Grid Charger
Grid charger owners and location, as well as some service links for hybrid services
Grid charger code V3.0 manual
Understanding the charging and balancing process
Pack discharger
SOC reset device
Insight Battery pack lifter
Grid charger test adapters
Reprogramming the charger
Installing the Genesis One Universal grid charger in an Insight
Installing the Genesis One Universal grid charger in a First Gen Civic
Harness options
The Universal Grid Charger
MIMA Pack Whack and rebalancing the battery
Battery pack rebalancing?
Building the Solar HV charger/rebalancer
Building the HV probe for the + attachment
failure mode #1 Shorted Cell and the cell Zapper fix?
current indicator
Equilization test #1
fast pack rebalancing 101
Getting better signals
Grid charger/Balancer 1
How do I test the sticks to determine which I need to be replaced
Hybrid Battery Repair
IMA battery smart discharger
Looking better on the second cycle
more tuning of the controller/ Datalogger
Not really rebalanced just changed????
Overnight two stage charger
pack rebalancing test 1
Rebalancing?
Refining the tester
Replacement for 1 Watt LED
Insight Battery pack Solar charger/rebalancer
Subpacks 1-8
Subpack tested first high current run
Subpack tester first test
The HV panels can bend and will shock the S**T out of you
universal dual stage grid charger
What is wrong with the subpacks?
Mikes Insight
EV Insight with a Prius heart
Grid charger Operating Instructions V1.2
Designing a PHEV system for the Civics, Insight 1 and 2 ------------Micro V-Buck PHEV
Doug's V-Boost
Randall's Insight
Paul's Adventures in alternative evergy
Western Washington University X-Prize car
BlueBird1
Finding The Best Hybrid Mix
E-wheel for any vehicle

Insight Battery pack Solar charger/rebalancer

Insight Battery pack Solar charger/rebalancer
Danger this HV panel can electricute you

Many Insight battery packs develop an imbalance.
Sitting at a constant SOC for a long time without charging or exercise will allow the individual cells to self discharge due to internal leakage. This leakage is usually slightly different on each cell, so given enough inactivity time, the pack will develop a big difference in charge between the cells.
The Insight system stops charging at 80 % SOC, so the imbalance never gets fixed by an equalization charge.

If you fully charge a pack with a constant current of 85 -255 MA, this constant current will bring up the weaker cells by giving all cells a 100% charge.The cells are rated for 500 or more full cycles, so an occasional one or two will not effect the pack life.
It is very likely that many packs that have become imbalanced, and were frequently recalibrating before throwing an IMA code can be revived by rebalancing.

a solar pack charger that provides the required current at sufficient voltage to do this recharging and re-balancing is described here.

The solar charger needs to be able to produce 180VDC to fully charge the battery.The panel output terminals with no load will be at 250VDC. this panel delivers about 15 watts of power.
Using this procedure exposes you to the full pack voltage, so you can get electrocuted if you get your self across the HV, of either the pack, or the solar panels.
I will be testing this system on some local people that have recalibrating battery packs. An AC powered charger/balancer is on the list of projects, but will not be as safe, or as green as this purely passive PV method.