rare charging moments

Tonpilot1 · 08-17-2007, 12:51 PM

Hello all!

Yesterday I had one of those charging episodes that happens occasionally. I had a long straightaway that ends at a stop sign with no one behind me so I decided to decelerate gradually in neutral. Speed at the start of this is around 65mph. While "gliding" in neutral, I noticed that IMA was charging...about 4 green bars worth. This has happened to me before, but usually on extended down-grades. This last occurence happened on a relatively flat road. I was wondering if anyone else had this happened.

I've been away from the forum so I don't know if this topic has been discussed. Sorry if this is a repeat.

Thanks all,

Tonpilot1

2002 red MT 73,250 mi LMGP 69.3
1990 wht Honda CRX Si 193K 35MPG
1978 Cessna A152 7K hrs 22MPG

red1dr · 08-17-2007, 01:10 PM

I have not seen that. Sometimes a brief flash of a few green bars immediately after shifting to neutral but it quickly vanishes. I believe that some background charging does occur in neutral at idle, but I do not see four bars. Was your SOC low at the time?

Assuming that this is a safe location to glide engine-off, you would save a bit of gas by switching the engine off and then turning the ignition back to the "on" position. If slowing down down more quickly is OK, letting up on the throttle while in gear will cut off the fuel and earn you some regen at the same time. You might even downshift to a lower gear as the car slows because regen cuts off as the car slows, and this cutoff point is at higher speeds in higher gears.

ikhoudvanu199 · 08-17-2007, 06:22 PM

^ i agree wholely

slowing down very slowly while in gear will give you "infinite" mpg as you will be in fuel cut mode, and you will get some regen...if you need to slow down a little bit quicker, then lightly pressing the brake will give you max regen and that will slow you w/o using the physical brakes

if you SOC is low, then you will get a few bars of charge while idling

Tonpilot1 · 08-17-2007, 09:40 PM

Thanks for the tips. I use your methods also. That's what's cool about the Insight is that you can get max regen by lightly pressing on the brake pedal and not use the physical brakes.

You guys will have to excuse me...what is SOC...State of Charge? If so, yesterday's SOC was not low at all...just 2 or 3 bars below the top. On those other occasions when I am gliding in neutral while going downhill, the SOC is, yes, on the low side...like right after climbing an extended hill.

I usually go into neutral to glide when I want to slow at a rate even slower than being in gear...Like on an extended straight like yesterday's event. If I need to generate some juice, then I will not use this technique. Of course if there are the usual fast drivers behind me, I'll have to keep my speed up and brake later, which I hate since I am being more wasteful...heating up the brakes more and regen less.

Thanks for the replies!

Dougie · 08-17-2007, 11:13 PM

This is a case where it's useful to change over to the metric gauge settings, because you can tell whether the engine is in fuel cut mode. Sometimes it's better to have it in fuel cut mode, but other times it's better to be able to coast that extra 1/8 mile to a turn.

If I hit the lights right, there's about a mile of gradual downhill slope on my commute that I can coast all the way down--no brakes and no gas needed. Usually there are busses and red lights and traffic, but sometimes it works out.

b1shmu63 · 08-18-2007, 12:03 AM

I've seen the charging behavior you noted. I suspect it is normal.

bfivelover · 08-18-2007, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonpilot1

Hello all!

Yesterday I had one of those charging episodes that happens occasionally. I had a long straightaway that ends at a stop sign with no one behind me so I decided to decelerate gradually in neutral. Speed at the start of this is around 65mph. While "gliding" in neutral, I noticed that IMA was charging...about 4 green bars worth. This has happened to me before, but usually on extended down-grades. This last occurence happened on a relatively flat road. I was wondering if anyone else had this happened.

Charging in neutral happens to me all the time. I "glide" in neutral alot. It happened with the original batteries and BCM, and it is happening with the new ones. The IMA charge indicator is almost never more than four bars from fully charged, and it happens then and also when it is fully charged. As b1shmu63 stated, it appears to be normal.

Tonpilot1 · 08-20-2007, 05:10 PM

Thanks all for your input. This charging mode happened to me again going to work today.

pretendtobenormal · 10-25-2007, 12:33 AM

Back before I got the unmentionable 4 letter mod, this sometimes would happen to me before I got a recal. I'd see a trickle charge when my SOC was high enough to not need it up to a minute before the recal. Since my mod, I don't have a recal problem...

nemystic · 10-25-2007, 08:22 PM

It seems like most observant 5 speed Insight owners have noticed this rare phenomenon.
Since installing additional instrumentation, I've learned that the stock "CHRG" display (which indicates the variable component of the battery pack regeneration current) has a significant fictional component. In other words, you shouldn't believe what you are seeing on that display in all cases, because sometimes it's just bogus.
I'll forego offering specific examples to preclude any discussion of MIMA
It's possible that this "coasting in neutral" regen display phenomenon isn't really happening as the display would indicate.