What You Should Know About the Honda Civic Battery Draining Problem
If you’ve encountered the annoying Honda Civic battery draining problem, here’s what you need to know—and how to fix it.
Written by Melissa Harvey
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
A faulty alternator could cause a Honda Civic’s battery draining problem. While getting to the root of the problem can be tricky, most solutions are reasonably affordable.
Maybe this sounds familiar: you’ve buckled your kids in the car, ready for school, and you go to start your Honda Civic, and—nothing! Your Civic won’t start; the battery’s drained. If you’ve lived this scenario a few too many times, you aren’t the only one! Battery drain can be a repeating issue for many Civic owners.
It’s time to get to the bottom of this, and Jerry is here to help.
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. Let’s go! What causes the Honda Civic battery drain problem?
One of the most common frustrations expressed by Honda Civic owners is drained batteries. Civic drivers find that their car won’t start after being parked; the battery drains overnight or quickly over short time intervals.
While there is no single solution for all Honda Civic battery drain problems, the most common cause is a bad alternator. If you’re seeing your battery light come on while driving—and before you parked—you could need a new alternator.
If your alternator is faulty, your battery isn’t charging enough while you drive, which leaves the battery drained. The alternator’s job in Honda Civic is to turn mechanical energy into electrical energy to charge your battery.
Check to ensure you didn’t leave any exterior or interior lights on (like the glove compartment or map lights) or that something isn’t plugged in draining power. Do you have any after-market accessories? Check these too.
If you can’t pinpoint a component drawing power from your battery, you may have an electrical issue, like a faulty A/C relay.
How to fix the Honda Civic’s battery draining problem
You can visit a local parts store or your trusty mechanic to test your alternator. If you choose to visit a parts store, they’ll usually test your alternator for free—but they’ll expect you to buy the replacement from them.
If you cannot swap alternators yourself, you can make an appointment with your favorite auto repair shop, and they’ll take care of it. An alternator by itself costs about $200-$300, and to have it professionally replaced can cost anywhere from $350 to $800, including labor fees.
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Should you choose to replace your alternator yourself, it should take about two hours or more, depending on your mechanical skills. You’ll need a jack and jack stands, a 10 mm wrench, and a ratcheting wrench to do this job. Here’s how you’ll do it:
- Jack up your Civic, place the car on the jack stands, and disconnect the battery—remove the negative (black) terminal first and then the positive (red).
- Remove all the bolts and clips from your alternator: unclip the green 4P connector, and remove the B terminal by removing the bolt. Next, loosen the adjusting bolt above the belt and the support bracket. You may need to remove the splash shield below the car to get to the alternator.
- Remove the alternator: You need to remove the “through” bolt from the lower support bracket. Next, remove the belt from the pulley. After that, remove the two bolts holding the lower support bracket. Unclip the blue and green wiring support harnesses so that you can shimmy the alternator out from under the car.
- Shimmy the new alternator in from the wheel well. Be sure to set the belt back in the pulley! If you forget, you’ll have to start all over.
- Replace the bolts and electrical in the reverse order.
But what if you replace the alternator and still have battery issues? Troubleshooting can be tricky on your own, but here are a few different things you can consider:
- You could have a parasitic battery drain, where a component is leeching power from your battery even though your car is turned off.
- Take a look at your battery terminals to ensure that everything is connected correctly. Also, check for any corrosion or residue that could affect your battery's connection.
How to save money on Honda insurance
Dealing with an ever-draining battery can definitely siphon your bank account! Use the
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