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Honda Insight Maintenance and Repair

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  • va_01insightva_01insight Member Posts: 2
    My Insight has developed a new trick. It pops out of second gear all by itself. This only happens on deceleration while in second gear and not all the time. I do not believe that hills have any relation to this issue but I may be wrong.
  • svogelsvogel Member Posts: 1
    2001 Insight. "light" went on last May. Oxygen sensor replaced (fairly expensive). Mileage dropped 10mpg. Dealer repair jiggled idle and since mieage now down about 5mpg (partly fixed problem). Recent check by dealer service says nothing is wrong. Any ideas?
    Thanks.
  • Ogre_GEVOgre_GEV Member Posts: 263
    What light? The CEL or the IMA? The LAF sensor (upper O2 sensor) is a $400-$600 part. There are literally dozens of things that it could be from the expensive (cat getting clogged) to the cheap (check your tire pressure). Do you have any codes stored? Without codes you have to look at general issues like dragging calipers and CV joints and things like that.
  • thierrythierry Member Posts: 16
    I checked the panels under the oil pan & they're all tight, but I still here a rattle noise... :cry: could it be my catalytic converter? :confuse:
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    edited November 2010
    A heat shield by the cat? Could be.
  • thierrythierry Member Posts: 16
    I'm checking your the cat. shield out today...Thanks :) !
  • thierrythierry Member Posts: 16
    It's like you had a "crystal ball", it IS the cat. heat shield...Wow!!! :surprise:
    Maybe your crystal ball can tell me if that loose heat shield will be an expensive fix?!? :confuse:
    Thank you for your knowledgeable input. ;)
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Things like heat shields usually aren't an expensive fix. Sometimes it's only that the heat shield got bent and is now too close to something. Unbending doesn't cost much :shades:

    Glad you could find it so easily. Sometimes rattles are a bugger to chase down
  • adamb2adamb2 Member Posts: 1
    I have this same issue with my 2000 Insight (water leaking from below the rear passenger side window) and just had a glass guy come out and check it for me. We took off the inside panel and did a pressure test. The leak is coming from around the fuel intake. He suspected that there is either a missing or damaged gasket. (Either worn out, or possibly left off from some fuel system repair from before I owned the car.)

    Anyway, with a pressure nozzle, it was evident that even from the gas cap area the water could easily get pushed up and look like it's seeping in from below the window.
  • spunjornospunjorno Member Posts: 45
    Your heater problem sounds like normal operation in very cold weather. One of the disadvantages of having a very fuel efficient car is that it is, in fact, very efficient. This means that the engine wastes very little energy. Wasted energy is often in the form of heat. So there's less heat generation and therefore less heat available to be blown into the cabin by the climate control system. Also, the car often shuts off at stops (AUTO STOP feature). Since you are not idling, there's even less opportunity for heat generation, and actually gives the engine time to cool down.

    So here's your trade-off... if you want more heat you'll have to sacrifice some MPGs. If you want, you can make the car less fuel efficient during the coldest winter months only. One way to do this is to drive with gear shift in the "S" position during cold weather. The car will have slightly more performance by being higher rev-ing (lower gear ratio). This will create more friction and therefore more heat in the engine. It will also cancel the AUTO STOP feature so you'll generate more heat at stops instead of giving the engine a cool down period. Of course your millage will also go down. Also turn off the ECO button which blunts the climate control in order to improve millage.

    If you really wanted to get crazy, you could pull a fuse to disable the electric portion of the engine (IMA system). The gas engine will then have to do all the work. Working harder generates more heat. Reinstall the fuse in Spring.
  • crowheartcrowheart Member Posts: 36
    Hello,
    I am doing some preliminary research on this vehicle and I was hoping to get answers to questions and concerns that I have about this car. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    1. I watched a Consumer Reports video and read the rating on this car and it wasn't very flattering. The main concern was handling,acceleration,and slow ESC engagement. I need to be able to merge safely on highways with this car and that would be all about acceleration. Handling at the upper limits with the Insight would be important as well.

    2. Here is anther concern of mine. How long is this battery expected to really last? Has Honda improved the battery since the 1st Gen Insight? We tend to keep our cars a long time so an added large expense 8-10 years down the road gives me pause. Does anyone know the failure rate of even the 1st Gen Honda batteries?

    3.I am also concerned about the tragedy in Japan and the potential impact on prices and supplies for this vehicle(I feel selfish for asking this question considering the suffering this earthquake has placed on the people of Japan).

    Any help answering these questions would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks and have a great day! :)
  • carandbricarandbri Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2011 Honda Insight on Friday. I've been test-driving many different makes and models looking for a fuel-efficient vehicle and I suggest you do the same. There is never a certain outcome to any decision so at times you've got to just go for it. I find that the driving experience in the Insight is outstanding. I feel like I'm driving a race car, not an economy vehicle. Getting on the freeways or accelerating in other situations is no problem. The EX model that I got has, a Sport mode for manual shifting via the paddle shifters, which provide for a very responsive experience. I purchased the extended warranty on this vehicle, which I don't usually do but since it is my first hybrid I felt more comfortable doing so. Make sure when you are reading the various online forums you are clear as to which generation of Insight the posts are referring to; it can get a bit confusing. Good Luck!
  • genericaccountgenericaccount Member Posts: 8
    I like that car :)
  • quigzquigz Member Posts: 2
    I don't mean to get off topic here. I got the 2010 Honda Insight, and I am adding solar panels to increase the miles per gallon - although I am worried aboput tapping into the IMA battery and voiding the warranty.

    If anyone is interested, you can track my progress here:
    http://quigzsolarideas.blogspot.com
  • Ogre_GEVOgre_GEV Member Posts: 263
    By my calculations, your 5W 12V charger would take about 1,500 hours to charge your battery, or about 4 months of sunny days. I'm not even sure if it could keep up with the overnight charge loss due to the normal self-discharge rate of the cells.

    But, the HV battery is disconnected from the circuit when the key is off, so you will charge your 12v battery and nothing more.

    To effectively charge one of these batteries, you need a collector the size of the roof of a house - a large house.
  • margeauxl1margeauxl1 Member Posts: 2
    Water is leaking into my Insight's seat belt area, somehow, making the seatbelts soaked and wet. Does anyone have any tips as to how to get this problem fixed? Will the Honda Customer Care Package cover this? Thanks! :surprise:
  • jbinsightjbinsight Member Posts: 3
    hi margeauxl1

    check out insight central, lots of people with this problem including me. Mine was caused when i had my windshield replaced by a non-honda place and when they took of the molding/trim above the door they broke of some of the plastic clips which let the water channel down the door pannel where the seat belt assembly is. Also i had the roof repainted and when they removed the liner they found a few other leak areas. ill cut and paste some of the other comments from insight central below. good luck

    have had the same wet seat belt problem. yesterday my honda dealer found the problem in my 2000 model insight. they said it was leaking from the roof molding clip. they had to remove some interior trim and seal it. i am happy to say it worked. last night it came a gully washer and the seat belt was dry this morning. hope this helps :D
    http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=307&postdays=0&postorder=asc- &highlight=water+leak&start=15
    The dealership did a water leak test and eventually found the culprit. The top "A" pillar trim clip will allow water to enter the body and drain into the "B" pillar and soak the seat belt retractor mechanism.

    The clip is white and is at the very top of the roof and is the last one before the "A" pillar trim ends at the top before the rear window. My dealership used windshield adhesive/sealer to seal this clip into place. All of the white plastic clips under the "A" pillar trim piece have a thin rubber washer to seal out water, but the ones I got to see were squashed flat and didn't look like they would block out the water.

    So far no more wet seat belt. If and when the other side ever gets wet I know exactly what to ask to be done. Overall the experience was a PITA, but i'm glad the leak is fixed.

    WARNING:
    Don't let the dealership butcher your "A" pillar. The service technician who worked on my trim piece buggered up the paint on my fender and under the trim piece while taking it off. They gave me back my car while they waited for parts and I spotted all of the paint damage. Luckly my dealership is pretty cool and they fixed it at NO charge when I complained. Ask your service advisor to make sure that they read the service manual befor removing this trim piece and they are trained on servicing the Insight.

    http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=307&postdays=0&postorder=asc- &highlight=water+leak&start=15
    I have had this problem on my 2000 model year insight. The problem originally ocurred back in February of 2003 but took a few tries to diagnose. The dealer tried everything and finally had to call Honda tech support to determine that the leak was happening under the A pillar retaining clips. They also had to replace the seatbelt as it smelled very bad.

    After the first hard rain of this season the problem seems to be back. My carpet and under padding is totally thrashed this time and the entire car stinks of mold. When I discovered the problem the car had been at the airport for four days in the rain. Since the car is still in warranty I am insisting that the Honda dealer take care of not only the leak but the bad smell. They have agreed to replace the carpet padding and steam clean the carpet. I am taking the car in for service on November 11th. Hopefully they can fix the problem this time as having a stinky car is getty really old
    http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=307&postdays=0&postorder=asc- &highlight=water+leak&start=30

    I just want to add my 2 cents worth... the main clips that cause the leaking are the very first ones... right up above each passenger door. Right where the panels connect. If you put silicone eg.. around these clips it will stop the leaking into the seatbelt area... hope that helps

    I've read all the posts here and here's my 2 cents worth...

    I had the same issue wet seatbelt etc.. So I had my Honda dealer show me the famous A pillar plastic seal .. and I guess the easy fix for me was they opened up the side area where the seal is put some silicon around it and vioal problem fixed... hth

    You sure you got the correct clips? The a pillar clips is the very first one you'll see when you peel back the panel. The other clips are more forward than those and if you notice they are alos on a decline so the water will move further down the car... those are the source problem clips.. You may need to lift them a bit and make sure silicone is completely sealing them. Should fix your issue...

    http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=307&postdays=0&postorder=asc- &highlight=water+leak&start=45
    photos

    My 2005 Insight spent 4 days at the Honda dealer to repair the wet seat belt problem. They actually found three leaks, first one at the trim clips that have been mentioned here, the second one at the left side roof seal and the last one at the rear hatchback. All were covered under the warranty. As good luck would have it, we had a torrential rain the day after picking the car up and she remained dry. The Honda dealer had never experienced a wet seat belt problem before, but added the rear hatchback leak has been a problem source. I had not noticed any water in the back, but glad they did as I only have 4 months left on warranty

    have a 2000 manual 5 spd and I too am/was having the problem with the driver side seat belt getting wet and smelling after a heavy rain storm. I decided to remove the plastic grey plastic interior cover. I sat inside while I had someone run water hose on top of the car. I noticed a small water drip coming right above the seat belt retractor. I then noticed what the honda insight service manual calls a protector that is a clear plastic behind the seat belt retractor. I then noticed that the plastic protector double sided tape/rubber seal was broken lose. The rubber seal was not totally sealed around the metal which i think the water might be leaking into. This was about a year ago. I just removed the grey plastic interior cover, to help air out the seat belt retractor, and have not noticed much problems yet. But I still need to looking into the problem and fix it. I will use some of the post as a guide for this problem that I have noticed that the problem might be coming from the clip
  • hondagodzillahondagodzilla Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem. I have a 2010 insight.
    When I call he dealer that I purchased it from, I get nothing but the round around. They claim no one else has this problem and after having my car all DAY long they said there was no problem.(said they ran under a heavy car wash)

    I asked to speak with the Dublin Honda Owner, Ken Harvey. Ironically, the shuttle driver said he is there every day, but when I asked to speak with him, he is not available.I finally spoke with a Service repair supervisor and he agreed to get me a rental car and give him and his staff the opportunity to check it out tomorrow again. We'll see if they even move the car from its present location.

    The Patt answer is "its under warranty, bring it back..." they don't realize people have to work to make the Honda payments.

    I am furious with this Honda Dealership. My advise: Don't buy Honda
  • lsmooklerlsmookler Member Posts: 1
    edited September 2011
    Within the last 4 months my millage has dropped from 47mpg to 35. Granted I do live in Houston Texas and the weather has been extremly warm. Would using the air conditioner cause the millage to drop. What else would cause it to drop a good 12mpg? How can I increase the millage to 47-50 mpg. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank You,
    Lewis
  • johnobviousjohnobvious Member Posts: 2
    Bought my 2011 Insight back in March and everything going great. The one thing I am a little worried about is the first oil change. Have almost 4,500 miles and the display is telling me I still have 50% life. I am far from a 3,000, 3 month guy but I am looking at well over 8,000 miles before my first change. Is this normal? Mostly city driving but I am super easy on it and have been getting about 45 per since I got it.
  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,968
    Follow the oil minder that's in your car...it's there for a reason. I felt the same way when I got my Civic back in '06 but I waited till the minder got to 15% to swap out the oil & filter. Was told the break in oil has a special formula and to wait till it gets to 15% to change it...so I did. Have to believe the engineers who built the car knew what they were doing. And 45 ain't to bad!

    The Sandman :) :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • spunjornospunjorno Member Posts: 45
    Yes Lewis, A/C will drop your mileage. The hotter the temps, the harder the A/C has to work, and the more it will rob your MPGs. It also does something else too. It sometimes causes your engine not to shut off when stopped at a traffic light, which it usually does to save gas. This means you will be often idling, and therefore further robbing your gas mileage. This is because the engine needs to run in order to run the A/C. So the engine keeps running to keep you comfortable. ...Unless you are in the ECO mode.

    In the ECO mode, the engine is MORE likely to shut off when stopped at a light in order to save gas (although not always). But at the disadvantage of making you warm during that time. You will cool down again when you get moving again. But keep in mind that even in the ECO mode there are often times when the engine only shuts down for 14 seconds before restarting. Other times it wll still will not shut down at all. (It has to do with the humidity -- the car tries to make sure that you don't fog up your windows while sitting at a light.)

    So yes, 12mpgs makes sense. I'm assuming nothing else about your driving conditions/style has changed besides temperature (like traffic, tire pressure, etc).

    For tips on how to increase your overall mileage, check out the posts on the Insight board under the topic of Real World MPGs. I and others have some helpful posts. Some posts have talked about how to use your A/C without having as much of an impact on your mileage.
  • dnatechdnatech Member Posts: 25
    I recently purchased a new 2012 Insight base model and the dealer pushed me to buy an extra warranty for 7 or 8 years / 80,000 miles for $967.00.
    I did not, since most of the time, if it's offered , you don't need it. I read in the warranty booklet, that in Rhode Island the IMA system is covered for 10 years/80,000 miles. Has anyone on this forum bought the extra warranty? Should I have?
    I posting my question here because no one on the forum"Buying experience" has answered the same question.
    Thanks in advance
  • spunjornospunjorno Member Posts: 45
    No. I didn't buy it either. It's a Honda. Right there is my assurance that it's a reliable car.
  • dnatechdnatech Member Posts: 25
    Thanks for the positive answer "spunjorno, "!
    After 358 miles, I did my first gas fill up and the display showed 49.9 mpg!
    Love the car so far.
    Still puzzled why at a red light, the car goes is "motor shut off", but not in a parking lot in the gear at "parking position"?
    Thanks for the reply.
  • spunjornospunjorno Member Posts: 45
    That threw me at first too. But then it occurred to me that to go to Park you have to pass through Reverse. The car has to come out of "autostop" in order go into the reverse gear.

    And 'Park' is where you start the car. So it can't be in "autostop" in the gear where you need to be able to start...
  • pete450pete450 Member Posts: 1
    Greetings,
    I have a 2002 Insight and enjoy the ride. Took it down to L.A. from S.F. and arrived much less battered than with my prior car, a Mustang. The Insight handled smoothly , its low-slung profile a great feature.
    Noticeaby, the car's miles per gallon increases with long distance driving and at prolonged higher speeds. Is that to be expected?
    And how does one "tune" this vehicle to increase its mpg from an average 34-35 mpg. around town? Thanks in advance,
  • spunjornospunjorno Member Posts: 45
    There are some helpful tips on increasing Insight mileage in the other discussion board. Under "Insight", look for the discussion titled, "Honda Insight MPG-Real World Numbers".
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    With a little bit of html... Honda Insight MPG-Real World Numbers :shades:
  • joacchimjoacchim Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2004 Insight and there's a fiberboard(?) pan under the engine that must be removed in order to drain the engine oil when changing it. The original mounting bolts for this "pan" have long ago frozen and I've been using nylon wire ties to refasten it following each oil change. Question: Is this pan really needed? What purpose does it serve? It's a real pain re-fastening it every time I change the oil and I'd like to just discard it but not sure if it's needed for anything besides fuel mileage improvement. Thanks (in advance) for any answers!
  • dnatechdnatech Member Posts: 25
    Hi

    I live in New England (RI) and I was contacted last year by Honda that needed confirmation I still own my 2012 Insight regarding the Air bag replacement. I understand that the air bag will be replaced but I am not on the priority list like people living in humid climates i.e. Florida.

    Has anyone living in New England had their air bag replaced?

    Thank you!
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    edited February 2017
    I've always contacted my dealer to get the recall process rolling fairly quickly after any recall notice I've gotten over the years. The fact that there is a priority list would make me want to "get in line" early as parts availability might go to those places first as demand dictates.

    As an example, last year I had a front coil spring recall on our Versas. We contacted the dealer, and fortunately, they had the parts for Versas they had in their inventory and used them for our vehicles, and re-ordered for their unsold vehicles. Otherwise, we probably would have had a couple of weeks wait until the parts came in. Lucky for us as the right front coil spring broke as I was backing out of the driveway on the morning before our recall replacement.
  • dnatechdnatech Member Posts: 25
    Regarding air bag replacement, I finally got mine replaced along with oil changed AND 2 rear damper shocks to pass the RI inspection.
    This is probably the most money I spent so far: $833.00.included inspection and oil change: the car just passed 60,000 and the total spent for maintenance to this day since Aug 2012 is $1,780.
    The mpg averages 53. I am very pleased with this car and I hope the new Insight will be just as good.
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