Honda hates me. - Page 2

kaypee171 · 01-13-2012, 09:57 AM

After my insurance adjuster recalculated the value based on the fact that a 171,000 mile cvt is not comparable price wise to a 75,000 mile manual, she realized that my car has not quite passed the cost threshold to declare it a total loss. It is still on life support, as any further significant damage found would push it over the top, but she's still hanging on!

On a side note, if they do find more damage, I can buy it back for $580. They valued her at $7300 and change, with some kind of extra $500 stipend added on to that that I didn't quite understand (to offset tax on the replacement maybe?). So I would get my loan paid off, the car, and a check for about $50. I am happy I will probably get my car back, but I am okay if I have a car with a salvage title when I am done if they total it.

kaypee171 · 01-28-2012, 11:02 PM

Got her back. She looks beautiful! Buuuut...
The heater blows ice cold. Back to the service center Monday.

Eli · 01-28-2012, 11:14 PM

Probably didn't bleed the system properly. I did a radiator flush on #2 today, and I swear I stood there for over an hour holding the funnel waiting for all of the bubbles to come out.

AbCaRed00 · 01-29-2012, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eli

Probably didn't bleed the system properly. I did a radiator flush on #2 today, and I swear I stood there for over an hour holding the funnel waiting for all of the bubbles to come out.

Yup. they probably forgot to open the heater valve wide open to maximum temperature; or didn't air bleed on filling the rad; and ultimately failed purge air properly.
Purging on a warm fall day after a coolant change only took about a dozen minutes to do sufficiently after getting set up with the funnel when I did mine. Any additional small air bubbles, at that latter point arising from the heating coolant in absence of the really big bubbles at the start of the process, can exit via the overflow container.
You can see a d-i-y

Insight Coolant Change

showing purging of bubble from an Insight on youtube.

I'm not sure if swashing up from the 8mm ID size orifice to about 3/8" ID for a section of the tube to the funnel made it any quicker, but it was easy to see the big bubbles more or less end off with the clear plastic hose.

Glad you got the vehicle back and hopefully back on the road real quick.

kaypee171 · 01-29-2012, 10:39 AM

Thanks for the tip on the problem, guys. I didn't expect it was a big deal, just a bit annoying that I have to take it back. Is it safe to drive? I did notice that the car seems to warm up a bit faster than I remember, but that could be my imagination.

Eli · 01-29-2012, 03:59 PM

Hard to tell. It may not be your imagination.

Just watch the coolant temp. It will jump from the normal 6 bars to 8 bars at around 240F. If it does this, pull over to let things cool down.

kaypee171 · 01-31-2012, 12:03 AM

Not bled properly. There was a long shallow incline on the interstate on the way back to the shop, and the car was overheating (8 bars!) when I got to the top. I coasted her in neutral to a stop on the berm, by which time her temp was down to six bars. I babied her to the shop and they fixed it. I have her home now. I am glad to say the end of my Insight's story is not yet written.

Willie Williford · 01-31-2012, 01:08 AM

Did you have to tell them how to bleed, etc.
What was there excuse?

Willie

kaypee171 · 01-31-2012, 08:55 PM

They didn't give me an excuse. They just said the problem was solved. The heater works and they couldn't get it to overheat. Neither could I. Fortunately, as annoying as it was, I was so happy to not lose my car that I let them off easy. Oh well, I was such an awful driver in my youth and wrecked enough cars that my insurance company will never break even on me, so I am still ahead.