cost a lot

havoc UK

Ste...not possible without taking the driver's seat out (pyrotechnics on the pre-tensioners...you can if you want, I like my eyes and hands as they are thanks!).

Mark...Hondacare Warranty SHOULD cover it at least, but I'm starting to think it's going to be a right pain to actually sort it...I'll probably get the car just right in time for winter...have hardly driven it for nearly 2 weeks already (and less than usual the 2-3 weeks before that), and it's going to be at least a week to sort the alarm, then probably a week to get the tappets looked at, and then I've still got the rough idle/misfire issue to solve...

1) Alarm - HUK fitted a crap one
2) Tappets - dealer managed to mess up the adjustment
3) Rough idle / misfire - OK, this one's down to the car.