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REVIEW: Hymotion Battery Plug-In Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by TheForce, Aug 12, 2008.

  1. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    If you want to save money then probably no.

    If you want to save gas then yes.


    Yes you can plug it in anywhere there is an outlet and are allowed to charge. You will gain about 4-6 miles per hour of charging depending how you drive. The max charge will give you about 30-50 miles.

    Since you have longer trips the best way to use it is to deplete the battery on the highway and pulse and glide in town or when ever traffic allows for P&G

    Thats a long answer. It can turn on at any speed depending on the power demand and if the EV button is being used or not.

    With the Hymotion battery faking the SOC at %80 the car will try to stay in electric mode more especially if the coolant temp is >159F
     
  2. abra

    abra Member

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    Thanks for the answers.

    forgot one ?

    We camp out in the car durring the summer mo's. we keep the on for the a/c (set @ 74) with a 6' exhaust tub. we avg about 1.5 gallons of gas for a 8hr sleep.

    can we plug in for no gas?
    has this even been tried out?
     
  3. okpenny

    okpenny New Member

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    What do you mean by 6' exhaust tub? Please explain.
     
  4. abra

    abra Member

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    Black tube that attaches to exhaust pipe. to remove exhaust away from car.
    some people think that the exhaust fumes might enter into the car cabin over night.
    its just for safty
     
  5. okpenny

    okpenny New Member

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    Ok Thanks,:) I thought maybe but wasn't sure.
     
  6. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    Well I had my software updated today. The guy ( Jason ) was only there for about 15-20 minutes to install the update.

    I asked him what this update does and he said it lets the engine run when first started so the CAT can get warmed up. It also removes the brake light charging status. It will still light up when you first plug it in but the brake lights will go off shortly. This should help fix the issue we were having with the 12v battery being drained while charging.

    After he left I started the car to see if everything still worked. I found out the battery did not turn on at all. I had about a 2 hour charge on the battery before the upgrade. So I turned the car back off and plugged it back in. an hour later I turn the car on again and found that the battery would turn on but the SOC showed only 1 bar. So I think that the SOC needs to be recalibrate. By the time I left for work I had just enough charge to make it to work with 200+MPG. Now my car is sitting out side with a 50% charge but I cant use it until the SOC gets recalibrated. I guess I will have to live with the 60MPG ride home. :mad: Hopefully a full night charge will get everything back to normal tomorrow.

    Also the manual EV button still allows for EV mode at start up if needed even with this update.

    I'll report back tomorrow with some more info if I have any.
     
  7. boxer93

    boxer93 Psyched for PHEV

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    Jay,
    Thanks for the update. I need to drive to Westboro to do mine. I've been holding off since I have not reconnected my EV switch. I may splice it in so the Switch and the L5 can both control EV mode. I also hope the upgrade includes a 'delay' connecting, to eliminate the 13 flashes.
    Chris
     
  8. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    unplug your 12 volt. for e few min.. this wil recalibrate the OEM battery BMS. and set it to 60%
     
  9. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    Its the Hymotion SOC not the OEM SOC that needs recalibrated.
     
  10. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    Every thing is working fine now. The Hymotion SOC is back to normal and you can still go into EV mode at start up if you have a manual EV button. I also noticed that the battery had a few second delay when turning on. This might be a fix for the 13 flashes we was getting if we had a low 12v battery at startup. I will have to monitor this to see if it is in fact delaying the start up of the battery and if so by how many seconds.
     
  11. jessebismarcknd

    jessebismarcknd New Member

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    I thought I would post an update on my MPGs with the Hymotion pack now that the weather is finally warmer here in North Dakota. When I first drove with the Hymotion pack, it was in the middle of winter and most mornings were around 0-20 degrees and most afternoons 20-40 or so. I averaged probably 60-65 MPG. I assumed I would get higher MPGs in the summer, but have been pleasantly surprised at the increase. Now, most mornings are around 40 and in the afternoon about 65-70......I am seeing MPGs almost always between 80-90 MPG.

    My daily trip (one way) consists of the following:
    3/4 mile 20 MPH in town
    18 miles 70 MPH highway
    3 miles 55 MPH highway
    2 miles 40 MPH highway
    7 miles 60 MPH highway
    1 mile 35 MPH in town

    I plug in when I get to work and then when I go for lunch about four hours later, I have plenty of charge to drive about five miles round trip. For this part, I use the 52 MPH EV mode (although I rarely go faster than 34)...so for this part I never use gas. Then when I get back, I plug in again and have a full charge for the trip home.

    I have been very happy with the results here in the summer.....especially since over half of my driving is at "highway" speeds.

    In the mornings, I notice my battery usually runs out about three or four miles before I reach my destination. Sometimes, I will shut off the battery for the first couple of miles and then will shut off going down a big hill.

    I notice on the way back home, my battery almost always lasts all the way home. I don't know if this is because it's warmer in the afternoon? My elevation at home is actually higher than at work.

    In any case, I have been very happy with the results.

    I thought everyone might like to hear my results of winter vs. summer driving.
     
  12. HalBurke

    HalBurke Junior Member

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    Hi Folks,
    I have been lurking here for a while, mainly because I am not genetically mechanically inclined, but now that I am retired, I enjoy changing my own oil and filter on all my cars. I have a 2007 red Prius with 30,000 miles. I will be having a Hymotion conversion done at Foreign Auto in West Palm Beach on June 29. I am not sure what I can technically report but if I can provide any information, that I, as a non-technical person can provide, I will be more than happy to do so.

    Hal Burke
    Semper Fi
     
  13. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    Howdy,

    Once you get the Hymotion installed, take a swing by the PHEV Owners sub-forum. Great place to ask questions of fellow owners, plus lots more info about the pack and its operation to look over.
     
    1 person likes this.
  14. ualdriver

    ualdriver Member

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    What's the going rate for the conversion nowadays? Any cheaper?
     
  15. HalBurke

    HalBurke Junior Member

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    Nope, Just about $10K, even, give or take
     
  16. Fibb222

    Fibb222 New Member

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    There are cheaper options:

    http://www.enginer.us/
     
  17. HalBurke

    HalBurke Junior Member

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    Hi Folks,
    Well I finally had my Hymotion installed Tuesday, June 29th at Foreign Affairs Motors in West Palm Beach, Florida. They are the only approved installer of Hymotion, that I know of in Florida. Since i am not a mechanic, I did not stick around to watch every step, rather spent the day at the beach. So far every thing seems to be working as planned. I have plugged it in the last two days. I have a kW photovoltaic system on my roof, so hopefully I'm not pulling much energy from FOL. Florida has a K rebate and as far as I know there is a K federal tax credit, so that makes the net cost much more palatable. I am retired and 95% of my driving encompasses total mileage of less than 30 miles a day. The conversion seems to be a perfect fit for me.
    I will keep you posted as time meanders on.......

    Hal