The Honda Civic died on me yesterday while I was picking up a couple things at the grocery store. I came out and was greeted with the dreaded clicking of a nearly dead battery. As this was the original battery and it has been more than 5½ years, I figured it was time for a new battery. The recent cold spell combined with generally short trips means the battery was rarely fully charged, and the condition of the anode when I popped off the red shield for the jumper cable [fuzzy green] meant that the charging circuit was definitely not optimal.

I figured as long as I was getting a battery I should also replace the wipers [also original] and some new clamps for the jumper cables.

Replacing the battery is a PITA. The guys who designed the system didn’t waste money on cable length, but added a strange 2-inch extension to the main threaded rod that holds the battery in place. It was a two person job, with one person holding the cables out of the way while the other person released all of the hold downs, removed the plastic box, and finally removed the battery. This is definitely not the easy access found under the hood of the cars I worked on when I was younger.

The wiper blades are a continuing project, as I am attempting to locate replacements locally. I can get the passenger’s side, but the driver’s side is four inches longer, and most places don’t carry it, although it is listed. I may have to resort to the ‘Net for that and the cable clamps, because no one seems to want to stock anything that won’t be sold in a month.

I try to buy locally, but the local stores sure don’t make it easy.