Traction battery rebuild question

Remember the wires that were taped to module 28? Well, I stripped those back and connected them together. Started the car and got a different code; P0a9d, "Hybrid battery temperature sensor "A" circuit low", the opposite of before.

So we're on the right sensor circuit and maybe we can get somewhere.

Will the experts chime in now? I think we've located the problem, just not sure what to do next.

yy

 

Let me be a little more clear, the wires are twisted together now. The little connector that held them to the bottom of the module is not connected to anything; is this the actual sensor? Is so, then it needs to be connected, but how?

It had pulled loose and I couldn't get the wires to connect back to it. It looked like a solid piece of plastic and its only function was to hold the wires flush against the module, so I discarded it and just taped the wires to the bottom of mod #28. Upon closer inspection, I see metal in the little tits that the wires connect to. It must function as a resistor and it not being connected is obviously the problem.

So, I need to find a way to connect this:



to the wires, which are now stripped and are bare.

C'mon guys, there's got to be a way to do this.

yy

 

John,

Thanks, if I can clear this latest hurdle, I think I'm home free. There ought to be someway to connect these. I also dug the old connectors (I just snipped off) out of the trash:

 

John,

Sorry about the slow response, this is all new to me and I'm learning as I go. I have no background in eletricity.

The sensor is very tiny and it's hard to get a reading. With ohms set at 2000 on my meter, I got inconsistant readings, but they were all between 1450 and 1900. I don't know if this helps.

Next step is to see if I can shave back the plastic tits and get a clean solder.

I won't be doing this for a day or two as I'm busy with something else. Anyone reading this who has an idea about connecting the wires to the sensor, please feel free to show us what you got.

I guess the good news here is I'm not getting any other battery codes. The end is near, I can just feel it!

yy

 

I don't think so. Not enough to crimp to. Soldering is looking like the best option here.

yy

 

The head unit on my Life Fitness elliptical machine just went on the blink. I took it all apart and tomorrow I'm taking it to a repair guy, and guess what else I'm going to show him.....




yy

 

Thanks, john, will do in the am.


yy

 

Unable to repair the thermistor, thankfully one of the guys on here had a harness he's selling me at a good price. I drove the car 120 miles down the interstate today, no new codes.

While I'm waiting for the harness, I stopped by Radio Shack and picked up a 1.5ohm resistor and wired it up. I just wanted to see it run without the traction battery light on for the first time since I've owned the car. No go, I got a new code, P0a9c, which I believe just tells us 1.5ohms is the wrong resistance.

Hopefully in a few days I'll be posting good news. Haven't I said that before?

yy

 

I stand corrected, sir! Keen eye.

I drove the car 160 miles today, no new codes.

yy

 

Thanks, John, you and others have been a great help.

I wanted to give a couple of pointers to anyone who may be reading this in the future who could benefit from my struggles. The first has to do with getting the case back together. It is extremely difficult to get the modules compressed enough to get the end cap fitted. I knocked a hole in one module attempting to bang it in. The trick is to (hat tip ryousideways) use a board or something similiar to get the other 26 modules fitted tight, then remove the board and work the last 2 modules in. It takes a little fiddling, but you'll eventually get it. My set up was not exactly like ryousideways', but these are the boards I had and it worked:

 

The next thing I wanted to discuss was how easy it is to strip the screws and nuts when connecting/disconnecting the bus bars and modules.

As you may remember, the first time I balanced the modules' voltages I stripped a couple of the battery terminals and nuts. The nuts were an easy fix; a metric (#5, I believe) nut and a washer from the hardware store. The stripped terminals required busting the pack and wasting several hours with my tap and die set.

The second balancing act, trying my best not to, and not using power tools, I still stripped a couple of terminals, and on module #1 at that! I needed a complete disassembly! I was so pissed off and hot, another half day wasted! Fortunately it was exactly 4:20 in the afternoon, so after relaxing and pondering the situation from a much more enlightened perspective, I decided to try and work the die directly onto the terminal without the long die holder. I got it started with my fingers and used a pair of pliars to slowly turn the die, shooting a little oil on it now and then. And it worked! Twice!

Be careful with the screws that connect the modules to the case. They strip and/or just snap off in the module very easily. The good news is the modules are really in there tight, and if you have a few that won't fasten down, just stagger them around and you'll be golden. Once the pack is buttoned up nice and tight, the modules aren't going anywhere.



yy