Grid Charger Question

[usmclowrider]

Definitely not comfortable making one at this point. Maybe one day down when I understand how it works a little better.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by usmclowrider

Definitely not comfortable making one at this point. Maybe one day down when I understand how it works a little better.

Works on "inductive" coupling principle, same as used by "drop-in" toothbrush charging stations, ie: close-coupled transformer action.

[Cobb]

Like vskid3 said, check out insightcentral.net hybrid other forum. There maybe someone that lives near you that has a grid charger they are wiling to loan you? Mines is set for 134 volts or a gen 2 insight.

[elhigh]

Hey,

Last summer I got an 03 Civic Hybrid and it was great until about October when it started throwing the IMA light. Babying would make it go away, but after awhile it became permanent.

I pulled the code and it came up an imbalanced battery. Looking at the price tags, grid charger vs. refurb battery, looked like a no-brainer.

I got mine from Hybrid Automotive. Not cheap, but cheaper than a new pack! Installation wasn't hard at all. Removing the seat and exposing the pack was the hardest part of that.

The first time on the charger brought the pack back to full state with no difficulties, and the mileage took a nice little jump - actually it held steady as the temperature around us plummeted - and so far I have no complaints. Best of all it made the IMA light go away. Get the radio code before you pull your 12v battery lead! According to one resource you can pull the IMA fuse so you won't have to redo the radio, but that didn't work quite right.

I've only had the grid charger for about three months, but as a peace of mind thing it's worth the investment for that alone. Having a part of the car that is otherwise a mysterious black box, something I cannot affect if it goes wrong, rankles. I believe in working on stuff.

Let us know which way you go.

[usmclowrider]

Originally Posted by elhigh

Hey,

Last summer I got an 03 Civic Hybrid and it was great until about October when it started throwing the IMA light. Babying would make it go away, but after awhile it became permanent.

I pulled the code and it came up an imbalanced battery. Looking at the price tags, grid charger vs. refurb battery, looked like a no-brainer.

I got mine from Hybrid Automotive. Not cheap, but cheaper than a new pack! Installation wasn't hard at all. Removing the seat and exposing the pack was the hardest part of that.

The first time on the charger brought the pack back to full state with no difficulties, and the mileage took a nice little jump - actually it held steady as the temperature around us plummeted - and so far I have no complaints. Best of all it made the IMA light go away. Get the radio code before you pull your 12v battery lead! According to one resource you can pull the IMA fuse so you won't have to redo the radio, but that didn't work quite right.

I've only had the grid charger for about three months, but as a peace of mind thing it's worth the investment for that alone. Having a part of the car that is otherwise a mysterious black box, something I cannot affect if it goes wrong, rankles. I believe in working on stuff.

Let us know which way you go.

Thanks for the quick review. And all the info you guys have provided. The money I was waiting on just cleared, so I'm going to get up in the morning and put in an order with Hybrid Automotive. I like the idea of borrowing one or having someone else do it, but I would like my own for ease in future needs. Thanks again guys, I'll post an update when I get it hooked up.

[Cobb]

We are having a honda hybrid get together in May in MD. Just something to think about if you need more hands on help and get cold feet. 2014 Mid-Atlantic Meet - Page 4 - Insight Central: Honda Insight Forum