DIY Solutions to Honda Hybrid Battery Problems (Insight, Civic, IMA)

[kennedywill]

Hello; I'm eager to repair my 2000 Insight battery, but I see a negative review of the Super Brain 989, on "A Main Hobbies". So please, what is the relevant character of this charger? I would like to search about for another, unless this is good enough for two repairs.

Can anyone represent that I'd better use the "warranty" at Hybrid Battery Repair? I got the battery back from their fixing P1447, and in 3 months the light came on for P1449. Then I waited, waited, driving the car moderately. [Is that damaging?] It abruptly died in a blaze of dashboard lights.

After weeks of dormancy and battery Off-On, I brought back the old Honda lead-acid battery [# 34B17R(S)-M] which started the car fine. The SOC topped off at 4 bars tho I never had low bars prior. That little battery soon faded.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by kennedywill

After weeks of dormancy and battery Off-On, I brought back the old Honda lead-acid battery [# 34B17R(S)-M] which started the car fine. The SOC topped off at 4 bars tho I never had low bars prior. That little battery soon faded.

Maybe you need a new 12 volt battery? The small OEM one is hard to find (at least for me), so I'd go to the full-sized one as used in the Civic. I think it's a group 51? Fits just fine in the battery tray, and gives you some reserve.

[kennedywill]

Thanks; in 2009 InterState sent an MT-51 [perhaps "group 51"?] that got me thru winter. It says "75 mos" which could mean 75 month warranty but appears useless already. Can it be destroyed by the Insight? The battery charger overnight sent the MT-51 voltage from 10.5V to 6.9V [downward]. My battery tester -- a toaster coil and voltmeter -- calls it a 'bad battery'. But that charger is older and simple [no discharge function, 6V/12V out; 240W AC in, 120W DC out]; can such if faulty discharge a 10 Volt
battery to a 120VAC line?
Also, so I can *USE* the Super Brain 989 at least to examine the MT-51, what is the typical Amp-hour capacity of a lead-acid car battery? [a 12Volt MT-51, 500 cold cranking amps, 6 cells]
I still intend buying insulated gloves before this adventure with the NiMH.

[kennedywill]

I am grateful to those contacted by PM (Personal Message?) altho I cannot again discover how to use it. The SB 989 charger became obvious enough and I am using it daily.

[Nevyn]

In the upper right of the Ecomodder page, where it says "Welcome {username}" is a label that says PMs: XX. Click on PMs, and that'll take you to your inbox!

[kennedywill]

Another : Mr Smalls uses 0.9 VPC (?) cutoff voltage; the SB989 manual cautions a minimum of 1.0V for NiMH; I will call to ask them whether that assumes 1 cell. Will this low voltage shorten the battery life?

[kennedywill]

>>>Hello; I'm eager to repair my 2000 Insight battery, but I see a negative review of the Super Brain 989, on "A Main Hobbies". So please, what is the relevant character of this charger? I would like to search about for another, unless this is good enough for two repairs.

Ok -- if anyone reads this thread -- no suggestions were made. I bought the 989 as I need a car by winter time. The Hobbies reviewer was right but my equipment did not last a year like his two. At stick two it aborted; at stick twelve [most were in fact charged], the AC to DC converter failed and now delivers 0.88V instead of design 15V, so the charger is blank but probably still alive. So take heed! And I have already problems contacting the company [Model Rectifier Corporation, or MRC] which the other reviewer reported.

The SB989 manual says you must not Discharge a NiMH cell below 1.0V [tech support says 0.9 is fine]. But the 989 strives for zero volts in Discharge. ~3V for the six-cell stick Discharges to perhaps 0.3V : then divide by six! But the tech said 'the computer multiplies internally the number of cells for its own consideration.' Go figure. Then the Charge function may choke on the lowness and you come home to disappointment. The sticks all had about 3V and the Auto Cycle function is perhaps wrong for initial stick voltage below 6V. [No word from the manual -- ask the tech.]
I suggest for those with working SB 989 chargers to first Charge the stick above 6V to avoid excess Discharging. Then Auto Cycle may be safer to the cells.

Best -- wk

[bwilson4web]

Ok, I had my MRC 989 "fixed" under warranty but it happened when I tried to charge-discharge, multiple Prius modules (aka., 6 cells each.) IMHO, the MRC 989 handle single modules OK but multiple modules presents a problem beyond the technical capabilities of the MRC 989. Speculation on my part but the MRC 989 can handle reasonably balanced cells but with more than one, multi-cell module, the excellent, dV/dt logic is defeated.

The other poorly documented feature is the specified, Ahr limit is ~7/8th, of the actual charge limit. If I set the charge limit to 1,000 mAhr, the MRC 989 only stops charging after 1,250 mAhr. Yes, I will join the 'AMEN' chorus but this is how it works.

You have my apology if anything I'd previously posted led you astray. Other than a computer programmable charger, I still believe the MRC 989 is the best, if poorly documented charger.

Bob Wilson

[kennedywill]

I have now -- despite MRC tech support for the Super Brain -- charged both my Insight IMA batteries. The replacement IMA [post H-B-R] had half the miles [47K], high capacity, and in self-discharge seemed uniform to my *uninformed* standards. But about 6 weeks later its mileage sank from 70MPG to 57MPG. The State of Charge graph stays at FULL or one tick below since the recharge, and that must be trouble.

Today I have the Check Engine light altho no IMA light. Still this was a cheaper treatment as we are told. I must try with a grid charger.
Will Kennedy

[Berne]

Thank you so much, Robert ... for sharing your profound and impressive knowledge pertaining to Hybrid Technology with all Insight owners, Hybrid drivers and Eccomodders around the world.

I am very appreciative for your article and I wish from the bottom of my heart, that you shall stay sound, healthy and happy !
... as you are counseling and helping us to keep the electric hearts of our hybrid cars sound and healthy

Berne