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HV Battery almost dead -How to charge?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by MR.K, Sep 9, 2008.

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  1. MR.K

    MR.K Junior Member

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    Could the ultra low H/V batt load the ICE so heavy that it would shudder or even kill the ICE ...thats what it sounds like....
     
    #21 MR.K, Sep 13, 2008
  2. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    I doubt it. It's a pretty well programmed system. It doesn't start out like ancient tech. fully generating. It uses the "inverter/charger" which is a computer controlled device. The motor/generator produces over 500 V of three phase AC and that is fed into the inverter/charger. There is a delay built in before it starts to charge the battery, and it waits until the engine is running smoothly at speed (just over 1000 RPM). It sounds like you have a problem with the fuel or perhaps the fuel injectors.
    Or if it really isn't actually running, perhaps with the ignition system. What does the exhaust smell like? If "nothing" then it isn't firing or burning fuel. It's just being spun by the motor.
     
    #22 David Beale, Sep 13, 2008
  3. MR.K

    MR.K Junior Member

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    Exhaust manifold gets warm for the 15 seconds that it runs ....and runs smooth as well ....untill it loads down .....I have a different inverter I swapped in ..no change..
     
    #23 MR.K, Sep 13, 2008
  4. MR.K

    MR.K Junior Member

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    OK ...Fixed ....it was a bad inverter ,also tho ...the TPS was rotated in the wreck ,hardly could see it ,2 small screws loosened then rotated it clockwise... the rattlely loose marble sound is gone ....I used a home made trickle charger , 230VDC, 25 ma for couple of days..it filled all the blue bars....Thanks everyone ...."so much to learn so little time"..
     
    #24 MR.K, Sep 18, 2008
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  5. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    hi Mr.K
    any info and picture's about the home made charger
    did you leave the charger on the car for days? or take it off at night?
     
    #25 Flying White Dutchman, Sep 18, 2008
  6. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    edit double
     
    #26 Flying White Dutchman, Sep 18, 2008
  7. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    It would take several days and nights to charge at 25mA. The only reason to take it off at night is risk of fire, not that there is a high risk of that.

    If you look at the math, 230V * 25mA * 24hr = 138W-hr, which is about one-tenth the capacity of the Prius HV battery.

    Tom
     
    #27 qbee42, Sep 18, 2008
  8. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    This is good. If Mr K charged the battery for two days, that would be a 20% charge. The battery probably was at 40% to start, so he ended at 60% which is perfect.

    The beauty of using a very low charging current is that you don't heat up the battery by using a higher current. The battery has an internal resistance, and the battery will heat up according to the square of the charging current used: I^2 x R = P

    I'm wondering how Mr K diagnosed that the inverter and the throttle position sensor were bad.
     
    #28 Patrick Wong, Sep 18, 2008
  9. 1fixitman

    1fixitman Member

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    Ensure you look very carefully at the Throttle body position sensor. My 05 was a front end collision car and my position sensor was damaged. Good luck.
     
    #29 1fixitman, Sep 19, 2008
  10. MR.K

    MR.K Junior Member

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    I figured the inverter was a problem when I used a digital meter on ohms ...I noticed when I compared the resistance between the two inverters that I had something very different ...I checked them where the leads attached from the transmission & generator one read 2500 ohms the other was in the meg ohms ....the one that was around 2500 was the good one ....the charger I made was from an AC wall wort that put out about 168v AC then used a full wave bridge and a 400 mfd filter cap. .....and yes ,about 4 days & nights filled the blue bars ....I still have the ABS light on ....Anyone know if you can reset this with a scanner? (Not a scan guage as their just not advanced enough) I tried ...it says no codes found....The inverter ,in the wreck , hit the ABS unit and may have hurt it ..............thanks ...
     
    #30 MR.K, Sep 20, 2008
  11. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    You've probably disconnected the 12V auxiliary battery while performing your tests and repairs. The loss of power should have cleared codes produced by the skid control ECU, so the continued presence of the warning light means you have a persistent problem.

    When you say "ABS unit", do you mean the brake actuator (a rectangular box with lots of hydraulic tubing connected)? If so, since this involves a part that is connected to the hydraulic brake lines it makes sense to have the dealer to the repair. The Toyota diagnostic laptop or hand held device is needed to bleed the brake lines.
     
    #31 Patrick Wong, Sep 20, 2008
  12. statultra

    statultra uber-Senior Member

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    i suggest checking a plug located on both passenger side and drivers side, its for the speed sensor, if this is disconnected the ABS VSC and the brake warning lights will illuminate, its right under the fenders
     
    #32 statultra, Sep 20, 2008
  13. MR.K

    MR.K Junior Member

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    I took the car to Toyota ,they used their scanner and said it would not communicate with the ABS unit (the one behind the inverter with all the steel lines going to it) as it would only go so far in the reading.......They thought the unit or the wiring was bad . I already had very carefully changed the plastic plug with about 40+ wires going to it as it was broken .When the inverter hit the plug it also mashed some of the pins on the ABS unit ,so I streighted them ,the wreck it may have damaged the ABS.They said their full of sensors .....I ordered a used ABS unit ,it should be here on Tuesday so I'll put it in ...then back to Toyota for the break bleed................
     
    #33 MR.K, Sep 20, 2008
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