New Grid Charger!
 

Hey guys,

I ordered a grid charger from Hybrid Automotive and all I needed were a few hours of above 40 degree weather and no rain to install it.

These things do not often coincide in E. TN in December. But I got close enough today, so shortly after church let out I cracked at it.

Hybrid Automotive's instructions were spot-on. Absolutely faultless. The larger photographs that show even more clearly where you SHOULD NOT run a wire are a nice touch.

I've had the IMA light on and off a few times in the past few months and with careful management have been able to keep it from being a constant nag. The addition of this doohickey and a little extra time on my part ought to set it back to rights.

Yeah, those things do wonders. Use it over night and it balances a whacked pac, use it for a few hours and you are fully charged.

Using it to precharge the ima pack gives great mpg for a few mines, then once the charge wears off it has a sharp decline in mpg.

So far, so good
 

When I unplugged this morning the voltage meter was up to 174 - still appreciably short of a full tank of 180. This corresponds with Hybrid Automotive's instructions which describe the system approaching the full mark but then hovering short of it as it drags up the lagging cells.

This partially balanced pack's capacity is leaps and bounds better than even when I bought the car back in July. Imagine how much better it will be after I've been able to overnight it another night or two.

So far fuel economy isn't showing any appreciable difference but it's only been 20 miles and this morning dawned colder and wet, so environmental factors are conspiring against my getting better numbers anytime very soon. And that isn't why I got this thing: I got it because it's only $500 to rejuvenate my pack and keep it working, as opposed to purchasing a new pack for $2000. The whole point of a hybrid is economy, and that's how I roll.

Thats probably the biggest topic for debate about grid chargers. THe smart ones use the delta v, the dumber ones use time and voltage. In my experience with a gen 2 insight 84 cells 100 volts Ive seen 36 hours at a constant temp before the voltage stabilizes. This means its completely balanced. Basically check voltage to 1 decimal place every 15 minutes and see what it is. Of course there could be a situation where as one cell is rising one is dropping so you see no voltage change, so its a good idea to wait an additional hour before calling it quits.

Regardless any balancing you do is better than none.

"Any balancing is better than none." True that.

Gave it another overnight and this morning the meter was showing 179. I haven't taken a reading directly off the pack and probably won't - It's a PITB to pull the seat bottom, then the back, just to get a reading directly off those terminals.

Here's an interesting tidbit: Hybrid Automotive's instructions say you can either disconnect the 12v under the hood OR remove the IMA fuse. I did the battery disconnect the first time and everything behaved exactly as described. I did the fuse this morning and was surprised: the battery display did not drop to zero and behavior was a bit wonky for my morning ride to work. It showed about a half-full battery the whole time. Fearing a computer not realizing just how full that battery really was, I stayed out of it, softpedaling and freewheeling instead of availing myself of assist and regen.

We paused at Panera for breakfast - Christmas Eve is going to be a slow day so we can take it easy for a change - and I unhooked the battery while we were relaxing by the gas fire (this is my favorite feature about Panera. That and Perry, great guy). Finish up, hook up the 12v, boom - zeroed battery gauge, followed by a brisk rise to a full reading. Perfect.

So this early in the game, it looks to me like 10 minutes of the IMA fuse being pulled isn't enough to reset the computer, or perhaps I somehow misread the fuse diagram. That's possible enough. But after two days of overnight balancing, the pack seems to be performing much, much better.

Yeah, it only takes 3-4 hours to fully charge the pack, even at 350 ma. The balancing process takes much longer at that same amperage.

Ive tried to keep up with the latest developments in grid charging and pack reconditioning, but a lot of it is conflicting. Last I read you shouldnt discharge below a certain point, then you should as it helps to restore.

I dont do either fuse or battery disconnect method, seems the 2nd gen is more able to see the pack status and after a fresh charge it runs it down then does a negative recalb to get it right or up to 80%.