Reconditioning Experience with Hybrid Automotive's Prolong System

Your right of course because there just slapping modules in and hope that the delta is not to bad. Delta ok yippee out it goes. Because it takes days to do it right load test every module over full and load and clean the bussbars and do a very conscientious job on re-installing the buss bars and replacing any sketchy connectors and nuts and man o man your in that box for days.
It takes days just to discharge and charge/balance it after a discharge. I think your right on the money about the 30 hours when down to 17 volts. Thats what I observed too. I was annoyed because I just ran out of time to do the charge right. So thats almost 2 full days on the charge up alone.
In closing your out of your mind buying a rebuilt battery off Craigslist. The $500 jobs. Guaranteed failure down the road at the worst possible time. If your forced to do that spend 5 minutes and see what your $500 is buying you. When the seller arrives make the seller take the cover off the battery. Its really easy. Inside the battery case look closely at all the nuts and bussbars and interconnections. Look for green corrosion. If you see any at all don't waste your time. As it was just a whack a mole slap job. If there's an hesitation on seller taking the cover off, well you know what that means. Seller should be proud to show you how nice the battery is.

 

Todd seems very trustworthy to me. And I know where he is....lol....

 

What is funny is Falcon hybrids putting out a video on YouTube on how to take out a gen3 battery. Mind you those cars are only 7 years old. He starts to take the rear cover off and it shows a failed Falcon battery. Wth is this guy doing to his brand? Removing a rebuilt already? Breaking all the clips in the process. Lol

 

Ouch! That's a painful lesson. Thank you for the warning, JC.

 

Yup! He usually has one or two on grid chargers whenever I drop by. He did tell me than mine was all balanced and no need for me to do anything other than install it. Wife is still happy with it, and that's the main thing.

 

Well, the final charge has just completed, and I'm now waiting an hour or so to let things settle before driving: After a false-start last week (at the end of Chrg2):

Chrg1 + balance at 238 V - 16 hours
Dschrg to 134 V - 5½ hours (hit it on the nail!)
Chrg2 to 235 V - 17 hours
Dschrg to 87 V - 6 hours ("dead-cat-bounce" had taken the V back up to 192V when I checked!)
Chrg3 to 238 V - 18 hours
Dschrg to 17 V - 5½ hours (hit it on the nail!)
Chrg4 to 236 V - 16 hours
Total elapsed time - 84 hours (3½ days)

I need to use the car later this morning, but I think next time, I might extend the soaker charges just a little bit!

hope this helps - Wil

 

Glad to see you were finally able to get it done. That's a day less in elapsed time than my process.

That extra soak might buy a few extra volts. While mine was gaining one volt per hour earlier, the last two volts took 3 and then 3 1/2 hours to register. If it hadn't already been showing 240 volts at that point I would have let it go 6 hours instead of 4 at the end.

 

I guess I did my discharge all wrong. Your discharging to 134 then you charge it back up then discharge to 87 and charge it back up?

I thought you were supposed to discharge to 134 then discharge to 84 then discharge to 17 volts???? Thats how I did mine..

 

(All of this is why I want the automated one)

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I looked at the directions where they said

"1) Charge the hybrid battery with your Prolong Battery Charger until the battery voltage levels off & stops rising, then for an additional 4-6 hours.
2) Disconnect the Prolong Battery Charger from the vehicle car harness and connect the Prolong Battery Discharger.
3) Plug the Prolong Battery Discharger into AC power and power it on.
4) Press the button for the desired discharge termination voltage....
...5) After the discharge is complete, reconnect your Prolong Battery Charger and charge the battery again until the voltage levels off and stops rising. We recommend allowing the Prolong Battery Charger to run for 4-6 hours after the voltage stops rising to top balance the battery cells. "

Since it didn't say alternate between steps steps 4 and 5 I did all 5 steps in sequence. I then started at step 1 again, setting the discharger at the next lower discharge level. I can see how the directions can be interpreted either way, though. Maybe Jeff can explain it and they can make the directions a little plainer.

 

The final charge at 16 hours might not be enough, you can balance the pack by giving it an additional 12-15 hours whenever you have the chance. That should bring all the cells to a pretty balanced state.

 

Will do! …and many thanks for the Heads-up!

 

OK…
…one more time, and this time with feeling!

 

Yes, unfortunately you did.

What WilDavis did is the correct way. You don't want to discharge too deeply unless the battery is fully top balanced. This method ensures a better chance of that happening, especially when you go to the deepest discharge.

So in a nut shell the very brief step by step is:

1. Fully charge + 4-6 hrs;
2. Discharge to 134 V; (Using the lightbulb discharger (LD) change bulbs at 196 V then 140 V;
3. Full charge;
4. Discharge to 84 V; (Using the LD change bulbs at 196 V then 140 V
5. Full charge;
6. Discharge to 17 V; (Using the LD change bulbs at 196 V then 140 V;
7. Fully charge + 4-6 hrs;

Lightbulb changes (Those with the automatic discharger, ignore this):

1. Use 2x 200 W bulbs to 196 V
2. Use 2x 75 W bulbs to 140 V
3. Use 2x 25 W bulbs 140 V and below.

Note: Do not use a mix of different wattage bulbs; both holders need to contain the same wattage bulb to ensure voltage is distributed over each bulb evenly.

 

err, yeah sorry that's not clearer. I'll go edit the instructions now to hopefully make it clearer.

Yes this is the correct process

 

I edited Step four of the Prolong Discharger user guide to state:

"4) Press the button for the desired discharge termination voltage. (Be sure to fully charge the pack between each discharge cycle)."
Prolong® Battery Discharger User Guide - Hybrid Automotive

Does that seem better?

 

That sucks. I just went back to hybrids site and it clearly says follow the graph install 200 watt bulbs to 134 then 75 watt bulbs to 85 volts then another set of bulbs 25 watts till you reach the termination voltag which is 17. Then put it back on the charger for final charge.
Does not say go to 134 volts then recharge back to full balance then 85 then recharge holy crap that would take days and days.
I did it the way they stated and got a good result battery is very improved. I terminated the discharge at 80 volts as it didn't move for hours with the 25 watt bulbs so color me confused.

 

I am fairly sure it does, it is just not obvious at first reading. I also think you are confusing the discharge table and the lightbulb change table, not to mention that the discharge instructions need to be read in conjunction with the Battery Reconditioning Overview. Yeah, took me a while to digest and get my head around the process.

The way I explained it above is easier to understand, at least to my simple mind. YMMV.

 

Sorry. We are in the middle of relocating our manufacturing to a new facility almost 600 miles away and launching an entirely new product line. As soon that those small tasks are done we are going to focus HEAVILY on video creation for the website. A two minute video will explain the process better than pages and pages of text :/

 

You are right Dolj thank you.

It is a one line mention in the SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.

It is never mentioned once in the entire DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS.

I concentrated on the discharge instructions which suck. The conversational tone makes it hard to follow.
Clearly no one QC'ed it and asked if one knows nothing about this will this suffice?

It should have been line item instructions as there are many different set ups and voltages and many changes of equipment over a lengthy time.
Instead it's one long story.

Probably why they made an automated discharger. They mention a recharge in those instructions though.