Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the Insight community and forums. I own a 04' HCH (but just bought a 2000 Insight for $2,500!)

It is a 5 speed manual with 110,000 miles but needs a new battery. It has the error code P1447 which from reading is battery deteriation. I'm looking for some advice on where to get the battery fixed or to get a new battery. From looking at a lot of posts here several people have recommended www.hybrid-battery-repair.com and getting the "BetterBattery" as from what I have read is much better than the original and should last a while longer. What are your thoughts on that?

Also as far as the BCM I assume it is all original also. How exactly would I figure out if it is and if so would you recommend upgrading it to the later version?

Again sorry if anything is obvious but like I said I just got the Insight. Thanks in advance for all the help! Looking forward to getting even more MPG now than with my current 04' HCH.

 

Have a look at this site www.re-involt.com H

 

There are some aftermarket batteries available with more amp-hours and output than the factory battery pack.

I just had my 2002 Insight battery and some components replaced this Summer under warranty (at the 9 year mark), and runs superbly. So, the factory battery packs are still doing fine, too. It comes with a three-year additional Honda factory warranty. If it goes out after that, I'll try an aftermarket unit.

 

Update on my Honda Insight 2001 CVT. Honda paid 95% to replace the IMA battery with 120,000 miles and just barely over the 10 years warranty. My transmission had to be replaced and that cost about $4900 with a couple of hundred included in the total bill.

So now I supposed I should be happy to have a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty on my IMA battery and transmission. Of course, the higher the gasoline prices, the better I feel about spending this money. I suppose I need to get a tank for natural gas as it seems to be going down in price and should help my engine last to go with my new battery and transmission.

Has anyone hooked up the natural gas on an Insight? I guess I need a kit.

 

Well after hooking up the batter pack back up (previous owner unhooked it and didn't know it) I disconnected the negative battery cable and let it charge completely. Everything started working perfect for about 200 miles. It then disabled the IMA and I get the error codes P1438 & P1439. After talking to the previous owner he said the took another battery back and tested all the different sticks in each one and combined the good ones together to make a good pack. Any suggestions on how to re-balance the pack? Or on the overheating cells issue? As both are what I see the error coded mean.

 

There is a thread in the HCH forum where they've been discussing how to re-balance the IMA battery on the HCH II:

https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...imax-b6-27116/

You could also try asking at the insight central forum, or the above-mentioned websites for hybrid battery repair and reinvolt.

 

Good news. P1438 and P1439 in an Insight have nothing to do with the battery cells. Your MDM (inverter) is overheating or there is a wiring problem that is convincing the computer that it is.

The fact that you got both errors suggests that there isn't really an overheat, but rather a break (or short) in the wire harness between the inverter and the MCM or that your MCM is toast. Contact me privately if you'd like a test script to find the problem.

And it is possibly even due to mice.

 

Here is my experience, slow leak in water outlet caused low coolant which caused air conditioner to stop blowing cold, took it to Honda a few months ago, they filled the radiator, and said low coolant causes the computer to see an overheat issue and that keeps the ac from working properly, they could not find the leak at that time. A few months later no AC again, but being winter time I let it go, then temp gauge went to red, low coolant again, now no AC or heater, this also caused the IMA to charge / discharge irradically and wildly, the over heat issue must also be telling the computer to rely on the IMA more whenever possible. Filled coolant but temperature gauge still fluctuating, going to red if I turn on AC or heat, took back to Honda, this time they said when you fill with coolant you have bleed the cooling system, they did that and found the leak from the water outlet, also the IMA light had come on and the check engine light with codes P1447 and P1449, they did not reset the codes, just to check and bleed cost 200 bucks, they said about 4k for new IMA battery and fix water outlet, fixing just water outlet would be $750. I said I would let them know. Went home and looked online and discovered I could reset IMA and check engine light myself be removing the ground battery cable from the small battery for a little while and reconnect it, did that now the car is as good as new, except for the water outlet, but I saw a you tube video on how to add coolant and bleed the coolant system and it showed where the overflow bottle is, so now I just need to keep an eye on the overflow bottle and add coolant to that when necessary. Low coolant seems to do all kinds of havoc to the computer. Saved 4k