I miss my car! - I need a new battery and advice

[4legsgood]

Hi everyone!

I got the IMA light on for about 2 months before my 2001 Insight battery finally died. I think it was the 1447, but I don't remember. Anyway, it doesn't charge, and doesn't assist anymore.

The car still runs, but I don't trust it on my commute anymore, so now I'm driving the Prius with its crappy mileage 120 miles a day (I have to fill it up more than once a week!!!), and my wife is driving the Assault Vehicle, which I can almost literally empty my wallet into for fuel.

But, as with everyone, $$$ are tight right now, so I'm not sure what I should do. The car has 249,000 miles on it, and the battery has been replaced at least once (cost covered by Honda).

The catalytic converter is also shot, and I'll save up to replace that, but the costs are huge ($1800, I believe, at the dealership).

But to get it back on the road, I need to do something about the battery pack. What is the least expensive way I can get running again, so that stupid MDX doesn't take every last cent I have?

Any tips would be very helpful, and I totally understand if I'm stuck between two $2k choices, but maybe there's a third way that I'm not seeing...

Thanks!

David
2001 Manual blue
54 lmpg

[Eli]

Probably P1449 - P1447 allows assist/regen still.

Just disconnect the three connectors on the BCM and drive it until you can save up for a new BetterBattery if you're really worried about it. This should allow the car to operate indefinitely without IMA.


Don't spend $1800 on new cats from Honda; they can be rebuilt for a few hundred dollars.

[retepsnikrep]

Check your car has had the oem recall ecm cat sensitivity update for a start in case it isn't really shot. Get a new battery from Ron and/or try a grid charger to see if that can keep the old one going.

[Calpod]

It would also help if you post your location, you may be a lot closer than you think to someone that could help you.

[4legsgood]

Originally Posted by Calpod

It would also help if you post your location, you may be a lot closer than you think to someone that could help you.

Sorry about that, I'm in the Santa Barbara area in California.

I have one really big hill on the commute, and the car could only maintain 55MPH going over it if I got lucky (in 3rd) with the IMA. Without it, I doubt I'd make it without shifting to 2nd, which is problematic for my poor transmission.

Thanks everyone for the tips...

David

[jerrydelrey]

Try to disconnect the plugs, and also remove the battery pack. That's a lot of weight.

then try it out. It won't hurt, except for one trip in 2nd gear.

[Eli]

There's nothing wrong with using 2nd gear. Heck, I have to use 1st sometimes climbing the mountains around here.

If you mean that the transmission grinds when downshifting into 2nd gear, learn how to double clutch.

There's no reason not to be driving the car just because IMA isn't functional, especially if it's going to help you save money.

The battery pack only weighs 75lbs, and he won't be able to drive the car with the BCM disconnected unless the junction board is in the car.

[4legsgood]

Originally Posted by Eli

There's nothing wrong with using 2nd gear. Heck, I have to use 1st sometimes climbing the mountains around here.

If you mean that the transmission grinds when downshifting into 2nd gear, learn how to double clutch.

Yeah, it's the grinding, I can double clutch poorly, so I'll have to work on my technique! I get nervous with it when I'm heading up the big hill, though.

I'll give it a shot, though, without the IMA. It definitely takes some getting used to.

Obviously, I need to get up to date on the latest developments regarding batteries and chargers! I'm really excited to know that these cars aren't just resigned to the history books. The Insight is the best car I've ever owned, and I hate to see it just sitting there...

David

[Eli]

Double clutching will eliminate grinding 100% of the time if you're doing it properly. Sounds like you just need to work on your technique. Gotta be quick.

I'm currently driving Insight #3 as my daily driver, which is quite grindy, and I downshift a LOT, 2nd is my go-to gear - doesn't matter if I'm going 18mph or 60mph. I can avoid grinding 95% of the time.

It does take some getting used to, driving without IMA. But you should still be able to get much better fuel economy than your other cars.

Most people drive their Insights for many months after the IMA light comes on. The only worry is that the DC-DC converter will stop charging the 12V battery. When this happens, the red 12V battery icon on the dash illuminates. At that point, you have ~20 miles left depending on the health of your 12V battery.

Disconnecting the three BCM connectors stops the systems from ever disabling the DC-DC converter, allowing you to drive indefinitely.

[jime]

Originally Posted by Eli

Disconnecting the three BCM connectors stops the systems from ever disabling the DC-DC converter, allowing you to drive indefinitely.

Eli,

This comment makes me kinda curious. Does this mean that on can remove the entire IMA battery pack and simply drive the car like a 1 liter gasoline only car? For me, that would be a good option, if my battery pack fails. Around my neck of the woods, I try not to even use assist or regen, because it is an inefficient process. It would save a small amount of dead weight