GenII HV Battery Fan cleaning and testing

I noticed you have 80K messages bisco, you must be on here everyday huh. Is Patrick Wong still on here?

 

Yes every one here is very knowledgeable from experience and experimentation, I myself started in the gen1 days and that was fun and sometimes frustrating as well, but that's where one gains knowledge right? On the Electron automotive page just look at their Gen2 rebuild kits, they have a kit with all new modules that are tested and matched as far as positions 1-28 they should go in the pack, You would use the same case and electronics and just remove the old used up modules and put in the new ones. Look at their videos. I think you can send them the old modules even and they will retest them and or recycle them. It looks very doable. Anyway, I'm not there yet, this pack is still functioning ok but without the fan it won't be for long...here's the link for gen2 Toyota Prius (2004-2009) – Electron Automotive these are brand new modules! Tested, charged and matched by their sys. Not refurbed according to their videos.

 

Fan blower is still never coming on! I noticed in the fuseable link (on 12v batt pos. terminal), there is a 50A link (obviously for system pwr) then there's a 5A fuse in the front side of the link block that reads good with ohmmeter but still no +12 out. This would make sense since the blower I've tested at slightly more current than that, but the fuse is NOT blown! Back to it, disconnect the negative from the 12 aux battery and then ohm it out to the blower conn next. Maybe there's an open wire to it.

 

I also noticed each time the neg of 12v aux gets disconnected, the next time you reconnect it, upon first press on power button (to turn on the car) it will have three or four lights lit, I think ABS and others. Just turn it off and back on again and all is good. This I believe is because by disconnecting the neg of 12 batt removes all power to all ecus, so on the next power up the can buss must update everything again. It looks like it takes two power on attempts until it catches up. We work on equipment with I2C buss (which is similar to CAN buss) and we get the same thing on that, must apply power and wait a bit before first power on so it can run and catch up with all the ecu's. Same thing, turn it on to see errors, shut it off and turn on again walla! The buss didn't have time to update everything.

 

Here's some of their videos Installation Videos – Electron Automotive

I like to disconnect the neg. of 12v aux battery as well right around the time the HV batt safety plug step. This way there's absolutely no way you could short circuit anything, the car is completely dead. When pulling connectors, push in the clip and pull it out, NOT by the wires! Grab the body of the connector. Most conn pins are only crimped on, not soldered. So by pulling on the wires, if there's a lose crimp you could pull the wire out of the pin creating a ghost you will be hunting for from then on. This may be the problem with the battery blower even more so because that blower motor draws right at the limit of current the fuse can handle! If that wire got yanked, it would never come on with no dtc's thrown. Another note, do NOT sit on the HV battery box, it is thin metal and cannot support your weight!

 

Here's the gen2 video,

and pretty much where I'm at. Another thing I noticed is if the 12v neg is not disconnected, it may get a dtc when removing the batt ecu conns. Remember when 12v is connected, all ecu's are running - even with the car off!

 

I wouldn't use the drill to loosen the buss bar nuts, use a small ratchet to break them lose! Otherwise you won't know if any were already lose! That could be the problem to begin with... On the safety plug removal, you are merely causing an open circuit in the modules about 1/3 down the pack.

 

Good point, I assume by "remanufactured" they have them built by someone. They sure look brand new. You can tell a refu8rbed one by the discoloration from heat which they cannot get out. I will send them a question about that soon since I plan on doing it. The car has no other problems and is too nice to junk or sell. Even if it only lasted say 3 years, we won't be commuting anymore by then since we will hopefully retire before then, so the car will only be driven around town and fairly short trips. It should last. I noticed with no fan, just going across town, the batt pack is only slightly warm, more in the middle of course.

 

Well I didn't ever hear it until recently after I heard a "pop" back there on a hot day going uphill but no blower noise! So I took the blower out and tested it on a hefty bench supply and it blows a LOT of air at 12v and draws around 5A! Startup surge is more. Anything below around 8V it will not start because it doesn't freewheel much. So thinking about that, I've never really heard it but after removing all the upholstery etc. I noticed the blower was already pretty clean, only needed a quick blow, and all the ducting is spotless inside and out. So I think bisco mentioned that it may have never ran. This may be true, it isn't ceased or anything but it is a little stiff to turn, no freewheeling at all. I thought well that is why it draws 5+Amps. Since I removed the input air duct to the pack, I can see the first few modules and they look a little melted! I could imagine what the middle ones look like! And that "pop" I heard back there was a module busting open from the heat. It still works, still maintains around 60SOC and nothing is different mpg wise, but I think the 13 yr old battery is in it's death throws. Anytime now will get the triangle of death...Looking at quick options here and to get the blower even running! I found the fuse for it, it's up front in engine compartment drivers side next to the inverter box 12V fuse box. Not Blown! So what now? BTW I reinstalled that blower and its ducting now in case I can get it to run. I suppose if I can't figure it out, we'll just wire a switch directly to 12 batt. and force it full on after car is "ready" of course. This may be the only way to avoid the triangle of death for now.

 

That's an excellent link SFO, do you know how to force say a level 3 blower speed continuous on the SGII? I have one in there and it monitors SOC, MPG, RPM and BTV right now.

 

I see epoch_time had the same or very similar issues a few years ago, including my observations of over 5A current draw on the blower motor. but it just ends there. Did he finally figure it out or what?