Hi ALL,
About 3 weeks ago I started noticing some out of the ordinary charging & discharging. The out of the ordinary symptoms increased and two days ago, while driving home from a 200 mile road trip, the SOC gauge went to no bars IMA & and CEL came on. I was able to drive home the last 80 miles like this, albeit worried that I would break down.
A little history; 2003 CVT, Battery changed and computer reprogrammed 6-14-2011 by Honda under warranty. I have always had a slight CVT Judder since I bought the Insight in 2008 with 32K. I didn't realize the Judder could be addressed under Warranty till it was too late. In the mean time I learn very quickly how to take off easy without making it judder. Because of this there has never been a high amount of assist used for take offs. 99 percent of my driving is on pretty flat roads.
Recent symptoms;
After not driving for 2-4 weeks that sometimes SOC would show only about 50% even though it was fully charged when parked.
NOTE; Leaving it sit 2-3 weeks without driving is an often occurrence this last year.
At times it would show 100% charged only to rapidly drop to around 50% after a few blocks when no assist was used.
Sometimes it would show around 50% SOC and steadily be charging 3-4 greens bars till about 60% charge and everything would act normal.
A few times it was showing 3-4 green bars of charging even though the SOC was showing 100% charged.
Other times it would look like SOC was about 30-40% and no bars of charging until coasting or braking, then all the green bars would come on.
Still at other times it would seem as though SOC increased while never noticing any green charging bars.
When the IMA and CEL came on I was on the highway cursing about 70MPH. SOC was 1-2 bars below 100%. A couple of minutes later I looked down and SOC was about 50%. A minute later it was showing no SOC bars, IMA & CEL on.
Today I had the codes checked;
P1456 EVAP
P1447
P1449
The 1456, I don't think is related and have had it come up before from a loose or defective gas cap.
After reading numerous posts, I get home after checking the codes and disconnected the 12V battery to clear the codes and check 12V battery. After driving home 80 miles and today's trip, the 12V was fully charged. I am now at least not so worried that I might be stranded.
I was just going to flip off the HV switch in the back when I thought why not start it up and see if it will charge. Upon starting no SOC bars and 4 green charging bars. I held the engine at about 2300 RPM after about 3 minutes, SOC =1 bar, then couple minutes later SOC, two bars after about 10 minutes SOC 4 bars BUT no green charging bars. About 5 minutes into this procedure EPS light comes on stays on. Any one think this is related or coincidence?
I turn the engine off again disconnect the 12V battery, reconnect & started up. After only a minute or two SOC gauge had no bars but again charging at 4 green bars. Again after about 5 minutes @ 2300 RPM I get 5 SOC bars this time and green charging bars stop. Here's the funny part, no green charging bars but SOC steadily increases from 5 bars to full over the next minute @ 2300 RPM. I haven't driven it yet and came in to post all of this.
While I know needing a battery is possible, I am leaning toward thinking the cells were badly out of balance from so much sitting and needing to discharge and maybe recharge and balance. ALL comments and advice welcomed at this point.
I am very mechanically inclined and use to build race engines. While I have pretty good basic electrical understanding including 220V 3PH, including rotary 3PH converters, I have never worked on anything HV. If the general consensus is a discharge and grid charge might work I need some step by step help and advice on what to do and buy as I have no idea except from what I have read in other posts.
I love this car but was thinking about selling it till I read about the spring and shock MOD. Now with the battery, I am up undecided again.
I had been wanting to come to the meet up in Indiana at the end of this month for the 3 days and maybe even see it it was possible to get springs and shocks done. Now that will have to be put off till I rectify this battery situation.
As it stands now I am considering coming to the Indiana meet up for Sun only if I can come at all.
In the mean time will the 12V keep charging if the HV switch is turned off only or do I need to do the the by pass procedure as well?
Any ideas on the EPS light? How to diagnose, fix, reset light etc?
TIA
Larry in IL
About 3 weeks ago I started noticing some out of the ordinary charging & discharging. The out of the ordinary symptoms increased and two days ago, while driving home from a 200 mile road trip, the SOC gauge went to no bars IMA & and CEL came on. I was able to drive home the last 80 miles like this, albeit worried that I would break down.
A little history; 2003 CVT, Battery changed and computer reprogrammed 6-14-2011 by Honda under warranty. I have always had a slight CVT Judder since I bought the Insight in 2008 with 32K. I didn't realize the Judder could be addressed under Warranty till it was too late. In the mean time I learn very quickly how to take off easy without making it judder. Because of this there has never been a high amount of assist used for take offs. 99 percent of my driving is on pretty flat roads.
Recent symptoms;
After not driving for 2-4 weeks that sometimes SOC would show only about 50% even though it was fully charged when parked.
NOTE; Leaving it sit 2-3 weeks without driving is an often occurrence this last year.
At times it would show 100% charged only to rapidly drop to around 50% after a few blocks when no assist was used.
Sometimes it would show around 50% SOC and steadily be charging 3-4 greens bars till about 60% charge and everything would act normal.
A few times it was showing 3-4 green bars of charging even though the SOC was showing 100% charged.
Other times it would look like SOC was about 30-40% and no bars of charging until coasting or braking, then all the green bars would come on.
Still at other times it would seem as though SOC increased while never noticing any green charging bars.
When the IMA and CEL came on I was on the highway cursing about 70MPH. SOC was 1-2 bars below 100%. A couple of minutes later I looked down and SOC was about 50%. A minute later it was showing no SOC bars, IMA & CEL on.
Today I had the codes checked;
P1456 EVAP
P1447
P1449
The 1456, I don't think is related and have had it come up before from a loose or defective gas cap.
After reading numerous posts, I get home after checking the codes and disconnected the 12V battery to clear the codes and check 12V battery. After driving home 80 miles and today's trip, the 12V was fully charged. I am now at least not so worried that I might be stranded.
I was just going to flip off the HV switch in the back when I thought why not start it up and see if it will charge. Upon starting no SOC bars and 4 green charging bars. I held the engine at about 2300 RPM after about 3 minutes, SOC =1 bar, then couple minutes later SOC, two bars after about 10 minutes SOC 4 bars BUT no green charging bars. About 5 minutes into this procedure EPS light comes on stays on. Any one think this is related or coincidence?
I turn the engine off again disconnect the 12V battery, reconnect & started up. After only a minute or two SOC gauge had no bars but again charging at 4 green bars. Again after about 5 minutes @ 2300 RPM I get 5 SOC bars this time and green charging bars stop. Here's the funny part, no green charging bars but SOC steadily increases from 5 bars to full over the next minute @ 2300 RPM. I haven't driven it yet and came in to post all of this.
While I know needing a battery is possible, I am leaning toward thinking the cells were badly out of balance from so much sitting and needing to discharge and maybe recharge and balance. ALL comments and advice welcomed at this point.
I am very mechanically inclined and use to build race engines. While I have pretty good basic electrical understanding including 220V 3PH, including rotary 3PH converters, I have never worked on anything HV. If the general consensus is a discharge and grid charge might work I need some step by step help and advice on what to do and buy as I have no idea except from what I have read in other posts.
I love this car but was thinking about selling it till I read about the spring and shock MOD. Now with the battery, I am up undecided again.
I had been wanting to come to the meet up in Indiana at the end of this month for the 3 days and maybe even see it it was possible to get springs and shocks done. Now that will have to be put off till I rectify this battery situation.
As it stands now I am considering coming to the Indiana meet up for Sun only if I can come at all.
In the mean time will the 12V keep charging if the HV switch is turned off only or do I need to do the the by pass procedure as well?
Any ideas on the EPS light? How to diagnose, fix, reset light etc?
TIA
Larry in IL
