Question for the mechanics -- 2017 Honda Pilot issues

[aftriathlete]

Sunday waiting in line at an oil change place with the accessory ignition on for about an hour, my wife's Pilot then wouldn't start. Oil change place jumps it and checks the charging system, says battery is fine but alternator isn't charging. I go to Auto Zone from there, they check the charging system, say the same thing, battery is fine and alternator is bad.

Dropped it at Honda dealer today because it's still under warranty, they're telling me their equipment is saying it's a bad battery and alternator is fine. So of course I'm on the hook for the $190 diagnostic fee, and of course they want to change the battery since they think the codes it's throwing might just be because the battery is failing and it might save me a trip to go back if the new battery doesn't fix the codes.

Is that possible that two charging system checks say alternator is bad and the dealer's says it's fine? And is it possible the battery would go bad (or alternator would go bad for that matter) and there would be no indications of charging system or battery issues on the dash?

 

[92xj]

Have them show you the alternator is pumping out 14.2 volts while the engine is running. If you see that with your own eyes, let them change the battery.

I’d also make sure all the grounds are inspected, cleaned and tightened. Loose grounds will drive a guy crazy.

 

[wyosteve]

If it's the original battery in the vehicle, I'd suspect the battery first. Typical lifespan on newer vehicle batteries is about 3 years in my experience. Replacing it would be an easy, relatively inexpensive approach and won't hurt anything.

 

[Jethro]

Many Hondas **and I personally have no idea about your 17 Pilot** have dual mode charging. The alternator will only put out 14v when there is a draw on the car. Wife's Civic Si is like that. Just start the car and check battery it reads 12v. Almost made me think alternator was bad. But turn on the lights (or any accessory) with the car running and the alternator bumps up to 14v.

Something to consider and maybe check for yourself to confirm who is correct.

 

[Mattys010]

I had a similar experience with Subaru. Two testers said battery was fine. Brought it to dealer. They tested battery and showed bad. I questioned it, thinking it might be something else. Car was 4 years old. That was 2 years ago. Car has been great since.

 

[kfili]

For what it's worth I've had to replace the alternators on every Honda Ive owned. Although they were all older than 5 years.

 

[MattB]

If it isn't the battery, you are in need of a new one anyways after 5 years.

 

[aftriathlete]

Bought the car a little over a year ago, Honda Certified Used Car, so while I assume the battery was not the original and they would have changed that out, I can't be sure. Also considering the PITA of only having one vehicle this week, I told them to go ahead and change the battery. They reported that the new battery cleared all the codes that it was throwing, so I suppose it could be some sort of 2-stage alternator type situation that maybe Honda's charging system testing equipment knows how that works but the average Auto Zone tester doesn't and would indicate an alternator problem. So I'm on the hook for a very expensive battery, but I'm going to put a multimeter on it this weekend to see what I see with the engine running and the engine running with all the accessories and lights on.

 

[Randle]

Battery light symbol on while running could indicate charging problem. Considing it went dead KOEO and it jump started and ran fine to the other 2 shops would indacate charging system is working . i would supect a battery
Shucks and auto zone couldnt diag their
way out of a wet paper bag.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I had a similar situation. Trust the dealer on this one.

 

[bigeyedfish]

Batteries have date stickers on them. You can identify the date of manufacture if you can locate that sticker.

It's way more likely to be a bad battery than alternator. The car probably won't show 14 volts at idle, so checking with a multimeter won't tell you much. A battery replacement is your best case scenario. They're relatively cheap and very easy to replace. The alternator is right up against the passenger wheel well - not terribly difficult but annoying.

Most auto parts stores can load test a battery, but you often have to specifically ask for it or they'll just put a multimeter to it. That doesn't really tell the whole story. I would bet the dealer load tested your battery to determine it is bad.

 

[Titan]

Pilots have a crappy battery ground. Sometimes there are issues even jumping if you go to the battery terminal with jumpstarter/cables. At 5 years old, I would go with the battery being bad. It's about time anyway.