Enginer PHEV DC/DC Overheating issues

[kiettyyyy]

Hey folks!

Thought I should start a thread about this since the other threads are kind of mixed up....

So, as shown in the "Has anyone installed the enginer PHEV?" thread, another individual and my self were experiencing overheating on the DC/DC converter within about.. say 10-15 minutes of use.

I've been in close contact with Jack Chen regarding this issue and apparently, my SECOND DC/DC converter was programmed by the factory to have a higher output.

If you're experiencing overheating issues after attempting to add in a hot-air vent fix, make sure to contact Jack with your serial number.

Remember, this is a work in progress. I'm sure Hymotion and Plug-in Supply had their bugs and flukes when they first started out

My THIRD DC/DC converter is on its way.

[Flying White Dutchman]

do you now what higher output this converter got? higher voltage or higher amps?
and if the normal is around 12amps what is yours doing?

do you need to send back the first 2 converters? or can you keep them ;-)

[kiettyyyy]

Originally Posted by Flying White Dutchman

do you now what higher output this converter got? higher voltage or higher amps?
and if the normal is around 12amps what is yours doing?

do you need to send back the first 2 converters? or can you keep them ;-)

No, I didn't bother to check. I think it's just higher output voltage. My car's SOC likes to chill at 8 bars(Full).. I know. That's high. I usually have to turn the switch on and off while driving to balance the SOC at about 6 to 7 bars.


I met Jack at the expo in Long Beach and returned my first charger and grabbed my new 4kwh Mottcell batteries.

I'll be returning the second converter as soon as I install the third one when ever it arrives. There's no point in keeping a defective converter that is a potential hazard.

[Preacher]

Originally Posted by Flying White Dutchman

do you now what higher output this converter got? higher voltage or higher amps?
and if the normal is around 12amps what is yours doing?

do you need to send back the first 2 converters? or can you keep them ;-)

I think I'd be the other person with the converter heat issues I had tried to install some venting and duct work which did help the issue but not much, it got me another 5 or 10 minutes of run time maximum. My replacement converter is on it's way from Jack, my third one too.

I'm curious if mine might be defective in the same way as kiettyyyy's. I still have my current one installed until the replacement arrives. I'll throw a meter on both of them and post the output results once the replacement unit arrives.

[plugmein2]

Mine has been working fine. What should I watch for if it starts to malfunction?

JOANNA

[kiettyyyy]

Originally Posted by plugmein2

Mine has been working fine. What should I watch for if it starts to malfunction?

JOANNA

If the internal temperature of the DC/DC converter goes well over 70 degrees celcius within a time span of 10 to 15 minutes.

You'd only get a realistic range of 9 to 13 miles before the DC/DC overheats.

[toddwking]

Mine went bad as well, not sure if it was from overheating or not, but I presume it was. I have a replacement now that I just plugged in a few minutes ago. I'm going to run it a couple minutes to confirm it's working, and then I'm going to head to the store to run a duct to the air vent in the pack (and just kind of jam it in there? Not sure how to connect it up, but I'll improvise .

I have to say though I'm not terribly optimistic that this will solve the overheating issue, but I'll give it a go.

Preacher, I saw in your other posting that you are adding fans to the converter, removing the charger to improve airflow, etc. Am interested - has that done the trick for you? If so, could you outline again exactly what all you did to fix it? For example, you mentioned you wired up an external fan to trigger when the converter fan does. Can a regular joe like me do that, or do you need to be more technically inclined?

Also, does anyone know if there is a vent to the outside of the car that I could run a duct to? I recall that when it was working that it made the interior of the car smell a little bad, and I'd rather it just vent outside.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by toddwking

Also, does anyone know if there is a vent to the outside of the car that I could run a duct to? I recall that when it was working that it made the interior of the car smell a little bad, and I'd rather it just vent outside.

Just remove the storage bin to the left of the converter. Behind that bin is two sets of vents. Run your duct to those two vents.

You also might want to "think out of the box" with the converter, if you know what I mean. That is what I will be doing. Just be careful routing the cables.

[cabledave]

Originally Posted by krousdb

Just remove the storage bin to the left of the converter. Behind that bin is two sets of vents. Run your duct to those two vents.

I had seen it mentioned to remove the storage bin, however your added observation that there are vents that are being blocked by the bin prompted me to remove ours.

I'll let everyone know how this affects my average temperature as it has been getting as high as 137.

[Preacher]

Originally Posted by toddwking

Mine went bad as well, not sure if it was from overheating or not, but I presume it was. I have a replacement now that I just plugged in a few minutes ago. I'm going to run it a couple minutes to confirm it's working, and then I'm going to head to the store to run a duct to the air vent in the pack (and just kind of jam it in there? Not sure how to connect it up, but I'll improvise .

I have to say though I'm not terribly optimistic that this will solve the overheating issue, but I'll give it a go.

Preacher, I saw in your other posting that you are adding fans to the converter, removing the charger to improve airflow, etc. Am interested - has that done the trick for you? If so, could you outline again exactly what all you did to fix it? For example, you mentioned you wired up an external fan to trigger when the converter fan does. Can a regular joe like me do that, or do you need to be more technically inclined?

Also, does anyone know if there is a vent to the outside of the car that I could run a duct to? I recall that when it was working that it made the interior of the car smell a little bad, and I'd rather it just vent outside.

Hi,

Yes as others have said there is a vent to the outside of the car behind the storage bin in the rear left. I'm still working out the kinks in my system but I'll post what I have so far and do a better write up later this weekend after I have more results to report.

I did install a couple of fans and some duct work which did seem to help but not as much as I would have liked. Jack has sent me a replacement converter which arrived late today. I'm going to take some readings on both the old one and the new one for comparison and I'll see if this new one overheats less.

I don't like leaving that storage bin out of the car. Besides the fact that it holds my tire repair kit and compressor (I removed the spare tire and jack), without it I can't close up the trunk area to look nice and neat. That said, after I'm done testing out the new converter that just showed up not too long ago I'm going to rerun the duct work around the bin and put in a stronger fan.

I don't see why you can't wire up your fans like I am doing mine. Like I said above, I'm going to do some testing with the new converter and try to streamline my fan/duct work a bit. I'll post full details with my results, some pics and how I ended up wiring it and running the duct work once I get what I think will work for me, hopefully by tomorrow afternoon.