Hi I have a 2003 CIvic Hybrid Auto that's throwing a P1445, P1600 with IMA, red battery at idle and check engine lights. The IMA stopped charging and I have no bars on my battery meter. I bought a Maxx Volts charger and brought the volts back from around 145-177 overnight. After disconnecting/reconnecting the 12V for a minute a few times I still have all the same problems with no changes in codes. I understand P1600 is a generic IMA code and the P1445 is a bypass contactor which is on the battery. Does anyone know what the bypass contactor looks like? I would like to buy the part from a dead battery and see if it fixes the problem. Or am I SOL and need to rebuild my IMA battery? Thanks!

 

IIRC, the contactor is the relay on which you installed one of the grid charger leads. It may be procurable as an individual item from Honda. #10 on this:

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/...JUNCTION+BOARD

However, for that price, salvage yard might be a better choice.

Additionally, there is a 100A fuse under a cover, and these can fail and cause P1445.

#1 on that that same page.

 

thanks so much! turns out one of the wires to that relay came loose. I appreciate the help tracking down the problem.

 

Good news. One thing you need to consider is the limitations of the Maxx Volts system. They use a diode in the harness to prevent shock. This is necessary due to their choice to install the plug in the passenger compartment.

Grid charging is only half the solution, and it is rarely the final solution. With use, age and heat, battery capacity is lost due to voltage depression, and the only way to get this capacity back is to discharge the pack in a low-current, controlled manner. You will need to do this manually with a separate harness attached to the same terminals as the charger harness. The diode in the maxx-volts harness prevents you from using their harness to discharge.

Grid charging is by definition low-current overcharging - a major contributor to voltage depression. The act of grid charging reduces available capacity with each use - not a lot, but a little every time. Eventually, discharging becomes a necessity.

Additionally, you can determine the overall health of your battery during the discharge by measuring the 10 voltage taps at key levels. This will help you identify if you have any weak or failed stick.

Moving forward, you need to watch out for recalibrations. If you see two recalibrations in the same week, it's time to grid charge. If you find yourself grid charging more than every 90 days or so, you have a significantly deteriorated battery.

 

what do you recommend getting to do a discharge?

 

Cut a cheap, thin 10' extension cord 6 feet from female end, crimp or solder on ring terminals to the female section, attach to terminals, route to trunk. Now you have a female extension cord connection.


Get a block of wood and attach 2X light bulb sockets in series terminated with the extension cord.


Recondition as follows:
Install 100-200W incandescent bulbs in the sockets (same wattage).
Plug the male end into the female end.
Discharge to 144V
Unplug
Allow bulbs to cool and install 25-40W appliance bulbs in the sockets.
Discharge to the sooner of 96V or 8 hours.
Unplug
Grid charge for 35 hours (assuming MV charger is 300mA).
Install 100-200W incandescent bulbs in the sockets (same wattage).
Plug the male end into the female end.
Discharge to 144V
Unplug
Allow bulbs to cool and install 25-40W appliance bulbs in the sockets.
Discharge to the sooner of 60V or 8 hours.
Unplug
Grid charge for 35 hours (assuming MV charger is 300mA).
Install 100-200W incandescent bulbs in the sockets (same wattage).
Plug the male end into the female end.
Discharge to 144V
Unplug
Allow bulbs to cool and install 25-40W appliance bulbs in the sockets.
Discharge to the sooner of 60V or 8 hours.
Unplug
Grid charge for 35 hours (assuming MV charger is 300mA).

 

It is possible to grid charge for less time than that by driving the car around for a while first, since it can charge at a much larger current than 300mA. (Or sit there holding down the accelerator until the revs get high enough to start charging. Not my favorite task as the fumes tend to build up around the immobile car.)

However, immediately after the full discharge the car still thinks there is the same charge in the IMA battery as there was when it shut off. Consequently it will try to start the motor with the electric motor, and that is a terrible idea with a fully discharged pack. So run the grid charger until the voltage gets out of the cellar before starting the car. Pulling fuse 9 for a minute before turning the car on makes it "forget". However, in my experience even though the car starts up showing 0 SOC it still uses the electric motor to start, so that alone isn't enough to protect a discharged IMA.

 

It starts with IMA on the basis of the 10 tap voltages, their level and balance.

From a deep discharge, grid charge the longer of 1 hour or 150V. At that point, it should be safe to start off the IMA.

That's good info on the #9 fuse. I was always under the impression that the 12V had to be disconnected on the HCH1 like the HCH2.

Driving around complicates things in my mind because you're going to both charge and discharge. With the controlled charging, you know you're at about 80% when the SoC gauge reads full.

Revised for in-car expedited charging:



First grid charge should be the sooner of 36 hours or peak voltage for 8 hours (voltage does not rise for 8 hours continuous).

Install 100-200W incandescent bulbs in the sockets (same wattage).
Plug the male end into the female end.
Discharge to 144V
Unplug
Allow bulbs to cool and install 25-40W appliance bulbs in the sockets.
Discharge to the sooner of 96V or 8 hours.
Unplug
Grid charge for the longer of 1 hour or 150V.
Disconnect 12V or pull fuse #9, reconnect.
Start and idle or force charge car until SoC gauge reads full.
Repeat disconnect and force charge a total of 3 times.
Grid charge for 12 hours (assuming MV charger is 300mA).
Install 100-200W incandescent bulbs in the sockets (same wattage).
Plug the male end into the female end.
Discharge to 144V
Unplug
Allow bulbs to cool and install 25-40W appliance bulbs in the sockets.
Discharge to the sooner of 60V or 8 hours.
Unplug
Grid charge for the longer of 1 hour or 150V.
Disconnect 12V or pull fuse #9, reconnect.
Start and idle or force charge car until SoC gauge reads full.
Repeat disconnect and force charge a total of 3 times.
Grid charge for 12 hours (assuming MV charger is 300mA).
Install 100-200W incandescent bulbs in the sockets (same wattage).
Plug the male end into the female end.
Discharge to 144V
Unplug
Allow bulbs to cool and install 25-40W appliance bulbs in the sockets.
Discharge to the sooner of 60V or 8 hours.
Unplug
Grid charge for the longer of 1 hour or 150V.
Disconnect 12V or pull fuse #9, reconnect.
Start and idle or force charge car until SoC gauge reads full.
Repeat disconnect and force charge a total of 3 times.
Grid charge for 12 hours (assuming MV charger is 300mA).


Drive.

 

thanks guys, i ordered the extension cord, socket and bulbs and will try it out

 

Hello!

I am getting these same codes P1600, P1445 & red 12V battery light on idle symptoms - not familiar with the relay (I have seen the fuse and know how to test it)

I purchased a new battery and haven't yet sent my old battery back in...

I'm I correct in understanding that the P1445 is either the relay or fuse on the battery?

Fuse is easy - Anyone know how to test the relay? Any diagrams of this? (The link quoted above is now broken)

I will have a chance to pull the battery and do this tomorrow morning - it maybe obvious that something was disconnected or not tightened or broken.
I can compare it to my old battery - is the relay a part I can easily swap out from my old battery?
(I assume if it is the fuse it will be very easy)

Thanks!
Aaron