Hey all,
Pick Greta up in Kingman AZ Tuesday night.
Fred; I hadn't thought about naming the Insight but when I picked it up, I decided Greta would be in order. The owners explained how they had just built an off the grid ranch about 4 miles off the pavement and needed a 4-wheel drive to get up to it. They even contemplated trailering the Insight up to the ranch and back down to the pavement when a trip called for it. This is how the Insight became available to me. After building the ranch and several out buildings, the owner is considering naming the spread Greataville, after his wife, Greta. They bought the Red Insight new for Greta and she had only put 34k miles on it and had all maintenance done by Honda. Can think of a better way to tie the cars history and owners together then by naming Insight Greta. Don't think there are going to be many Insights that are sold where the owner thought of every way to keep them. I feel lucky getting this one.
I Left Kingman AZ at 10:30 Tuesday night after a quick stop at Walmart for supplies and a new tire gauge. I pumped the tires to 50. Never driving an Insight before, and knowing I had a day and a half to get back for a graduation I started out. I drove up to 7,000 feet to Flagstaff, mostly about 80-85mph. averaged about 52mpg. After getting a room, I got up about 7am and started the rest of the trip. In the hotel lot I had at least 3 people by Greta checking her out. The conversation took another half hour before getting rolling. There were wind advisories and I had a very strong south wind the entire trip. I noticed Greta moves around a lot.
I knew I would need new tires and will also have the alignment checked. I am hoping the wind was the biggest culprit with the wandering and darting around, it became tiresome for 1800 miles. I drove between 75 and 85 almost the whole trip and it looked like I was going to average about 53 mpg. I didn't think that was too bad considering I was not trying to conserve at all. I did have one tank where it only averaged 48mpg, not sure if it was fuel or the very strong wind, I even tried conserving and it wouldn't help. I even wondered it something had happened to Greta. After that tank Greta was back up to 54 mpg when problems set in with only 200 miles to home. I noticed a slight rumble, slowly getting worse. I was thinking I had a wheel bearing going bad and then engine or transmission. It got worse and I then thought perhaps a broken belt in a tire. I pulled into a rest area shutting her off and coasting on the ramp to eliminate engine and transmission, rumble was still there and really bad!
Left front tire was still full of air but thread face was separating and coming apart. After a quick change to the spare I knew I would only be able to drive 50/55mph. I reset trip A to see what she would really do trying to save some fuel. At one point Greta was averaging 91.8, I just had to make a few phone calls to family and friends. We had some climbs and with stop and go from highway to my drive never got back to that point. After approximately 175 miles she averaged 88.7mpg. I am impressed!
After all that, I am thinking with Madison only 3 hours away, even a rookie like me should go to the Hybrid fest if my schedule allows.
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1990 SS454 pick up 8mpg (54k original miles)-1975 Monte Carlo (18k original miles) 496ci 800hp, 3gal/mi, 2003 Insight CVT Red 100,966k (Greta)
I thought that the fuel consumption difference between my Mazda 1800cc Miata and my Insight was large, but seeing you own a 1200 bhp monster sets the gold standard
Glad you survived that tyre scare ok without any damage to Greta...I run 55 psi in mine now, and found that gave about 5% better figs over running at 50 ....but I didn't go to either of those pressures until I had fitted new tyres, which don't cost much anyway.
So what 1/4 mile times do you get when you are burning fuel 800 times faster than a well driven Insight?
Rog
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Blessed are the "cracked" for it is they who let in the light.
Your mileage will vary greatly from 45 mph up to 85mph. What I found funny, and I am sure you will too, is your definition of good and bad mileage will change. A bad day for me is 55 - 65 mpg ...... good is 80 mpg +
Hey Roger,
Best Monte Carlo has run is 10.90s , this is a stock bodied ( not lighten at all Monte ), it weighs about 4400 pounds (2000 kgs). On the 10.90 run the nitrous was on the lean side popping so there is more in it.
Just got back from ordering 4 new Bridgestones. Should have them on by Tuesday. The 18 yo drove to the tire shop and back. He got 59.8mpg all stop and go. He even came in side got on the computer and figure out we only used .4 of a gallon. I let him know the more than half tank of fuel that is left was still what was left over from my purchase at the Flying J in Sullivan MO, (331 miles away). I can see the wheels spinning, very funny.
I am just leaving to go watch some friends and their 8000hp Funny Cars run here in Joliet. 500 cubic inch V-8s that make 1000 per cylinder, Two fuel pumps that pump approximately 100 gallons of fuel per minute, far cry from the Insight!
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1990 SS454 pick up 8mpg (54k original miles)-1975 Monte Carlo (18k original miles) 496ci 800hp, 3gal/mi, 2003 Insight CVT Red 100,966k (Greta)
I pumped the tires to 50. I noticed Greta moves around a lot.
Did it have the OEM Brigestones on it? I wouldn't inflate "standard" tires that are only rated for 32psi to 50.
I'd seen the high psi claims here when I bought Iggy, and I just didn't feel comfortable with it so I started out at 40. Then 45, then finally 50. I noticed that at 50 my car darts around some too, following the imperfections in the road surface. You should note also that the car rides really rough at that inflation, and you need to be extra cautious when making turns. DO NOT try to test the car's cornering ability with overinflated tires.
With the appropriate tires, the Insight corners like a race car. I've seen pics of it taking a turn with the inside tires off the ground. The Brigestones are strictly a low rolling resistance, high mileage tire.
Have fun with Greta, sounds like you scored a nice one!
-Don
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Iggy: 2000 Insight, 5-Speed, A/C, 112k miles -- Holmgren footrest, Armrest King armrest,
IMA battery, BCM & MCM @ 70k, O2 sensor @ 76k, Trans rebuild and clutch @ 94k
Check the tyre shop put the rears skirts on correctly because they often don't and if you loose one it will cost the earth. Do this after visits to the dealers as well!
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Blessed are the "cracked" for it is they who let in the light.
I hadn't thought about naming the Insight but when I picked it up, I decided Greta would be in order.
... I feel lucky getting this one.
... In the hotel lot I had at least 3 people by Greta checking her out. The conversation took another half hour before getting rolling.
... I drove between 75 and 85 almost the whole trip and it looked like I was going to average about 53 mpg.
... rumble was ...really bad! ... thread face was separating and coming apart.
And "Greta" it is! Nice choice and yes, you were lucky to get one which it seems wasn't abused.
As for the folks in the hotel parking lot "checking her out" - better get used to that!
About that "75 and 85" mph running, if I may suggest, slow it down. Not only will your MPG go up but your chances of getting hurt if something goes wrong will go down - and it appears that in your case it almost did. On those long runs, get into the right hand lane and try running that car at fifty to sixty or so - just leave half an hour or so earlier. These cars are fun to drive and the unusually high MPG results one can obtain from running them properly, this is essentially a real bonus.
That the thread face was separating and coming apart, I presume you did check the other tires for this by now. That this failure happened at only 35,000 some miles was due to a manufacturing error or mistreatment I don't know but consider for a moment what would have happened had that tire blown while you were running along at eighty or ninety MPH! As a former member of our local volunteer ambulance corps I can tell you now - as well made as they are for the most part, even today tires do blow out and they do it more often than not at high rates of speed and I can tell you now, I've seen the results and they're not at all pretty - for either the vehicle or the people in it - I used to fly helicopters that didn't go that fast.
Again, best of luck to you and "Greta". Odds are you'll be "married" to her for a long time.
Make sure you check that the tyre place fitted the rear wheel covers back on correctly. Even the Honda dealers have been known to cock up on re-fitting these covers as they don't see too many Insights. If you loose one, it will cost the earth. If you run with the covers off the clips can go missing so don't be tempted to do that either.
Easy mods to check out are......"Coolant radiator air blocker" so the car heats up quicker, fitting a "Scangauge 2 "so you can keep track of the new coolant temp for peace of mind and also get to see lean burn info, "hot air intake mod" to get the car running even leaner.
Check the handbrake is not rubbing when released, and also check the underside aerodynamic covers are fitted and clean.....my rear wheel arches had at least 2 inches of mud in the front outer corners where they had never been given a good clean. If you run on wet muddy roads this will need to be checked out every couple of months or so as you don't want any wet mud along for the ride.
Think on getting a MIMA system. Order one sooner than later as you might miss what is likely to be the last batch ever made. Mine is being built as we speak
Finally, consider fitting some sort of grid pre heater system, as for me that pre heating before each trip gives 10% mpg improvement straight away and also gives the added benefit of removing lets say 80% of the engine wear as most engine wear is caused by starting a cold engine, but I bet you and your mad mates knew that! Fuel burning pre-heaters are more convenient, but use about 1/3 litre of fuel per hour which is toooooooooo much (in my opinion). There is a good mod in the pipeline that uses a Prius vacuum flask as part of a "pre heat and heat storage" mod.
That lot should keep you busy for a while
Rog
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Blessed are the "cracked" for it is they who let in the light.
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