View Single Post
Old 04-15-2008, 12:05 AM   #149 (permalink)
AndrewJ
Awesomeness personified
 
AndrewJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Columbia, MO
Posts: 642

Harold - '94 Honda Civic CX
90 day: 54.51 mpg (US)

Margot - '08 Surly Big Dummy
Thanks: 0
Thanked 28 Times in 18 Posts
Send a message via AIM to AndrewJ
I think my car is now officially a hybrid.

So, batteries were cleaned up with a solution of water and baking soda.

It was pretty cool to see/hear the acid hissing as it was neutralized by the baking-soda solution.

After I had plenty of fun with chemistry, I ran 4awg wire from the battery under the hood to the spare tire well.

Then, batteries were hooked up. They're 12v batteries, so I hooked two of them up in parallel for a final voltage of, you guessed it, 12 volts.

Here's what they looked like when they were all done and boxed up.







Then I hooked up the alternator-kill wire. It's basically a switch in the dash that grounds out the alt-control wire from the ECU.
(it's the red thing above the hazard light switch)







And now for the pièce de résistance.I present to you the solar-kammback!











I found this 5watt solar panel on sale at Harbor Freight for $40, and in a moment of weakness, I bought it (it probably helped that the wife was out of town that day)

So now there are three ways to charge up my batteries: turn on the alternator, use a battery charger, or park in the sun (for a long time)

Oh, and for now I'll be monitoring pack voltage with a DMM that'll be hastily velcroed to the dash in some fashion. I ordered a little standalone digital voltmeter from ebay, but it hasn't got here yet. Apparently it takes a while to get here from China...



Not many pics, I know, but by the time I finished up it was dark and raining.

So I'll get some more pics up later...
Probably after my battery charger and digital voltmeter get here...
__________________
"I got 350 heads on a 305 engine. I get 10 miles to the gallon. I ain't got no good intentions." - The Drive By Truckers.

  Reply With Quote