Enginer kit back in the Prius with bms16c

Hi Daox,
I have some possible thoughts on this but this forum is not the best place to discuss them. I would suggest that you open a thread in the "user" section of the Enginer forum so that other experienced users and installers can help you to come to an understanding what is happening.

Thanks,
Dan Lander

 

Hi Floyd,
I do all my installs with CellLogs and loud alarms. They are not strait forward to use, but they do give extra safety and the ability to see what is happening. The total cost is about $100.

I would suggest that you join the Enginer forum...
http://www.enginer.us/forum/index.php
I do not know if they will grant you User status before you get your system, but there is a lot of Enginer information in the general forum and then a lot more in the user forum once you are granted access.

Thanks,
Dan Lander

 

Thanks Dan, I've already been given User permission there. Same username...

 

Dan,

How do u get user permission?? Who do I contact??

Thanks,

Chan

 

Daox,

Did you just install the new cells into your kit without bring the rest of the cells to about the same voltage??

 

Just send an e-mail or a PM on the forum to administrator Jack Chen asking for User Permission on the forum.

 

My system was installed as a 2KWh unit in June of this year. I observed a non-scientific, mileage increase from the high 40s to the mid 50s. This is with mostly suburban miles driven at under 40mph and the air conditioner turned on when needed. I just finished installing an additional 2KWh of batteries to get the added miles in EV mode that have been discussed on this topic. I have a 5KW dc-dc converter and the newest BMS-16 but am not certain as to how some of the small signal cables that are supposed to be plugged into it. My concern is with the 2 signal cables that exit from the converter. One has 6 conductors with a gray cover and the second has 2 conductors with no cover. The instructions for the BMS-16 discuss inserting the 6 conductor signal cable from the converter into the BMS but there is no mention of the 2 conductor cable. Since the BMS-16 also has a 2 conductor receptacle that fits the 2 conductor cable, I plugged the cable in there. The 2 conductor receptacle is located next to the larger 6 conductor receptacle. With the system converted to more battery capacity, I’m getting in the high 50s rather than the mid 50s for mileage. The EV mode seems to last longer than before with the 2KWh system, which is the reason I installed the extra batteries. So, I pose the following question “What is the function of the cable with the 2 small conductors and should it be plugged into the BMS-16 next to the 6 conductor signal cable?â€

Paul

 

Hi Paul,

The two wire cable is the shutdown signal from the BMS to the converter, in case a particular cell drops below some predetermined voltage value. It must be plugged in to use the low cell protection provided by the BMS. The gray cable (8 conductors) carries data from the converter microcontroller to the BMS, mainly voltage and current in/out -- the data that you see on the BMS screen when the system is in operation.

If you would go into more detail on your driving habits, we might be able to help you bump up your mileage into the 70s+. 40 MPH in suburban traffic is nearly ideal for this system. For example, unless you make a short trip, it is best to let the car sit while the engine warms up, charging the traction battery, then engage EV + Enginer and go. Also helpful and easy to wire EV separately to its own momentary switch.

 

Hi Seilerts –

Thanks for the information. The files included on my CD from Enginer did not have up-to-date information about the BMS-16. I checked on the website and downloaded the latest version of the unit’s manual and still find no information about the 2nd cable. Anyhow, it is plugged in and will offer its protection of the battery pack.

As to my driving habits, my usual and preferred commute is only 6 miles, so the ICE is only warmed up after about half way there. There are several hills between me and work which means I need the ICE to supply the additional power no matter what. If I make the trip with the ICE already warm, it still needs to come on to overcome the hills. I do not have a 70+ mpg single trip on this route. There are other routes that I can take, but they have considerable traffic, several stop lights and spill-over traffic from both of the 6-lane highways that intersect near my house. I can get 70+ mpg on that route if the ICE is warm as it is relatively flat with several stops. But it is not worth the aggravation of much more traffic and the added distance of 2 miles. The freeways near the house mean that I can often drive at 65 mph to my destinations. So I opt for the faster way and settle for mid 50s in mpg.

I guess I don’t have the patience needed to be a hypermiler. But I will take your advice an add an EV switch. Perhaps this will make a mileage improvement.

Paul

 

Hi Paul,

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific: are you starting out in EV mode, and then the ICE comes on e.g. at the first hill? I ask because this dropping from EV mode on a cold engine consumes a lot of fuel, substantially more than a regular warm-up, and is another thing left out of the documentation. This is one reason why folks are being encouraged to have a separate momentary switch for EV mode. I also think it would be an interesting test if you power on the car, let it run until idle-stop, then engage the Enginer pack and go hit those hills. Other than that, try to hit warp stealth on the downhills and engage EV mode once you hit stop and go.

Scott

 

EV switch warm up

If I engage EV mode when I turn the the power on, then, while the car is still parked in the driveway, I change my mind and take it out of EV mode, does it still go into the "cold-engine-inefficient-warm-up"?

Or does it do the normal warm-up if you take it out of EV mode while in Park?

I ask because there are times when I drive it in EV mode for a while, then notice that I'm not going to make it before the battery runs low. To avoid the cold, inefficient warm-up, is it enough to turn the EV mode off while sitting at a red light? Or do I need to put it in Park? Or do I need to pull into a parking lot so I can turn the car off and back on again?

 

Deactivating EV while stationary or under low load (say coasting at 20-30mph) and when low load will be experienced for the next 1-2 minutes is fine. Deactivating while climbing a hill, entering an onramp or any situation where you'll ask for high load in the next two minutes is bad. Essentially, if you can't do your whole trip in EV, let it warm up right away.

 

Re: EV switch warm up

Hi Skschoch,
I have a 2005 with the EV wired to the headlight flasher so I can easily turn EV on and off. If it were hooked to the Enginer Dash switch then it goes into EV when you turn on the Enginer system but when it drops out of EV, it will not re-engage EV until you turn off the Enginer system and turn it back on. This would be a big hassle.

Anyway, I normally engage EV in Park and then drive almost a mile under 20 mph. If at anytime in that mile I go over 35mph or hit the flasher to take it out of EV then the ICE will immediately come on and I will be locked out of EV until the ICE warms up.

The ICE does not normally provide power during the first 30-60 sec of warm up. If you ask it for power during this time, it will emit more emissions. During this time, the car will move slowly and with low levels of acceleration on the Electric motors without pulling power from the ICE or having added emissions.

So you can start the ICE warm-up at a stop light, but then you would need to accelerate slowly if you do not want to add to emissions.

Thanks,
Dan

 

Re: EV switch warm up

This is very interesting Dan, I hope I understand correctly. I always take off immediately as soon as the ICE kicks in right after startup. Intuitively one might think: why waste gas if you are not making miles during that period of time?

But do I understand correctly that is a wrong assumption and it might even be more fuel efficient to let the ICE warmup while standing still at the beginning of a medium long (~15 mile) trip? Even with a standard, non Enginer mod, Prius?

 

Re: EV switch warm up

This is also good news for me. I have a long down sloping driveway and usually start off by letting the car back down by putting the trasnsmission in neutral. Then there is a long downhill stretch which also lets me keep the car in neutral while going forward. Your information indicates that it would be better for me to let the ICE start up in reverse at the top of my driveway to get the engine warming process started. EV mode at the start is not possible as there are several uphill climbs before I get to stretchs of relatively flat roadway.

Thanks -
Paul