Nope. Good thought though. That will be a future stage in this saga.
Hard Starting Accord
- Thread starter ecotourist
- Start date
Given that the battery essentially went dead in a couple of weeks, my bet is it is a bad battery. Check the voltage while cranking. I bet it drops to 10 volts or less. If it cranks well when jumped, it is the battery. If jumping doesn’t help it is the starter. You may need both. A bad battery can take a starter out.
I think we're overthinking this... and I don't think you told us how old the battery is? even AGM don't last forever... but your leakdown test does indeed indicate a weak battery (assuming it was, in fact, disconnected from any load), which is what I suspect. You could buy a cheap electronic battery tester that will tell you CCA and voltage drop during starting, or you could get a cheap 100A load tester and see if it can hold voltage under load... or you could just replace the battery and see what happens. any of these would be easier and cheaper than replacing the starter and/or cleaning the starter cables.
but... yes, only get OEM starter if it comes to that. I've had bad experiences with aftermarket Honda electrics (or any aftermarket for that matter). I did have to replace a starter on a 99 Nissan Maxima and the OEM replacement worked & sounded awesome, and yes the symptoms leading up to that did closely mimic a dying battery.
[edit] - these are the battery testers I have, and I do recommend both. They each have their uses. The electronic tester has many useful features (in some ways a mini oscilloscope with a wave capture mode), while the 100A load tester is brute-force proof that the battery can (or can't) handle a load. I use them both, and often.
https://share.temu.com/JSFMpt6FPoC
https://www.harborfreight.com/100-amp-612v-battery-load-tester-61747.html
but... yes, only get OEM starter if it comes to that. I've had bad experiences with aftermarket Honda electrics (or any aftermarket for that matter). I did have to replace a starter on a 99 Nissan Maxima and the OEM replacement worked & sounded awesome, and yes the symptoms leading up to that did closely mimic a dying battery.
[edit] - these are the battery testers I have, and I do recommend both. They each have their uses. The electronic tester has many useful features (in some ways a mini oscilloscope with a wave capture mode), while the 100A load tester is brute-force proof that the battery can (or can't) handle a load. I use them both, and often.
https://share.temu.com/JSFMpt6FPoC
https://www.harborfreight.com/100-amp-612v-battery-load-tester-61747.html
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The negative post is disconnected, so it should not have any load (other than my testing the Voltage every few hours).
The AGM battery is 5 or 6 years old. During its life we haven't driven the car very much (maybe 500 - 750 km/year) which is probably pretty hard on any battery.
My SIL has a fully charged 12 Volt battery (he keeps it charged with roof panels). I'm going to start the car with that battery boosting the Honda's AGM with my heavy cables. If it starts easily, I need a new battery. If it doesn't start well it's either a connection or the starter.
12.5 isnt the end of the world. A full charge is 12.6. Anything over that is surface charge. Agms appreciate 14.8 for optimal charginf, which most chargers won’t do, so it can take a while for them to really top off. It sounds like the vehicle isnt driven much either, which means the battery spends more time in an undercharged condition.
My brand new Tacoma has a car off battery voltage of anywhere between 12.5 and 12.19. Resting voltage is a general kinda indicator but a very loose one. Try the starting voltage test, try the jump-start idea posted above
I’m not aware of problems with accord starters but mid-teens CRVs are known to wear out starter contacts early in life - ours made it to 60k iirc. Symptoms for that are either it turns or it doesn’t.
A failing single cell in a battery can also do this. Looks great on a charge but quickly loses 2V under load.
My brand new Tacoma has a car off battery voltage of anywhere between 12.5 and 12.19. Resting voltage is a general kinda indicator but a very loose one. Try the starting voltage test, try the jump-start idea posted above
I’m not aware of problems with accord starters but mid-teens CRVs are known to wear out starter contacts early in life - ours made it to 60k iirc. Symptoms for that are either it turns or it doesn’t.
A failing single cell in a battery can also do this. Looks great on a charge but quickly loses 2V under load.
20 miles wont charge a run down battery
5-6yrs in a car that is barely driven (and presumably not kept on a maintenance charger) = bad battery. I'll bet my next paycheck on it. But 5+ years under those conditions is actually really good. a standard flooded battery would be toast in a year or 2.
I do charge it periodically but it hasn't been on a maintenance charger.
I think I figured it out. I connected up my SILs giant battery using heavy gauge cables and it now starts up completely normally. So the AGM battery is toast. I'm off the get a new one as soon as I finish my coffee.
I've had lots of batteries fail in the past. One day the car is fine and the next day it barely clicks (if it does anything) and won't start. Time to replace the battery.
The thing that's different about this time is that the car will still start but it doesn't turn over with any enthusiasm (the starter is kind of stalling out) but then the engine starts. I wonder if that's how an AGM battery fails?
I've had lots of batteries fail in the past. One day the car is fine and the next day it barely clicks (if it does anything) and won't start. Time to replace the battery.
The thing that's different about this time is that the car will still start but it doesn't turn over with any enthusiasm (the starter is kind of stalling out) but then the engine starts. I wonder if that's how an AGM battery fails?
This particular AGM battery did something really strange a few years ago. The car was completely dead and when I hooked up the charger it immediately (like in 1 - 2 seconds) sprang back to life. I wondered at the time if there some internal derangement, but then it worked fine for the next few years.
I'm no battery expert but I suppose that might suggest a "faulty cell", if AGMs even have such things.
I'm no battery expert but I suppose that might suggest a "faulty cell", if AGMs even have such things.
You were right. It's now starting like normal with a new 12 Volt battery. In medicine we say "common things are common". There is no need to consider exotic stuff until you've ruled out the common stuff.
The thing is this wasn't acting like a normal battery failure. Maybe failing/failed AGM batteries act different.
That old AGM battery was 5 1/2 years old. [Had a 5 year warranty of course.] I replaced the AGM battery with a conventional lead acid battery having a 4 year warranty, at about half the price of an AGM.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
Not sure what this costs on Amazon.ca, or if you have a postal mail box in Point Roberts or Blaine, WA 
But these are currently on sale for $21.50
https://www.amazon.com/ANCEL-BA101-...d_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_nped_pd_nav_hcs_rp_2_t
I am such a fan, I keep a couple, new in box and hand them out to close friends, as they are such a useful device and so many are clueless about the health of their battery.
But these are currently on sale for $21.50
https://www.amazon.com/ANCEL-BA101-...d_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_nped_pd_nav_hcs_rp_2_t
I am such a fan, I keep a couple, new in box and hand them out to close friends, as they are such a useful device and so many are clueless about the health of their battery.
$42.40 delivered, in Canada.Not sure what this costs on Amazon.ca, or if you have a postal mail box in Point Roberts or Blaine, WA
But these are currently on sale for $21.50
https://www.amazon.com/ANCEL-BA101-...d_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_nped_pd_nav_hcs_rp_2_t
I am such a fan, I keep a couple, new in box and hand them out to close friends, as they are such a useful device and so many are clueless about the health of their battery.
now get a good maintenance charger if you don't have one. I have an older version of this that does the job nicely. It holds 13.6v float voltage with the parasitic draw of the car. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097D397M6
I've had issues with other chargers always slipping back into 14.6v absorption charge every 30-60sec or so, presumably because the key off parasitic draw triggered it, and that always made me uncomfortable leaving it like that for extended periods.
I've had issues with other chargers always slipping back into 14.6v absorption charge every 30-60sec or so, presumably because the key off parasitic draw triggered it, and that always made me uncomfortable leaving it like that for extended periods.
I have a CTEK charger that I plan to attach to the car. It has contacts that you can leave attached to the battery.
I don't think I'll leave it plugged in but will charge it at least monthly. This car has only a small parasitic draw. I suppose I should track the Voltage for a while to see how much it drops "just sitting". If it's a lot I may have to charge more often.
We do drive the car from time to time but probably should drive it more. It's nice to have a spare vehicle for those occasions when we both want to go somewhere. It probably would be cheaper to take a taxi instead but we like the convenience.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
Actually, leaving it connected all the time while parked, will maximize battery life.
Use the ring mount and thread the plug to a convenient spot.
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