How to protect my sitting Insight

[Eithieus]

We have one Honda Insight that is still getting repaired by us after the deer run in and the insurance totaled it (which was a huge fight for a decent pay out). Anyway, it's hard finding the parts to get here and the car has sat for longer than I'd want it to. It's sat for about 2 months. What should I do to protect the battery? I've heard about different chargers and what not. I'm having trouble understanding the differences in them. I wanted to be able to charge the batteries, balance the batteries, maybe in the future put together our own battery. I don't like being limited by what I buy. Is there a particular charger that's best to get or would I be looking at buying a couple different things?
One more question! Our 2001 Insight's battery we think is failing. It does preform better than when we first purchased it, but you really have to milk it to get the charge up there and it depletes quickly and the assist doesn't last long.
Thank you!
Sarah

[Eli]

After sitting so long, the battery MUST be grid charged before being put back into use, or it will fail 6-12 months after you start driving again.

I recommend Mike's charger.

Grid Charger - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist

[porshuh]

Originally Posted by Eli

After sitting so long, the battery MUST be grid charged before being put back into use, or it will fail 6-12 months after you start driving again.

I recommend Mike's charger.

Grid Charger - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist

+1 to Eli

Or - if you or a friend have an electrical-engineer mind...build a charger that charges at ~100mA. This would slowly pull up all the cells and hold them at full charge safely for quite some time. Hell - if you were really interested (and the car will indeed be sitting for a good time yet), you could build a 100mA discharge circuit, and could cycle back and forth every 2 days to exercise the cells...pretty much your best chance of maximizing the life of your current battery.

[Eithieus]

Grid Charger! Awesome. If my battery set too long, would this help revive it, or only keep it up while its still doing well, but sitting? Coming up with this grid charger is awesome and even better that Mike is selling them! I think it's all interesting and I would love to be able to do it all myself, but reading about it gives me brain cramps. I think my brain has too much life demand on it and is getting a short on new information.
Thanks again guys!
Sarah

[AbCaRed00]

Depending how long the vehicle's going to sit, as the repairs may take awile, perhaps over winter, some fuel conditioner may be useful in the fuel tank. After a small amount of the conditioner mixes in the tank a bit, [or perhaps pour in a few oz. mixed with a gallon or two of gas to get it well blended into the fuel], run the engine for the fuel conditioner to let it work through the lines and injectors, then shut down the vehicle. Starting the engine up and letting it run to warm up in a well ventilated area wouldn't hurt either.
If it's going to be down for a long time, putting it up on jack stands wouldn't hurt either.

fwiw: Sympathies on the deer strike: the previous daily driver of my Insight clipped a small one that bolted from the forest near dusk. Luckily she was not harmed.

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

The act of sitting (for any length of time) will not harm the battery in any way. What will harm it is to use it before you charge it thoroughly. Get a grid charger before you start the car. In fact, turn off the battery switch now so that nobody accidentally drives it.

Originally Posted by Eithieus

We have one Honda Insight that is still getting repaired by us after the deer run in and the insurance totaled it (which was a huge fight for a decent pay out). Anyway, it's hard finding the parts to get here and the car has sat for longer than I'd want it to. It's sat for about 2 months. What should I do to protect the battery? I've heard about different chargers and what not. I'm having trouble understanding the differences in them. I wanted to be able to charge the batteries, balance the batteries, maybe in the future put together our own battery. I don't like being limited by what I buy. Is there a particular charger that's best to get or would I be looking at buying a couple different things?
One more question! Our 2001 Insight's battery we think is failing. It does preform better than when we first purchased it, but you really have to milk it to get the charge up there and it depletes quickly and the assist doesn't last long.
Thank you!
Sarah

[Need4Speed]

How about swapping the batteries between the cars every weekend?

[Eli]

Originally Posted by Need4Speed

How about swapping the batteries between the cars every weekend?

Sitting for even a week is undesirable.

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

Originally Posted by porshuh

+1 to Eli

Or - if you or a friend have an electrical-engineer mind...build a charger that charges at ~100mA. This would slowly pull up all the cells and hold them at full charge safely for quite some time. Hell - if you were really interested (and the car will indeed be sitting for a good time yet), you could build a 100mA discharge circuit, and could cycle back and forth every 2 days to exercise the cells...pretty much your best chance of maximizing the life of your current battery.

I disagree. NiMH life is shortened by trickle charging. The only reason we recommend it here is that it is occasional and to undo some of the damage done by normal use of the cars by balancing the cells.

100Ma is also going to take a LONG time. From 50% SOC to 100% is probably 36 hours at 100ma.

A stored battery will not be harmed by being left to sit. You merely have to charge it back up and trickle it to properly balance it.

[Eli]

Spammer alert! Reported.

Nice try though, thanks for playing.

Edit: That was fast.

So this post doesn't seem so bizarre, someone was quoting a post, inserting a spam link into the quote, and replying with a relevant message. Clever.