I Have 3 Dead EVs. Are Any of The Batteries Still Good?

[@mbirth]

I hope you uploaded that Coda Press Kit to The Internet Archive so those handful of people that still got one can access it. 😉

[@raven4k998]

the codas batteries are still good but the wheegos batteries are dead oh well the wheego will have to have a coda battery pack🤣

[@ssupertutorial]

hey, I've done some math; you don't have to ruin the other coda 31kwh battery to make the wheego street-ready, you can use 112 cells for the lawn mower (7p16s similar to the lead-acid battery you already had 5.376kwh vs the lead-acid 5.520kwh ), and with the remaining 512 you can use (504)them for the wheego (14p36s) for a 24.192kwh battery pack (like the first-gen Nissan leaf use to have), with the remaining 8 you can use them to make a 12v lead acid battery replacement for the working coda (you will need a cheap BMS for a 2p4s configuration)

[@OrangeCrusader]

"5.376kwh vs the lead-acid 5.520kwh " It's significantly better than that- lead acid can only be discharged down to 50%, a usable 2.76kwh, lifepo down to a very safe 20% would be 4.3kwh usable. That's 55% more real capacity.

[@jcorbo7518]

Commenting so hopefully he sees this

[@JimOHalloran]

Instead of a 12 lead acid replacement, use those last few calls to power the gokart! IIRC the battery situation for that has yet to be finalised.

[@eshock9208]

@@JimOHalloran that would be cool

[@eshock9208]

We need to get robert to see this

[@timomeh]

I would say, don't keep the battery pack "just in case somebody needs it". You have it, and it's perfect to bring the nugget back to life. And the nugget brings joy.

[@keithdosik]

We need the nugget back to life

[@jandajanda2242]

@@keithdosik we need the wheego life!

[@Sebisation]

„Nugget“ - found the dankpods viewer

[@Flofutz]

And they degrade over the years. So letting them sit for another ten years when somebody needs them they would also be dead.

[@superriley6449]

No nugget = no serotonin

[@St0rmcrash]

The contrast on those two cars, both built by EV startups and made using imported Chinese bodyshells as the base, continues to be astounding in their detail and execution

[@raven4k998]

how could you not have seen a window🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@steveg5122]

honestly, i would also say that keeping a wheego going is a noble donation for a coda battery.

[@bwofficial1776]

@Don't Read My Profile Photo No one cares, bot.

[@televisionandcheese]

Haha noble

[@alexandreb.1101]

-Noble HA!

[@beardsntools]

Yeah he should do it, they are both equally worthless

[@ImmortalInflames]

Man the companies that sponsor your videos better be giving you a good deal with all the effort you put into them.. like seriously I actually watch the add sections in your videos!! (and not skip past them)

[@joshua1281]

Ditto. Entertaining and memorable ads.

[@REDSIX]

ADvertisement ADDitional

[@bandguymichael]

the one where he was fighting the turkey and trimming its wings is probably one of three sponsor slots i've made a point to watch through

[@Bryan-Hensley]

I don't get any ads. I don't think I've seen an ad in 2 or 3 years

[@DeviantOllam]

Will the Codas ever reach a point where you've harvested enough of value out of them and one or both of the dead ones depart the garage? Or will one become like a single seat, a rear view mirror, and a trunk lid held together by smiles and memory but never being taken to scrap? 😂

[@agingwheels]

Actually! I'll be giving away one of them to a guy that used to work at EDI. He wants to make it a functional CVT electric car again for his own personal collection. He says he has the missing components to make that happen. It'll live on if only in storage

[@DeviantOllam]

@@agingwheels awesome!!

[@ZGryphon]

I have a motorcycle like that. It was taken apart for an overhaul years ago, and then half of the parts were lost* in a catastrophically mishandled move, but I can't bear to get rid of the rest of it. * for which read: probably stolen by the movers

[@kennorcott7074]

@@agingwheels that’s an awesome thing to create. It’s a fascinating part of automotive history

[@BloodAsp]

Ha, no way, I just discovered your channel the other day!

[@hjalfi]

Ooh, I feel your pain with the Coda battery pack. Those things are works of art. Someone downthread suggests that there are in fact enough good cells to do both the Weego _and_ the lawnmower without having to touch one of the packs. If that's possible --- how about mounting it on the wall with a perspex lid and using it as a whole-house power bank?

[@ZesPak]

Yep, taking out the cells you need and mount the rest to the wall is a great solution.

[@Gpassantino]

My son and I just got done watching this and... Make the Wheego go again. Battery technology moves in leaps and bounds. You enjoyed that lil heap of a car, and I can't recall but I think that never gave you the problems with the front wheel bearings like the Coda did? So, they're only batteries, and shelving then seems wrong. Do what makes you happy. Thank you for putting out this sort of content. Always look forward to your videos.

[@SuperUltimateLP]

the wheego had bearing problems too...

[@Gpassantino]

@@SuperUltimateLP I feel like he did the Coda twice inside of less than 100 miles. But could've been the Wheego. I guess the other thought is that the Wheego is a ripoff of a car that was produced in greater numbers, as where I believe Coda is dead-dead.

[@SuperUltimateLP]

@@Gpassantino the wheego also has the worst battery management ever, I feel like a new pack is going to die too, the system has such a huge parasitic drain issue :/ Codas are more worth saving in my opinion ^^

[@Gpassantino]

@@SuperUltimateLP I don't know the amount of systems integration that went into the Wheego. My limited experience tells me that if I hand the vehicle the correct voltage (what it expects to see) that I can use whatever BMS I want. Typically the fuel gauge is just a reading of the battery voltage, it can't really tell SOC. The Coda is nicer for fit and finish, it shows in the pack. The Wheego is clearly the least precision built ride of the three.

[@ailivac]

There may not be many Coda battery packs in the world, but there are some. How many Wheegos powered by Coda batteries exist though?

[@MisterFixit69]

Hi , EV truck service guy here, i love seeing this stuff, very similair to the older trucks we made we only made them bigger ( Interlock is a safety feature, just like a emergency switch, if there is any loose connection the car shuts off/wont start)

[@struanpeat5116]

"not through the windows apparently" is funny as hell, but the bit where he's checking notes he wrode down on his hand because he doesnt know what paper is, subtle genius and very much appreciated

[@sadmac356]

I love these bits

[@hueylewis7887]

2 Ideas: 1.Take a motor from a Coda and make the fastest electric go kart this side of the Mississippi. 2. Battey bank for the bus. Also anyone who drives a Coda knows the parts don't exist anymore. Absolutely nobody should expect a parts market for that car. Literally any use of the batteries is valid at this point.

[@ChadWSmith]

Those are your battery packs, sir. You do you. If you want to make a lawnmower and a Wheego out of them, you go for it. If you want to supercharge a portable video game system so that you never have to charge it ever again in your lifetime - reach for those stars!

[@maxz8807]

Wow, im honestly impressed with the quality of the coda. I mean it ain't great, but you can tell someone put effort into those battery modules

[@theidealcopy_]

I think sacrificing a Coda to revive the Wheego is a fair swap - more interesting to have one of each than two Codas and no Wheego I think. Plus the battery-less Coda will either still be useful for parts and/or could make an interesting base for some kind of project.

[@raven4k998]

yeah make the wheego live again cause those other two dead codas are just part cars anyways and the wheego won't last much longer anyways might as well get it going so it can finsih dying cause from what has been shown the motor to gear box connector on it is likely getting stripped out anyways from being driven something Robert has mentioned has happened another wheego life

[@WatanabeNoTsuna.]

V8 swap! V8 swap! V8 swap!!! 😂

[@JimOHalloran]

Yeah, make the Wheego live again. If there were only ever 11 Coda's built, and Robert has 3 of them, the chances of someone showing up who needs a Coda battery are pretty remote. better to battery swap the Wheego and the mower and get some use from the cells. Either that, or make a 67KW franken-pack for the working Coda :)

[@raven4k998]

@@JimOHalloran yeah that is true plus he has what he needs most for the one that he is keeping that runs the larger 36 kwh battery pack for that coda cause the 67 kwh pack is out of the question for one reason he's not said any plans for making a custom pack for his coda so that means his coda will only have a coda pack regardless of the size

[@JimOHalloran]

@@raven4k998 Yeah, the 67kwh franken-pack was a joke, making an enclosure to fit both lots of cells, then fitting it under the car would be a big job, far bigger than it's worth. Keep the best pack for the working Coda, raid the other Codas for parts for the working one, and make as many other cars/mowers/things around the workshop better using with the spare cells is by far the best approach.

[@tasror]

You are a rotten bugger! I was about 60% through your skit, and enjoying it thoroughly before i realised it was an advertisement! And... then I finished watching it and enjoying it but DAMNIT MAN! You are too bloody good at doing these things. Great video as usual. Ya bastard! :)

[@boringpolitician]

Yeah, that was well done. Well done! I don't care for "sponsored by", I skip it most often. But even though I did after "third idea", still, well done.

[@pete89spotsin]

We as KZbinrs have to survive somehow, sometimes it pays more to accept sponsors until you can afford not to accept them anymore, I don't accept sponsors currently but if I did I would probably take them up on their deal until I was at a high enough subscriber rate to deny the offer. Makes sense to me in his current subscriber rate knowing what I know about KZbinr pay. Either way he's making an amazing effort to make these videos, also providing us tons of information of which allows us to build our own projects. Keep in mind he has to make all of these videos and edit them himself, he's got so many hours dumped into his projects not to mention his video editing, again this comes from a KZbinr. I don't mind fast forwarding the ads that he provides, couple of tabs with my thumb no big deal. What I do value is all the info he's providing to the rest of us that are trying to do the same thing or advance our knowledge on batteries and technology to perhaps not buy it ourselves but build it ourselves, this is why I'm watching his content. Also as a human being thank you for your comment cuz they are all extremely valuable to us KZbinrs, regardless of what is said.

[@squeakers27]

That coda situation is NEVER going to happen. We all love the wheego more than the coda and we want you to do as many things with the battery packs as you can with the lawnmower and wheego

[@JacobNeitling]

Do you mean like a coda owner who needs a battery pack? Caz there is one right here 😆

[@Aaron-be2pt]

"We all love the Wheego more than the Coda" Hard disagree

[@YankeeCherokee]

I think the Codas are worth putting back together. They are so much better built and are perfectly fine. You could sell off one of the Codas to someone else who wants a diy prototype one-of-a-kind piece of electric car history. The Wheego can just take new cells off the market, and wouldnt require all the work of tearing apart those well made packs.

[@the_undead]

Main reason he's not to do that is cuz that is hideously expensive, for what in all honesty is a shit car

[@YankeeCherokee]

@@the_undead You're late to the party dude. He already pulled them apart.

[@ZGryphon]

On a point of order, the slowest overtake in history was the one I got stuck behind on the Interstate coming home from a doctor's appointment the other day. Lane 1 of 2: refrigerated semi truck doing 65 miles per hour. Lane 2 of 2: refrigerated semi truck doing approximately 65.01 miles per hour. Once again society is lucky that I don't own a _Star Trek_ phaser. Definitely revive the Wheego. If, at some future date, some diehard Coda enthusiast needs a battery pack, they can do the same thing you're doing with the Wheego now, and get their replacement cells from some dead EV of the _next_ generation. It's the circle of life.

[@lasskinn474]

What you need instead is a history eraser blaster instead wired to the honker. Better than a phaser since it removes the offending object from having existed in the first place. We have one and not once have i needed to use it, i think.

[@MostlyInteresting]

@@lasskinn474 A car cam video to the companies showing the two drivers doing a rolling road block would be karma.

[@woopimagpie]

@@MostlyInteresting Right, and some poor bloke loses his livelihood just because you couldn't wait for a minute. Good one Karen.

[@MostlyInteresting]

@@woopimagpie Seen to many bored truck drivers playing this way, screwing with other drivers or doing a hill climbing contest. Its a stupid thing to do, and the highway patrol will cite them for it.

[@woopimagpie]

@@MostlyInteresting I bet you've got the cops on speed dial. What fun you must be.

[@NathanMaynardYMB]

Also, to add. I’d love a new “project series” like we got with the Saab 96 and Trabant engine rebuild. Make the Coda pack work for the Wheego, save the BMS, wiring and enclosure and you can always go back later.

[@J0hnBr0wnsB0dy]

i say rip up the battery and resurrect the Wheego. otherwise, the batteries will just collect dust and maybe even more rat poop

[@heinrichhein2605]

I would recommend to not taking apart the cell modules, just if you really need to re-organize the cells that much, or they don't fit. working around the existing modules is mutch easier than building them from the individual cells, also the quality of those modules is superb! For testing, just voltage is not really meaningful, sure it gets you a verry good indication of the health but not reliably enough to be sufficient to built them in a new battery. But I would test them not individually that takes as you have seen either very long or a huge setup to many of them at once. Just test them in the Pack, there are many RC charger/discharger that are cheap and can handle 7S, you can also use it probably for many other projects etc. and this will be more than perfect to find out if the cells are fine, if you see big changer in performance you know in witch paks you have a problem, and you can then further investigate. love your work!

[@Thoringer]

So, you 'could have' aired up the tires - instead you bent a pipe to overcome the flatness. I dig it: Create a tool for a problem instead of fixing the problem.

[@christhesnaildriver]

I thought the same, then I realised that must've been "paperless" Robert. Poor guy probably doesn't realise a device exists to put air back inside a tyre.

[@8bits59]

when the tires are that flat, airing them up is not an easy task. You'd have to generate quite a bit of a pressure wave to get the tire to clamp back onto the rim, since at that point the tire and rim have a gap between them.

[@Elena14204]

Could be dry rotted beyond belief

[@SovietDictator]

@@Elena14204 That was my thought. I make no assumption that aged-out tires will actually hold air. I just had to replace some 8 year old factory-installed Pirellis on my wife's Golf with less than 40k on the whole car (we got it off lease, so the previous driver did not seem to drive it far or often - in a year we put on more miles than the lease customer before the tires decided air wasn't fun)

[@SplicesAndCelluloid]

I think bringing another vehicle back from the dead, even if it's the Wheego of all things, is a worthy use of a Coda pack. In fact, particularly the Wheego, since it is so rare, would be a fair trade in my book.

[@Dozeji]

I'd say give the Wheego a second chance. It's been quite a bit of time since you drove it, and I missed its cute little howl

[@Dozeji]

Also - I missed your high speed disassembly cuts, they're just outstanding like always

[@dwgryphon]

You and Technology Connections manage to make me feel like I almost kinda sorta understand what's going on with electricity, haha. Excellent video, as always, thank you for the needed laughs. On the Coda battery conundrum... Do what will make YOU smile (and I think that's reviving the Wheego).

[@dustojnikhummer]

Yes, revive the Wheego! I do get the "keep if someone else needs it" PoV as well though.

[@thelolzyone6582]

Considering that you need to replace the wheel bearings five times for every 33 miles I don't think the battery pack is what's going to be the death sentence of many Codas. There will be a few spare batteries for the ones who truly need them. Keep the ones you have to get your Coda on the road :)

[@merrickhurst4150]

Good fun and very interesting, thanks as always! I'm not a fan of "keep it just in case" in most circumstances, so I vote to revive the wheego. However. Didn't you say that 36kwh pack failed crash tests? I'm not sure how I feel about that extra 20 miles of range with that cloud looking overhead. It's an unnecessary risk imo. Please don't die.

[@Ildskalli]

It failed them because of the oversized lateral ventilation things, which probably compromised the car's structure in the even of a side crash. It had nothing to do with the batteries themselves. Possibly, because it's all hearsay.

[@AaronSmart.online]

You know he drives two plastic cars on public roads, one of which only has three wheels? And neither have seen anything resembling a NHTSA (or equivalent) crash test.

[@merrickhurst4150]

@@AaronSmart.online no need to tempt fate though, imo

[@jessebrook1688]

Nah, even the car that failed a crash test in 2010 is still better than a Trabant in a crash (1960s car built with 1930s tech).

[@tomhsia4354]

Wow, those Coda batteries have an astounding level of workmanship! In my eyes, since battery cells are consumable it is absolutely okay to rip the battery cells out of the Codas. Maybe someday in the future, you can rebuild them with more modern cells that have higher capacities.

[@DeliciousHotShmoze]

When the commercial portion is so funny and well done that you actually watch it instead of skipping it.

[@gdutfulkbhh7537]

It’s great to see inside an EV like this. For those of us who might be considering buying one, but wondering about the long-term health of batteries, you provided a useful peek inside. Thank you!

[@Cliffdog01]

Considring there isn't that many running Wegos either and you have a lot of info on the third-party battery manufactourer so these battery packs presumably (if they are still in business) could build more for the right price. I think it would be great to get grap the battery management from a donner and put it in the Wego since there system does seem to be more reliable.

[@tcgrier]

Thanks for your videos! I’m not going to pretend that I know anything. I just find you to be humorous as well as quite intelligent. You have a way of making almost any subject very enjoyable. Not that I understand it all, but watching you is a lot of fun! My wife and I both get a kick out of them! Thanks again! Please keep it up! And don’t forget the bus!

[@som3body3]

I put my vote on the riping and tearing the battery pack, imagine this, a weego with a coda pack, you might call it... The FrankenWeego, or the CodaStein!

[@thepfeiffenator2990]

I vote for Weegoda

[@crackedemerald4930]

Sacrificing a coda to the weego god seems blasphemous

[@som3body3]

@@crackedemerald4930 That's the beauty of it, and let's be fair, would you drive that litteral rolling rat nest? plus the weego has some weird charm, being a bootleg electric smart fortwo (maybe better, 'cause the fortwo is a piece of crap)

[@Fay-or3yo]

Codastein sounds less like a car and more like a jewish coding software

[@TheBigWhiteWolf]

The wild wiring, the wild wiring, the ripping and the tearing, the ripping and the tearing.

[@AveragePootis]

I'd like to see you revive the Wheego, but to also save the plastic housing of the Coda battery, that way a new battery could still be built at some point

[@SirFlukealot]

Revive the Wheego with your normal Coda pack, you'll have a higher capacity CODA and a working Wheego, it's a win win IMO

[@BrianRRenfro]

Now you need to do a video where you and Tech Connections do a road trip in a Wheego and call it "Just how BAD can a road trip in an EV be!"

[@_Sphaxz_]

I'd love to see either a Wheego or a Coda in the 24 hours of lemons at some point. I'd be a legit contender for the IOE assuming it could turn a couple of laps at least

[@timothyhays1817]

2.4 hrs of leMullets would be more realistic. Sorry 24mins.

[@FireStriker_]

24 hours of lemons, no way it’s surviving 24 hours. Not to mention it would be a hazard for everyone on the track.

[@BlueTrane2028]

@@FireStriker_ The races are generally 8 hour sessions, I figure with charge time factored in they might be able to squeak out a couple hours in a day. As for the hazard part, it can't be slower than a stock early 80s Escort or a Cordoba or something... and I've had to deal with those roadblocks many times.

[@Beeks81]

@@BlueTrane2028 if they had it out for a few laps a day, it could probably pass a stricken ICE car and avoid being dead last. Thats a win, imo.

[@zJoriz]

24h lemons, is that like a Florida version of the 24 Le Mans?

[@Wagonman5900]

if It were me, I'd use the home-brew nature of the Wheego's battery as an excuse build a new one from new cells into it. See how much capacity you can stuff into that shell.

[@girthquake1413]

26:45 The question I would toss back at you, is: Do what gets you back on the road faster, but consider what would actually be the best use of your time. The Wheego has had terrible reliability but you get good help from that one dealer in Georgia. CODA is on a Toyota frame and chassis, but who knows what parts it shares- as your constant battle with CV joints and hubs show. Hard choice tbh. What do you think you'll do with the motors and controllers? They're from UQM right? Hell even those CVTs might be worth something, no way CODA made their own; I'd say 99% accurate that they're from another manufacturer like Nissan.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

Toyota? I thought the Coda was based on a 1990s Mitsubishi Lancer platform.

[@JimNichols]

I would like to have those battery packs... nice addition to a solar system to my home here in the very sunny Thailand.... a couple of free battery packs massaged into a volatge I could use would have ample KwH for the house to run over night!

[@Berkeloid0]

That was really interesting! Something appeals to me about turning something going otherwise unused into a plentiful source of useful items like good quality batteries. I'm looking forward to seeing what other uses you come up with for the batteries!

[@Steven-yl4lg]

There's a calmness and funniness to your videos. It's soothing. Thank you. I hope your doing well also, physically mentally and all. Thank you

[@myriadtechrepair1191]

Fix janky stuff is always more fun than following a standard repair procedure.

[@NoelBarlau]

All the LFP batteries I have on my channel came from Wheego cars. One of my best friends worked with the guy who founded Wheego, and I bought them from him. Pro tip - the BMS continuously draws a miniscule amount of current, but over years it will drain even those large Winston batteries down to zero. And once they're at zero, they aren't coming back to life. I tried it and have a video of the process on my channel. But the cells which weren't killed permanently still have about 75% life remaining with 2010 date codes.

[@dgurevich1]

Many new EVs come with LFP cells, and no one had it proven how these cells age, until now. I am sincerely greatful for that. Now I can show this when someone claims "EV batteries die too fast"

[@phantom240]

In fairness, the cells in the Coda batteries have likely seen very few charge/discharge cycles, compared to your typical EV.

[@dgurevich1]

@@phantom240 that may be the case, but typical nmc cells don't fare well after just sitting for years too.

[@MrButtonpresser]

Editing skills 10/10 - Content 10/10 - Humour 10/10 and even your adverts are an enjoyment!

[@martinw89]

Robert, I would say that the amount of video content, history, and useful information you’ve put out regarding Coda far outweighs the value of a single pack. If someone was to get in contact with you very soon about needing a donor pack that would certainly change things, but I don’t think it would be worth the space to keep it on a shelf just in case, especially compared to getting the Wheego back on the street. Just my opinion though!

[@The96xjjeep]

I love to watch the sponsor sketches. Your channel is the only one I don’t skip. Glad to see you making videos again.

[@FliesLikeABrick]

I look forward to a project to lithium-retrofit your mower since I expect to need to do the same to mine. There is some great information online from people that have blazed that path

[@JayGroh]

I upgraded my Ariens AMP years ago to 16 CALB 80Ah LiFePo4 cells from Jack Rickard. I'm now looking to do the same with my Ryobi 75Ah zero turn. Have you ran across anyone that has maxed out the battery box on it with cells? I'm hoping I can fit about 200Ah in there with modern cells. It has the same battery box size as the 100Ah zero turn. Just has an extra bracket for the smaller batteries.

[@FliesLikeABrick]

@@JayGroh the guys on diysolarforum appear to have matched-or-exceeded the 115ah capacity of the largest Ryobi, not to mention that you can deep-cycle the lifepo4 instead of trying to stay above 50% on the lead-acid batteries (so you lose half the capacity from the spec sheet right off the bat)

[@JayGroh]

@@FliesLikeABrick Thanks. I'll see whats going on over there. I know when I upgraded my AMP it acted like a different slightly better mower. Except for the over heating in the summer. 80Ah of LiFePo4 was getting 1.75 acre cut per charge vs about 0.75 acre on the lead batteries. Still works fine and has full capacity. I might just end of moving the cells out of it and into the Ryobi but I really want to max out the Ryobi battery box.

[@frankyoung6832]

No joke. The only KZbin creator whose commercials I don’t skip and, in fact, watch with a sort of goofy glee. Well done, Sir… again.

[@RinoaL]

I forgot about Coda. Wonder if these cars should be preserved, especially the sorta-prototype one haha.

[@stevenfaber3896]

if you were to open source the service manual, I think you're ok to use the pack for your purposes. Someone could easily back configure a pack from that, potentially at a higher density or different configuration of cells. Plus you've already given back to the community with this video of pack removal.

[@jmurray01]

I think you have the right idea in upgrading the working Coda and use that battery pack for the Wheego. Either way I look forward to seeing the future videos on the matter!

[@martij30]

Out of all three battery packs you can surely take one and rip it apart of the modules. It'd be a waste to NOT use them. Use the 36kW pack on your drivable Coda and keep the last (31kW) pack as a spare.

[@RinoaL]

I'm tempted to offer to buy the old cells from the weego. I'll send you an email if I think of any project I'd need to buy the mostly-bad cells for.

[@glonkfpv]

Im curious about some cells from one of the Codas.... wondering how much he wants for two or three of them.

[@johno186]

Same here. Those look like a very handy size for building packs of various voltages.

[@shawncell1247]

love your work,i have the same car and software for controller. the motor in the wheego can draw up to 500 amps . this is what killed the original bat . you will have to do a series parallel to make 96 volts

[@_Devil]

Always a great day when Aging Wheels uploads!

[@1978SOOTY]

You sir are the best segue sponsor artist, second only by Tier Zoo. Love your Dad joke skits and how informative you make ever vid. Keep up the good work mate. As a Dad that has been thru a break up, just remember you never stop being Dad and our kids will always need us whether they like you or not at that particular point in time. Keep working hard and be the example you know you are.

[@stevemonkey6666]

I'm waiting for you to put the prototype Coda drivetrain in the Trabant.

[@LeeBv9983]

There was a guy here on YT, a Kiwi, who bought a Trabby wagon in Oregon and drove it to Florida where he lived with the intention of converting it to electric. Then his channel went dead. It revived about a year later and he's back in NZ after getting divorced in Florida and I think the original owner of the Trabby bought it back. I would have liked to see that.

[@TheFastgeek]

Believe it or not, there are at least two Coda's in our (relatively) little town of Morgan Hill, CA. If not for this channel I'd have no idea what it was. That said. Rip the packs apart as you see fit. The Coda's are defunct and (IMHO) not that interesting. The Wheego is a cute little thing that makes me think of an off-brand Smart. No matter what you do we'll be looking forward to the journey!

[@krissjacobsen9434]

As an EV owner I really appreciate these videos! At some point EV's will not only be the normal type of car, but people will work on them themselves. It's great to see the inner workings of these.

[@highpath4776]

Given the speed of a battery pack swap, it is (accidents aside) only the brakes and drivetrain that will wear), Drive in, heavy service, new batteries, and away you go

[@woopimagpie]

@@highpath4776 One would hope that eventually the technology will allow battery packs to be small, light, and safe enough that instead of stopping in to the service station for a fill of petrol you'll just be able to swap your battery pack with a charged one and off you go. In Australia we have a system like this for LPG bottles called "Swap-n-go" where you leave your old empty bottle and exchange it for a full one for a small fee, I imagine one day a similar setup will exist for car battery packs.

[@24ecko]

I feel bad for anyone that owns an EV at this moment lol

[@krissjacobsen9434]

@@24ecko Why? I feel sorry for people driving gas cars. Just look at the gas prices.

[@GoogleDoesEvil]

@@krissjacobsen9434 No road trips with an EV unless you only stick to major cities. No real towing capacity either.

[@parkerfiskar3589]

Gotta say, most KZbinrs I watch I skip through their sponsorships but I like your skits and always watch them at length, I like hearing you argue with yourself 😂

[@repairrestore5674]

Note to self: don't buy off-brand electric cars. Thank you Mr Wheel for this lesson.

[@paulmetzgar2604]

I would keep it and keep it intact. You can use it as a backup for the longer life one. It will be far harder for you to find Koda replacement parts than improvise stuff for the Weego. Besides, you could easily make a fun video or two on making your own version of a battery pack and installing it. I know I would be very happy to see that video.

[@johnlewan1114]

Your approach to creating things is a lot like mine, so you'll probably change plans 2, 3, or 47 times down the road. Whatever you do, I'll be here waiting to watch. Thanks for all your hard work.

[@MarcotGarage]

On my channel, I took a 67 beetle (which everyone says is the best year, one year only) and I chassis swapped it with a subaru. The beetle sat in a field for 25 years before I got it, no one wanted it but the second I start "ruining" it everyone starts freaking out. It's your Coda, rip it apart, use whatever you can, and make whatever you want to drive from the parts, don't worry about what other people want.

[@roberthodgins8856]

Thank you for this. Its a pleasure to watch and listen to you.

[@davidmcclellan4621]

Robert. I love your content, but most of all, you ad spots are always full of just the right amount of dry humor that I get a chuckle and don't skip past them. Keep it up sir!

[@forfluf]

7:53 His name is Robert? This is the first time I hear his name on this channel. And I've been subscribed for 4 years.

[@RadimentriX]

2 options imo: use the already opened/ripped coda pack to revive the wheego and upgrade the mower or fix the second coda to have 2 drivable codas

[@dan725]

You're the only youtuber that I listen to your sponsor portion. They're always amusing and you make it funny. You put quite a bit of effort to make them too hahahahaha.

[@randr10]

I just discovered your channel because of the lawnmower project. I think I'm going to be binge watching all of your videos now lol.

[@thomasbradley4868]

Watching you take the battery pack out That you do learn more because you made look easier this time

[@mwarnas]

That was a surprisingly interesting and well put together video. I even liked the ad sketch you performed, but also little touches like the 'tune' generated by the clips of all the screws you removed from the car to free the battery pack. It's one thing to be an electrician, but quite another to put together a nice video (and shoot it). Thumbs up, my man.

[@nyxie_wolf]

definitly use it for your road going coda! it would be so cool to see that can have more range and be more reliable! and maybe use the smaller battery for the weego

[@gavind128]

I'd suggest get the wheego going, battery swap the mower and you'll have spare to build a decent house battery for the bus all using salvage parts

[@John.0z]

For a start-up company, they were doing a really good job with the battery. What a shame that Coda failed, that car could have been one of the success stories of the EV revolution.

[@pauljs75]

The BMS on that seemed rather good given how balanced all the cells were. I wonder how that compares to other known brands currently on the market?

[@mojekarpaty]

Really glad you're back on a regular basis! Best wishes!

[@bc7444]

This is the only channel I watch where I look forward to the commercials. Love the humor.

[@HStahlberg]

If you're interested in what the interlock is on EVs its essentially an extra wire going through ALL off the HV connectors to make sure none are loose, if the circuit for the interlock is broken at any point the system should put itself out of action until the faulty connection is fixed. :)

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Yours is one of the few channels where I will usually sit through the advert because I find you so entertaining. :)

[@fredericrike5974]

Robert, the first rule of "hot rodding" (means taking parts from different sources to make a fast nasty and hopefully cheap vehicle) ; who ever owns it gets to decide what color/engine/wheels or battery packs (I added that part myself!) every time. It's never going to make "the podium" at Barrett-Jackson, so do it! FR

[@superluig164]

Agree with what Gibo2000 said, use the pack from the working Coda to revive the Wheego as well as lithium swap the mower, however, instead of 12V lithium swapping the Coda, use those leftover batteries for your go-kart project.

[@MrKillswitch88]

There is a way of giving some life back to these cells though it could prove to be a bit risky and it works across multiple chemistry types including regular lithium ion. Just have to thermal cycle the cells (a lot) and eventually the current shunts that formed during normal use begin to breakdown allowing the cells to take on a charge again. I've done it to laptop battery packs that are close to two decades old with decent results and the oldest single pack that I got working is from the late 90s. What happens is as they thermal cycle the copper inside expands applying some mechanical force on the shunts and over a long enough period these shunts breakdown allowing the cell to function as normal again. The greater the difference between when it is warmed up and allowed to cool down to the better the trick works.

[@brianwilson2546]

You’re about the only KZbinr that I actually get excited when I realize you’re about to do the ad read.

[@ReverendTed]

13:18 - And the wires are installed in rainbow order. That's an intuitive touch.

[@ThisRandomUsername]

I know you said you're not doing this anymore, but one thing you could do to test the batteries with less effort is to connect all of the modules in parallel. They're at matching voltages, so you wouldn't get much balancing current. That would involve connecting their balancing leads together to a 6S BMS to make sure no one cell in one module increases above 3.6V. Once they're charged to ~3.55V per cell you charge each parallel group to 3.6V through their balancing leads and then load test each module. Make sure you don't put too much current into the balancing leads. The BMS will make sure none of the cells over-discharge. If you're keeping the good battery you only need to make sure that all the parallel sets of cells match capacity with each other. Otherwise as you said, those batteries seem in such good condition that it's pointless testing them individually.

[@EnderMalcolm]

It may be true that there are very few Coda battery packs left in the world, but you also have 1% of the entire run of Wheego's production line sitting in your garage. It deserves to live. Besides, it's going to be much easier to use batteries from the Coda's pack than trying to find perfect replacements for the Wheego's pack. You already did that research. As a bonus idea for the Wheego, why not give it an overhaul? Not the typical style of overhaul, but your own, quirky take on the idea. You always have something up your sleeve, and we're here for it!

[@AragornThorongilAlissar]

Sadly I didnt get truebill thru this amazing youtuber. But i can say its been very good to leep track of my spending. And notice how much I was loosing on a gym membership. But I love how he explains things I have re watched a bunch of his videos.

[@hello5578]

Fun fact: The technician that approved the battery in the black coda is named Felix avellaneda. And after coda went bankrupt he started working for Rivian. He also opened a resturant named Restaurante FELIX Avellaneda.

[@treelineresearch3387]

Feivel took a break from making nests in Audis and decided to go electric for a bit! I'd go for parting out the pack. Batteries don't last forever and these are already 10 years old, get some use out of them while they last rather than just keeping a relic around in case someone with another rare nugget car might be looking.

[@spokehedz]

The actual unsung hero of this video: THE HARBOR FEIGHT CART. Talk about punching above your weight. I personally love the WheeGo because I own and still drive a Smart ForTwo, and seeing a slightly crappier version of my car, but with electrons instead of gas, makes me chuckle. I am scared that the WheeGo will be unable to cope with all of the power that the new battery will bring, and it will turn Evil.

[@mr.waffles8739]

Please revive the Wheego, I honestly doubt there will be a car collector desperately searching for an original coda pack and I really want to see that Wheego go again I know it might be a little weird but the Wheego kinda means a lot to me, when I was in the market for a smart car I was looking up reviews and alternatives and stuff, and thats when I found your videos on the Wheego and you became my second favorite youtube channel after just a few videos (sorry Northernlions first cause I've been watching him for like 12 years) and I'd be thrilled to see that thing drive again, I'd also love to see more progress on the bus project, but thats neither here nor there

[@imitt12]

Rewatching this video, your tidbit about the incomplete Coda service manual reminded me that Coda actually distributed official towing instructions to organizations like AAA (which is where I found out about them). The usefulness of these instructions, however, is quite debatable given that the only thing they tell you is that the car cannot be towed by a wheel lift and must be towed on a flatbed. It also reminds towers to use caution around the underside of the vehicle and that a shift lock override is not available, which is actually semi-useful information.

[@TestECull]

Also, LiFE cells are boss. I use a LOT of them....albiet much smaller...in my RC planes, cars, boats, to power their radio gear. Love 'em.

[@BlueCollarEV]

Worry about yourself first. Do the big battery swap, make a power wall and fix the weego. Side note about the mower I have the same one and did not maintain the battery as well as you and mine is still great (4 years old) I did have to replace one of the blade motors last week, it would spin but would stall out when the grass was too thick. I could hand spin it and feel it skipping over a magnet so perhaps one of them broke inside. Love the channel.

[@FerralVideo]

I agree with Gibo. Take the pack you already tore apart, lithium swap the mower, rebuild the Weego, and put the 36k battery in your driveable Coda. As for what to do with the 31k battery currently in the Coda? I've always been an advocate of actually using the things you own, and the idea of leaving the battery sit on a shelf doesn't sit well with me. But neither does tearing it apart if you don't have to, so I can fully understand your dilemma.

[@kd1841]

Thanks for a fun and informative video! You make me smile every video. 😃 I vote for the batteries to go in the Wheego. Don’t store something if it can be used. Have a great day!