Happy Memorial day everyone,

I've had my 2013 ILX hybrid for 2 weeks and haven't had any issues with it till last night. I had just finished filling up the gas tank and when I got back inside to start the vehicle, it would struggle to start and not start at all followed by a message on the dash to have my brakes and power steering checked. This continued to occur 5 more times as I attempted to start the engine, waiting a minute or two In between and on the 6 try it just shut off completely. Everything shut offed including the interior lights and the radio, it just went dead. I was surprised to have a problem like this early on considering that I have 351 miles on this vehicle. I called the Acura care service explaining the situation and they sent a tow truck, which took 3 hours to arrive. The tow driver gave my ILX a battery jump start and what do you know? It turned on! Along with some messages on my navigation screen about having my breaks and power steering serviced. I know very little about the mechanics of a hybrid battery & engine but I don't expect to have problems such as this on a brand new car. I know the ILX community is not a large one and even smaller for hybrid owners but has anyone experience this type of problem or anything similar? I like the car but I am starting to have some

 

You may want to check on a similar Civic forum, I think the ILX Hybrid drivetrain is pretty similar to the Civic Hybrid, but because the Civic has been out longer, you may have better luck there. Sorry to hear about your experience, good luck!

 

At this point all I can do is laugh & try to control my frustration towards this vehicle. I'm at a restaurant, just got done having dinner & I'm having the SAME problem, vehicle won't start again, waiting for tow truck AGAIN, I'm ready to get rid of this piece of junk ASAP!

 

Why haven't you taken it to the dealer?

 

Wow. You really need to do some searching before you make claims and judge a car we all enjoy.

It took 2.2 seconds to search google and find many many hybrid cars have similar battery problems. I typed in "hybrid wont start" and my search auto found "Altima hybrid wont start, highlander hybrid wont start, lexus hybrid wont start." Sounds like you share a problem with the hybrid lexus... Baller status right there.

As Shigatsu said, why haven't you taken the car in to the dealer? Stop frustrating yourself and take the damn car in.

 

you know what buddy, my ilx hybrid did the same thing. . . three times. . . by the third I took it to the dealer and they said it was a fuse that would get stuck and drain the battery. . . but it would only happen to the hybrids. . . . i was soo pissed. . . . but after the dealer gave it back. . . the problem was gone. . . it was a factory problem so it was of no charge. . . and for the week they gave me a "TL-AWD" as a loaner (best week of my life). . . . and now im as happy as clams. . . . no problems with my ilx hybrid. . . . clams. . . .

 

Be a clam. Take your car in.

 

Sorry to hear about your difficulties. It can be very frustrating when you have a brand-new car. It is helpful to understand that there are essentially two electrical systems in this vehicle. There is the high-voltage system that runs the electric motor for the IMA system, and a normal 12 V system run by the battery in the engine compartment.

Generally speaking, the big battery is used to turn the IMA motor to start the car. This lithium-ion battery pack stores an enormous amount of energy (relative to the 12 V battery) and normally has power to spare. However, what we have learned in the CR-Z community is that it seems that the computers and all accessories in the car run off of the 12 V battery. So, even if you're IMA battery has power, without the computer to regulate the starting, you could be out of luck.

Most likely, this is what is happening. Something is causing your "small battery" to drain. As somebody noted it could be a stuck relay (a fuse can't get stuck), or possibly your battery wasn't in prime condition to begin with.

While I cannot point to any technical documents reinforce this, the general consensus in our forums is that if your 12 V battery is flat, once you try to start the car (and fail) the system seems to start shunting power from the IMA battery to recharge the 12 V battery. Many people have found that if you wait about 20 minutes, the car starts. The only explanation we can come up with is that the car is somehow moving energy from one battery to the other.

In the end, none of what I have written will likely help you get going, but hopefully it will help you understand what might be happening. Definitely take it to the dealer as soon as you can.

 

Exactly what Colin said, that's what the Acura Dealer Guy said. . . That it was a stuck relay that drained the smaller battery and that all of the electrical components are connected to that small battery he also said that Optima Batteries makes a replacement battery for the Prius that fits the Ilx Hybrid car to a "T". . . I haven't really looked into it because my Ilx hybrid hasn't given any more problems but the web site http://www.optimabatteries.com/ has more info. . . click on the Prius at the bottom of the site. . . . CLAMS. . . .

 

I had the vehicle towed to the dealership Sunday night after the 2nd mishap. At the dealership now waiting for my car to arrive because the towing truck apparently took the car back to his tow lot instead of the dealership. Thanks for the responses, I'll give an update on what happens later today.

 

Good luck!

 

Just got an ILX Hybrid not even 2K miles on it. 1st time it refused to start with clicking sounds I chalked it up as a fluke. I went to the garage to get the owners manual and got back and tried again and it started and never looked back for a month.
Then trouble strikes when I go for a grocery run with my wife with ice cream melting away on a hot 4th of July night the car refuses to start.
Called Acura Care too long of a wait so turned to AAA for a tow to the dealership. The tow truck driver insists on giving me a jump I relent and the car starts.
The doors would lock unlock but Windows would not go up or down the dash was lit like a christmas tree.
Next day Acura Care arranges tow and dealer tells me battery was replaced "it had a bad cell" . I am suspicious since all my radio presets are still there. My blue tooth phones connect fine.
Waiting to see if it happens again.

 

My ILX Hybrid did the same thing the first month I owned it. Went out to start it and it was dead minus the "Christmas Tree" effect you mentioned. Good way to describe it! When the Acura Care tow rep showed up it started up just fine. Its really odd. Just glad it has not happened since.