Hello PC, I am going to be rebuilding my first hybrid battery and want to avoid as many mistakes as possible. I have "basic" understanding of electricity, battery modules and gen2 priuses. I have removed, tested and reinstalled batteries for fun and learning experience but never had to rebuild. My plan is to first test voltage of modules and attempt to balance modules if voltage is off but not too low. If voltage is too low or modules do not hold charge I will then replace with good used modules and balance. QUESTIONS: Is charging at 1.0 amp to 7.2 good? I want to charge low amperage to reduce heat so I can charge modules in pack without removing and compressing. My charger can charge up to 15 "cells" at one time, considering each module contains 6 cells does that mean I can charge 2 or 15 modules at a time? Any input is greatly appreciated. I own 7 priuses currently (rental business and used car dealership) and a friend of mine has a taxi company with about 20 priuses so I will have much more rebuilds in the future but have been lucky to never have a battery fail on me! Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
For me, this is how I do my stuff. I don't think there are specific laid down procedures. 1. Test all open voltages on the modules, and anyone low, I'd replace them with a good one with nice capacity. 2. Discharge/charger the replaced modules along side the pack. I don't normally disassembly the modules from the pack while discharging/charging. That helps to compress the modules to prevent overheating, for instance, if my charger was set at 7.0A. 3. Observe the pack for some days, and remove the weak ones. 4. Exercise the pack again for some days, then finally assembly. 5. I don't have tour kind of charger, but I have made a custom charger for my use. Charging voltage output are, 10, 30, 100V with 3.0A charging current. I have a fan placed close by blowing across the pack for cooling. 6. Get a tech screen to help you view the live stream of the hybrid system, as you test drive the car, when you partially assembly the pack in the car. Ensure you erase all codes, then go for a long test drive. I usually do, 300mi. 7. How much did you get your charger for pls? Dxta
What voltage do you discharge to? Will bad cells lose power at rest over a few days or does a load need to be applied? I paid $100 at a local hobby store for the charger and got the alligator clips for $7 at micro center. Overall I'm very happy with it and the salesman at the store said Hitec is a reputable company that has been around 40+ years, my only complaint is that it would be much easier to operate if it had some more buttons. The buttons share functions and it's a bit of a pain. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
1. Discharge safely to 6.0V 2. Yeah, you can test the modules further by load testing with a headlamp bulb. That's how I do them. 3. Bad modules would loose within any amount of time, as compared to the healthy ones. Load testing them, makes the weak ones surface almost immediately. 4. I wished it were possible to buy those chargers in Lagos, Nigeria. Its a pain getting them here. 5. I'd PM you to look at the possibilities of getting the charger to Lagos.
What are acceptable and ideal voltages for the modules? I believe I could help you with getting you a charger. I also have many many many gen2 parts, is there anything else you might need? Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
1. Acceptable limits, would be 8.0V, and maybe ideal would be 7.2V I think. 2. The charger(s) would be what I'd want in the mean time. If you want us to discuss, or I give you a call, that would be OK with me pls. PS: I fix lots of prii, camries, highlanders, and some few ford fusion vehicles too.
For volume like that, you definitely need something less laborious. Have you investigated the Prolong charger? A lot of us use them on our own Gen 3 and Gen 3 Prii.
I have briefly and am very interested. Do you operate it with battery installed or removed? Or is both possible? And are there any shortfalls of the device or features it doesnt have? Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Personally used it both ways, with a harness installed in the vehicle and again using it to fully charge/balance another battery pack out of a vehicle (bought another harness for that project). There are two (2) entry level consumer devices being sold (and other professional grade products if you must): The charger doesn't have an auto shutoff feature, which shouldn't be a deterrent. The intelligent discharger (with auto shutoff) is spot on, and works as advertised.
I see that @SFO beat me to it and answered it well. A full recondition takes three days or more with the battery installed, but very little of your time. That's once you've done the one-time harness installation. What's nice about charging it in place in the car is that the charger runs the battery fan full speed the whole time to keep the battery cool. Or, if the battery is out for rebuilding, you can charge it on the bench, but will need to keep it cool. It's a HUGE labor saver compared to having to access individual modules with hobby chargers.
