A week to get a 12V battery? Honda eNy1
Discussion
I've had my eNy1 for 26 months, and really like it, although it was a cheap PCP deal so it'll be going back in April 2027.
It's had 2 services, 2 recalls for software updates, I average about 3.6 miles / kWh and had been faultless until Bank Holiday Monday.
I hadn't used it for about 3 days, but the car hadn't charged overnight as scheduled, and wouldn't turn on, at all. I suspected the 12V battery immediately, the EV forums will tell you how they fit weedy ones. I had to look in the printed owners manual (there is one!) to find it. It's under a cover with only 2 clips under the bonnet, nut there is no indication of where it is. The following shows the reading 
The owner's manual has instructions on jumping it too, although I've done it many a time in the past on ICE cars. I don't have proper jump leads, but to get enough power to 'power up,' I used an old 12V battery (reading 12.2V), and instrument leads, old ones are handy sometimes!
As soon as power up is achieved, the main traction battery charges the 12V battery:
I contacted a Honda dealer, and he said I had to have a battery test before he could fit one under warranty (if the battery had a shorter one than the car, I'd have changed it myself). Many would have just called Honda Assist but I expect they would have jump started it too. I did this. To be fair, they checked it at 3pm the same day, removing it to do a load test. It came up 'fail' they said, but not in stock so ordered, fair enough.
I'd heard nothing after 3 days and called them. They DID call back, it apparently has to come from Belgium! So, 7 days plus to change a 12V battery? It's also a 23 mile round trip each time. Not the dealer's fault, and I know they've stopped selling them new in the UK now, but this seems a bit daft.
The car has actually been OK the last few days, charging overnight too, but a new battery is needed. I wonder now if something drained it. Not an internal lamp, they're LEDs, perhaps the boot latch motor, it did stick once.
It's had 2 services, 2 recalls for software updates, I average about 3.6 miles / kWh and had been faultless until Bank Holiday Monday.
I hadn't used it for about 3 days, but the car hadn't charged overnight as scheduled, and wouldn't turn on, at all. I suspected the 12V battery immediately, the EV forums will tell you how they fit weedy ones. I had to look in the printed owners manual (there is one!) to find it. It's under a cover with only 2 clips under the bonnet, nut there is no indication of where it is. The following shows the reading The owner's manual has instructions on jumping it too, although I've done it many a time in the past on ICE cars. I don't have proper jump leads, but to get enough power to 'power up,' I used an old 12V battery (reading 12.2V), and instrument leads, old ones are handy sometimes!
As soon as power up is achieved, the main traction battery charges the 12V battery:
I contacted a Honda dealer, and he said I had to have a battery test before he could fit one under warranty (if the battery had a shorter one than the car, I'd have changed it myself). Many would have just called Honda Assist but I expect they would have jump started it too. I did this. To be fair, they checked it at 3pm the same day, removing it to do a load test. It came up 'fail' they said, but not in stock so ordered, fair enough.
I'd heard nothing after 3 days and called them. They DID call back, it apparently has to come from Belgium! So, 7 days plus to change a 12V battery? It's also a 23 mile round trip each time. Not the dealer's fault, and I know they've stopped selling them new in the UK now, but this seems a bit daft.
The car has actually been OK the last few days, charging overnight too, but a new battery is needed. I wonder now if something drained it. Not an internal lamp, they're LEDs, perhaps the boot latch motor, it did stick once.
I know absolutely nothing about your car but is that the "big" battery trying to charge the 12v one? Whatever it is it's either the system trying to charge a knackered battery or a faulty charging system that's knackered the battery.
By all means chuck a new 12v battery in there but you'll need to keep an eye on what's going on with voltage.
By all means chuck a new 12v battery in there but you'll need to keep an eye on what's going on with voltage.
Yes, but I will be checking that. The charging voltage was so high because it was so drained, I've seen voltages that high before on other cars. Anything below 11V, a battery is considered unrecoverable, usually.
There haven't been any warning lamps regarding the charging system, which the car has systems to detect. Everything is under warranty anyway, servicing was free in the deal so they've been done at the same Honda dealer. Car has done only 12,800 miles.
There haven't been any warning lamps regarding the charging system, which the car has systems to detect. Everything is under warranty anyway, servicing was free in the deal so they've been done at the same Honda dealer. Car has done only 12,800 miles.
It's bizarre really.
If they haven't mastered the care and feeding of good old lead acid batteries, how can they be trusted with anything modern?
You could understand the odd edge case, where someone leaves a car idle for months or does something silly, but in normal use, starter batteries on IC cars frequently last 8+ years these days, despite getting a hard life with Stop/Start.
I wouldn't be surprised to find Tayna had the battery in stock...
If they haven't mastered the care and feeding of good old lead acid batteries, how can they be trusted with anything modern?
You could understand the odd edge case, where someone leaves a car idle for months or does something silly, but in normal use, starter batteries on IC cars frequently last 8+ years these days, despite getting a hard life with Stop/Start.
I wouldn't be surprised to find Tayna had the battery in stock...
You can connect to the car by Wifi using the app to change charging schedule, turn on air-con, check battery status, start and stop charging if plugged in, unlock the boot to give remote access, etc. So the 12V battery must work quite hard if you interrogate it a lot, hence my surprise / disappointment to see that it is only 45 Ah. 
Quite common for the feeble 12v batteries to cause problems on Ev..
Friends Toyota one dies, as he leaves it for weeks. He bought battery booster jump starter (Halfords Advanced) which kicks it into life.
I bought same for my Skoda. Not needed it.. yet. I keep in glovebox as you can unlock it with physical key if it dies & keyfob opening doesn’t work. Don’t fancy climbing through to the boot if stored there!. Can easily get to the 12v battery terminals in mine to do this.
Daughters partners Leaf 12v killed it after being left for a week in winter. He used my booster to get it going. Good test!
Friends Toyota one dies, as he leaves it for weeks. He bought battery booster jump starter (Halfords Advanced) which kicks it into life.
I bought same for my Skoda. Not needed it.. yet. I keep in glovebox as you can unlock it with physical key if it dies & keyfob opening doesn’t work. Don’t fancy climbing through to the boot if stored there!. Can easily get to the 12v battery terminals in mine to do this.
Daughters partners Leaf 12v killed it after being left for a week in winter. He used my booster to get it going. Good test!
45Ah isn't that feeble - most small petrol cars will have that size, or even smaller. The battery isn't doing much compared to an ice vehicle.
Generally EVs check the 12V battery every few hours and charge it if needed but some (maybe all?) EVs won't charge the 12V battery if the traction battery is low - and low can be like 30%, so easy to get caught out.
Generally EVs check the 12V battery every few hours and charge it if needed but some (maybe all?) EVs won't charge the 12V battery if the traction battery is low - and low can be like 30%, so easy to get caught out.
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