This is all auto electronics so I hope you don't mind me posting two queries in one post!
1. **I think I know what happened, but maybe someone could give a technical explanation!** Waiting in the midle of the night at the airport with my sidelights and power hungry radio on for a little too long a couple days ago, I tried to turn the engine on when the delayed flight had finally landed and the whole thing died. I thought with huge batteries in the back leaving the lights and radio on wouldn't be such a big deal but it was. Looking under the hood I noticed that the stock 12V must have been replaced as the piddly little 12V connected hardly fills the space that must be for the battery. Anyway, when I went to turn the main lights on and start the car it just died. Everything dead. Push started it, but not enough power to keep going so I had to find someone to help jump start which eventually worked. Battery (IMA) started at full but after a while driving soon went down to near zero (got a bit worried) but seems to be almost back to normal now. Should I replace the 12V? Why did killing the 12V knock out the IMA too? I thought it was the IMA that started the engine...
2. I installed a new Radio that plays from USB. This may be related to the above (i.e. a not very good 12V source), but since yesterday I have noticed that the music cuts out momentarily every time something remotely to do with the power system starts (start of recharging when I brake, anytime at all that the battery recahre rather than assist kicks in, when I turn the lights on, engage AUTO A/C, etc...) As you could probably imagine, this can get quite annoying! Is there any way of isolating the power supply to avoid these 'cut-ins', or power spikes, or is it just down to have a recently drained and not yet back to normal 12V batery in the front?
1) You drained the 12v. The 144v is isolated to prevent too deeply discharging it (and damage). Without enough 12v the 144v contactor relay can't pull-in to "start" the Insight. Loosing 12v also causes an IMA reset (forced recal).
Your 12v may be getting a bit long in the tooth, have it tested.
2)Electronic units that cut-out when other units are operated can be ground connection related. (ground feedback). Or as you surmised if the 12v is weak it could be the cause too.
And for the record that "piddly little 12V" is the OEM battery. Normally good for about 4 years, give or take. The small size is partly to save weight and also because it does not usually have to turn over the engine at start. HTH.
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2005 Insight, UK Spec Silver 5 speed with Alpine stereo, subwoofer & speakers with iPod link, IMA C&C, Shark Fin Aerial, Garmin EcoRoute HD, Skinz sound deadened rear shelf, 'InsightCentral' number plates, 19" rear wiper, Osram nightbreaker plus bulbs
Previous owner of 1999 Japanese Silver 5sp, 2001 UK Citrus 5sp & 2000 Japanese Red CVT Honda Insight - An extraordinary car for ordinary people
The original (and others similar, still available) are smaller than the tray. A "standard" Civic group size 51 is the maximum size that will fit the tray.
And a bigger 12v does not always = longer service life. Particularly so in the Insight.
Well, I'm in a 2000 insight so perhaps it's old age and any damage from draining it by accident has started to show...
Is there any benefit in taking the battery out and giving it a full charge from a house socket and charger? Or has the DC-DC converter done all that already in my brief drive back?
If it is the original battery from manufacture in 2000, then 99% it will need replacing. Not sure a charge out of the car will help, as it gets a constant 14V charge in the car (unless full).
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2005 Insight, UK Spec Silver 5 speed with Alpine stereo, subwoofer & speakers with iPod link, IMA C&C, Shark Fin Aerial, Garmin EcoRoute HD, Skinz sound deadened rear shelf, 'InsightCentral' number plates, 19" rear wiper, Osram nightbreaker plus bulbs
Previous owner of 1999 Japanese Silver 5sp, 2001 UK Citrus 5sp & 2000 Japanese Red CVT Honda Insight - An extraordinary car for ordinary people
Unless the DC-DC converter is at fault (there is a _recall_ for early production 2000 models) it will have been keeping the 12v to as full a charge as it was _able_ to hold.
7 years on an original 12v battery in any make or model is very unusual. Because of how a DC-DC converter charges, even more so in an Insight.
Was debating whether to go bigger or smaller for the battery. Having decided not to install rear speakers, I think I will replace the battery with an Odyssey PC454MJ (gotta figure out how to secure it in the compartment though...).
Bearing in mind that I have recently installed a 7 inch Double DIN DVD screen in the radio space (hand soldered all the connections for the ISO), am I being foolish going smaller for the battery? I won't be listening to it with the engine off again in a hurry...
Also, what kind of stuff do I need to replace the connectors to ensure that the ground etc. is all good for the battery (and where in the UK can I find it)? Don't want to do a Citrus and suffer the 12V problems of his that I've just been reading about.
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Dead 12V and patchy audio after replacing radio?
