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This pic doesn’t require a lot of verbage. It shows my summertime warm air mod, the Odyssey PC 545 AGM 12v battery upgrade, with it’s purchased aluminum mounting case, and the factory after market block heater (the cord anyway).

The original battery and tray was removed, and I fashioned the two brackets, to hang the new battery case from, by making them fit over the two female inserts in the square tubing. No new holes.

The intake air horn is just flopped over to the back side, and a 2inch rubber pipe cap, available from a hardware or home center, is clamped over the resonator opening. Also in the winter, I add an extension over to the cat, and insulate the whole thing.

The block heater is installed in its place on the back side of the ICE, over by the cat, and I chose to run the power cable to the drivers side. I took the underdash fuse box loose and brought the cable up behind it, to hide/tidy things up a bit.


http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/522/underhood_mods_3.JPG


Update/Edit: 04/21/07 in italics
After a PM from another Insight owner asking about the 545 battery, I told him I would take another picture since I had made some small changes to my version of the 12v upgrade since the original posting. Got rid of the "big honkin" automotive terminals, installed a shunt for a stand alone 12v monitoring mod (near future), insulated the battery box near the positve terminal (black vinyl on the corner of the aluminum battery box), and also upgraded the warm air mod.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/itse_bitse_terminals.JPG

I put a flange mounted (adjustable orientation) elbow on the back of the filter box and shortened the route for the warm air coming up from the cat. This is seen in the above pic. The pic below shows the new set-up at the 3way-cat. I bought another heatshield from Honda and modified it a bit. Also made a deflector out of aluminum to limit the cold air coming in the wheel well from going straight into the heat collector on the cat. Flexable tubing is SCEET available from your local airplane parts house. I used the 2.5 inch stuff. Added the standoffs to provide some flow. That shield lays down pretty close to the surface of the cat without them. Didn't want to impede the intake air flow.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/cat_shield.JPG


Udate/Edit 5/06/07. More detail pics of the battery install.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/making_the_brackets.JPG

This pic shows how the brackets were made to fit over the existing threaded inserts in the aluminum cross member. I drilled the hole, in the bracket, just big enough to accept the flange of the existing, threaded insert. This allowed the bracket to rest on the crossmember, and not on top of the much less suitable threaded flange. Very solid this way. I used pre-bent, coated steel brackets, that I had on hand. Aluminum of this thickness, doesn't bend very well, and would be very stressed after bending. The brackets were fitted to the crossmember before being drilled for the battery box.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/rubbing_on_vac_line.JPG

This pic just above shows how the bolts used to mount the battery box, to the brackets, will be right in line with the vacuum hose going to the brake booster. The pic below shows some buggy bumpers (thread protectors, if you go to buy them), installed on the bolts to keep them from possibly rubbing on the brake vacuum hose. They don't actually rub against each other, but the potential is there.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/bumpers_on_backside.JPG

As a side note: The original factory battery and box and anything else that I removed to do the 545 upgrade, weighed in at 19.5 lbs. The 545 battery, its box, the steel brackets and anything I put back on, weighed 13.5 lbs.

Randall

Hi Randall:

___A very clean install of the WAI, 12V box and wiring, and Block Heater cabling!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Nice install Randall,
Something to consider about AGM replacements for flooded.
As I understand it, the AGM batteries have a different float voltage than the flooded type that the car was designed for. My Trojan data sheet says that at 100% SOC that the flooded 12V would have 12.73V open circuit voltage, verses 12.9V for the AGM.
The 12.73V point on the AGM is about 88% SOC.
I was warned not to use a flooded charger for the AGM's as the batteries would never get fully charged. I was also told that the AGM's like to be fully charged as much as possible, or capacity loss would occur.
Because of the limited load on the battery, that may be ok, but it is worth watching.

Italics is mine.

I am certainly wide open to input on the finer points of electrical stuff. Here’s a little more details on my relationship with the PC545 AGM.

Owners manual says:

12.84v=100%
12.50v=75%
12.18v=50%
11.88v=25%
Long life=near full charge=~12.8v
Never exceed 15v when charging
PC 545 charge time for 100% discharged battery (11.5v), on a 10 amp charger is 2 hrs.

About once a month, I exercise the AGM by doing the headlights on, vehicle off routine; monitoring the voltage to just under 12v, and then letting it relax for a few minutes before hooking up the 3 amp smart charger.

Here’s the scoop on the battery charger that I have for recharging the PC 545 after an exercise period, and before the next days commute. I tried to do my homework on the chargers, please advise.

Copied directly from the following link,

http://www.batterystuff.com/battery-chargers/12-volt/0-4amps/Son1206S.html

FEATURES

• Automatic Cut Off and then True Float. Can be left connected indefinitely without harming the battery.

• Suitable for U.S., Canada, other 115VAC countries and Japan (100VAC).
• Totally Automatic Switch-Mode Constant Current Battery Charger.
• Suitable for Sealed (AGM) and Wet Lead Acid Batteries.
• Input 115 VAC (range 90 VAC to 132VAC) (47-63Hz).
• Two color LED to indicate charge status.
• Meets FCC Class B.
• Optimal 3 Step Charging
• Built-in Mode Indicators
• Demand Sensing
• Reverse Polarity Protection
• Over Voltage Protected
• Short Circuit Protection
• Overload Protection
• Over Voltage Protected
• 1 Year Warranty

Soneil's Battery Charger transforms the 115 VAC into 12 VDC at about 100,000 Hz (1667 times faster than conventional charger), which requires a much smaller transformer and this results in a unit of smaller size, low weight and improved efficiency. The 1206S uses sophisticated electronic circuitry with microchips. All present day computers use switch-mode technology. Each Soneil 12 volt 3 amp ships with one each quick disconnect ring set and alligator clips.

Multi Stage charging cycle

Stage 1: Deep Discharge Charging Pulse Mode
The Charger starts charging at 0.5V and give pulse current up to 5V. This has effect of removing loose sulphation formed during deep discharge state of the battery.

Stage 2: Constant Current Mode (CC)
The charger changes to constant current 3A. When the battery voltage reaches to 14.4V, the charging stage changes from (CC) Constant Current to CV (Constant Voltage) mode.

Stage 3: Constant Voltage Mode (CV)
The charger holds the battery at 14.4V and the current slowly reduces. When the current reaches at 0.5 C (C= Battery Capacity), this point called the Switching Point. The Switching Point is one of the great features of this battery charger that it can adjust the current automatically according to the battery capacity. Other chargers without microprocessors are not capable to adjust the current automatically.

Stage 4: Standby Voltage Mode
The charger maintains the battery voltage at 13.8V and current slowly reduces to zero. Charger can be left connected indefinitely without harming the battery.

Recharging:
If the battery voltage drops to 12.5V, the charger changes from any mode to Constant Current mode and restart charging. The charging cycle will go through Stage 2 to Stage 4.

This charger ships with two types of quick disconnect connectors; alligator clips and ring terminals. This is also an excellent charger for larger battery systems on stand-by.


SPECS:

Dimensions: (4.3" L) x (2.4" W) x (1.2" H)
Actual Weight (lb.) .9
Shipping Weight (lb.) 2.0
Output Banks 1
Charge Reset: Battery Voltage Threshold 12.5V
Max Current, During Bulk Charge 3 A
Absorption Voltage 14.4 V
AC Input Volts 115 V
AC Input Volts Freq. 47/63 Hz
AC Input Volts Range 90–132 V
Float Voltage 13.8 V
Float Current Variable
Regulatory Approval UL and cUL

Hi Randall
Great research, it is interesting that my Trojan spec said 12.90 as the open circuit 100% SOC
I guess there is some smuff factor in the number, and I know that there is an offset for temperature.
The cycle and external charge is all the right stuff to do, I was thinking more about the times where the DC/DC is charging it and maintaining some voltage. If you logged the 12V during lights on driving, and non lights on, it may show that you are keeping it in the zone, and that it is ok. May be worth a check. I don't see a spec on the DC/DC regulation points in the manuals?

Another mod that is about half finished on my bench, is a 12v system monitoring of its amps and volts. Digital led panel meters (externally powered), shunt for the amps part, etc,etc......

So many mods....so little time.....

Randall

OK, so I took another pitcher:D



http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/522/IMGP1825.JPG
Automatic timer for block heater.

I made this timer from a salvaged Mr. Coffee. It as a max on time of 2 hours, so I set it for two hours before I leave, and I have always seen 4 bars coolant temp while parking in the garage. The two cords coming out of the bottom are both powered by the timer. I use the other one for a IMA battery heating pad when the weather gets real cold.

Randall

Hi Randall:

___Between you and Mike, you guys will never cease to amaze me. Your mods are beautifully put together as well!

___I did not see the Mr. Coffee on the garage wall and I am sorry I missed it. When do you connect the rest of what is left of the Mr. Coffee up to the IMA pack through the rear hatch and start shoving banana peels and other garbage into her to bring the Flux Capacitor to life :)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Bump.

Updated photos in first post.

Randall

Randall,

That is an awesome way to reuse a coffee maker! I'm curious... did you play with a meter to map its inputs and outputs or is there a site that shows the pinouts?

Here's a link to a pdf wiring pinout:
http://www.allelectronics.com/spec/MCT-3.pdf

If you want to buy a new surplus unit this place has them for <4bucks:
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2007042114475161&item=11-2267&catname=electric

Randall

Bump. Added more detailed photos to first post.

Randall