Chuck
02-11-2009, 01:40 AM
Texas Insight drivers with the MIMA mod jumps from two to six - Texas suddenly jumps to a second place tie with Ohio for most MIMA installations after California (19). (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=186960)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/cover_pic.jpg
Chuck Thomas - CleanMPG - Feb 10, 2009
It was a near-perfect day to do car work outdoors (70F), between cold spells and showers in the capricious weather of North Texas. OK - the wind had gusts of 30mph, but it was still excellent weather. To see a Honda Insight is somewhat unusual, but why six in one driveway in the middle of truck country? It was so four Insight drivers could get updates allowing manual control of the electric motor for both acceleration and battery charging. The mod is known a MIMA - M for Manual, IMA is the acronym of the Honda hybrid system (Integrated Motor Assist -- I often call it the electric flywheel ;)). Unless noted as CVT, the Insights mentioned are 5-speeds.
MIMA is the brainchild of Mike Dabrowski (site www.99mpg.com (http://www.99mpg.com/)), who has built at least 93 units so far for the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and the Netherlands. The premise is since the driver knows where he is going, he can tweak the Assist and Charge usage better than the factory mode (although the Honda defaults are excellent). Fuel economy gains tend to range between 20% for heavy foot drivers to 10% for hypermilers. MIMA has three modes: (1) MIMA - which allows driver to control the Assist and Charge on command: (2) Factory mode with MIMA disabled, (3) PIMA - which allows the driver to set a modified factory mode and make the Assist/Charge engage either more or less aggressively than the factory defaults. MIMA supplements but does not replace the IMA system. Placement of the MIMA joystick controlling the Assist/Charge can be anywhere, but it is typically located on the shift knob, and occasionally on top of the emergency brake lever or center console. Another feature of particular interest for hypermilers is the FAS switch which allows all 12-volt systems and power steering to remain on while the engine is off.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/lunch_at_jays.jpg
The drivers at lunch from left to right at Jay's home: Dan (considering MIMA for his blue CVT, Bob from Fort Worth (Silver CVT), Mike Dabrowski, Kirk from Fort Worth (blue), Eric from Austin (salvaged red), Jay (red, host)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/larger_than_cover_pic.jpg
Driveway view from street to garage: Chuck's Insight (aka Delta Flyer - installed in fall 2007), Dan's Insight (considering MIMA), Eric's red Insight, Bob's silver CVT Insight, and Kirk's blue Insight - already installed, but letting Mike deskcheck the work. In the garage on the right is Jay's red Insight.
Jay's place has a pond in front and a bird sanctuary on the edge of the country just south of Denton, Texas.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/quackery_1.jpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/quackery_2.jpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/geese.jpg
After the new MIMA owners had breakfast with Mike, installation started at about 9am. I arrived at 10:30am, in part because the new roads were not in the Nav :o Everybody had MIMA installed by 4pm. During that time, I took Dan and Jay for a MIMA ride, then let them drive so they would know what to expect...the unusual feeling of maximum regen braking feeling like a very smooth downshift, and the inevitable tendency of initially going overboard on battery usage known as "leadfinger." I also showed them a nice little trick: with the ignition on, all it takes to start a MIMA equipped Insight is maximum Assist via the joystick control.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/Mike_calbrating_MIMA_as_Bob_watches.jpg
Mike calibrating MIMA in Bob's Insight. Video (10.4MB) (http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/10239/limit/last1): Mike showing the IMA components around the battery pack. Related link here (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6178).
I got a couple of minutes of Mike's time for him to point out that my EGR may be ready for replacement and the MIMA display was disconnected at the console - not the steering column (a downside of not putting everything back together :o ) I was very glad to have seen Eric -- he was at a hypermiler meeting in Lewisville, but I hadn't heard from him since. That caused concern since he had a story of his salvaged Insight showing the dreaded IMA light and having to be towed. (It turned out to be a bad ECU box.)
While IMA architecture can't be a plug-in hybrid, a few are attempting to overcome the software with MIMA while also adding to the factory battery pack -- this allows a mixed-mode hybrid setup. One user in England is using a lithium battery pack. Those of us that could stay went out to eat then followed up with a trip to Billy Bob's.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/dale_earnhardt_way.jpg
Don't exit here! (Texas Motor Speedway)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/billy_bobs.jpg
Mike got into Billy Bob's but wasn't able to find any souvenir hats he liked. Who would you rather be around, though -- a guy who is all hat and no cattle or all cattle and no hat? ;)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/cover_pic.jpg
Chuck Thomas - CleanMPG - Feb 10, 2009
It was a near-perfect day to do car work outdoors (70F), between cold spells and showers in the capricious weather of North Texas. OK - the wind had gusts of 30mph, but it was still excellent weather. To see a Honda Insight is somewhat unusual, but why six in one driveway in the middle of truck country? It was so four Insight drivers could get updates allowing manual control of the electric motor for both acceleration and battery charging. The mod is known a MIMA - M for Manual, IMA is the acronym of the Honda hybrid system (Integrated Motor Assist -- I often call it the electric flywheel ;)). Unless noted as CVT, the Insights mentioned are 5-speeds.
MIMA is the brainchild of Mike Dabrowski (site www.99mpg.com (http://www.99mpg.com/)), who has built at least 93 units so far for the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and the Netherlands. The premise is since the driver knows where he is going, he can tweak the Assist and Charge usage better than the factory mode (although the Honda defaults are excellent). Fuel economy gains tend to range between 20% for heavy foot drivers to 10% for hypermilers. MIMA has three modes: (1) MIMA - which allows driver to control the Assist and Charge on command: (2) Factory mode with MIMA disabled, (3) PIMA - which allows the driver to set a modified factory mode and make the Assist/Charge engage either more or less aggressively than the factory defaults. MIMA supplements but does not replace the IMA system. Placement of the MIMA joystick controlling the Assist/Charge can be anywhere, but it is typically located on the shift knob, and occasionally on top of the emergency brake lever or center console. Another feature of particular interest for hypermilers is the FAS switch which allows all 12-volt systems and power steering to remain on while the engine is off.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/lunch_at_jays.jpg
The drivers at lunch from left to right at Jay's home: Dan (considering MIMA for his blue CVT, Bob from Fort Worth (Silver CVT), Mike Dabrowski, Kirk from Fort Worth (blue), Eric from Austin (salvaged red), Jay (red, host)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/larger_than_cover_pic.jpg
Driveway view from street to garage: Chuck's Insight (aka Delta Flyer - installed in fall 2007), Dan's Insight (considering MIMA), Eric's red Insight, Bob's silver CVT Insight, and Kirk's blue Insight - already installed, but letting Mike deskcheck the work. In the garage on the right is Jay's red Insight.
Jay's place has a pond in front and a bird sanctuary on the edge of the country just south of Denton, Texas.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/quackery_1.jpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/quackery_2.jpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/geese.jpg
After the new MIMA owners had breakfast with Mike, installation started at about 9am. I arrived at 10:30am, in part because the new roads were not in the Nav :o Everybody had MIMA installed by 4pm. During that time, I took Dan and Jay for a MIMA ride, then let them drive so they would know what to expect...the unusual feeling of maximum regen braking feeling like a very smooth downshift, and the inevitable tendency of initially going overboard on battery usage known as "leadfinger." I also showed them a nice little trick: with the ignition on, all it takes to start a MIMA equipped Insight is maximum Assist via the joystick control.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/Mike_calbrating_MIMA_as_Bob_watches.jpg
Mike calibrating MIMA in Bob's Insight. Video (10.4MB) (http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/10239/limit/last1): Mike showing the IMA components around the battery pack. Related link here (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6178).
I got a couple of minutes of Mike's time for him to point out that my EGR may be ready for replacement and the MIMA display was disconnected at the console - not the steering column (a downside of not putting everything back together :o ) I was very glad to have seen Eric -- he was at a hypermiler meeting in Lewisville, but I hadn't heard from him since. That caused concern since he had a story of his salvaged Insight showing the dreaded IMA light and having to be towed. (It turned out to be a bad ECU box.)
While IMA architecture can't be a plug-in hybrid, a few are attempting to overcome the software with MIMA while also adding to the factory battery pack -- this allows a mixed-mode hybrid setup. One user in England is using a lithium battery pack. Those of us that could stay went out to eat then followed up with a trip to Billy Bob's.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/dale_earnhardt_way.jpg
Don't exit here! (Texas Motor Speedway)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/billy_bobs.jpg
Mike got into Billy Bob's but wasn't able to find any souvenir hats he liked. Who would you rather be around, though -- a guy who is all hat and no cattle or all cattle and no hat? ;)