Maintenance Schedule Charts

There are two maintenance schedules, one for normal conditions and one for severe conditions. Use the "Severe Conditions" schedule if one or more of the following apply:

• You mainly drive less than 5 miles (8 km) per trip or, in freezing temperatures, driving less than 10 miles (16 km) per trip.
• You mainly drive in extremely hot [over 90ºF (32ºC] conditions.
• You mainly drive with extensive idling or long periods of stop-and-go driving.
• You mainly drive with a roof rack, or in mountainous conditions.
• You mainly drive on muddy, dusty, or de-iced roads.
• You live in Canada.

If you only occasionally drive under a "severe" condition, you should follow the "Normal Conditions" maintenance schedule.

Maintenance Schedule - Normal Conditions
Service at the indicated distance or time - whichever comes first.	miles x 1,000	15	30	45	60	75	90	105	120
	km x 1,000	24	48	72	96	120	144	168	192
	months	12	24	36	48	60	72	84	96
Replace engine oil		Replace every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or 12 months
Replace engine oil filter
Check engine oil and coolant		Check oil and coolant at each fuel stop
Replace air cleaner element		.		.		.		.
Inspect valve clearance		Adjust only if noisy							.
Replace spark plugs		.	.	.	.	.	.		.
Inspect and adjust drive belts		.		.		.		.
Inspect idle speed		.	.	.	.	.	.		.
Replace engine coolant		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Replace transmission fluid		.	.	.	.	.		.	.
Inspect front and rear brakes
Replace brake fluid		.	.		.	.		.	.
Check parking brake adjustment
Replace air conditioning filter		.		.		.		.
Rotate tires (Check tire inflation and condition at least once per month)		Rotate tires every 7,500 miles (12,000 km)
Visually inspect the following items: Tie rod ends, steering gear box, and boots Suspension components Driveshaft boots Brake hoses and lines (including ABS) All fluid levels and condition of fluids Cooling system hoses and connections Exhaust system Fuel lines and connections

Maintenance Schedule - Severe Conditions
Service at the indicated distance or time - whichever comes first.	miles x 1,000	15	30	45	60	75	90	105	120
	km x 1,000	24	48	72	96	120	144	168	192
	months	12	24	36	48	60	72	84	96
Replace engine oil and oil filter		Replace every 3,750 miles (6,000 km) or 6 months
Check engine oil and coolant		Check oil and coolant at each fuel stop
Replace air cleaner element Use normal schedule except in dusty conditions
Inspect valve clearance		Adjust only if noisy							.
Replace spark plugs		.	.	.	.	.	.		.
Inspect and adjust drive belts		.		.		.		.
Inspect idle speed		.	.	.	.	.	.		.
Replace engine coolant		.	.		.		.		.
Replace transmission fluid		.		.		.		.
Inspect front and rear brakes		Inspect every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or 6 months
Replace brake fluid		.	.		.	.		.	.
Check parking brake adjustment
Replace air conditioning filter		.		.		.		.
Rotate tires (Check tire inflation and condition at least once per month)		Rotate tires every 7,500 miles (12,000 km)
Visually inspect the following items: Tie rod ends, steering gear box, and boots Suspension components Driveshaft boots		Every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or 6 months
Visually inspect the following items: Brake hoses and lines (including ABS) All fluid levels and condition of fluids Cooling system hoses and connections Exhaust system Fuel lines and connections Lights and controls Vehicle underbody

Q: Service bulletin / recall chart

Q: How do I turn off the "maintenance required" light?

A: The information printed in the year 2000 owner's manual is incorrect. This was corrected for the year 2001 manual. To turn off the "maintenance required" light, follow this procedures:

1. Press and hold the trip button until the end of step 5.
2. Turn the ignition key to the "on" position.
3. Wait for the "maintenance required" light to turn off (about 10 seconds).
4. Turn the ignition key to the "lock" position.
5. Turn the ignition key back to the "on" position.

Q: What service manuals are available for the Insight?

A: The following service manuals are available. You should be able to buy these through your Honda dealer. They can also be ordered online from http://www.helminc.com.

There are also some manuals that are only available to dealers; that is, they have no retail price, and your dealer probably has a copy of these. These include the Insight Technical Information Guide, the Accessory Installation Manual, and the pre-delivery inspection manual.

Q: Is corrosion protection / "rust-proofing" a good idea for the Insight?

A: I don't know that there is any definitive answer to this question, but I would certainly think twice before having any sort of "rust"/corrision/paint protection applied to the Insight.

First off, let me say that living in an area where a lot of road salt is used (Ottawa, Canada), I am quite familiar with the difficulty of keeping a steel bodied car from quickly rusting. This is one of the things that first caught my attention about the Insight - the fact that it is made of aluminum instead of steel.

I have not and will not apply any sort of protection to my Insight, other than the waxing the owner's manual suggests.

If you are considering any form of protection, here are some things you might want to consider:

1. Is body corrision even an issue? Although aluminum won't "rust", it can corrode, especially when in contact with a dissimilar metal together with a catalyst (such as salt).

However, when aluminum does corrode, it doesn't forming "rust" which flakes away and leads to further corrision. Instead, it forms a hard, white oxide on the surface, which actually protects it from further corrision. You can almost see this as a self-corrision protection.

2. Don't assume that what is good for steel is good for aluminum. It may seem that no harm can be done by sealing the aluminum from salt contact, even if it isn't needed. However, you can be fairly certain that the shop is going to be chemicals designed for use on steel, and not developed for or tested on aluminum bodied cars.

3. You don't want to interfere with any factory corrision protection. Even in a steel bodied car, many forms of corrision protection may do more harm than good, by displacing or interferring with the factory-applied corrision protection. While there are certainly some reputable corrision protection shops, it is questionable how much benefit many common forms of "rust proofing" provides, even for a steel bodied car.

4. Environmental concerns. If you bought the Insight for environmental reasons, this is another reason to avoid spraying oil and other chemicals in & on the car, at least some of which will wash off and into the ecosystem.

5. Is corrision of other parts an issue? The Insight does have some exposed steel parts, such springs and rear suspension components. However, these thick parts don't tend to be the problem areas for rust. Instead, it is thin body panels that pose the biggest problem for steel bodied cars. This is why many forms of corrision protection only target the body.

One exposed body part where corrision will be a factor in locations where a lot of road salt is used is the steel exhaust system. However, the smartest way of dealing with this may be just to accept that the exhaust system is eventually going to rust and that the muffler and exhaust pipes will have to be replaced, rather than spending the effort and money on some sort of protection of questionable effectiveness.

Q: What about underbody coatings?

A: If the goal is corrision protection, then much of what I've said in the section above about corrision protection applies here also.

However, some undercoatings will provide the advantage of cutting down on interior cabin noise, which might make them worth considering if this is an issue for you.

Keep in mind that the Insight has unique plastic underbody panels for smooth airflow under the car. In order for the undercoating to be effective, the shop you are dealing with would have to remove those panels and apply the coating to the metal panels / components behind the panels.

Q: What should I do to protect my Insight's body?

A: This is my advice - which largely mirrors what the owner's manual says:

1. Wax the car when water no longer beads up on the surface. You can do this yourself, or pay a professional to wax it. The factory-applied wax coat should last at least a year, if not significantly longer.

2. Use Honda's touch-up paint to seal any paint chips/scratches, especially if bare metal has been exposed.

3. Ensure that body drainage holes do not become blocked or clogged.

4. In areas where road salt is used, wash the car as regulary as possible during the winter. While I wash my Insight by hand at home during the summer months, in the winter I go to a _clean_ wash-it-yourself place. When there, I use the high-pressure spray to clean the underside of the car and inside the wheel wells.

5. You may want to consider protecting the front bumper and bottom of the hood with the 3M "invisible bra" product.

Q: How do I remove the interior door panels?

A: Step #1 With a flat screwdriver, gently pry the speaker cover off. It helps to cover the screwdriver(s) with masking tape to prevent scratching. Remove the three #1 Phillips head screws around the speaker. These are deeply recessed, and are not the three screws that hold in the speaker.

Step #2 Pry open the small black screw cover near the chrome door handle. Pry from the front, this cover is hinged in back(I think!). Remove the black screw with a #00 Phillips.

Step #3 Gently pry the top & bottom black plastic covers off of the door pull (these pull off perpendicularly from the door, and are probably the hardest part of the job). Remove the screws underneath with a #1 Phillips. These screws have a larger head; don't mix them with the speaker screws.

Step #4 Remove the triangular piece covering the outside mirror anchors by grabbing it with your fingers near the window channel and pull it perpendicularly towards you.

Step #6 Sit down in the seat, place your feet on aluminum door bottom to brace the door. Starting at the bottom outside plastic edge, pull perpendicularly while trying to get your fingers between the plastic and the aluminum. There are six "pop-pins" that need to be released, two near the hinge, two on the bottom near the armrest and door pull, and two on the outside edge.

Step #7 When all six "pop-pins" are released raise the panel up about two inches on the rear outside edge. This is to partially release the window channel

Step #8 Gently pull the plastic assembly that holds the window switch and chrome handle from the back, towards the rear, twisting slightly. This releases the metal tab that holds this assembly in place. Because the switch and chrome handle stay with the door, it must pass through the hole in the panel in which it mounts.

Step #9 Lift the panel straight up to release it from the window channel.

Step #10 Release the speaker wire lock and remove the speaker wires.

By: Kevin Dougherty