Insight into the Future

[pgfpro]

Originally Posted by Ecky

I haven't figured out the charge logic, but it seems that when you're above maybe 50mph, it will sometimes take the battery up to full. It's normal behavior.

It seems to like being at about 50% in-town, and at 100% on extended trips.

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated!!!

[Insight for life]

That's called a positive recal. Its actually not normal. Its it is sensing an imbalance and force charging it to "full"

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by Insight for life

That's called a positive recal. Its actually not normal. Its it is sensing an imbalance and force charging it to "full"

I was under the impression that a positive recal is when it "jumps", often after charging. Most highway trips in mine result in it slowly charging up after driving for a little while, but there's no jump. It simply begins charging after a period, and goes right on up to full and then stops charging. It doesn't do this at non-highway speeds.

Likewise with a negative recal - I assumed that was when it thought there was more charge than existed, and the battery meter will very quickly or instantly drop to zero, and begin charging.

[Insight for life]

What Ecky is talking about is true but he is thinking background charging(the kind you don't see). Which is something the car does under lite load to keep the battery topped up. What you are experiencing is foreground charging and is "normal" for an aging battery that the system is periodically recalibrating.

[pgfpro]

Originally Posted by Insight for life

What Ecky is talking about is true but he is thinking background charging(the kind you don't see). Which is something the car does under lite load to keep the battery topped up. What you are experiencing is foreground charging and is "normal" for an aging battery that the system is periodically recalibrating.

Thanks Guys.

So this is normal for a aging battery? Most of my driving is 55 mph to 60 mph.

[cowmeat]

Welcome to G1 Insight ownership! These are old cars with aging parts and batteries, and even the replacement batteries are starting to age, so what you're experiencing are pretty normal symptoms these days, although not technically normal behavior.

That's why I had Daox fabricate my three-button shifter, so Insight owners can have more control of the IMA system right at our fingertips. I usually have the IMA assist off (clutch button) while I'm driving. I click the clutch switch back on and then push the brake regen button when I have to slow down. This recharges the IMA at almost full bars while slowing, and it makes the brake lights come on. Using these two buttons on my shift knob keeps my IMA battery pretty much fully charged at all times. I haven't bothered to install the kill switch on my new Insight yet.

Another useful mod I have on my car is a quick disconnect for the 12V,which I use every morning to keep my IMA system from all the force-charges and recals. I open it for about five seconds, and my car will go through a quick recal when I start it up, which lasts about a mile when I start out every morning. Then I never have to worry about getting on the highway and having to drive 20 miles while the car is force-charging

[pgfpro]

Originally Posted by cowmeat

Welcome to G1 Insight ownership! These are old cars with aging parts and batteries, and even the replacement batteries are starting to age, so what you're experiencing are pretty normal symptoms these days, although not technically normal behavior.

That's why I had Daox fabricate my three-button shifter, so Insight owners can have more control of the IMA system right at our fingertips. I usually have the IMA assist off (clutch button) while I'm driving. I click the clutch switch back on and then push the brake regen button when I have to slow down. This recharges the IMA at almost full bars while slowing, and it makes the brake lights come on. Using these two buttons on my shift knob keeps my IMA battery pretty much fully charged at all times. I haven't bothered to install the kill switch on my new Insight yet.

Another useful mod I have on my car is a quick disconnect for the 12V,which I use every morning to keep my IMA system from all the force-charges and recals. I open it for about five seconds, and my car will go through a quick recal when I start it up, which lasts about a mile when I start out every morning. Then I never have to worry about getting on the highway and having to drive 20 miles while the car is force-charging

WOW Thanks a ton!!!

Great mods that I can do right away.

[RedDevil]

Having the recall when you start is benificial as it makes the engine work a bit harder when it is still warming up.
The higher load makes it warm up faster and be relatively more efficient while doing so - especially when the early parts of the trip is in a low speed residential area like mine where it is hard to excercise the engine otherwise.

I try to use EV mode as much as possible coming home, so it will work recharging the battery the next morning.
If I'm lucky it warms quickly enough to use AutoStop at the first set of lights.

[California98Civic]

Subscribed. This should be fun. 100 mpg waste solvent hybrid. Mwhahahhaa!

[pgfpro]

That's why I had Daox fabricate my three-button shifter, so Insight owners can have more control of the IMA system right at our fingertips. I usually have the IMA assist off (clutch button) while I'm driving. I click the clutch switch back on and then push the brake regen button when I have to slow down. This recharges the IMA at almost full bars while slowing, and it makes the brake lights come on. Using these two buttons on my shift knob keeps my IMA battery pretty much fully charged at all times. I haven't bothered to install the kill switch on my new Insight yet.

Do you or someone else have a write up on "clutch button switch" and "brake regen switch" mods.
Thanks Russell