All-Electric Coda Sedan Forum

Our battery pack has the 6-pack cells in plastic trays, and there is a plastic strap around each 6-pack holding it to the tray, does that mean I have a proto-type pack?

I finally got a lithium iron phosphate charger (from PowerStream Technologies: http://www.powerstream.com/lifepo4-chargers-1-cell-wallmount.htm) and began charging today.

The bad 6-pack was below the BMS module. I took out the eight screws that hold the BMS module plate to the battery tray and had to clip two plastic wire ties (installed for wire management) to allow me to raise they entire tray and give me access to the cells below. I did not have to disconnect any of the connectors to the BMS modules.

This is what my trouble tray cells looked like:

6-pack #1 - between yellow wire and lug (blue BMS wire) - 3.34V
6-pack #2 - between yellow wire and and green wire - 3.34V
6-pack #3 - between orange wire and and yellow wire - 3.34V
6-pack #4 - between red wire and orange wire - .11V (now up to 1.47V, woo-hoo!!!!)
6-pack #5 - between lug (brown BMS wire) and red wire - 3.34V

total = 13.47V (now up to 14.83v)

I am pondering just soldering a wire into the orange and red BMS wires (basically the wires on end of the 6 pack) and running them to the outside of the battery. It also look like I may be able to simply additional another wire via a connector already in each 6-pack, but not used.... will post a picture if I can do this as I prefer not cutting and soldering any wires used by the BMS. I am thinking this will allow me to manually monitor the one questionable 6-pack, and if it looks to be dropping, I'll pull the battery disconnect and charge that one cell without having to drop the battery. Any reason I SHOULD NOT do this?

I checked all the 6-packs I could access (77), only one other was slightly low at 2.91 V (will charge that one after doing the one that was really low), all the others were 3.34V

The trays all read either 16.7V (smaller trays made up of 5 groups of 6-packs, 5 x 3.34V=16.7V), or 19.9 - 20.0V (larger trays made up of 6 groups of 6-packs, 6 x 3.34V = 20.04V).

The two low trays were low by exactly the amount of the two low 6-packs. One read 19.6V (should have been 20V), the other 13.4V (should have been 16.7V) This indicates to me I only have two 6-pack issues.

So for me at least, it looks like a couple of trouble 6-packs, all others look good.

It's been low and slow..... the .011V 6-pack is up to 3.04 V, another .3 V to go and it will be the same as the rest of the pack. It was good to have such a low amperage charger. I'm actually pretty impressed with the charger, it appears the closer it gets to the goal voltage, the slower its charging rate. The battery is now increasing voltage at approx .05V/hr... a rate I'll need to unplug it before going to work and finish it up tonight.

It would have been neat to be able to find a programmable charger, but I couldn't find one that would do lithium iron phosphate at 3.2V.

Also, I picked up some black and white 18 gauge wire and connectors. I plan to make a pigtail extension to plug into the two 6-packs with issues. The pigtail will have a female connector that plugs to the BMS terminal on a the battery, a male connector to plug the BMS wire into and a wire running to the outside of the battery. It will be tight for the cell under the BMS tray. The plan is to make one set and install them on the 2.91V cell, then use them to top it off.

These IMAX chargers are a relitively inexpensive way to balance charge LiFe batteries on a programmable capacity basis.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... oduct=6478

@ejherb
Your last post on this subject was Mar 2015.
Have you made any progress towards repairing your pack?

I am going to drop the packs of two of my Codas.
I want to create a portable 5kwh pack, so I can move my gliders under power.
The other pack & the balance of the first I plan to use to convert my 2005 Chevy SSR to all electric drive.

Did you ever take those pictures to document your process for disconnecting & dropping the battery pack?
Your description is pretty good, and I have studied the service manual, so I think I can do the job.
I was just hoping for a little confirmation & more detail from your pictures.

I picked up a hydraulic cart w/1000 lb capacity to support the pack after removing the mount bolts.
I will build a frame on the cart to make sure the pack is fully supported.

Thanks in advance.
Rick

_________________
Multi-Coda Owner
as of 10/2015 I own 15, 26, 54, 100 & 115 of 500, + 2 gliders
Yes, 7 Codas makes me the Coda King of the World

I've got them all, but not posted yet, I'll see if I can find time tomorrow. I'll also try to post the sketch of the tray I made, the battery to me seems to be over a 1000 lbs. If you are local, I can lend you my tray, drop me your email and phone number in a PM.

At this time, the one bad sell limits me to about 6-10 miles before its voltage drops enough the BMS software turns on the lightning bolt. If the group of cells drops below 3.14 volts, the lightning bolt goes on. I can charge up that one cell group only via the wires I put in, and I'm good to go again.... for another 6 - 10 miles.

It is my opinion that without a BMS software update, all CODA's will eventually see this issue. one bad cell out of over 700 basically cripples the car.

If in your conversion you end up with the tray at the rear passenger corner available (and possibly I need the front drivers corner tray too) I'd sure like to pick it up from you.

I was excited.... OK downright giddy! I just obtained a 5 x 6 brick from Mullen on Sunday, installed it in my battery pack to replace the brick with the bad cell, and got the battery back inthe CODA Monday night.

I checked all 18 bricks before closing up the battery, and all seemed close enough to me:

The 6 x 6 bricks - qty. 1 at 19.9V, qty. 3 at 20.0V, qty. 10 at 20.1V
The 5 x 6 bricks - qty. 3 at 16.7, qty. 1 at 16.6 (the new one, it was 16V when I got it)

I charged the battery on 220V until it went off and let it "soak" for 5 hours. Lighting bolt gone.

But unfortunately, after only 3.2 miles of driving, the lightning bolt turned on again.

To add insult to injury, the tire pressure warning light came on again too.... I had forgot I had put more pressure in the tires during storage to prevent flat spotting.... I lowered the pressure back down to 42 psi, but the warning is still blinking.

I'm trying to get a code reader to see if maybe all the old codes getting cleared will make the issue go away. so I still have hope...... I'm to chicken to keep driving and end up stranded somewhere. Everybody keep our CODA in your prayers