Keeping parked Insight cool on hot days

2158 Views 11 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Insightful Trekker, Jun 18, 2004

saboeme

Discussion Starter · #1 · Jun 14, 2004

Hello all again.
I believe that someone on one of these threads asked about a way of keeping Insights from becoming solar ovens in the summer. Since the battery pack's integrity is degraded by temp. extremes. I was wondering if a mod using a solar pannel with a small Nimh battery pack could be incorporated to power the heat/cool vent fan when the car is parked to maintain ambient temp in the cabin. This mod would be thermostat regulated, and the Nimh battery pack to be set up so that the car 12vdc system could recharge it while the car is running. While parked added dcv input from the dashboard mounted solar pannel could assist the fan and decrease the draw on the minor Nimh power supply. Bare in mind that I am not an engineer, so feel free to coment on my idea.

Saboeme

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Yves M.

· Premium Member

Joined Feb 27, 2003

787 Posts

#2 · Jun 14, 2004

From what you wrote, you want an independant 12v pack. I would use 10 ni-mh "AA" size batteries. Energizers from Walmart are usually 2.1 AH.

You can connect the power to the 12v outlet plug wires. The current is cut while the key is not in. You add a diode to prevent the custom ni-mh pack to discharge into the 12V system and let the 12V system charge it as needed.

You can use like the previous tread, computer style fans. What I am not aware of is where to put the fan. It needs to either draw air into the cabin or move it out.