Recals and Winter

[jmbakerak]

I’ve noticed a phenomena with my Insight that doesn’t seem to have been discussed. I have had my share of recalibrations, and have kept track of them. What I have found is that I get no recals in the winter. Here is a list I’ve compiled of recals vs. month over the last four years;

January 0
February 0
March 0
April 2
May 3
June 5
July 4
August 5
September 5
October 4
November 0
December 0

And it’s not because I don’t drive it in the winter, this winter from November thru February I’ve put 2600 miles on. Any idea why this recals disappear in cold weather? (At least Alaska cold weather.)

[b1shmu63]

Hmmm, interesting data. I'm confident that you would experience a winter recal if you pushed the batteries too hard when they are cold, especially if the car has been parked for a couple of weeks. Obviously tou have been driving in a manner that favors accurate monitoring.

I must say, hats off to you for driving an Insight in Alaska. Honda should pay you for advertising rights. What mileage have you put on your Insight?

[jmbakerak]

You can’t push the batteries when it’s cold (0°F and below) and it’s sat outside all day. The system won’t let you. Even if the SOC indicates full, it goes into a mild form of recharge at low throttle settings (trying to warm up the batteries?) and the most assist you’ll get is about four bars until the engine (and battery?) temperature comes up. If the temperature is well below zero it will do the recharge thing pulling out of a warm garage until the car is completely warmed up.

Then when it’s really cold out, around -20°F, it will only reach full operating temperature at highway speeds. When your back on surface streets the temperature starts back down. I’ve gone from the highway at six bars on the water temp, hit a stoplight and in two minutes seen the temp gauge go down to two bars. The engine can’t create enough heat at idle to keep itself and the cabin warm.

On a side note, the only times I’ve experienced the standard starter motor crank over the engine is when the car has sat out all day at -20°F or colder.

I have 46,000 on the car at a LMPG of 60.4. It gets about 68 in the summer and 53 in the winter. Best tank; 70.5 worst tank; 44.7

My travel miles get spread between the Insight, a Nissan Frontier and two motorcycles and three bicycles.

[ElectricTroy]

Recals are caused by the batteries becoming "empty" sooner than the computer expected. (i.e. The actual State-of-Charge does not match what's shown on the meter.)

So why would that happen during summer & not winter?

Because the self-discharge rate is faster as the battery becomes warmer, and summer is VERY warm. And thus the computer is "surprised" to discover the battery's state-of-charge is lower than expected.



(My credentials - Electrical Engineer for 10 years. Plus owning an insight and reading all about its operations.)

[flunkysama]

I think the fact that in cold temps the insight "force charges" the battery pack to warm it up will prevent recals. Instead of the current producing heat in the pack, it's raising to the true SOC to match the BCM's guess-timated SOC, preventing a recal.

[joecvt]

flunkysama beat me to it....My guess was going to be along his line of reasoning. So I second his thought. I never got a recal but I read enough about them on this forum.


JoeCVT - Just your average CVT owner

[Insightful Trekker]

Interesting observations. But a better fit for the Mod & Tech forum moving...