After you change the battery in your Honda Civic, you may see warning lights on the dash. These are normal and will go away after a few miles of driving. If you see any warning lights, don’t panic! Just take your car for a short drive and they should go away. If they don’t, or if you have any other questions, feel free to contact your local Honda dealer for assistance.
Why Do Warning Lights Come On After Honda Civic Battery Replacement?
One of the most common questions we get here at the shop is “Why do my warning lights come on after I changed my battery in my Honda Civic?”
Most people think that once they put a new battery in their car, the check engine light (CEL) or maintenance required light (MR) should go off. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. In fact, it’s quite common for one or both of these lights to come on after changing your battery.
There are a few reasons why this might happen:
- The new battery may not be compatible with your car. This is rare, but it does happen. If you’ve bought a cheap aftermarket battery, it may not have the correct voltage or amperage for your car. This can cause all sorts of electrical problems, including triggering the CEL or MR light.
- Your car’s computer may need to be reset. When you disconnect and reconnect your battery, it can cause your car’s computer to lose its memory. This can happen even if you disconnect and reconnect the battery correctly. As a result, your car may think something is wrong when there isn’t actually anything wrong. The fix for this is to simply reset your car’s computer by disconnecting the negative terminal of your battery for 30 seconds or so.
- There could be an actual problem with your car.
Read also: Honda Fit Dashboard Warning Lights And Symbols
When to Change the Battery in a Honda Civic?
If your Honda Civic is from the 2001 model year or newer, you should change the battery every four years. If your car is older than that, you should change it every three years. If you live in a hot climate, you may need to change it more often.
If your car’s battery is more than four years old, it’s time for a replacement. Even if it’s not showing any signs of weakness, a battery only has a finite number of charge/discharge cycles before it needs to be replaced. Replacing your battery before it fails completely will save you the hassle and expense of being stranded on the side of the road with a dead battery.
If you live in a hot climate, your car’s battery will degrade faster than if you lived in a cooler climate. The heat speeds up the chemical reaction inside the battery, causing it to lose capacity faster. For this reason, it’s a good idea to check your car’s battery every year or two and replace it if necessary.
If your Honda Civic has an older model year (2001 and below), then you should replace the battery every three years without fail. Newer Civics (2002 and up) can go for four years between replacements, but if you live in a hot climate region like Arizona or Florida, then yearly checks are necessary to ensure optimal performance from your vehicle’s electrical system components – including the all-important battery!
What the Battery Charge Warning Lights Mean?
When your battery starts to die, your car will give you a warning. The battery charge warning light will come on, telling you that it’s time to recharge the battery. If you don’t recharge the battery, it will eventually die and your car will no longer start.
There are two different types of battery charge warning lights: red and yellow. A red battery charge warning light means that the battery is critically low and needs to be recharged immediately. A yellow battery charge warning light means that the battery is getting low and should be recharged soon.
If you see either of these lights, make sure to recharge your battery as soon as possible. If you let the battery die, it can cause permanent damage to your car’s electrical system.
See also: Warning Lights After Changing Battery Vw
How to Reset the Battery Charge Warning Lights?
If one of the battery charge warning lights comes on after you’ve changed the battery in your Honda Civic, it’s likely that there’s something wrong with the connection between the battery and the charging system. Here’s how to reset the system so that the warning light will go off:
- Make sure that the new battery is properly connected to the charging system. Check the connections to make sure they’re tight and free of corrosion.
- Start the engine and let it idle for a few minutes to allow the alternator to charge up the new battery.
- Turn off all of the lights and accessories in your Civic, then turn off the engine.
- Disconnect the negative terminal of the new battery, then reconnect it after a few seconds. This will reset the charging system and should turn off any warning lights that were on.
When to Take Your Car to a Mechanic?
You should take your car to a mechanic if you notice any of the following warning lights after changing your battery:
- Check Engine Light: This light indicates that there is a problem with your car’s engine. If this light comes on, you should take your car to a mechanic as soon as possible to have it checked out.
- Oil Pressure Warning Light: This light indicates that there is a problem with your car’s oil pressure. If this light comes on, you should take your car to a mechanic right away to have the oil pressure checked and possibly replaced.
- Battery Warning Light: This light indicates that there is a problem with your car’s battery. If this light comes on after you’ve changed your battery, it could be an indication that the new battery is not properly installed or that it is not compatible with your car. You should take your car to a mechanic to have the battery checked and possibly replaced.
- Temperature Warning Light: This light indicates that there is a problem with your car’s cooling system. If this light comes on, you should take your car to a mechanic right away to have the cooling system checked and possibly repaired or replaced.
If you see any warning lights after changing your battery in your Honda Civic, don’t panic — this is normal. The warning lights are simply a reminder to have your vehicle’s electrical system checked by a professional as soon as possible. In the meantime, continue driving your vehicle and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have a new battery.
