Greetings!
I'm an import mechanic (mostly German), do a lot of electric work but never gotten into a hybrid system. I just expanded my motley fleet...
1994 BMW 525i wagon. Two-box body, RWD, round glass headlights, pre-OBD.
1981 Toyota 4x4 truck. Two-box body, RWD (most of the time), round glass headlights, non-OBD.
1973 Ford P400. Two-box body, RWD, round glass headlights, what the heck is OBD?
...with a 2003 Honda Insight. Sorta-two-box body, FWD, irregularly-shaped plastic headlights... OBD2?! What on earth is this thing? You mean it's made in this millenium? Weird! Sure looks out of place here... At least it's a manual like the others. Black sheep? Well, it's silver, and most of the other rigs are black, so I guess it's the Silver Sheep. It's one of two OBD2 vehicles I've ever owned, and the only one whose year begins with a 2.
It doesn't run, throws cam sensor codes. Beyond that, I'm told the HV battery is kaput, and everything else should be ok.
My plans, at this time:
1. Get it sorted out and usable as a daily driver. The others in the fleet are old, rare, rust-prone, and not particularly efficient (the BMW can crack 30mpg highway, averaging ~24, but the Hilux tops out at 18-20 on a good day, and the P400... don't ask). They are also relatively large vehicles with cargo and passenger capacity that's useless dead weight 95% of the time. A sub-2000lb FWD two-seater, little more than a weatherproof motorcycle that won't tip over, is far better suited to that 95%. Also, sleek aerodynamics get the engineer in me all hot and bothered. Aluminum is a bonus, too.
2. Bypass the big battery since it doesn't work anyway.
3. Make it slightly nice. I've got a spare set of BMW E34 seats that hopefully will fit with custom brackets but no hammers. Windows tinted. Might stuff some soundproofing in a few places, and definitely want to spruce up the interior with at least some paint. I don't care for Appliance Grey; this is more my cup of tea:
4. Someday... zero-wire diesel. I've read what there is to find about the TDI Insight (project seems to have aborted halfway through?), might use that same engine but I've no interest in running the hybrid or any electronic engine management. I like my rigs reliable and easy to work on. Having to operate a cable to raise the idle when cold, and other "inconveniences", are prices well worth paying for the prevention of things like - case in point - a bad cam sensor disabling the entire car.
I'm a regular on Bimmerforums and an occasional on YotaTech, Delicaclub, 4btswaps, the Mazda Diesel board, BenzWorld, and probably some other fora I'm forgetting at the moment. I know better than to post my questions that have surely been asked and answered ad nauseum over the years, so I've got homework to do: cam sensors, junction board bypass, people's experience with soundproofing, where to get shocks, and more.
I'm an import mechanic (mostly German), do a lot of electric work but never gotten into a hybrid system. I just expanded my motley fleet...
1994 BMW 525i wagon. Two-box body, RWD, round glass headlights, pre-OBD.
1981 Toyota 4x4 truck. Two-box body, RWD (most of the time), round glass headlights, non-OBD.
1973 Ford P400. Two-box body, RWD, round glass headlights, what the heck is OBD?
...with a 2003 Honda Insight. Sorta-two-box body, FWD, irregularly-shaped plastic headlights... OBD2?! What on earth is this thing? You mean it's made in this millenium? Weird! Sure looks out of place here... At least it's a manual like the others. Black sheep? Well, it's silver, and most of the other rigs are black, so I guess it's the Silver Sheep. It's one of two OBD2 vehicles I've ever owned, and the only one whose year begins with a 2.
It doesn't run, throws cam sensor codes. Beyond that, I'm told the HV battery is kaput, and everything else should be ok.
My plans, at this time:
1. Get it sorted out and usable as a daily driver. The others in the fleet are old, rare, rust-prone, and not particularly efficient (the BMW can crack 30mpg highway, averaging ~24, but the Hilux tops out at 18-20 on a good day, and the P400... don't ask). They are also relatively large vehicles with cargo and passenger capacity that's useless dead weight 95% of the time. A sub-2000lb FWD two-seater, little more than a weatherproof motorcycle that won't tip over, is far better suited to that 95%. Also, sleek aerodynamics get the engineer in me all hot and bothered. Aluminum is a bonus, too.
2. Bypass the big battery since it doesn't work anyway.
3. Make it slightly nice. I've got a spare set of BMW E34 seats that hopefully will fit with custom brackets but no hammers. Windows tinted. Might stuff some soundproofing in a few places, and definitely want to spruce up the interior with at least some paint. I don't care for Appliance Grey; this is more my cup of tea:
4. Someday... zero-wire diesel. I've read what there is to find about the TDI Insight (project seems to have aborted halfway through?), might use that same engine but I've no interest in running the hybrid or any electronic engine management. I like my rigs reliable and easy to work on. Having to operate a cable to raise the idle when cold, and other "inconveniences", are prices well worth paying for the prevention of things like - case in point - a bad cam sensor disabling the entire car.
I'm a regular on Bimmerforums and an occasional on YotaTech, Delicaclub, 4btswaps, the Mazda Diesel board, BenzWorld, and probably some other fora I'm forgetting at the moment. I know better than to post my questions that have surely been asked and answered ad nauseum over the years, so I've got homework to do: cam sensors, junction board bypass, people's experience with soundproofing, where to get shocks, and more.