Full Display Brightness with Headlights

This is something that a lot of people miss in the Owner's Manual, though it is mentioned briefly:

As you probably know, the brightness of the dashboard display can be adjusted using the + and - buttons immediately below the display. As you probably also know, the display automatically dims to a lower level when the headlights are turned on. The car remembers the last setting for headlights-off mode and also for headlights-on mode. There are in fact two different ranges of display brightness that are available with headlights on vs. headlights off, with the dimmest setting available with headlights on being dimmer than with them off, and the brightest setting with headlights off being brighter than with them on. So visually, the range of display brightness is as follows:

Normal Headlights On Range				Headlights On, Dimmer "Cancel"
	Headlights Off Range
Dim				Bright

What many people don't know, however, is that you can still get full display brightness with the headlights on, by pressing and holding the + button for a second or two, until the display jumps to full brightness. This is what the word "cancel" beside the + button indicates - you can also use it to "cancel" display the automatic dimming that accompanies turning on the headlights.

The previous dimmed setting for headlights-on mode will return the next time you turn on the headlights, or can be returned by pressing the - button.

Fuel Cut Mode Can be Seen on FCD

A lot of people in the U.S. and U.K. miss out on knowing when the Insight is in fuel cut mode, thinking that the only time you're consuming no fuel at all is during idle stop mode. Fuel cut mode is hidden in miles mode, since the maximum fuel efficiency that the display will register is 150 MPG. However, in metric mode (which can be accessed by pressing and holding the mph / km/h button for a couple seconds), the display registers right down to 0 L/100km. You will see the bar graph fall to zero in fuel cut mode, such as when you remove your foot from the accelerator pedal, or during braking.

How to Force the FCD to Update Sooner

The average MPG / L/100km number displayed on the dashboard normally updates only once per minute. However, if you want to see what your fuel efficiency average is prior to the next minute elapsing, you can do so by pressing the FCD button twice in a row (i.e. "double-click" it).

How to Stay Cool In Idle Stop Mode

As you're probably aware, the Insight will only enter idle stop mode when the climate control is set to Econ mode. When set to Econ mode, the fan is normally controlled automatically, and is shut off when in idle stop mode. Generally this works fine, because the time spent at a traffic light isn't long enough for the car to warm up. However, if the car has been parked in the sun for a while, you might prefer that it keep you cool at the first few stoplights you come to.

You don't have to switch the climate control into full "Auto" mode and give up idle stop in order to stay cool, though. Keep the climate control in "Econ" mode, and then press the Fan button to set the desired fan speed. When you do this, the fan icon & bar graph will appear in the climate control display, and the fan will continue running even when the car enters idle stop mode. Because the time spent at a stoplight isn't typically long enough for the A/C evaporator coil to warm up, you'll continue to get cool air. When the light turns green and you start moving again, the A/C compressor will start up again to keep the cold air coming.

To return to auto-fan-speed mode, where the fan is turned off during idle stop, and varies in speed depending on how far the current interior temperature is from the temperature you've set, just press the Auto button, then press Econ again.

Why doesn't the Insight keep the fan running during idle stop in auto-fan-speed mode? Presumably this was done so that you don't start warming up the interior of the car if you stay stopped for a longer period of time than the typical stop light.

How to Get Idle Stop in Freezing Temperatures

Normally, if you have the climate control on in any mode at all, idle stop will not function when the exterior temperature is below 5°C (40°F). This is so that the cabin will continue to be warmed, since interior heat comes from the gasoline engine, and engine coolant is only circulated when the engine is running.

As a result, many people notice that their Insight is no longer entering idle stop during winter months. This isn't generally a big deal, since the fuel savings for most short stops from idle stop isn't really that great. However, if you know that you're going to be stopped for a longer period of time (e.g., the light just turned red as you were approaching it), you can still get idle stop by pressing the climate control Off button before you come to a complete stop. If you wait until you come to a complete stop before turning off the climate control, it will have no effect, as you've already passed the point where idle stop would have engaged if were going to.

Essentially, Honda engineers have made the assumption that if you have the climate control system on, that you want to stay warm in cold weather, and so put your comfort in cold weather above saving a little fuel for idle stop. On the other hand, if the climate control is off, they know that there is no reason to keep the engine running for the sake of your comfort, and so idle stop will still be permitted, even in very cold temperatures.

I do this even when it is -30°C outside, with no problems. The only drawback is that when it is extremely cold, if you're at a long stop light, the cabin interior may start to cool down before you begin moving again.

You can counter the cabin cooling down by turning the climate control system back on after you've come to a complete stop. This won't cause the engine to restart until it normally would. This will give you a little more heat, but the heater core will cool down relatively quickly, and you'll then be blowing cold air on yourself. I don't recommend turning the climate control back on until after the engine has restarted.

Where to Find More Storage Space

You probably already know about all the obvious storage spaces in the Insight:

• The main cargo area behind the seats
• The below-floor cargo bin
• The glove compartment
• The net pocket between the seats
• Under the seats

Here are a few options that you may not have realized:

• There is a storage pocket on the back of the passenger-side seat.
• By removing the liner of the below-floor cargo bin, a lot more "dead" space is made available.