Quote:
Originally Posted by Daox
So, hopefully you guys can help me make sense of how the Insight operates a bit better. I went to a lunch meeting today and the trip is about 2/3rd 55 mph highway travel, rolling hills, bread and butter Insight wonderland. I was able to maintain 75-100 mpg nearly the entire 2/3rds of the way there. The other 1/3rd is 35-45 mph country roads with stop signs all over the place. Great when up to cruising speed, but the dumb signs you gotta stop for every time. This gave me a lot of tries at tweaking my regen braking technique. However, regen doesn't seem to be consistent. Every once in a while it just will not regen. My technique is pretty consistent though. When approaching the sign I shift to neutral and when I get closer to the sign I shift back into gear (usually 3rd) to get regen. Most of the time when I let the clutch out I get the 4 bars of regen right away, and then more once I lightly touch the brakes. However, sometimes I get no regen when I let the clutch out. Sometimes after that I get regen when I brake, and sometimes I don't get regen when I brake. Its confusing.
Also, since I was doing a good amount of regen, for a short time, my battery SOC meter went to 100% full from about half. Continuing driving, it later dropped down to about half full which is where it seems to stay. Is this normal?
I realize a clutch switch and other mods will help me control the IMA system, but I would like to understand better how it operates to begin with in stock form.
Still absolutely loving this car even with its not fully smooth lean burn (yet)!  |
I've attributed that sometimes lots/sometimes little regen paradigm to heat in the batteries. The BMS is keeping tabs on the heat in the cells and if it gets too high, it won't let me have much regen or assist. Then after another few minutes of driving, full capability returns. I think subsequent generations of IMA packs did away with the monitoring system and just extrapolated what the temperature probably was with a usage algorithm. I'm not sure on that, but considering it would do away with a bit of hardware, which is expensive, I can believe it.
As to you losing half your charge, I assume you're talking about half of it disappearing without having called on any assist, right? Because if you are, I got nothing.
Ecky said sometimes the regen kicks out over a bump. I've noticed that too, especially on a prominent bump close to my house that interrupts what would otherwise by a nice, long regen glide right before parking for the night. I think any jostle strong enough to light up the ABS system even instantaneously kicks regen out completely, and if you want it back, you have to let off the brakes completely. Reapplying brings regen back. If you're not already in regen while braking, the ABS' attention to what you're doing with your brakes is over so quickly you may not realize it was ever involved.