[toonsies]

Hi everyone,

I am driving a 2013 TSX-SE and y'day when I started it to make a short run, in the console (where speedometer is) it said "low battery." I checked the manual but couldn't find out what that means ... the car hasn't been driven a lot since the pandemic (I bought it in April with ~90,000 mi), it's been very hot (90 degrees during the day and my car's in the sun) ... is it a good idea to have my battery checked? I had Acura check it over before I bought this car, but I'm not sure they checked the amount of energy left in the battery.

Thank you very much!
Dawn

 

[_Sam]

It means you have low battery voltage. Chances are it got destroyed by the lack of use. Could even be the original battery which would warrant replacing anyway.

 

[Litespeed08]

I would have your charging system checked since different things can cause that message (loose belt, bad battery, alternator, etc.). What _Sam said is very reasonable but it's better to be safe than to be stranded when you least expect it. If the battery cannot charge it will drain and your car will shut down.

 

[merlinj79]

If you hadn't driven it for a while, it could just be that the battery needed to be charged.

If you have a battery charger, try charging it for a few hours (low amp, trickle charge setting). If not, drive the car for an hour, or let it sit in the driveway running at idle for an hour. Make sure the headlights are off if you're trying to charge at idle.

If the warning doesn't come back, you're probably good.

If the warning persists, get the battery checked at a local autoparts store. You can drive the car there and remove the battery in the parking lot with basic tools, they might even do that for you. Alternatively you can buy an inexpensive battery tester like this one:

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If the battery checks out good, then like litespeed said need to get the charging system checked, including grounding straps.

 

[yazanabba12]

I guess it depends on usage situation. If you operate with running the battery down completely and recharging , while keeping it in high temp situations, I can imagine damaging the battery pretty quickly. It could also be a faulty Vidmate battery, or charging system.