RBS light Alarm

[FrostyCanada]

Guys, what setting blows air through the pack?

I alway though that the car did this automatically when needed?

Like in the winter, does the car blow warm air through the pack?

Again, I always though the car would heat/cool the pack as required.

Brian

 

[PV1]

It will automatically cool during quick charging and certain extreme temperature circumstances. We still haven't really figured out the warming, but it sounds like it is somewhat tied to pre-conditioning.

To manually heat or cool the pack, you need to remove a servo and flip a damper. Then it is as simple as putting air to the floor.

Here is a picture of the servo that needs removed. Two screws hold it in place. This is located in the driver side footwell near the USB port (circled in orange in the bottom right corner of the picture):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/t5jezlryoo1j7ze/20140917_181508.jpg?dl=0

The only caution is to make sure the lever is down before quick charging and normal charging in cold weather. I leave mine down all the time so that air can flow into the pack without having to mess with the lever.

 

[FrostyCanada]

Thank PV1, but why would Kiev's car throw a warning / turtle mode ...wouldn't this be considered an extreme temp condition?

I find it hard to believe that we must modify our cars when it is design to automatically cool / heat itself as required.

Maybe the ImiEV must be plugged to activate the auto heating/cooling?

Brian

 

[PV1]

Modifying the car isn't necessary. It's just that the car's temperature protections are more relaxed than we'd like. The average Joe doesn't need to do many of the things we do to simply operate the i-MiEV.

As for Kiev's issue, it may be related to the pending MCU recall, as it did state that out of spec components could cause random turtle/RBS issues.

 

[JoeS]

Just another datapoint regarding ChargePoint's new DCQC station - today I had to make an unexpected run in the i-MiEV up to SFO to drop someone off. Since I left without a full charge I tried a convenient new DCQC station on the way back:

http://api.plugshare.com/view/location/88034

Beautifully-located at the intersection of two major highways, one coming from across the Bay.

At this location they're called "Dual CHAdeMO - CCS Tritium Veefil DCFC stations".

Not only did it work great, but the pricing structure was VERY reasonable: 25¢/kWh and free parking for one hour BUT 25¢/minute parking after that - what a great way of getting people to move their car out of the way!

According to the ChargePoint website, my charging session lasted 13min 12sec and I put in 4.83kWh and the whole thing cost me $1.21... plus what I spent at the shopping center for something I needed anyway, and thus a win for them and a win for me.

As an aside, coming out of the parking garage what did I spy but a whole row of filled-up Tesla SuperChargers and a Tesla attendant managing the situation. Busy place, whereas the four CHAdeMO/CCS stations downstairs were empty until I showed up.

Anyway, back to the topic: no RBS Light Alarm using ChargePoint's DCQC.

 

[Phximiev]

Cool, nice pic of a new Bolt at the charger also.

 

[PV1]

Cool, nice pic of a new Bolt at the charger also.

The green Chevy? That's a Spark EV, not a Bolt.

Joe, glad to hear of a successful Chargepoint i-MiEV DCQC. Those are nice looking units, especially the LED downlights.

 

[Phximiev]

Yes, it is!

Adjusts glasses....

 

[JoeS]

Just received this note from my friend with an i-MiEV in NOLA who has an acquaintance who recently purchased a used i-MiEV, who wrote -

"We have been enjoying the i-MiEV, but now it's down. The RBS, and electric motor ("!") warning lights come on either after the car is turned on of after it is shifted into Drive. As soon as it is shifted into Drive it switches to turtle mode, although the main battery is 80% full. The 12V battery is fine."

I've asked him what year the i-MiEV is and whether they were using DCQC and what the ambient temperatures were like and whether is works properly after a cooldown and I've asked him to join this forum.

Did we ever have a final resolution to this problem?

 

[kiev]

Most likely culprit is a weak 12V battery. Voltage measurements under load would need to be made to determine if it is good or not.

 

[JoeS]

Most likely culprit is a weak 12V battery...

Kenny, thank you for that (especially as you had also experienced this symptom) - I passed this on and suggested they do the 12v battery replacement before going to the dealer.

 

[JoeS]

The plot thickens: it turns out that "The AC stopped working a day before the problem started."

I suggested he go to the dealer. Will update when I hear back from them.

 

[sandange]

I believe there was one AC mounting bracket failure that had resulted in the wiring harness being damaged from the vibration,
also triggering the dash board warning light.

 

[Meowmiev]

Greetings! My family is the happy new owner of a 2012 i-Miev, and we have gotten a lot of great information from reading this forum. So I wanted to join in the conversation and share our own experience of a problem pertinent to this thread, and the apparent solution.

Main Problem:
i-MiEV goes into turtle mode, with “RBS”, electric motor (“!”) and “turtle” warning lights on within seconds after key is turned to “start”. RBS becomes disengaged. (Main battery indicator above 8 lines, so plenty of charge.)
Variations:
-sometimes this occurred after shifting from P to D, E or R
-sometimes this occurred after turning the key to “start” without shifting from P
-sometimes this occurred after driving a few yards
-sometimes (rarely) this occurred after turning key to “on”, before turning to “start”

Model Year: 2012 ES

CHAdeMO quick charger: never used, our car does not have that option.
Ambient temp at time of failure: several times when the car had been resting overnight (~upper 70s New Orleans summertime nighttime temp). Problem also experienced after diving, when attempting to restart. No apparent benefit from cooling off.

AC failure. The AC stopped working a day before the problem started. Fan working, but airflow is ambient temp. The car experienced mild flooding on New Orleans street (water up to street curb level, below car door level) a couple of days before AC stopped running and turtle mode and warning lights became an issue.

Progression? initially restarting the car several times ("recycling the key") would eventually allow us to drive in normal mode. Eventually (after ~ 1 day), recycling the key was no longer effective. Of course, the impression that there was a progression may be false – we do not have statistics on this.

12V battery tested Voltage with car off ~13V. Voltage with car on, just above ~13 V. Jumper cables from the i-MiEV battery to the battery of another car did not solve the problem. Load test: Autozone said bad, Firestone said OK, Independent Neighborhood Shop said OK. Battery posts and connectors cleaned. Battery to car body ground checked.

SOLUTION: The Mitsubishi Dealer (Ray Brandt in Harvey, Louisiana), determined that the AC compressor was “shorted” (perhaps by flooding?). They disconnected the AC compressor, and since then the problem has never occurred again (2 weeks, ~ 20 drives). i-MiEV AC compressors are expensive, and the car stays pretty cool, so we will skip replacement for now.

We would like to express our gratitude to members of the forum for help received from them even before we joined.

 

[JoeS]

Meowmiev, welcome to the forum, thank you for your kind words and for your very precise description of the problem you've experienced. Delighted that you still like your i-MiEV (as all of us on this forum do), despite it's annoying issue.

I'm pleasantly surprised that the car is fully operable without any visible error indicators with the air conditioning compressor disconnected. This in itself is strange (but welcome in this case), as this car has so many interlocks which result in throwing a code if they're disturbed.

If I recall, that compressor is powered directly by the car's high voltage battery.

I'd like to try to get the ball rolling in helping you -

1) Is there a possibility that water damage might be covered by one's car insurance? If you have full coverage, it might be worth a call to the insurance company to tell them that this is what happened and would they please pay for it (after the deductible). Certainly worth a try.

2) There is a history of AC compressor mounting bracket failures, which have subsequently resulted in compressor issues and wiring damage. Presumably the dealer inspected this, but it may well be worth having a detailed physical look at this assembly including the wiring leading up to it. After disconnection, I would hope that the dealer adequately sealed the ends of the (disconnected) connectors to protect them from the elements. I don't have the wiring diagrams with me, but maybe someone can comment as I suspect the (very dangerous) high voltage wiring to the AC was probably left undisturbed.

3) Anyone have any ideas on how to troubleshoot the air compressor that is allegedly "shorted"?

4) Next, let's assume that the compressor itself is defective - inasmuch as your dealer wants over $4000 :!: :!: to replace this unit with a new one, perhaps we need to find you a used one? I wasn't able to find anything after a brief search on eBay, but, before searching the massive used car parts networks, does anyone have access to a parts car? I just visited with Ben Nelson in Minnesota yesterday (before I read this post) so will give him a call as to his thoughts about the state of that compressor on the hurricane Sandy salvage i-MiEV he just parted with (not too hopeful).

Welcome ideas anyone might have to help fix this problem, as next summer's life in New Orleans without AC is not pleasant to contemplate.

 

[Meowmiev]

Hello, thank you for your ideas and help.

We have been considering an insurance claim, and we have to make a decision before time runs out. My only reservation was that as a society our insurance premiums are determined to some extent by claims, and that a $4500 claim for an AC compressor is kind of overboard. However, my wife points out that the worth of the car is much diminished without AC - although we have no plans to sell it.

I will take a look at the AC compressor bracket and the disconnected wires, if I can find them. Definitely something that should not be left to chance, thank you for the suggestion. I will let you know what we find.

 

[justoneman]

I now have this same problem with the A/C compressor. The car has been at the dealer for three days undergoing diagnostics and speaking with Mitsubishi support. The problem was determined to be a faulty A/C compressor. I chocked when I heard the part price of $3,000 before taxes and minus the installation and diagnostics costs. As I purchased the car for $4,500 I will not pay $4,000 for a repair. It would be foolish.

 

[justoneman]

I have read one reference here in the forum from someone who has disconnected the A/C Compressor and that doing so rendered the vehicle drivable. Have more people done this as well? Is the AC unit not responsible for sometimes cooling the batteries or is it only in quick charge that this takes place?

 

[justoneman]

Do we understand how the A/C compressor was "disconnected"? Were the high voltage leads disconnected? Were just the control leads disconnected? Or was it both?

 

[justoneman]

Today I discussed with the dealership, the idea of disconnecting the AC compressor. They stated they cannot do that as it gives them a liability of not doing the proper thing. I was not surprised.