Need new batteries for my 2000 Insight

[dfiore]

I'm still getting mid to high 50's but for 137,000 miles, the acceleration power is really dropping off. Can anyone direct me to where I can buy the batteries separate and maybe a good price. If I were to replace the entire hybrid pack, it would be about $3000. Ouch!

Thanks in advancwe guys and gals!

Dan/Florida

[Insightful Trekker]

Originally Posted by dfiore

I'm still getting mid to high 50's but for 137,000 miles, the acceleration power is really dropping off. Can anyone direct me to where I can buy the batteries separate and maybe a good price. If I were to replace the entire hybrid pack, it would be about $3000. Ouch!

Thanks in advancwe guys and gals!

Dan/Florida

IMA battery pack degradation will cause a more fragile SoC. The State of Charge indicator opposite the fuel gauge will more frequently fall to a low level and require frequent forced charging.

See:

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... fdd3075a64

You will only notice a loss of power if the IMA SoC isn't robust enough and a "normal" driving style rapidly depletes it. You will only notice a loss of MPG if this frequent depletion requires a _frequent_ forced charge (especially highway miles, city miles will fall somewhat less)

The problem in a DIY replacement of the _batteries_ in the pack is *matching* each cell. No matter how you approach it the pack will be "live" with 144v as you disassemble it. And the thermal sensors that attach to each cell group must be transferred to the new cells.

AFAIK there have been no posts _anywhere_ that outline this procedure, which may be simple or complex.

If you don't assure that each of the 120 cells are reasonably matched in their capacity the weakest cell in the array will pull down the others. Depending on the specific differences it may only take a few weeks!

Radio control car racers used to have a trick tester to evaluate the performance of the NiCad batteries they used. This would "grade" the batteries capacity which could make the difference between a win and loss. Unless Panasonic is _extremely_ quality controlled in their manufacture of our NiMH batteries something similar would be needed for matching the cells in the Insight. Which _may_ require sorting many more cells than 120 to get a good match.

But if your up to the task:

http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/bat ... index.html

I've lost the old link that specified the screw lug type D cell.

Hope someone else will post it. The cost of 120 cells was in the 800-1000$ range.

But the narrative does specify prismatic cells and AFAIK Toyota is the only one using such cells in the Prius. Panasonic is the OEM manufacturer for the Insight cells.


HTH! :)

edit: FOUND IT!

http://www.peve.panasonic.co.jp/catalog/e_maru.html

[dfiore]

You are describing the problems I'm having. MY only quandry now is to buy them or wonderif the IMAS will be out in '05 so I should just pay off and trade what I have. hmmm. maybe I'll check some junk yards

[cakley]

Have you done a tune up to the car ie plugs, coil packs, valve adjustment?

Check junk yards and watch ebay. I've seen the IMA battery and all parts sell for less than 1000 on ebay.

[Corey872]

If you want to look for salvage yard batteries, you may want to punch up:

http://car-part.com

This is a salvage yard search engine. You may have to look for an Insight engine or something like that, don't know if the battery pack is specifically listed, but any salvage yard that has an engine would have a greater possibility of having a battery pack and the other hybrid components, too.

Hi Dfiore:

___Before assuming it’s the pack, why not do a full blown tune up first? All fluids, filters, valve adjustments, and plugs to start … Sure a pack will lose its capacity and performance over time but without actual pack testing to validate a performance drop first (could be from any number of mechanical or electrical issues or items), how do you know? Reading the many Prius forums, their specific packs (01-03 I assume?) performance/capacity is only down about 80% from the day they were installed and this is out some 150,000 or so miles supposedly (abused packs need not apply). With that, the Insight 5-speed ran ~ 12.3 seconds to 60 mph with the SOC at ~ 1/4 and 13.3 while the ICE was supposedly charging the pack when new. After the fluid change out and tune up, a few non-professional timed runs to 60 should tell you what your pack and car are really worth and if the pack is really that degraded … I highly doubt a non-trained driver could tell the difference between 12.3 and 13.3 to 60 mph and if your pack is degraded, I wonder if you could feel the ~ difference either?

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:fjllm0mk]Waynegerdes@earthlink.net[/email:fjllm0mk]