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My 2nd HV battery died one week after warranty ended.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Paul.Ivancie, Apr 19, 2016.

  1. stockdaddy

    stockdaddy Member

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    You proved my point.

    Didn't i say earlier the cells self balance themselves within acceptable tolerances?
     
  2. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    I see how you work.

    "testing for overall capacity of the cells is worth while."

    Since we're being pedantic, you just suggested testing something that you said couldn't be tested.

    No. You said the following:

    "right back out of balance in matter of hours"

    No mention of tolerance unless I missed a post.

    I don't get what your game is. Is it sabotage by suggesting that by only replacing one or two modules means he doesn't need to worry about balance? Is it to just prove you know a lot by interjecting little bits of opinion here and there rooted in fact but obfuscated by ambiguity or contradiction?

    I see you as a bit of a troll. Our interactions will be limited to me correcting you when you continue to give bad advice.
     
  3. stockdaddy

    stockdaddy Member

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    It's not a game it's math concerning time and cost.

    Keith Sept of 2015 you barely knew anything about the Prius battery system and now you are the self-proclaimed expert. You are advising people don't buy on eBay, only use a certain kind of charger(are u a sales rep?) and do battery reconditioning before a failure based on your own highly theoretical testing procedures. That's what i call bad advise sir.
     
  4. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    Plus a full year of experience of Honda IMA systems, which is almost 100% translatable. I have personally tested 18 packs. "Theoretical" testing procedures and battery reconditioning data based on TESTING dating back to 2011. I have been immersed in this stuff since 9/2014 with most of my free time dedicated to it.

    I don't recommend anything that I haven't personally tested or is a modification of something I have personally tested that is tailored specifically for that person's situation.

    I recommend the Reaktor 300W because it's cheap, and it does a better job than any IMAX B6 or Hitec X4 option available, and it can do it faster. I don't work for Turnigy or Hobbyking, and I have no financial relationship with them except that I have bought chargers from them at the advertised price (i.e., I'm a customer). I am employed full time in the aviation industry.

    As of the beginning of April, I'm an authorized installer of the HA grid charger, which entitles me to a small discount on the purchase of their products for resale. I receive no money or other benefit from them. I recommend it because it's a good product and has years of history in the IMA community. Literally, hundreds of users (if not thousands) have used the grid charging/pack discharging method to extend pack life. With Hondas, it's nursing an ailing pack to a much slower death. With the more robust Prius design, it produces phenomenal results. I realize my sample of 2 isn't statistically significant, but it's 100% successful with pretty dramatic results (2-3X improved capacity as measured in the car).

    So, I'm not giving advice because I got lucky with a single module replacement exercise. The advice I give is backed by over 1,000 hours of testing, research and collaboration over the last 18 months incorporating test data going back nearly 5 years.
     
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  5. Paul.Ivancie

    Paul.Ivancie Member

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    The deed is done! Here is a summary:
    upload_2016-4-21_12-6-6.png
    Some interesting pictures to follow...
     
  6. Paul.Ivancie

    Paul.Ivancie Member

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    Pictures during module shuffle:
    Before repack: new modules perched at either end. After repack: two rejected modules gone.
    upload_2016-4-21_12-8-47.png upload_2016-4-21_12-9-27.png
    Note that I pre-labeled the modules to expedite the reassembly. Compression bolts still in place.
    (Note one module changed from odd to even, so its label had to be installed at the opposite side.)

    And I just couldn’t reassemble those copper jumpers without cleaning them first.
    (They just pop out of their flexible carriers.) Sorry ‘bout the poor focus in the “after” picture.
    upload_2016-4-21_12-18-19.png upload_2016-4-21_12-18-51.png upload_2016-4-21_12-19-26.png
     
    #26 Paul.Ivancie, Apr 21, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2016
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  7. Paul.Ivancie

    Paul.Ivancie Member

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    I just took a little jaunt (150 miles) to Northern Maryland and back. I did not reset the MPG after my fooling around yesterday. The cumulative MPG was at 37 (@20 miles) when I left, and is now reading 48.5 (@171miles.)
    BTW, when I attempted to crank up after the Hybrid Battery reinstall, the display lit up like a Christmas tree, and the car did not want to turn off. Anyone who has read enough of the various PriusForum threads would recognize this as "Low Aux Battery", and it was. My car had to be stored outside my garage (turned into "Paul's Hybrid Battery Rebuild Shop"), and so I had to reattach the ground so I could lock the car. After five days, with the rear hatch open for most of the time, the battery was so low (7V) that it popped the overload breaker in my trusty rusty auto battery charger, and my fancy HItec charger kept reporting "battery disconnection problem". Fortunately, I still had my old 12V Prius battery that had been replaced about five years ago. (I always ask the dealer for my old parts.) I have been keeping that battery alive by periodically trickle charging it. Also, fortunately, I had not thrown away my booster cables (and I recalled that old Prius adage: "It is better to receive than to give.") In point of fact, one should NEVER use the Prius battery to jump-start another car, but accepting a boost is perfectly OK. Needless to say, the car came right to life, and rest is history.
     
  8. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    Good to hear!
     
  9. Paul.Ivancie

    Paul.Ivancie Member

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    I'm sorry it took so long, but...
    here is the Final SpreadSheet:
    upload_2016-5-29_13-3-10.png
    I do believe that the blocks are pretty well balanced.
    One casual indication of this, as far as I am concerned (and I am a retired Electrical Engineer) is the fact that the lowest voltage block is not settling on any one or two blocks. It is constantly changing. The highest voltage blocks change a little, concentrating near the ends of the stack. This, I believe should be the norm, even though I do not have a great deal of observation time under my belt.
     
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  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    looking good! all the best.(y)
     
  11. Paul.Ivancie

    Paul.Ivancie Member

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    Update:
    The vehicle now has over 380K miles on it, and is in the possession of my son. I did buy a grid charger, and it has been used every few months, to great effect. Now, after buying a Chevy Volt (used, of course. They don't make 'em any more), my son is keeping the Prius as his "beater", since it has a trailer hitch, and numerous cosmetic "modifications." Lately, the old machine has been showing signs of imminent traction battery failure, so he is undertaking a module-by-module manual "rebalance", which consists of a 3-cycle discharge-charge sequence, recording each module's final capacity, as determined by the Hitek charger. Weaker modules will be replaced using one or more of four modules that I had purchased before I sold the car to him. Stay tuned for his report.
    I cannot say that I miss the old beauty. My Prime now is pushing 65K miles and I love it.