Insight edges closer

[freebeard]

Bless their hearts, which I am sure are in the right place. But, isn't that collective punishment?

[Xist]

Crazy!

[aerohead]

Took 195-lbs of aluminum to the scrapyard awhile ago (Beechcraft/Lockheed wing tank/sailboat components) and went by the shop on the way here.
After resetting the computer,the check engine light comes on almost immediately.
The zorched battery pack has been implicated in over-taxing and burning out the control module.
They've just now located a control module ($180 ) and will purchase that,and enough battery 'sticks' to freshen the pack.(to protect the new module).
I raised the project budget to $1,000.
They'll use the Insight to train a new electronics tech,and give me a break on labor cost.
They'll call me.

[iveyjh]

How much did you get for the aluminum?

Originally Posted by aerohead

Took 195-lbs of aluminum to the scrapyard awhile ago (Beechcraft/Lockheed wing tank/sailboat components) and went by the shop on the way here.
After resetting the computer,the check engine light comes on almost immediately.
The zorched battery pack has been implicated in over-taxing and burning out the control module.
They've just now located a control module ($180 ) and will purchase that,and enough battery 'sticks' to freshen the pack.(to protect the new module).
I raised the project budget to $1,000.
They'll use the Insight to train a new electronics tech,and give me a break on labor cost.
They'll call me.

[Natalya]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Took 195-lbs of aluminum to the scrapyard awhile ago (Beechcraft/Lockheed wing tank/sailboat components) and went by the shop on the way here.
After resetting the computer,the check engine light comes on almost immediately.
The zorched battery pack has been implicated in over-taxing and burning out the control module.
They've just now located a control module ($180 ) and will purchase that,and enough battery 'sticks' to freshen the pack.(to protect the new module).
I raised the project budget to $1,000.
They'll use the Insight to train a new electronics tech,and give me a break on labor cost.
They'll call me.

Install a no-assist clutch switch and a full-regen brake switch. Should take a couple hours with a soldering iron and some wire cutters.

What you do is you disconnect the 12v battery for like 10 seconds, reconnect it, get in the car, activate the no-assist clutch switch, and drive like that. Unless the IMA is like absolutely beyond any sort of redemption, it should charge the IMA and then just stay charged.

Don't use it to assist, or assist only sparingly. Install the full-regen brake switch as well. Use that coming to stops to get the IMA fully charged. Once the gauge reads full try using small amounts of assist here and there until you see the first bar on the IMA gauge go out and then stop assisting and only use regen.

If you do that, you're essentially babying the pack so that no cells ever go out of range and the computer won't know that half the sticks are bad. You can drive without a CEL or IMA light in this fashion for months and pass your inspection.

You might need to do a grid charge right after you install those switches just to get the pack balanced enough to begin operating it like this.


@Control Module:
Are you talking about the Battery Control Module (BCM) ? I've never heard of that going bad. You're probably getting the IMA light shortly after trying to reset it because the sticks are super unbalanced.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by iveyjh

How much did you get for the aluminum?

Half was 'dirty',with some steel components riveted on.I didn't deem it worth my time to drill out all the rivets (hundreds of them).They paid $10 for that.
The other half was 'clean',with no adulterants.They paid $40 for that.
At current fuel prices the cash will net me 925 miles on the trip.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Natalya

Install a no-assist clutch switch and a full-regen brake switch. Should take a couple hours with a soldering iron and some wire cutters.

What you do is you disconnect the 12v battery for like 10 seconds, reconnect it, get in the car, activate the no-assist clutch switch, and drive like that. Unless the IMA is like absolutely beyond any sort of redemption, it should charge the IMA and then just stay charged.

Don't use it to assist, or assist only sparingly. Install the full-regen brake switch as well. Use that coming to stops to get the IMA fully charged. Once the gauge reads full try using small amounts of assist here and there until you see the first bar on the IMA gauge go out and then stop assisting and only use regen.

If you do that, you're essentially babying the pack so that no cells ever go out of range and the computer won't know that half the sticks are bad. You can drive without a CEL or IMA light in this fashion for months and pass your inspection.

You might need to do a grid charge right after you install those switches just to get the pack balanced enough to begin operating it like this.


@Control Module:
Are you talking about the Battery Control Module (BCM) ? I've never heard of that going bad. You're probably getting the IMA light shortly after trying to reset it because the sticks are super unbalanced.

Thanks Natalya! I'll save all your info for the future.I'll jeopardize my trip in September if I spend any time on the Insight at all,and am willing to take an economic hit,by letting the shop absorb dollars,just to get the title transferred and registration.
After October,when I'm back home,I can devote the time to concentrate on the hybrid.
As to the module,they've referred to it as a voltage control module.That's all I know at this point.
They told be to expect a call in a couple of weeks.Thanks again!

[aerohead]

Tommy's called late yesterday afternoon.The electronic control module had just arrived (after 2-weeks wait).They said that they'd contact me in about a week.

[Xist]

This is taking forever!

[aerohead]

Shop left a message while I was in West Texas.They've had trouble with a 'shortage' of batteries.The whole pack is shot. Some 'friend' in Denton deals with these types of batteries and is going to get involved.
They'll hold my cost to the agreed $1,000.
They hope to be through with it by July 17th.