Honda Insight Hybrid Car IMA issue fixed in Brisbane

In 2023, I faced major issue with my Honda Insight Hybrid 2011 model car.

What happened?

One fine day, when I tried to start the car, I noticed something unusual. Car got started but I heard the clicking sound when I turned the ignition key. Also IMA warning light turned on. I thought it was not a major issue so I kept driving the car.

Next day ordeal

Next morning when I tried to start the car, it did not start. Instrument dashboard was completely blank. No lights were coming up. I noticed that 12 volt battery was down. I called the Road side assistance who said that it was alternator issue. But when I called couple of mechanics, they said Hybrid cars do not have alternator as electricity comes from DC hybrid battery. In normal cars, alternator is required to convert AC current to DC current.

How I got it fixed?

I found that there are limited mechanic shops that can troubleshoot issues in Hybrid cars in Brisbane. One of them was located at 4/100 Redland Bay Rd, Capalaba QLD 4157. So I towed my car to them. After investigating the issue, mechanic told me that Hybrid battery was ok but there was a problem with the invertor cooling fan.

How much did it cost me?

It cost me around $1200 to get my car fixed. Major cost was required to replace the invertor cooling fan. Initially I had thought that the problem was with hybrid battery but it was not the case.