Battery balancing. No

[mgaz]

How can I tell if the battery is balancing after the 100 % charge is complete?
I leave my Ohme charger connected for hours but how do I know it is balancing as no display or port lights are on? MG S 5 ev.

 

[Rei]

I've have thought that if the charging power stays at zero for a while it would be finished.

 

[mgaz]

So far it has not shown 0 charge even after being on for hours after 100% charge, I've only done around 2000 miles,I think Ohme are suggesting that the small voltage it keeps showing is the Ohme trying to keep the battery topped up should it lose even a tiny amount.
There does not seem to be a definite way to know if it is balancing,
Have asked MG and Ohme but cannot get a clear answer, maybe theu should have put it on the car display screen as I could be leaving my charger plugged in hour after hour for nothing.

 

[Ian Key]

I think my first balance charge took over two hours before my Zappi charger showed that the car wasn't drawing any charge.

 

[Rei]

How do other MGs handle it? Some EVs do it when they see an imbalance between cells, some do it on a schedule.

 

[5teep]

I think the MG5 end message was different, an ordinary charge message was Charging Ended or similar, a balance charge read Charging Complete.

 

[Alb]

Just measure the current draw. If it's in the 1-2 Ampere range it will be balancing and when that drops to zero it will be complete.

 

[Lovemyev]

So far it has not shown 0 charge even after being on for hours after 100% charge, I've only done around 2000 miles,I think Ohme are suggesting that the small voltage it keeps showing is the Ohme trying to keep the battery topped up should it lose even a tiny amount.
There does not seem to be a definite way to know if it is balancing,
Have asked MG and Ohme but cannot get a clear answer, maybe theu should have put it on the car display screen as I could be leaving my charger plugged in hour after hour for nothing.

If you have a home energy monitor, you maybe able to catch it on that.
When the car is charging, your monitor will be showing around 7 kw’s ( but remember to add for any other electrical devices that could be consuming juice at the same time ).
When it is reaching is reaching full, the charge will drop to 3.5 Kw’s and then gradually drop to about 1000 and then to 500 watts and soon finishing altogether.
When the draw starts to reduce, this is when the battery balance is in progress.
If the charge drops away quickly and then shuts down the wall box, then the BMS has deceived the pack is stable and no balancing is required.
This is how it works on the ZS EV models anyway, it has the same NMC battery chemistry, so I assume the S5 will be similar?.

 

[5teep]

Another thing, if you've only done 2000 miles, the battery doesn't need balancing so you won't see it.

 

[mgaz]

Thanks, I will watch the end bit of 100% charge as suggested, very helpful,, I thought it was done after the 100%.when charging was finished.

 

[DaveIJ]

Thanks, I will watch the end bit of 100% charge as suggested, very helpful,, I thought it was done after the 100%.when charging was finished.

What sort of mileage should you do before balancing the battery??

 

[LenEV2016]

What sort of mileage should you do before balancing the battery??

Battery balance is best practice once a month for NMC battery

 

[Lovemyev]

Thanks, I will watch the end bit of 100% charge as suggested, very helpful,, I thought it was done after the 100%.when charging was finished.

You are correct, the battery balance cycle commences at 100% SOC ( if it requires it ) but the reduction in current being supplied to the car from the wall box, should be noticeable on your energy meter just before it hits 100%.
I have personally witnessed this on my own monitor when we had our ZS EV.
This was very late at night and the house was therefore not consuming much energy other than the wall box.
The energy monitor was showing about 7.2 ( ish ) Kw's at the time.

 

[anth5864]

Is there a notification for the need for a balance/equalisation charge on the s5 ev?

If so any idea how many miles or charge cycles it takes to trigger it roughly?

 

[5teep]

Is there a notification for the need for a balance/equalisation charge on the s5 ev?

If so any idea how many miles or charge cycles it takes to trigger it roughly?

No idea about the S5 but the MG5 used to just do it when it needed it. I hardly ever noticed it had been done.

 

[LenEV2016]

Is there a notification for the need for a balance/equalisation charge on the s5 ev?

If so any idea how many miles or charge cycles it takes to trigger it roughly?

With an NMC battery you just need to charge it to 100% once a month and let it do it's thing when it gets to 100%

Remember not to leave it sitting at 100% for too long, after you charge it, it doesn't like that

 

[Ian Key]

Another thing, if you've only done 2000 miles, the battery doesn't need balancing so you won't see it.

I did my first 100% balance charge with 50 miles on the clock and it took over 2 hours to complete on a 7.5kW home charger.

 

[Jazzyboy]

I did my first 100% balance charge with 50 miles on the clock and it took over 2 hours to complete on a 7.5kW home charger.

Why? Were you advised to do that

 

[LenEV2016]

If you've had EVs before you learn that NMC batteries need balanced once a month, new cars are no different.
No idea how long they have sat at docks on a boat etc.
There is nothing to be lost in doing a balance soon after getting it

 

[Ian Key]

Why? Were you advised to do that

No, but I know batteries need balancing and as @LenEV2016 says you have no idea when the batteries were made or how long the car has sat in the docks and by doing the 100% balance charge more or less as soon as I've got the car I know when it was last done so know when it needs doing again.