Hybridfest Green Drive Expo - July 2010

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

This is a blog of my trip to Hybridfest this year.

July 12, leave NYC in my 2001 Insight and head to campsite in the Poconos near Scranton. Passed a Silver Insight in NJ on 78. He kept up with me to Easton PA.

July 13, leave the Poconos, travel to Harrisburg PA, install a 2003 Civic battery, drive to Bear Run by 4:30pm and visit Fallingwater.



The car has three batteries in it and it REALLY doesn't like the hills of western PA in the rain (with the AC on to keep the windows clear). Frequently downshifting as far as second gear.

Get diverted by road closures in massive downpours into West Virginia and then back into Pennsylvania and arrive at a friend's house south of Pittsburg. Stay the night.

July 14, Leave my friend at 8:30am (eastern), stop at two junkyards near Pittsburg and manage to buy one battery (total now 4 = 260lbs). Drive to Canton OH, Akron, Mansfield and Kenton in an effort to buy batteries. Only get one (total now 5 = 285lbs)

Ohio roads are VERY flat.

and I drove 44 miles on one that was straight as an arrow and empty. It was horrible. There was nothing to see, no shoulder, no lane markings, no houses, for mile after mile. There was also no cell service.

Finally I decide to hightail it to Wisconsin. I finally arrive in Madison Wisconsin at 11:30pm (central).



I've driven for 16 hours and covered 775 miles today.

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

July 14, get up and leave Madison to travel west to strip a car I bought on eBay.


I took the transmission, clutch, IMA motor, IMA battery (number 6), hatch struts, spoiler, right skirt, right rear tire and rim and right front tire.

I'm supposed to head north to St Paul Minnesota to install a warranty replacement battery for a customer, but I run out of time. I'm also supposed to travel to Appleton WI to pick up ANOTHER battery, but I have to be back in Madison for the Hybridfest meet & greet.

On the way back I practice for the upcoming MPG challenge.



Got to beat RobertSmalls. Got to beat RobertSmalls. (He beat me at the Green Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, but we were in different classes)


We have fun at the meet and greet, and I then head off to Appleton to pick up the battery. About 50 miles into the trip, I hear more road noise than I'm used to and I pull over to check my tires. One is flat!



It's not just flat, it's a blowout. That's the belt showing. I call the seller and he brings the battery to me (number 7) as I put the spare on.

Luckily, I pulled a tire and rim off a car this morning!

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

July 15th, I get up and run the extra tire over to a local tire shop, get it installed (rotate the tires as well) and have my car washed.

I race in the MPG challenge ("got to beat RobertSmalls and Hobbit"). Pat Cadam of Pat's Garage in SF is my copilot. Everything is going well and I'm holding 114 mpg until I bring my pack too low with my MIMA (torturing it in the heat) and it decides that it shouldn't really be able to give out that much power and decides to start a recal. ARRGGHH! I interrupt the recal with the MIMA, but I've lost autostop and FAS and even key off FAS for the rest of the race. It would cost too much MPG to let it finish the recal. So I try to finish as quickly as possible at engine idle speeds.

My final mileage is ("got to beat RobertSmalls"):



Pat and I pose for pics:



And RobertSmalls finishes with 98 mpg.




Visit the Dane county fair next door: