I drive an 03 Civic Hybrid. Twice, a week apart, while driving about 50, the speedometer goes to zero, then the power steering goes out and I lose power and momentum. The dash indicator lights go on like a christmas tree, engine still running, but car sluggish. I shut it off, and then get no power a…

With the total loss of electrical power and the IMA light on, you’re looking at a hybrid system failure, possibly the battery pack, but may also include the drive motor/generator(s). These hybrids also have a small 12V battery, much smaller than a normal car battery, that has probably gone bad, as w…

Thanks for reply. The 12V battery tests fine. What are typical symptoms of the IMA system failure?

The IMA light being on is a sign of failure. Total power loss is another.

So it could have run consistently for three years with the IMA light on, and this new blackout routine is the actual IMA failure? Couldn’t this also be a simple short circuit or something? Would the diagnosis codes find that?

Only 42 mpg tells me the IMA battery pack is toast. I average 50 mpg in my Gen2 Insight.

You have to jump the engine battery to get going again. This car clearly has more than one problem. What are the actual codes? HV battery deterioration has its own code. There is a 10-year warranty on those batteries. Charge and load test the 12v battery and check the charging voltage. Replace 12v…

Right now, every time you fill the tank, you’re spending more than the value of the car. ;-]

@BustedKnuckles if that were the case, wouldn’t my gas mileage have been decreasing over time? @rattlegas the 12v battery is 3 years old but it tests fine, can I trust that result? Should I replace it anyhow since its an inexpensive chance to fix this? I will have the actual codes next week. I w…

I can’t say what to do without being there. But having to jump the 12v battery to get the car started seems like it is a problem that should be easily diagnosed. Charge and load test the 12v battery and check the charging voltage. Replace 12v battery if it fails the load test.

'03 Honda Civic Hybrid: total power out but then jumps and runs fine immediately

Maintenance/Repairs

BustedKnuckles May 1, 2014, 3:14pm 7

The battery pack is the heart of the IMA system. With the IMA light on for probably longer than the 3 years you’ve owned it, the battery pack has been getting worse and worse until it can no longer keep everything running. With an ever weakening battery pack, the IMA system gets stressed out trying to keep the battery pack charged. Then, you get power failures.

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'03 Honda Civic Hybrid: total power out but then jumps and runs fine immediately

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