Hi everyone, first post, but I've been reading alot in this forum the last couple of days. I've gotten my hands on a 11 300 km (7000 miles) 2007 Prius that's been written off (I'll get back to why) and sitting still since 2012. Naturally, one of my first point of concern where the traction battery and checking if it is still usable, so i went ahead and bought a SkyRC T6200 (same as Hitech X1-200) because of it's 40 W rated discharge and computer connection capability to aid in logging However, after not trusting the charger to stop in time after it pushed a little more than 8000 mAh @ 1 C into a module before I noticed and stopped it, I started charging the modules at 1/10 C up to 8000 mAh and discharging 1000 mAh to bring the cells to about 80-85% SOC, also noting the voltage right before discharing stops Is this a good way to attack the problem? Will it provide sufficient balancing? I'd rather not bother with cycling, as it would take forever with my one single channel charger. After reading in here I see that the consensus in here is to trust the DeltaV function a bit more and charge at 1 C with a 7250 mAh limit. Is this safe to do with cells that's been sitting still for as long as mine? And not to mention, cells with limit capacity? I also see that it's common to discharge at low currents as well, is this because of charger capabilities, or because it's not good for the cells to be discharged quickly? I've been discharging mine at 2-3 A. As for the state of the batteries in the car, so far they've had voltages between 0,8 - 1,1 v/cell but drop ridiculously fast when load-tested, so I've gone straight to charging them in fear of reverse polarities. As to why the car was written of; it's one of Quantum's Hydrogen priis delivered as a political project. But it was written off and sold as a parts car when the hydrogen tanks date expired. I'm now in the process of converting it back to gasoline, which kinda breaks my heart because the engineering work performed by Quantum is quite impressive. I'd be happy to answer any questions about Quantum's kit.
Welcome to PriusChat! You might do well to search for all you can regarding Grid-Charging, and here's a link which might be useful: Prolong Battery Systems. Extending the life of your hybrid. – Hybrid Automotive Good luck! - Wil
We have had scores of customers who purchase our products to charge a pack that has been sitting unused for extended periods of time. We had on that had sat for over 10 years that fired right up after a 24 hour charge/balance session. Odds are the HEV battery is in very good shape. Our products can help you get the battery refilled and ready to start the car and operate normally.
You may have regular problems too, that come with long term storage. The air conditioning seals may have dried out, allowing the gas to escape. Brake rotors rust up, parking brake cable jam. Tires develop flat spots and/or just too old, cracking. Wipers may bond to windshield. Obviously the 12 volt battery will need replacement.
Oh wow Hydrogen Prii...what was the basic concept? High Pressure H2 tanks or hydride storage? How was the H2 to be made? I assume burning in the engine (not fuel cell). "Hydrogen" has become a sensitive topic here, but we can handle it.
If i had known about Hybrid Automotive's charger before i started on this car, I would have used that instead, the thing is pure genious, love how it looks like an ordinary ATX power supply at first glance. Unfortunately, now I've started going at it module by module. I am however considering buying one either way because someone in the family owns a Yaris hybrid and someone else is in the process of buying one, it is able to charge "all" NiMh pack up to a certain voltage, right? I'm used to dealing with all of these problems, wipers, rotors and 12 v battery are already fixed. It had three high pressure composite tanks, 2 where the gas tank "should be" and 1 where the spare tire should go. Tanks where really light, between 5 - 10 kg a piece It was supposed to be filled up at "regular" hydrogen fueling stations, which didn't become so "regular" anyway, the sources where mixed. Yeah, the original fuel injectors where switched out for gas injectors and the engine was run as a regular 4-cycle, original ECU and all.
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, our products can be used on any NiMh batteries. We have car harnesses made for most Honda & Toyota vehicles but those can be modified pretty easily for other makes. Even with the individual module chargers, the Prolong reconditioning package can still be a good investment as it will allow ongoing maintenance of the entire battery and prevent the battery from returning to an unbalanced state with decreased capacity. It really is preventative maintenance for your hybrid battery.
Hi Oak, I'm fixing up a 2007 Prius, but it's nothing like your project! Any pictures on the way of the hydrogen parts?
The project actually seems to turn out alot easier than first expected, the Quantum guys have twisted their brain to get the system as non-invasive as possible. Naturally making my job that much easier. Sure, i can take som pictures, although most of the system has been removed by now.