Hi All,

I just won an auction on eBay a few hours ago for an incredibly clean looking 2005 HCH-I 5 speed.

The google street view makes the dealer look a little shady...
What HCH specific things should I check to make sure I'm not getting hosed?


I think I know how to look over a regular car, check for rust, be sure the VINS on all the parts match, looks for leaks, be sure all the body lines are as they should be, floor it in 4th to be sure the clutch doesn't slip.... but what should I look for in a HCH to be sure I'm getting a fair trade?

They say no warning lights are on, but how would I assess the condition of the hybrid battery?

Car has 141000 miles, doesn't appear to have any rust at all and only a scratch on the bumper! (Are these aluminium like the insight? I didn't think they were)

Looking forward to getting to know this community!
Drew

 

Does it matter? Haven't you already bought it?

Hybrid battery is almost certainly shot or going to fail soon if its the original. Drive it spiritedly with heavy acceleration onto an on-ramp, accel and decel several times for a few seconds each - floor it for a few seconds, and then release and drag the brake. You want the assist/regen meters swinging to full in each direction.

If you notice odd SoC behavior, like the car won't give you assist even though the battery gage is near full, or it suddenly marches to the bottom at 1 bar/sec and force charges, or it marches to the top at 1 bar/second - these are signs of recalibrations and are usually a sign that the battery is going to fail soon.

Good luck. I hope you got a fantastic deal - like $1000-1500 tops.

 

Wow buying car on ebay sight unseen. That's bravery! Are you able to reject the purchase once you test drive it?

I bought battery sight unseen with lots of photos. But now need to return it as battery received is severely damaged, which wasn't in the listing photos. Seller has accepted return request, so just gotta pack it up and ship it back now.

 

Keith was right. Recal'ed and then lit the IMA on the trip home from dealer. 5 min later CEL lit up. Took it back, they replaced the IMA control module (though it sounds to me like cooked IMA bat) and now are taking it to the dealer for a software update.... well I played this one about as badly as possible huh?

 

I've not been burned by ebay since the early days before they actually protected people... I do think the seller is trying to do right by me just... I was unlucky and also unwise...

 

Sorry to hear it. If you don't need to pass emissions, you can drive in bypass mode:


https://www.greenhybrid.com/forums/f...tml#post257008


It will be gutless down low, but your highway mpg will be great. You'll basically have a very efficient 4 banger with reduced city mileage vs. what you get with a functional IMA.


You might be able to grid charge.


If you want a quick solution and not worry about it for years, http://www.bumblebeebatteries.com. $2,095 and worth every penny.


Steve


BTW. Never answered... NOT Aluminum like the G1 Insight.

 

both of your solutions are on the table at this point.

I asked a hybrid shop about the 1st gen software update, he said it increases the tolerances before an IMA light is triggered but thats about it.. phew...

I plan to keep the car 6-7 years, might disassemble the battery and try to recondition... or bite the bullet and go bumblebee ... I still have my old 98 civic 5 speed... just... its tired.

 

99% sure the shop is wrong. The G1 Insight got a patch very early on and the HCH2. I do not believe the HCH1 ever received a battery management update beyond the one I described in your other thread.


I have installed 2 Bumblebees in HCH2, and it's transformative. They are a joy to drive afterwards.

 

Where are you located? You may be able to find other Honda hybrid enthusiasts in your area who are happy to help you figure out the best course of action for you.

I built my own grid charger/discharger from about $50 in parts. I learned the value of a fuse in the harness from another hybrid owner who blew the harness fuse when his bulb blew out. Otherwise it may burn out the main fuse instead which is much more expensive. So I plan to put a fuse on my harness now, mostly to protect the main fuse. I also did burn out my own main fuse from not being careful enough while working with the main battery pack, and was fortunate to find replacements at a good price.

If you're handy with electronics and want to learn, DIY is a good option. However even applying grid charging regiment is unlikely to extend your pack's life to 6-7 years. Optimistically you might get 2-3 years years life out of them, but anywhere from months to a year or two is more realistic. If you want plug and play and/or 6-7 years or longer trouble-free operation, one of the battery vendors would be a better bet.

 

I'm still waiting for voltage updates, mister....