as a result of the air bag recall , ive been in a loaner for the past two months.
i been starting the 2013 rdx a few times a week to work the battery and charging system,.
in addition i also move the car slightly forward a couple of times a month , so the tires dont possibly get flat spotted.

last week it wouldnt start.
i popped the hood and noticed significant corrosion on only one of the battery posts.
i cleaned it , jump started it, and so far so good.

the rdx is not even 3 years old yet, it will be in late september.
i know acura honda has a history of premature battery wear.
i dont know if they still do,and if so why they cant make improvements with it.
they should at least make the 3 or hopefully the 4 year mark.

has anyone else had corrosion problems, and could these vehicles sitting for months be a contributing factor?
and how often should i move the vehicle to avoid flat spotted tires?
are there any other issues associated with prolonged vehicle inactivity i should be aware of?

ive never been down this road before......acura should have provided this info, but didnt.

 

put some Battery terminal protector spray on it to minimize the corrosion. https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-8037.../dp/B000BOKML2

 

I've received conflicting advise on this from this board and also from two dealership. My car has been parked for a month but unlike you I pretty much left it alone only now it is completely dead. My local dealership and posters on here told me to leave it alone until I get confirmation that the airbags are in and get roadside to jump start it or tow it to the dealer. Another Acura sales person told me I should get it jump started right now to make sure that not only the battery doesn't corrode but that the tires won't go flat. There is currently no corrosion on my terminals though so now I'm confused on what to do.

 

its conflicting because those items are wear and tear. or replaceable.

what would you rather do? spend money to get battery and tires in good condition when you are not even driving the vehicle....

or have those items replaced free, after all of this is done and finished? maybe tires wont be free....but battery certainly will.

its up to you. spend money on items that wont get driven....
or get it for free?

this board is advising you to wait, so that you are not spending money on a battery.....

 

I had the same problem--noticed excessive corrosion on the positive battery terminal, which I cleaned using Baking Soda solution. Eventually, the corrosion won, and the cable literally fell away from the battery post, causing a no-start condition. Seems Honda/Acura uses galvanized steel (rather than copper or lead) for the cable clamp. Also, on the factory battery, both posts are contained within separate circular components within the top, which can (and did) leak sulphuric acid gas.
Because I couldn't get to the dealer without a new cable, and seeing the flawed design of the factory battery, I replaced the original battery with an Interstate (from Costco), and purchased a new replacement cable. Note that the Interstate battery has a 1-piece top with no joints that could possibly leak nasty acidic gases.
Being in southern California, where Hondas/Acuras are ubiquitous, the only in-stock cable was at a dealer 50 miles away. And, of course, no "warranty adjustment" because I didn't bring it to the dealer, first and intact so the "service rep" could observe the problem and "properly diagnose" the condition.
Should not such critical components be as "fail-safe" as possible, so that owners aren't stranded? And, shouldn't these be stocked EVERYWHERE?
Cheap is as cheap does, I guess...

 

My 08 RDX sat for 86 days before an air bag was available for replacement. I had a rental the whole time and parked my RDX at the house in the 3rd car garage. I did an oil change before letting it sit in March because it could be mid-summer by 1st estimates for the fix. I would still drive the RDX around every two weeks for about 20-30 minutes to help with tire flat spots, recharge the battery, and get the old juices flowing in the drivetrain. I would only drive on Sunday morning just before sun up since most roads have a min amount of traffic. I have an battery charger/maintainer I put on a few times just to top off the battery when I had to skip a weekend of driving. The charge never got too low to start even after 3 weeks of sitting (3-4 yr old interstate battery).

 

Bings. Flat spotted tires will also "un flat spot" after they warm up and have been driven unless they are allowed to get severely underinflated. The dealer will give you a new battery if you ask nicely.

 

Hey, after my local dealership told me to wait as they are the ones who issued meven with a rental and have me on their waiting list, I'm doing just that!

 

good luck to those of you affected.

 

mark so the problem is both the o. e. battery and o. e . cable.
does inactivity add to or accelerate the problem, or would it have surfaced even with daily driving?

anyone know what the life expectancy is of these batteries?
are most even making the 3 or 4 year mark?

ive had a number of honda acura vechicles over the past 32 years going back to a 1984 accord.
and they have always had a reputation for weak batteries.

something as simple as a battery, should be something they addressed and improved on.
yet it doesnt sound like they have yet to do so. because skimping on such an inexpensive item as a cable clamp, is not encouraging news.

 

I think Acura/Honda is still handing out weak factory batteries. obviously my opinion!
and also depends on your location and weather.
I live in hot, steamy, humid Houston, Texas... and can only get 2-3 years from my batteries.
4 if I am VERY LUCKY

 

AGM would probably work 2X-3X longer; but, good luck finding a top rated one for under $200. I think I spent $250 for an Interstate MT7 AGM with 1000/800 CA/CCA for my 11 MDX adv+Ent because I was running down my OEM battery too low sometimes once I added a front/rear dash cam and MotoSafety vehicle tracking module. Zero issues since the upgrade.

 

Once a lead acid battery loses its charge then it becomes physically damaged. A.couple of deep discharges or a discharge for a long time an the battery is toast

The life of a battery depends on many things - use, temps, time and so forth. The Acura battery is covered under the basic warranty so acura will swap it out if necessary