From the info you provided, the status of the battery is pretty much unknowable. "Rebuilt" can cover a very wide range of repairs or renewal. As you start driving, you will find out. If the battery recalibrates often, like once/day or more, then the battery is poorly balanced. Obviously, the IMA warning is even more serious. If you are doing a long drive you can bypass the battery, if it acts up, by unplugging the plugs from the BMS module unside the IMA box at rear. It is one of the aluminum boxes on top of the battery, the one toward the center. You would have lots of warning lights, but your 12V will stay charged.

I don't know the answer to the radio question, but you might pack some regular CDs just in case.

 

The IMA battery was purchased from "We Know Hybrids" in Sacramento CA 12/2019, installed by Greentec Auto in NJ and came with a 36 month warranty. "new generation 8.0 amp cells" I'm concerned that the car was only driven about 5K miles since then and must have been sitting around a lot.

Just curious if people REALLY recommend disconnecting the IMA battery for the trip home until I can get the grid charger installed and do a slow charge.

 

From what I know it’s probably a good idea to grid charge it up. I disconnected mine and never reconnected it. I think in your case the battery will be fine but I would pull fuse as a precautionary measure. I didn’t know about that fuse. I went into the back and disconnected the plugs into the bcm.

 

Need a little more history on the vehicle to make a valid evaluation.
Drive in sport mode and try not to use a lot of IMA at first. IMHO

 

To your ask - the stock radio cannot play MP3's.

 

if the radio works when you get there be sure to get the radio code before you disconnect the battery or it may not work at all.

on my silver insight, I don't know the radio code and the anti-theft light is on.

I need to remove the radio to get the serial number to throw it on the unlock website to get its radio code.

 

if the radio works when you get there be sure to get the radio code before you disconnect the battery or it may not work at all.

ooooo..... how would I do that?

 

Per scott:

I need a radio code.

I disconnected my 12 volt battery to do some work. When I hooked it up again the radio is asking for a code before I can turn it on. Here is what I have. 04 CVT. am/fm cd player. I did not get a manual with the car. I called a couple dealers and they told me to pull the radio and get the...

www.insightcentral.net

 

If the manual is in the glove box, there should be a 2x4 card with your stereo unlock code...

 

I saw that mentioned in other threads but mine didn't have the manual still.

I think I must be the fourth owner.

 

Just Google "Honda radio codes" and the top hit is a Honda website where you provide the vin and the serial number which you can get from the display and the instructions to get the serial number are on the website.
(Most owners are 2000-2001 owners who have cassette units that need no code.)

 

I think I burned a CDR which works but it is formatted like a real CD, no compression. The radio has the ubiquitous CD changer connector on the back. You have enough time to go to Amazon and order a line-in connector so you can plug a stereo jack in your phone. There probably is a nifty Bluetooth version with microphone if you get a call. (I use the line-in unit which I liberated from the radio on a Honda Civic 2004 that someone had installed long ago).

This will disable the fine 6-CD changer, though, if you have one (you can't do both).

 

You have enough time to go to Amazon and order a line-in connector so you can plug a stereo jack in your phone. There probably is a nifty Bluetooth version with microphone if you get a call. (I use the line-in unit which I liberated from the radio on a Honda Civic 2004 that someone had installed long ago).

Yes I was thinking about getting this: Amazon.com: Car Stereo Transmitter with USB & AUX Bluetooth 5.0 Hands-Free Calling Music Player Compatible with Honda Accord Civic Odyssey Pilot Acura : Electronics

But I wanted to wait and check the radio first to make sure it works and has the correct plug for it.

 

Finally, the battery. Well. If the damn thing works then the very BEST thing you can do is put a ton of miles on it!!!! If the cells work, exercising them will naturally balance them. At least until you park it for a day or four.

The problem is that the aftermarket cells if left dormant long enough just may not come back.

Even if they can come back, if the voltage is too low or some are much lower than the others, the IMA will probably stay in a protective mode and refuse to charge the pack if the voltages are really far off, no matter how many times you disconnect the 12v negative terminal to clear the IMA code. Probably worth trying, though to see if you can get the car to start charging the pack. It mat take multiple tries. But if it works, maybe you can try driving it lightly, and get more aggressive with assist and regen after its been going for a while.

Good luck, and welcome to this nutty clan!!!!!!

 

I’d start out with the IMA battery connected. Exercise it and see how it does.

If it gives you trouble, you can turn it off simply by flipping the big switch on top. Lift the carpet in back and take off the small cover with two bolts to access the switch. I can’t remember if these are 10mm bolts or torx bolts.

Two quirks when driving this way…

1) You need to turn and hold the key for a few seconds for the starter to engage.

2) If you rev the engine too high (4000rpm?) the DC converter will kick out for a minute or two. You’ll see a check engine warning light. It will reset itself automatically and the light will go off.

I’ve driven my car for over a week in this mode with no problems. I have heard stories that the headlights draw more than the system supports, but if you’re driving three hours in daylight I think you’ll be fine. I’ve done limited in-town driving at night without issue.

Good luck!

- Park

 

I’ve driven my car for over a week in this mode with no problems.

Thanks for pointing out that an IMA light does not necessarily disable the DC-DC converter.

I plug a voltmeter into the cigarette lighter when there is any question about whether or not the 12v battery is holding charge.

As often as not, the 12v battery on a car with a dead IMA is also damaged/won't hold a charge for long.

Some battery testers won't flag this as a bad battery. At Walmart a battery for an Insight which had no shorted cells but only 9 AH of capacity was given a green light by their automated battery tester.

 

Some may laugh at this, but one of the deciding points for me on a used Insight over a used Prius was that the Insight looked like I could replace the radio, which I did. A JVC head unit, couple of Polk speakers in the doors, JBLs in the back, and one of those enclosed metal Blaupunkt subwoofers with built in amp laying on the back deck. I installed a 1 farad cap on the 12-volt source under the rear deck with some disassembly - the subwoofer is connected to that. So the best part of this is how small the car's cabin is - it's like you have headphones on. System sounds awesome. I did have to replace the antenna because something was wrong with the loading coil giving it weak reception - I just screwed in a replacement mast. Also, the car hits bumps quite hard so the head unit has to be pretty good at tracking CDs.