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Gen 2 Hybrid Battery: Still error after replacement of one bad cell

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Boyang XU, May 27, 2020.

  1. sscherer2030

    sscherer2030 Junior Member

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    I did similar swap in ‘05 Prius recently; it also is showing errors afterwards!
     
  2. Boyang XU

    Boyang XU New Member

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    Thanks a lot for sharing your story and your advice!

    Yeah, my problem is also likely to be due to replacing by a good module without matching the capacity.

    What's the difference in terms of charging for the grid charger (Prolong Reconditioner) with respect to the Reaktor? Thanks.
     
  3. Boyang XU

    Boyang XU New Member

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    Here are the test results for the capacities:

    Notion – The all-in-one workspace for your notes, tasks, wikis, and databases.

    Haven't fully done yet and will test more cycles for some modules. The results in this link is automatically updated.

    Thank you very much for some advice! :)
     
  4. Boyang XU

    Boyang XU New Member

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    During the capacity test, I encountered some weird things and don’t know if these will make the results inaccurate....

    ① I think the IMAX B6AC chargers I use are fake ones, because it can not switch to auto mode for charging. So I have to use manual mode for charging.

    ② All the modules can be charged in 7500mAh until cut-off, while they only discharge about 3000mAh when discharging.

    ③ For some modules, the capacity is not increasing but decreasing as I did more cycles.

    Really weird... Now I think I may not did the test properly...

    By the way, here is a link to the result: Notion – The all-in-one workspace for your notes, tasks, wikis, and databases.

    I would really appreciate some advice! Thanks a lot!
     
  5. priusrecon

    priusrecon Member

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    The Reaktor works on only one 8V cell/module at a time. It completely drains-recharges-drains-recharges, etc the module individually. It is what I used to test, and then recondition the modules that I found healthy from the donor battery I had bought.
    You recondition the module by doing at least 3 complete deep discharge and recharging cycles on it, with the appropriate wait times inserted between them, of course. If the module then tests well, I consider it healthy and a good candidate for transplanting.

    Your issue with pumping 7500mAhr energy into it and getting only 3000 out of it is a common thing and a bit of a red herring. The energy going in isn't the important thing, it is the energy that the module can put out afterwards that is. Often the charger will go on stuffing current in there till the cows come home while the module just cooks off the overfill in heat. If the output is only 3000 and decreasing after each charging, then that indicates the module is weak. Find one with a capacity that more matches the ones already in your battery. Healthier modules will have steadier, or improving discharge capacities as they are treated.

    Not all chargers have automatic programming options. My Reaktor had limited automation, such as cut-off voltages, charging rates, time-outs, and wait times between cycling, so it requires a bit of attention to do it properly.

    The Prolong does for your entire battery what the Reaktor does for the one individual module, only it does it for all 28 of them at once. It is less targeted, and thus not useful for rehabing failing modules, which need to be identified, and physically replaced with healthy ones.
    Once the battery is repaired, Prolong can help keep your battery healthier over the long run, by deep discharging all modules and dissolving the internal crystalizations that build up, and balancing the top voltage levels.
     
  6. Boyang XU

    Boyang XU New Member

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    Thanks a lot for the explanation!

    How do you discharge the modules deeply? My charger reads "DRY" and stopped discharging. But if I start a second discharging session, more mAh can be discharged. So I repeated discharging for several times. Now the modules can discharge more than 4300 mAh in total. Is there a better way to do the deep discharging?

    How long would it be appropriate for the wait times. I set it as 5 minutes. Is that enough?

    Thanks,
    Boyang