[litz]

I'd take it to the dealer to check it out. It'll cost around $100 or so, but ask them if anything's still covered--they might give you a break. My own experience with the IMA going dead, was with my 2002 Insight with 180,000 miles on it (a few years ago.) I did drive it around for a while without IMA working, but really couldn't stand the lack of power, and had it replaced. Sounds like you don't have enough extra in your budget to allow for a replacement, but if you're going to keep the car for a long time, it will pay for itself (or hope they'll give you a break on the price--as they did for me--or that they'll cover it under warranty.)

 

[litz]

There's not much chance in finding a local mechanic who'd be able to properly diagnose the IMA system. I've done all of the mechanical work on my cars for many years, but I'll let Honda take care of the IMA, if needed. The problem could be anything from a bad IMA battery cooling fan to the battery control module and/or the motor control module, or the IMA battery module itself. Hmmmmm...I don't even know enough to name all the possible parts, LOL, but you get the idea. Let Honda tell you what needs to be replaced and the cost, then you'll know what you're getting into. If it turns out to be the IMA battery module, you may be able to get one from a salvage yard, but don't get one that's been sitting around for more than 30 to 90 days--non-use is the bane of battery's life expectancy.

Let us know what you find out after getting it diagnosed, and we can go through your options from there. Good luck!