Battery self discharge/imbalance during long periods of standing idle

[TimHadland]

Hi All,
Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate it since this is the first car with electronics that I have owned, so I have a lot to learn with this one.

It would be good to know what the parameter values in the software are such as temp and voltages which determine the starting method. I have also noticed that once started on the 12v starter , after a few mins and turning off engine, it will then use the main battery.
I do think the 12v battery is weak and on this forum I read thats common on these cars where they dont get much action. Ill measure its voltage the next time i am out to reset and charge the car. Im reluctant to take the 12v battery out to charge it though. Can you leave the car without a 12V battery for a long period? I dont want the computer to loose settings etc...

IMA light will only be on with EPS, SRS lights etc on initial ignition for a few seconds. EPS light once stayed on, but at next reset and charge it went away.

Ive been wondering if its possible to do too many resets and overcharge the battery, although I would hope the charge state is rapidly established before any charging? When its says the battery is nearly full everyweek before I reset it and start it (last two weeks on the 12v starter) I then turn off and reset with battery neg removal, and it charges for what appears to be the same period everytime.

Ill continue to monitor the car carefully, since it looks like I have to wait at least another month for my new windscreen. At least now via my insurance I am being offered windscreen replacement at Honda locally. Gatwick Honda have been most helpful. They tell me clips are available in the UK, but long leadtime is on the top windscreen strip (2 months possibly - hope it can be reduced) and 2 weeks for windscreen - from Belgium apparently, so Im guessing a big Honda store/parts supplier for European production there?

Cheers

Tim

[Willie Williford]

Tim
You might find this site helpful.

ClipsAndFasteners.com - Automotive Retainers,Clips and Fasteners

HTH
Willie
I would go ahead and pull all the molding off and see which ones you can't save. Time consuming, but you are "down" anyway.

HTH
Willie

[Y47]

I've only just stumbled across this thread. Two things that might be of interest:

Thing 1: I was just pipped to the post in buying that lovely citrus Insight. When I rang the dealer to see if it was still available, I told him I was Tim. He thought I was the Tim who'd phoned the previous evening ( I hadn't), and said it was. Consequence: 75 mile drive to Brighton; discover I'm the wrong Tim and that car had just been sold to the right Tim; buy cup of coffee; drive home.

Thing 2: further consequences: two months later I rushed to Bristol and bought Mark Elvin's blue Insight. Mark mentioned he'd had a new screen fitted last year. Maybe he can help if you're still stuck? He posts on here frequently.

[UK_MJN]

Hi Tim, and congratulations on scoring Mark's car. Hope to meet you at the 2013 Insight Day?

I'm currently working in Bracknell during the week, so I might be the closest owner to you, though my Citrus is having its head gasket done now. Don't get me started on Honda dealers <ggggrrrr>. Pop me a PM if I can help in any way.

[3-Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Eli

I agree overall, it does sound fishy. But it's entirely possible, if one stick is just that bad.

Does the IMA light come on during any of this?

Eli,

I agree as well.

My pack has one stick that has good capacity on the test bench, but self discharges if you just look at it, so it gets out of sorts very easily.

If this is the case with Tim's stick, it will have to be replaced eventually.

P.S. Mine will come out this summer.

Jim.

[3-Wheeler]

Originally Posted by eq1

I thought I read the other day that starting off the HV battery won't happen if it's under something like 147V. True, not true? Depending on how charged up the HV battery was before sitting, and how much it's getting charged in the interim, weekly starts, seems plausible that it's dropped below 147V or thereabouts - whatever that cutoff is, if there is one...

eq1,

I think the battery has to get down around 140 volts or so before HV stops, with a "normal" pack.

Right now I have one bad stick, that was just put in there earlier this year, and it self discharges very quickly. With the pack at 150 volts, sometimes HV restart will not work! Can you say "out of balance"?

The voltage limit for EOC is about 144 volts for my old "normal" pack before adding the "new" stick. Once voltage goes below this threshold, the car would immediately restart the motor when coasting.

Jim.

[eq1]

"EOC"?

Gotcha on the 140V. Over the past couple days I took my battery down to 145V, 140-142V. Didn't notice any other anomalies, though I never actually turned it off and tried a restart...

[samwichse]

Engine Off Coasting.

[retepsnikrep]

There is a minimum HV limit for IMA start but i can't remember what it is exactly, it's in the MDM more power thread possibly, it's around 144V IIRC.

It's an issue i ran into when tweaking the system for more current. I turned the system voltage down to 125V for max current but found the car would not start with the IMA so had to have a voltage above the ~144v threshold to start but which i could drop to the lower voltage when the voltage hack was engaged and IMA was giving max assist.

[TimHadland]

Hi All,
I was indeed lucky to get the car. Sorry to hear about the wasted trip. Pleased the other Tim got one in the end.
Will run the insight tmw. Last week, once again it used the 12V starter. This time I had to charge it first. The lead acid battery voltage was 11.8V before I tried to startup. I charged it for about 40 mins and it then just started the car, so its pretty dead.
My current daily drive Triumph Herald needs a new battery now as well, so ill be battery shopping at the weekend.
The Herald is not a great car in the snow. What are the insights like in snow?
Cheers
Tim