Analyzing, refurbishing/repairing a dead hybrid battery pack (2000 Honda Insight)

[3-Wheeler]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

....When this happens, if I turn the headlights ON, DC-DC output immediately resumes. That last fact makes me wonder if Honda was doing some sort of "smart" output control under specific conditions (which I haven't discerned).....

Metro,

JimIsbell at IC has posted some information about this same phenomena about two years ago, if you are interested in pursuing this further.

Jim.

[eco_generator]

Originally Posted by meister_sd

@MetroMPG
He says the blue book on it is about $6500 in working condition. When I saw you bought one with the "bad" battery pack - I would like to know what you paid for it. If you don't feel like posting it, I'd still like to hear it in a PM. His car needs a brake job as well so I'm thinking of offering him $3000 for it. The car has 73k on it.

-Mike

Get the retail price from a dealership for a brand new battery pack, and get quoted on a brake job. Then start working that guy down on his price... "This is how much its going to cost me if I get a brand new battery pack!! It's not a hybrid without it." But you don't have to explain exactly IF you are going to get that new pack.

[meister_sd]

I finally have a bit of an update. During the big search of hybrids and the different sites I searched, which included the link that brought me here, I had one blog that stuck in my mind that at the bottom, someone commented on his car having the failed IMA battery warning light too but fixed it after replacing the regular 12v battery. Well, after speaking with the client and asking him when was the last time that he replaced it, he answered that he couldn't remember. So I went to a local parts store, bought a new 12v battery and replaced the one in there. Come to find out it is Honda branded so either it is OEM (unlikely) or replaced so far back at the dealer he didn't remember. I fired up the car, drove it out of downtown and soon after getting on the freeway, the IMA battery started charging!!! After 30-40 miles, the battery was near full and I headed home. Later I looked online for rear brake shoes and drums, since when I picked up the car, the rear was making bad noises and the rear brakes sounded metal on metal. Today I got a chance to look at the drums and the shoes were at around 40-50% and the star wheel was adjusted too tight making all the noise. So for $100 on a new battery and a little labor (adjusting the rear brakes) he has a car that is now 100%. When I called him, I said; "I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is your car is OK. The bad news is I can't afford it now." LOL I told him I'd keep the car over the weekend and drive it a little more to make sure, but I'm confident all is well. After driving the car a little bit, there is a learning curve driving a car with so little horsepower to keep the freeway speed a constant but after you drive it a little, you get over it. I actually enjoy the car and might have to make him another offer and sell my other vehicle. With the IMA assist, the car is actually pretty peppy around town. With the mIMA mod and SOC reset device (99mpg.com), you can have a really cool car!

I guess what I've learned from my experience with this IMA battery is to try replacing the 12v battery first. I can't believe so many IMA batteries fail without secondary causes or other "cures". But, yes, I'm completely a newbie here and maybe naive and just lucky but it's places like this we can all come together and brain melt.

Again, thank you MetroMPG and all contributors for this informative thread. I've truly learned a lot!

[microhybrid]

Anyone tried OEM hybrid battery sticks from King Kong or YABO?

[drynberg]

Hi, I've got my battery pack out of my 2003 Insight and want to know how to take the two (orange) end panels out. I don't want to break anything...but they seem half ready, but it feels like I'm missing something. Thanks, Dan

[MetroMPG]

Hi Dan -

It's been so long since I did this, I can't remember if there's a trick, or something not obvious to the removal. Hopefully one of the guys with more experience (or recent experience) will chime in.

Darin

[eq1]

Same here - it's been a while, plus I've only done it once. But having said that, it was only a matter of identifying all the attachments and attachment points and removing them carefully. Here's a link to Mike D's website, some pictures of the orange boards. There's some instructions somewhere around there, look to the left table of contents and browse around:
http://99mpg.com/blog/batterypacksexpose/howitiswired/

A couple tips I recall:
-be real careful removing the small screws that attach the contact terminals of the PTC strips to the boards; the terminals are thin and weak, just gently straighten all of them out and then pull the board away...
-there's a handful of nuts and bolts underneath grey rubber plugs on the circuit board side.
-no need to remove the sticks from the pack just to cycle them; 4 sticks have extra thermistor wires attached, so be careful if you do pull on the sticks, so as not to pull those wires out...
-I forgot to route and attach the 4 colored wires around the circuit board/to circuit board when re-installing. Don't forget, it's a pain...

[drynberg]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Hi Dan -

It's been so long since I did this, I can't remember if there's a trick, or something not obvious to the removal. Hopefully one of the guys with more experience (or recent experience) will chime in.

Darin

Thanks for the prompt reply Darin, I'm getting a new battery from a guy named Eli in Portland, OR, and he'll most likely tell me just what to do to get the old sticks ready to ship to him for the "core". I appreciate the many hints you included, as your memory of 5+ yrs. has been very sharp.
Take care,
Dan

[cvcjebus]

Thanks MetroMPG, for all your work and for documenting everything so thoroughly! I just finished rehabbing my pack per your guide and 700 miles in and she is running better than when I bought her 2 years ago. I live in Atlanta and a CEL is an automatic emissions fail. The IMA/ CEL light came on within 5 months of buying the car. The first year I passed by disconnecting the 12v to reset the codes and rushed over to get it tested. This year the CEL and IMA would come on within the first 2 minutes so I was looking at replacement, but at ~$2k selling it was also an inevitable and dismal option. So after finding everything I could on rebuilding these packs I ordered a SB 989 and over spring break I set to it. Total time was 7.5 days as I only had 4 sticks that were <5,000mah upon initial discharge. 3 of those sticks were part of the group of 4 that were wired together (which made me quite nervous) but after 6-8 cycles they all came back up to 6000ish at the same time I replaced the air/fuel ratio sensor (the $320 one at the top of the cat) with one suggested on ecomodder from eBay for $110. It all came together fabulously and the result... passed emissions, got my 13hp and 36ft-lb torque back, and went from only getting low 50's using all the hypermiling tricks i could find all the way up to 75mpg through the hilly roads of north Georgia. I couldn't be happier and I thank you and all the other folks on here that volunteer their wealth of information about this funny little car that has won the hearts of everyone who has every had the pleasure of owning one. If anyone has any questions hit me up as my experience is a bit more recent than some of the others on here. For those thinking about attempting this endeavor, personally for me it was easier than an brake job, engine swap, replacing a laptop screen, building a computer, or even rebuilding an LED aquarium light fixture. I know some say the SB has some significant short comings, but for $165 out the door (as I didn't need replace any of the sub-packs) it got me back on the road! Thanks again everyone and happy hypermiling!

[MetroMPG]

Happy to be of assistance. Thanks for sharing your success story!