I’m thinking it’s the 12V battery because HondaLink shows that the HV battery was full as of 8:30 this morning (about 11 hours ago). I got in and went to start the car and it did the chime and the dash started to come to life but then it stopped and faded and went out and now the start button isn’t even illuminated. The first few times I got in or out and closed the driver’s side door I got the “can’t find the key/I didn’t auto-lock” beeps but now I’m not even getting that. It’s completely dead. Any help would be appreciated! I tried removing the negative battery post but it did nothing.
Do you have a jump pack or another vehicle and jumper cables? How about a volt meter? Or a battery charger?
I do have access to a jumpstart but the battery indicator is blue (which means the battery currently has a sufficient charge). While fiddling I found a pile of bran (I’m on a farm) and some pebbles where it would be impossible for them to accumulate naturally. Landlord (who took a look and identified the pile as bran) rightly suspects it’s a rat that might have got into the wiring and cut something critical.
Rats are a part of nature. It’s quite natural for them to eat, store food, make a nest and poop. Check battery voltage. Replace the battery in the key fob or try the second key fob. Look for chewed wires.
I had a rat problem. Luckily I notice early on or my wires will be done. The ear or mouse was living underneath a cozy area above the engine. It's a black plastic cover which it chew through the bottom causing the yellow cotton type of thing falling out. After removing the cover, one of the wire was chewed on but didn't cause any damage. I had to bleach my whole driveway. Get the car stream clean. Went to home depot for some rat peppermint bag to hang area the engine area. No more rat problem ever since. Sent from my G8142 using Tapatalk
Certainly rodent damage is possible, but just another thought... Don't trust the 'eye' indicator on the battery. Those things are notoriously hard to read and ambiguous If your vehicle has not been driven regularly (quite likely during this pandemic) I would say that the battery has likely just drained down while sitting. If you have a battery charger / tender, put it on and charge it up. If not, then a jump should get you going. Once running, the HV battery will charge the 12V battery. Leave the car "on" for 30-60 minutes, or just go for a good long drive. Remember that a discharged battery (especially since you tried disconnecting it) will cause a bunch of ominous warning indicators. These should go away after driving for a brief period. I'm crossing my fingers that your battery has just discharged, and this is not due to rodent damage. Not that you shouldn't carefully check for them anyway. One place where we have seen them hide is in the cabin air filter. It is very easy to access (no tools required). This video shows how you can easily access the cabin filter: https://www.insideevsforum.com/comm...e-clarity-maintenance-minder.8189/#post-96939
I would charge the battery and see if it starts. Also be careful what charger you use. Do not use a high amperage charger while the battery is still connected to the car. It might damage sensitive electronics. Most trickle chargers you do not need to worry about.
If it turns out to be rodent damage, Honda actually sells a rodent repellent electrical tape, treated with capsaicin. Pricey stuff though: https://www.collegehillshonda.com/product/4019-2317.html There's a perception out there that Honda uses wiring with tastier insulation than most.
That sounds like a good high school science project. Go to a junkyard and collect some wiring samples, get a lab rat, and see what happens.
Maybe the spicy tape works better than this deterrent. I don’t know if it ended in death, mild indigestion or just a good cleanse. They did seem to enjoy it.
