My battery died today. One cell was dead and wouldn't recharge. Looked to be the original battery. So I pulled it out and put in a Costco battery. The only difference was the vent caps were up and not flush with the battery top. To get the car back on the road, I removed the 50 amp fuse and the plastic container it was in to get the battery terminal and supplementary wire to hook up to the + terminal. Just how critical is this fuse?

 

Fuses are always very critical unless electrical fires are what you consider fun and exciting. The bigger the fuse, the more critical the functionality.

I suppose you haven't been hanging around much as we have had two threads on this in the past 4 months. Removing fuses is never a good idea.

Unfortunately for you, you cannot return a used battery.

 

^sure....

 

Did you carry the battery out of Costco or did they install it and help out with the fuse situation ? I think we know the answer to that.

The correct battery (flat top) is available at most auto parts stores.

Anyway the fuse is not critical (until it is). I'll bet most RL's never blow that fuse. Except in a car crash.

 

In all the years of working on a car I have never seen a popped fuse in this circuit. Yeah, the engineers thought one there would be a great idea, so they put one in.
I took the battery out of Costco and installed it myself. I don't worry about the battery not working as I have another car I can put it in, should I choose to go get a flat topped battery at Interstate. I just have to figure out where they moved as they are not at the last location where I saw them.
With a 100 month warranty on the battery from Acura, some would argue to take it to the dealer and get it prorated. The nearest dealer is 2 1/2 hrs from me so any savings would be negated by the gas used.

Let me try this for a while as I didn't do anything that can't be undone and have that "stock" appearance.

 

We could build houses without circuit breakers to save money, but for some reason we don't.

 

And your house doesn't even have a battery that can explode its acid everywhere with a quick 1000A crash short.

 

Wanted to catalogue my experience with the 50-amp battery terminal fuse issue with my 2006 RL for posterity. The sequence of events are as follow: Battery died; Jumped the battery and replaced with nearest equivalent at Costco; Battery jump unknowingly blew the 50-amp fuse which connects the radiator fan circuit; Radiator overheated and blew the plastic reservoir cap, leading to coolant loss, resulting in engine overheating condition; ghetto-hacked radiator cap repair and made youtube video; ghetto-hacked further the 50-amp fuse replacement to reanimate radiator fan.

Actual vehicle-relevance of this instance will be more far-fetched with passing time, but the underlying problem will remain with Honda/Acura vehicles until the design is changed. Acura/Honda Engineers should keep fuses with the fuse box and not just install them willy-nilly wherever it's convenient for manufacturing (in this case, under a tacky red plastic cap atop the battery terminals). The cascading effect of a seemingly benign fan malfunction is, ultimately, catastrophic engine failure that renders the vehicle useless. Vehicle reliability is the primary reason why my entire family is on the Honda/Acura platform, don't fudge it up by trying to be cute or lazy. Thanks for reading my blurb.

 

I have the same cascading issues on my 2005 RL. Radiator replaced at Honda Services (Acura services give you loaner cars, but it is too far from where I live) for $1000 (I know). Radiator fan and AC fan shrouds were so expensive at dealer, but they were able to work with me, and take my O'Reilly parts ($235 each) and have installed them along with the new radiator. They tried to help me, as I am in a dire financial situation since the pademic and layoff; I cannot afford a new car. When I got the RL back, and while idling in traffic, "Check Radiator System" light came on.
The engine temperature does stay down, and the light goes away when restarting the car.

After the Radiator change, however. I noticed AC was not working. Dealer doesn't want to "deal" with the problem, as diagnosing the old car takes them too long, and I've already said I cannot afford more than $1000. i dont blame them.
Unfortunately. I don't have an accessible garage space to diagnose the issue on my own. Took the RL to a radiator/ac shop. The AC fuse keeps blowing, and recommends AC compressor to be replaced. I told them the issue maybe related to the RL's new Radiator/AC system, perhaps not using the OEM AC shroud. $200 AC diagnosis cost down the drain, as I cannot afford $1400 for a new AC.
The Navigation system had also gone bad, and I was not able to access the climate control on display anyway.

...sigh...

RL is a great car, and I was excited when Honda partnered with Red Bull F1. But after hitting 150k miles, every plastic interior/experior, including the gasket, starts to break and oil starts to leak. Engine still runs strong and transmission shifts nicely. But dumping over $2000 on an 18 years old car... I can see why everyone has been telling me to get a Toyota/Lexus.

If and when I can afford, my next car probably would be an EV.

 

My thoughts are with you in these trying times, Twingst. I've been extremely fortunate to be associated with skilled blue-collar colleagues at a place with ready access to ample auto parts. I wish you a speedy recovery to getting your RL back into transporter shape, Friend. Be well.

 

I replaced that fuse with an inline 50 amp circuit breaker when I upgraded my battery terminals...much more reliable and cheaper than buying a new fuse if it ever blows...which it isn't likely to do since most of that wiring is pretty solid. You likely blew the circuit because you jumped it from the wrong side of the fuse...


If a cheap fuse was the catalyst for the destruction of your car, do you really think an EV is a wise decision?