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Old 04-19-2017, 01:26 PM   #13 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pete c View Post
Can you bump start a G1 with a tired battery?
No. In fact, you can be driving down the highway and it will quit. There is a bit of warning if you know what to look for. The DC-DC converter (that converts 144V from the pack down to 14.4V to charge the 12V battery) will cut out. That will light the battery & brake lights on the dash (something that I've never seen documented), and if you have a ScanGauge or similar, the voltage will start dropping below 12V. It normally varies between 14.4 when charging, and 12.x.

This is IMHO a design flaw: the car simply will not run if there isn't some minimum charge in the 12V, even when the IMA pack is fully charged. So e.g. forgetting to turn off headlights will leave you stuck.

Otherwise, I've been quite happy with the car. (Going on 14 years/150K miles now.) Of course I've had a MIMA system since the first year I owned it (like the Calpod thing, but more advanced). I also live in the Sierra Nevada, so have lots of long mountain climbs and descents.

It's also not good if there's more than about 5-6 inches of snow on the roads. It's just not a snowplow: the smooth belly pan makes it want to ride on top of the snow. But it's decent on snowy roads if it's not deep. I've driven over 8000 ft passes in snowstorms with no problem.
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