Oh... the Imax B6 chargers were about $37 each or $330 for the nine. I figure when I'm done I'll probably sell them for a few bucks less on ebay and get most of my money back.

 

Update:

I finished the process of cycling all of the sticks of the junkyard battery pack. I didn't find any bad sticks so I reassembled the pack as I purchased it. I pulled the pack I've been using and swapped this one in. Then I pulled the negative 12volt battery cable for a few minutes and then reconnected it to force a recal on the battery pack.

The first thing I noticed was pep! It gave the car new life (as I hoped). It has more get-up from a standstill and the recals are all but gone. I had the initial recal when I first put it in and another the next day. I haven't seen any others. I put about 160 miles on it over the weekend. MPG went from 37 to a solid 44. That wasn't babying it. I don't hypermile but suspect I could get quite a bit more if I played at it some.

I took a LOT of pictures during re-assembly and in the next week I'll get them up on here.

Meanwhile, I took my other battery pack apart and started the cycling process. Very curious as to what I will find.

The IMAX B6 has become a saga. I ordered nine from China. I received 7. One had a broken button. Another would start the charge cycle then drop out. And over the weekend, two quit altogether! So I'm down to four out of the nine I purchased! I've contacted the seller... waiting to hear back.

More later,

Ross

 

Good news Ross! Everything we buy now days seems to be made in China and most is not good quality. I for one am getting a bit disgusted with it. Oh well, its too early to rant.Have a good day, H

 

Have you considered replacing these batteries with higher capacity batteries? For example the Ford Escape Hybrid has 5.5 amp-hour NiMH cells while as high as 11 amp-hour NiMH cells are on the market.

 

Thanks for the reply Harold.

Hi Bill,

I've tossed around the idea of getting new batteries and building a new pack. But I see some fairly nasty risks.

I think these batteries were designed specifically for Honda's hybrid cars. That being said, just what criteria did they design around?

Two things come to mind. Chemistry aside, the physical package appears very robust. They are welded together and without actually taking them apart, I don't know how they made these welds. It's safe to say these babies can spit some serious current when required, without overheating. I think the electrodes, top and bottom are thicker than standard off the shelf stuff. If I run across a totally bad stick of cells, we're gonna answer some of these questions! :-)

The second concern I have is the computer program that controls how these cells are used. I can't be sure, but I think my used HCH2 has the dreaded computer update that so many have complained about. I don't know for sure because I don't know the history of the car and quite frankly, I no longer trust anything that's said by anyone at Honda. (I can't believe I just said that!) Not knowing how the batteries are discharged and charged really leaves me hanging. I assume (*** u me) that Honda tightened up the window of usage on the batteries. I think they charge the batteries less and discharge them less, working the batteries in a smaller range of their usefulness. (I have NOTHING to back up that statement other that what others have said.) I don't know the current draw on the batteries, or the expected temperature load. I just don't know anything. :-)

The batteries you speak of are a bit pricey. About $600 for a full pack of Chineese batteries. The batteries are all in series. That's 132 D-cell batteries end to end. If any one of those Chineese batteries fail then the whole pack fails.

The ends of the Honda sticks are "d" shaped, tapped and mate with the injection-molded plastic protective battery cover. Then all of the elctrodes are bolted to the heads of the batteries. It could be done another way but I'm not sure I'm the one to do it. There's a LOT of work there.

I think the only way I'd do this is to work directly with the manufacturer of NIMH cells and look at a bulk order to keep the prices down. Otherwise your looking at a seriously custom battery. It's the custom related expenses that scares me away. I'm the walmart guy remember. :-)

So I won't be the first on this one. But I'd love to follow someone that was successful at it and had some track record.

All that said... I'd Love to do it!

Thank you for your interest Bill,

Ross

 

Great project you have done, very useful information. I just bought a used civic hybrid, 2006 too. Doing research to educate more on this car.

Thank you very much on the infor. Hoping to see more.

 

Ok! Lets start getting some pictures up!

The first picture shows an empty pack. This is what it looks like with the batteries removed.

Then we start putting in batteries. They stack in there filling one layer at a time. All tapped ends facing you. This is how the batteries are attached later. The pictures show how the temperature sensor wires are run to the outside to be connected later.

Each double stick of batteries makes 12 cells in series. Voltage adds in series so each 1.2 volt battery adds to the next giving a total of 14.4 volts.

Here's a quick electricity lesson: (I love to hear myself talk)

Voltage can be thought of like pressure. Pressure pushes water through a pipe, voltage pushes electrons through a wire. The higher the voltage, the more the pressure. Why do we need pressure? Because things resist the movement of these electrons. There is resistance in the wire and other electrical components just like there is resistance to flow of water in the pipe. The more voltage (pressure) you have, the more current (electrons, water) you can push through the wire (pipe).

So... current is how much. Current is the amount of electrons that pass through a conductor in a given space of time. The unit of current is the amp. Most all of our electrical appliances have labels that tell it's voltage and the current(amps) it requires.

Ok... that's enough. Now how can we apply this knowledge?

We (humans) resist the flow of electricity. But if enough voltage is used, then current can be pushed through our bodies and it can hurt! So... how many volts does it require. Generally it takes over 24 volts to start to feel current (to start feeling a shock of electricity). If you've ever touched a bare wire plugged into the wall, you have 120 volts of pressure pushing current through you. Yeah... you felt that!

Now let's get back to these batteries. Each double stick is about 14.4 volts. That's not enough to push much current through us (it's well below 24 volts). Current can pass through us but it's not generally enough for you to feel it. But sometimes, you can feel it. If you've ever touched your tongue to the battery posts of a nine volt battery, you felt that. Your tongue is sensitive and the posts are close together.

But these battery sticks alone are low enough in voltage to be safe to handle.

When we start bolting them together, they the voltage starts to add up. When one pair of sticks is bolted to the next you get 28.8 volts and that's sitting at the safety threshold. Anything more and you have to be careful and respectful of the energy stored in these babies. When they're all connected there's 158 volts of pressure waiting to push electrons through something. That's a LOT.

Thank you for listening.

Now more

Ross

 

More shots of the pack going together.

 

Plastic spacers go on next across the pack. They fit in like part of the jigsaw puzzle, locking the battery assemblies in place. Then the metal frame drops on with long bolts. Everything gets bolted up tight.

 

Next we put on the styrofoam pads and top. Three lower pads, then the top. All held in with push fasteners. I believe these help to channel air through the batteries to cool them.