How To Ship:
The Honda Insight's Hybrid battery is heavy. It weighs a good 65lbs. It is also fragile. If you want to ship one, you either need a crate or you have to wrap it in four inches thick of bubblewrap (the big one inch bubbles).
UPS is quite happy to ship these batteries. Just make sure to list the contents as "Dry Cell Battery (NiMH)". We have reduced shipping rates due to our volume, so we recommend that you use our shipping account to ship and then reimbuse us. We do not make any money off shipping. We charge you what we pay.
We have crates for rent. For $50 we will rent you a crate for the duration of your repair. These crates are custom made for these batteries and you simply drop the battery into the crate and bolt it in with the four included lag screws (1/2" socket). The lid attaches with philips-head screws. When we ship you a crate to pick up your battery, there is a prepaid shipping label inside the create for the return trip. Simply bolt the battery into the crate, slap the label on the outside and call UPS to come and pick it up.
We charge a rental fee on the crates because they only survive a few trips before they have to be replaced, and the rental fee helps pay for the replacements.
We charge a $50 refundable deposit on all crates as an incentive to return them. This deposit will be returned if we receive the crate within 30 days of it going out to you (which is an incentive to return them promptly).
Rates:
The crated weight of an Insight battery is 95lbs and its' dimensions are 26" x 23" x 11". Shipping ranges from $50 (Pennsylvania) to $95 (California). The empty crate costs $15 to $25 to ship.
Local Drop-Off:
If you are local, we encourage you to drop off the battery or pay us to pick it up. You will save the substantial shipping. If you live far away and want to take a journey, you can bring you car to us and leave it parked on the street outside our offices while your battery is fixed. We can take you to JFK or Newark airport or get you to Penn Station or Grand Central Station for a fee. When you come back to get your car, we can pick you up so that you can drive home. If you are getting an Advance Replacement battery and want us to put it in, you can drive to us and drive home the same day with a repaired car.
Battery Removal and Installation:
We can provide you with instructions on how to (safely) remove your battery from your car. It does not require advanced skills and requires only the following tools:
- 10mm socket
- 12mm socket and extension
- T-30 Torx driver
- voltmeter to test
- a pair of pliers for one odd bolt
- a helper to help you lift the battery off its' pegs so that you can lift it out of the car
