New UK Owner

[Ccaptain24]

Hi,

Having wanted an Insight for years but not been able to afford when new, or find 2nd hand I finally found the justification to replace my smart. (Commuting 200 miles across the south of England every weekend.)

My car is a grey import, originally registered on 19 Feb 2000. It is in generally in vgc having done about 24,600 miles in that time. I have the (japanese) service records which seem to confirm this. It is a cvt version and drives very well.

I don't know what the first/previous owner was doing in it but the lifetime mpg was 14.5 mpg. I suspect that it has been stood for long periods and it was thick with dust when I received it. My concern is the battery. It died on me a few times in town traffic but I do mainly motorway work and it seems to have improved with use. I would like to re-balance the cells and check for any dead cells to which end I have a few queries.

Where can I obtain a suitable charger?
Where can I obtain spare cells/battery or a second hand battery? (other than a Honda dealer).
The engine is quite intrusive on first start, worse in the cabin than outside, but is almost inaudible when warm. Is this normal?
As my car is a japanese spec car can anyone tell me if it is calibrated in US gallons or Imperial gallons? I have assumed that it is imperial and converted the mpg's to US for my profile. If it is in US galls I shall be stunned. Yes, I know I should have kept accurate records but unfortunately I messed up.

I am a very practical person maintaining my own cars including Daf's and Citroen CX's, have built a kit car and rewired my home and installed central heating, so am quite happy to work on the Honda. I am now looking forward to getting to know my new prize possession.

Thanks in advance for any help, Em

[Roger Crier]

Hi Cc, After a trip, write down the mpg you managed then let the car convert it to litres per 100Km by pressing the Km /miles button on the speedo. By comparing the litres per 100 km figure with your miles per gallon you can see if you are calibrated for imperial gallons or American ones with by using any of the conversion sites on the net......

[retepsnikrep]

Bugger I typed a long reply and lost it !! So this is the short version

Have a search on the forum for grid charging and battery balancing etc all have been discussed many times, ditto engine noise which is mostly normal, all sound rough when cold. Don't know about the mpg thing, good idea by Roger on how to check though.

I can lend a whole pack charger and or a subpack balancer, collection etc reqd and a hefty deposit. I do have two spare packs so if testing reveals any major weakness we may be able to sort it. You can't buy new subpacks ASFAIK, also there are no Insight's in scrap yards in UK. Colleagues in US report Civic subpacks are cheaper and easier to source and fit OK. If your pack had any serious issues it would have set an IMA code/light, yes it's possibly weak but servicable it is 8 years old Regular use is the best medicine for the nimh battery, so keep taking the tabloids

[Roger Crier]

I thought it was just me who lost large amounts of script into the ether.....Anyway...I compared my insights conversion to metric with the internets version and can confirm that my UK car is set up for Imperial gallons. This lot....... http://www.onlineconversion.com/ ......do fuel economy conversions so you can convert from MPG UK to MPG US or either of those to Litres/100km etc etc.

Only got 111.7 mpg (imperial) (93.009 US) on the 40 mile drive home today. I cannot wait to get my MIMA so I can coax a bit more money away from Alistair Darlings grasp...( Alistair Darling is the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer)

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Hi Em, congratulations on your purchase. I still miss my Honda Insight.

Three small initial tips: First is to check whether the CVT transmission fluid has been changed recently; if it hasn't then I would recommend changing it (using the official Honda stuff) and this will help keep the CVT tranny in good condition. Secondly if it has passed through an importers hands, it is also worth making sure that the engine has the right oil (again official Honda stuff at 0W-20) and thirdly you should try and maximise your MPGs by keeping the original Bridgestone tyres if possible, fully pumped up. Feel free to ask any questions!

[Ccaptain24]

Thank you all.
I am going to get the local Honda dealer in Gloucester to give it a full service and cam belt and change all the fluids including the brake fluid (peace of mind).
I will check miles/litre against mpg and actual consumption, and report back.
retepsnikrep you have a pm.

p.s. They tell me that they serviced a red insight last month. I wonder if the owner is on this forum?

[Willie Williford]

I hope you post a pic of the cam belt when they replace it.

Willie

[b1shmu63]

AH, .....Willie was kidding you about the cam belt.

The Insight, unlike most Honda engines, has a timing chain that should be extremely durable. Be a little cautious with the dealer untill you find out if he has a mechanic with any experience on the Insight! Don't let them change your distributor cap, high tension cables, alternator, power steering fluid, etc. as they don't exist! Your plugs are indexed Iridium and won't need work till 110,000 miles. Make sure they don't mess up the under engine aerodynamic covers, and personally I won't let them near the oil drain plug which is threaded into soft magnesium and needs a gentle touch. In short, read this forum and you will likely know more than 99 percent of the mechanics out there about this car. The shop manual is also a great investment.

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Kip in the post above is right to warn you about the quality / knowledge of the dealerships (this applies to nearly all manufacturers). You will need to insist on the correct 0W-20 oil otherwise they will likely put something else in; in the past they had to order it in before the service - search this forum for the UK part number, sold by the litre and they will need three & should give you back a spare half litre. Inspect your car as much as possible before you drive away from the dealership, otherwise they will claim any damage (e.g. under panels) was nothing to do with them etc etc. In short it is probably safer and better for your car if you do it yourself!

[Ccaptain24]

Wow Thank you all. I am very pleased I joined this forum.

They assumed it was basically the same as the Civic. As they want £491 for a 27,000 mile service and cam belt change I might give them a miss

Can you buy oil and filter on line?

At least the rear underfloor cover is missing (I knew this when I bought it). Does it matter? How much effect will it have on the mpg?

My car has Yokohama tyres fitted. Does anyone know how they compare to oe Bridgestones?

I might add that I am sorry to keep asking what may seem silly questions but my internet access is very restricted and searching for info uses up a lot of mb. I am very grateful for all info/help.

Yours, Greenhorn

p.s. It is US gallons... which means I am getting 74 mpg UK... excuse me I have to go and sit down