[walterjhicks]

First let me say Thanks. I have never posted or replied on this forum, but the info in here has saved me big bucks a couple of times so thanks for past help...now for the future.

I own a 2002 Insight with automatic transmission and 204k miles (my wife lovingly calls it my clown car)

Two weeks ago I suddenly had and IMA light with no charge/assist operation. IMA battery indicator was still showing full. Drove it for a while ...cautiously with no change except the IMA battery indicator gradually dropped to 1 bar. Went to a local shop and they pulled the codes 1166, 1449 and 1568. I don't have the blink codes yet. I have had no trouble with the 12v staying charged (driven more than an hour with lights/windshield wiper/defrost).

Unhooked 12v last night and this morning got IMA function back for about 10 miles. IMA battery indicator came to full, but then when the IMA shut back down it dropped just as quickly. Mileage is completely unaffected by this problem.

I drive 150 miles a day and if this car isn't working I have to drive a Ford F150 supercab, which will quickly bankrupt me. I am looking for any answers as to what is the possible cause for this problem and what are my options for proceding... repair, conversion to gas only, etc. and cost of each.

Thanks, Walt Hicks

 

[retepsnikrep]

Have you searched on here for those codes?
Have you looked at the spreadsheet sticky for those codes?
Have you searched for running on gas or gas conversion or running without ima battery?

Although we are happy to help it's bad forum etiquette to not do basic searching and research first.

Off the top of my head sounds like bad IMA battery to me, so speak to one of the IMA battery suppliers, BumbleBee, Hybrid Revolt, etc

 

[walterjhicks]

Have you searched on here for those codes?
Have you looked at the spreadsheet sticky for those codes?
Have you searched for running on gas or gas conversion or running without ima battery?

Although we are happy to help it's bad forum etiquette to not do basic searching and research first.



I would also consider it bad forum ettiquette to instantly assume someone is lazy or stupid. I know what all the codes mean....I don't have the blink codes read off of the car yet. And yes I have read virtually every forum post that deals with IMA lights or battery degredation but I was hoping to present the evidence I have from this particular case to decide which is my best option to procede.

PS you were rude

 

[Hybrid ReVolt]

P1568 could be an unbalanced pack or damaged wires.
P1449 is almost always a battery.
P1166 is the primary O2 sensor.

First, open the IPU compartment and make sure a critter hasn't set up home. If so, clean it out and fix the wires. If its clean with no broken wires, you need a battery or at the minimum a grid charger. PM me for battery info.

P1166 may need a new O2 sensor, but if it only occurred AFTER the IMA light, then you may be able to just replace the battery.

Don't give Peter too hard a time. We are all here to help. He is an admin, and part of the help he provides is in keeping the forum clean from multiple similar posts.

 

[retepsnikrep]

Walter

If you had said I have researched the codes etc etc then we would have had more to go on. The tenor of you original post did not suggest that though. It said help I have these codes what can I do.

All these codes have been discussed before so you will have seen from your reading what the issues are and the possible solutions.

As Matt said sadly we gets lots of new members who post codes or problems without doing any research at all. So we get multiple threads on the same subject which is messy and wasteful. The members knowledge also gets diluted spread over multiple threads.

Matt's diagnosis sounds like a good starter for ten.

 

[ericbecky]

Walter,
To me it sounds like the IMA may be on the way out.
I'd be happy to briefly chat via phone. (It's in my signature)
Your about 2 1/12 hours from my shop, but I'd be happy to see about getting you back on track.

Glad you've read through a bunch of the threads, you probably have a pretty good idea of options, but we can talk through them.

Don't worry about bankruptcy, you won't have to drive the F150.
But you will have to address the IMA one way or another such as. charger, balancing, new pack or rebuilding.

 

[fkertis]

Walter- Sounds to me like you have the twin to my car. I agree, your battery pack is suspect and you may have to replace or bypass it. Mine works for a bit when I reset the fuse (#14 or 18 under the dash if I remember properly. I have the fuse puller permanently attached so I don't even look anymore). I built a grid charger and it really did nothing to help the problem. I did see a post about depleting the pack completely before charging and I have yet to do it. Once done, if the DTCs are still present I will be ordering via Eli (he is very good from the posts I read). My car sat idle for almost 2 years in western Pennsylvania before I bought it. Not a good thing. But maybe if I 'shock' the cells with full depletion I can bring it back from the dead. Fingers crossed, nothing to lose.

Regarding code 1166: you really need to get the flash codes. My Insight had 2 (yes, two) sensors patched in with wire nuts. I suspect the previous owner replaced the cat and just cut & spliced the sensors. Anyway, my 1166 turned out to be the heater relay for the sensor (located on the under dash panel). Once I replaced it (the bootleg sensors just becuase they offend me) and the fuse (same fuse panel) I blew replacing the upstream sensor, my code 1166 has been gone for 6 months. If you need an upstream sensor after you run the codes, I can let you have a spare (I bought two) for what I paid for it. But hopefully its just a relay or fuse. Flash codes will specify.

Lastly, mine had code 0320 - Knock sensor. These seldom go bad...but mine was. Replaced for $50 and the light has been off ever since. Between the O2 sensor and the knock sensor issue, I picked up 13 mpg. They are critical to engine management.

Good luck.

PS- Peter Perkins and Mike Dambroski are two of the most knowledgable guys I have discovered on this site. They occasionally get frustrated when the same questions get asked on an almost daily basis...which is just normal human nature. I am sure Peter was not trying to be rude. He probably just auto-responded. He will help you all he can to the degree you help yourself.

 

[eq1]

....PS- Peter Perkins and Mike Dambroski are two of the most knowledgable guys....

I wish I had a name like "Dambroski," like "Yo, Dambroski! How's it hangin'?"