(Not knowing much about much technical info how Honda hybrids behave other than IMA at a high level...)
You sure this is a good idea? Are the 6 replacement cells going to be in similar condition as your other cells? From what I've seen regarding other hybrids, an unbalanced battery pack can lead to other significant problems.

Since it sounds like you're out of warranty, I think you should go for an entire pack from a salvage car.

 

Hi cwerdna,

It has been out of warranty from day one as far as I am concerned. Honda had to have known about the problems, but chose to do BS updates to the computer to hide the failing cells instead (this is sooO very auto industry like too! ie: If it's not killing anyone, cover up the defects with BS!) At 110,000 which is just 10,000 miles out of warranty I got "zero" help from Honda. So to hell with them!! I will fix it myself with junkyard parts. They will get no more money from me! LOL

Maybe the new hybrid batteries are better, but I doubt it. battery technology has not changed in any significant way in about 10 years. I watch tech related stuff closely so I know this to be true.

The "trick" to making my pack work right is in identifying the poor performing cells and keeping them where I can monitor the temperature of them as the pack charges in the driveway with my external charger. A fully charged NiMh will have a slight increase in temp when it has had enough. The poor cells will charge up first and so warm first compared to the other cells. At that time my pack is "fully" charged. Replacing the poor cells with known good ones will just give me a longer pack run time. There are charger/reconditioners that will quickly find poor cells. I own one (I wish I had a different one like a Triton2 or Robitronics) but my iMax works ok for sticks that are in ok shape to start with. At least it finds the bad ones quickly.

Any junkyard pack I find is unlikely to be better than mine. However there are always some good cells in all packs. I find the good ones and replace my poor ones with them.

 

Hello, Insight-fulls,

Does any-one know where/how to get full copy of Honda TSB (Technical Service Bulliten) #06-057: Warranty Extension, IMA Battery Module, 2000-2004 Insight? I am an independent dealer in California, and I have a '01 Insight, 117k miles, that apparently needs an IMA battery module. One of the local Honda dealers, Hayward Honda, said the extended warranty doesn't cover my Insight, and I would have to pay $3k. From what I've read on this forum and from searching the NHTSA (Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin, www.nhtsa.gov) website, the document (TSB#06-057) exsists. The NHTSA's downloads only gives one of the five-page document saying, "page 1-4 have been ommitted due to copyright restriction." The one page given, page 5, states the batteries are covered by the 10/150k warranty extension. This may be all I'll need, but I'd like to have the full bulletin to present to the dealer.

Thanks for any help,

Dan

 

 

Hi greendealer.

I recall seeing at one of these blogs a Honda contact for battery issues. I will see if I can find it again for your reference. This was an old posting I saw but maybe it will be of help.

M

 

Hi green*

The Honda contact I have is Julie Kim at Honda America 800 999 1009 X11724

This info is a few years old so I have no idea if she even exits anymore. Good luck
M

 

Thank you. Upon mentioning the TSB info to Hayward Honda, they agreed to replace the battery and related modules for free. It was a matter of the service writer I initially spoke with; he is new and didn't research the extended warranty TSB (#06-057). It's all good now. Yay!

 

Hi Mike-
I am a DIY guy and looking to fix my 2003 civic battery pack. Can you send me some information on how fast you charge the battery sticks? Any other help would be appreciated.

thanks
Rob

 

How fast you charge/discharge (aka cycle) them depends on their temperature and number of amps your charger puts out. Generally the reconditioner chargers (I used an iMax B6) charge at about 5 amps and discharge at about 1 amp automatically. Other chargers may use higher loads thus cycle faster.

The important thing to watch is the surface temp of the sticks. Never allow it to go over 100F. If the stick feels hot to the touch at any spot disconnect it and let it cool off before doing any more to it. Of course to do all this for each stick means you need to completely disassemble the pack.

I am publishing an article for Home Power magazine on all this for their June/July issue. It goes into great detail as to how to fix Honda sticks. www.homepower.com

 

Need someone to proof read? I definately would like to see the information. Please email me govw@hotmail.com


thanks
Rob