Building a grid charger for my insight?
 

I won't go into it again today, but I got a IMA light today, I don't have the money to buy a grid charger, so I need to build one. Problem is, I can't find a good comprehensive guide anywhere on how to build one! I'm not the smartest person, but I am willing to learn. Does anyone know anywhere I can find a a comprehensive guide?

View my thread on IC here: It... Has finally happened... - Insight Central: Honda Insight Forum

Balto,
check out 99mpg.com/resources/downloads as there is a simple schematic there. Also check out the youtube videos of Mike Dabrowski. I believe that install v4 shows a step-by-step access into the Insight battery area.
Now, before you operate on it, if you haven't already, go to Home Depot and buy a pair of the blue rubber gloves and when working on the car, drape a towel over any metal areas that you might lean on. Those two steps will keep you from making a very, very rapid trip out of the garage. Good luck.

In my three installs, we never used any gloves. Unscrew, flip the switch, unscrew, unplug, pull out. 45 minutes to remove two, swap them, and reinstall.

I can't help you, but I am commenting because I am interested and hope this turns into Cheap Insight Grid Charger Build Thread.

You get an IMA light because one or more of the cells are flat sooner than the others, triggering the BMS to report this and shut the pack down, because the pack is only as strong as the weakest cell, just like a chain.. bla bla.

From what I know about the Insight battery, you just need a constant current charger like any cheap nimh charger, but souped up to a higher voltage for lots of cells in series. The "balancing" would work because nimh cells (unlike lithium) stay the same voltage and convert the excess energy to heat when they're full, allowing the "low" cells to catch up and also get a good fill back.
I could easily design something simple, but I assume theres plenty of designs already on the web.. :)
In the crudest form, you might get away with just a DC power supply and (a few) 12v light bulbs in series as current limiting resistors.
[edit] read the link you posted to the other forum, I like the charger/discharger they linked: http://dmr-architect.com/~locouki/In...ischarger.html even if you skip the discharging bit, that should be easy enough to build. :)

In the long run, you might need to find the bad cell(s) and replace it (if nothing else, with better used cells), but in the short run, just charge it and don't push it too hard. :)

Problem is, I don't understand that schematic on the one they linked. Way to complicated for me.

I could simplify it by removing the discharge bit and re-drawing it? :)

I would really appreciate that tbh

Why dont you ask some of your new friends on the insight forum if you can borrow one of theirs? :thumbup:

It's not that easy, the wire harness is not an easy chore to get hooked up.

Yeah, it takes 2 men and a small boy to lift the ima pack out to install it. Some say you dont need to remove it, but if you are going through all that trouble. You just as well do it and clean all the crap out and do some minor modifications too.

I got one, thanks guys!

An even simpler method to grid charge an Insight battery pack, is shown here...

Picasa Web Albums - Jim - Battery Trick...

Take note that the electrical isolation on my Variac setup would trip the GFC garage outlet in the winter, when the car came into the garage with wet salt/snow mix on the tires. Other than this, it worked great for about two years before I broke down and built the Dabrowski charger.

Check out picture 18 for the Variac setup.

Jim.

Got one grid charger? How much did you pay?

I could assemble one for you. ;)

I am going to need one soon. How much would you charge?

Let me get back to you in a day or two, I need to price the parts and see what shipping will come out to.

Thanks! I live in CA. Zip 92801
If you can, please add discharger also. =]

I was able to hook the harness up in mine without removing the battery, and I am not a small guy! I'm not saying it was easy, and I'm not saying I didn't cut the crap out of myself on all the sharp aluminum inside the housing, but I did it.

It would be best to train a small monkey, or possibly a toddler, to hook up that last positive lead way down in the middle with the double spade connectors! Not fun!