Suggestions for battery conditoning? Cant charge at home now

[MrDRMorgan]

If you or someone you know doesn't mind moving files around in an Android tablet, take a look at the thread titled BATTERY DEGRADATION VS BATTERY LIMITED WARRANTY on this forum. Go to page 3 and find the first post from boatbum11. This will eventually lead you to a method for using the OBD2 connector in the Spark EV along with an OBD2 adapter [OBDLink MX] to measure most of the Spark EV's PIDS. While this was originally developed for the Chevy Bolt, it works without any modification for the 2015 and 2016 Spark EVs as well. It will work for the 2014 Spark EV too but you will only see cell voltages for 96 of the 112 cells that make up the A123 Systems battery used in the 2014.

I set this up on my old Nexus 7 tablet running Android 5.1.1. The tablet app I used is TorquePro which I downloaded from the Google PlayStore for $4.95. I setup the TorquePro display pages to monitor Battery Capacity, SoC Raw, Average Cell Voltage, Battery Temp, Battery % as displayed on the drivers information screen, Last Charge in kWh and the Individual Cell Voltages for each of the 96 cells that make up the battery. There are many more PIDs that can be monitored too.

Battery temp and battery coolant temp would be useful to measure in your hot Arizona climate to see how well the Spark EV maintains the battery temperature.

 

[Alcalira]

Congratulations on your new used Spark! Sounds like this one found a really appreciative new home. In case you didn't know, there's a screen where you can choose for your L1 evse to draw 8 amps or 12 amps. It's painfully slow, and might even be outrun by the a/c, at 8 amps. When you're using a commercial outlet, like at your gym, it's probably at least a 30 amp circuit, so you should be able safely to use the 12 amp setting.

 

[MrDRMorgan]

Congratulations on your new used Spark! Sounds like this one found a really appreciative new home. In case you didn't know, there's a screen where you can choose for your L1 evse to draw 8 amps or 12 amps. It's painfully slow, and might even be outrun by the a/c, at 8 amps. When you're using a commercial outlet, like at your gym, it's probably at least a 30 amp circuit, so you should be able safely to use the 12 amp setting.

I might add that L1 EVSE charging is about 75% efficient. This mean at 8 amps you get about .75 kW into the HV battery per hour and about 1.0 kW into the HV battery per hour at the 12 amp setting. 240 VAC L2 EVSE charging efficiency is about 85% efficient and you get about 2.8 kWh into the HV battery per hour of charging.

 

[boo99]

If you or someone you know doesn't mind moving files around in an Android tablet, take a look at the thread titled BATTERY DEGRADATION VS BATTERY LIMITED WARRANTY on this forum. Go to page 3 and find the first post from boatbum11. This will eventually lead you to a method for using the OBD2 connector in the Spark EV along with an OBD2 adapter [OBDLink MX] to measure most of the Spark EV's PIDS. While this was originally developed for the Chevy Bolt, it works without any modification for the 2015 and 2016 Spark EVs as well. It will work for the 2014 Spark EV too but you will only see cell voltages for 96 of the 112 cells that make up the A123 Systems battery used in the 2014.

I set this up on my old Nexus 7 tablet running Android 5.1.1. The tablet app I used is TorquePro which I downloaded from the Google PlayStore for $4.95. I setup the TorquePro display pages to monitor Battery Capacity, SoC Raw, Average Cell Voltage, Battery Temp, Battery % as displayed on the drivers information screen, Last Charge in kWh and the Individual Cell Voltages for each of the 96 cells that make up the battery. There are many more PIDs that can be monitored too.

Battery temp and battery coolant temp would be useful to measure in your hot Arizona climate to see how well the Spark EV maintains the battery temperature.

I had some interest in that OBD adapter when I briefly had the Leaf. I was going to get one to check on things but felt I would get more depressed over that car so decided against it.

Would be interesting to see the Sparks info though!

Odd the TMS didnt come on to cool the car this AM and its 96 already then. I went out to start it up and sit in it to cool the battery for 15 mins but nothing. No noise under the hood at all. Guess its cool enough. I did EVgo DCFC last nite for 10 mins and def was cooling it then. I love the speed of that DCFC !!

On the topic of TMS, if on these days when Im sitting in a parking lot above asphalt thats 130 degrees, is there any ideas of how long it takes to cool the battery with the TMS?

Is there any research on the amount of time to leave the car on to cool the battery? I just sit in it like 20 mins and go no where and put on the AC then I go to my gym 3 hrs while its sitting in the parking lot in the sun or under a tree if I find a spot.

Congratulations on your new used Spark! Sounds like this one found a really appreciative new home. In case you didn't know, there's a screen where you can choose for your L1 evse to draw 8 amps or 12 amps. It's painfully slow, and might even be outrun by the a/c, at 8 amps. When you're using a commercial outlet, like at your gym, it's probably at least a 30 amp circuit, so you should be able safely to use the 12 amp setting.

Thank you!

Yes I knew about the screen from having many Volts. It was a pain that it kept defaulting to that 8 amps but after a while it became 2nd nature to put it on 12. hehe.

Thanks for the suggestion!