Would higher wattage bulbs make a difference. Not be blown so easy. Its getting harder to find incandescent.

 

That should do it. I assume once the one bulb blows, they both go out?

batt (-) ---- bulb ---- bulb ---- bat (+)

You're running the bulbs at 150% of their rated voltage, so you're running them at a momentary 150W or so. You might try a higher wattage or a heavy-duty type of bulb. Also, check the wattage rating of your bulb holders? It sounds like it's wired right, but my gut says you're in parallel, or there is something atypical going on.

I've never had that problem. I tend to let the pack "rest" for an hour after charging. I run a 500W halogen that will typically survive 2 discharges. Another popular solution is a 300W X 2 halogen work lamp with the bulbs rewired in series.

 

 

I have a grid charger. I would like to hook up a Honda civic 2006 to the charger. I'm not sure how to put the leads on. I can see the red and black contacts. When I measure the voltage at those leads with the switch on it has no current. Is this the place to connect charger?

 

black lead goes here:

http://hybridautomotive.com/insight/...hch2.1/17a.jpg

red lead can be attached at the main positive terminal or at the little screw on the same piece of metal.

 

Is there any reason not to simply use a resistor pack and a single bulb? you could even step down the voltage after all it is just moving electrons and the reason there is a load is two fold, one so there is a visible element so that you can see it is discharging and how much so and second to provide resistance so you are not simply shorting the pack.

Or am I missing something obvious?

 

Resistor impact on current is linear. You need a high watt resistor to take the pack power which means you'll take forever to get to <2V. Light bulbs act as a variable resistor. As they cool, their resistance drops and they continue to flow current though it's still lower than the initial.

One solution involves a 300R, 100W resistor. I don't have the patience for that.

 

I'm going to try to breathe new life into my 08 HCH battery. I have 184K miles on it and the IMA light has been on since ~110K. The battery was out of warranty by that time and the dealer was no help at all, so I decided to drive it until it completely died and that day has finally come.

I live in the southwest so the high summer temps and the age of my poor old battery have combined to literally stop me in my tracks. My battery over temps and causes my car to stop running and once the shifter is placed in Park, it doesn't come out of park! I assume this is a safety feature to prevent my car from bursting into flames. I was able to disconnect the 12V battery to reset the error codes and at least drive it home (at night when the temp was lower).

I now have the hybrid battery out of the car and disassembled. I labeled the sticks and I'm finally ready to start this long process laid out by Ross and Steve. Thank you guys for all the posts.

My question right now is, can I drive my car without the hybrid battery installed? I know the Hybrid system charges the 12V battery, so with the hybrid battery disconnected will the 12V battery get charged? Will it leave me stranded on the roadside during rush hour traffic? Will it self destruct? lol

Thanks,
Jerry

 

Hey Jerry.

Please do yourself a favor and abandon this effort. Reassemble your pack and re-install in your car. Please read the "cycling" and "grid charging" links in my signature.

You will get FAR better results over a weekend spent grid charging/discharging.

If you insist on pursuing this avenue, you can reassemble the pack and install without sticks back in the car. Just leave the master switch off. You will only get 12V charging from about 1500rpm to 3500rpm, and the red battery light will turn on when you're outside this range.

Again, I urge you to pursue a grid charge/discharge rather than the "traditional" stick cycling prescribed here and elsewhere.

Build your own grid charger and discharger here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...39o/edit#gid=0

 

Thanks Steve,

I will take your advice and read the grid charger/discharger posts. I was under the impression that doing the stick-by-stick route would give me better results. Thanks for getting me on the right path.

On a side note, if you ever teach a course in civic hybrid battery maintenance sign me up. I live in Phoenix and could attend any time.

Jerry