What's the one thing you wish you had known?

[Insightful Trekker]

WayneM,

The MCM & BCM aren't a CYA repair. They are HIGHLY recomended but _optional_.

SEE:

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... 7&start=45

Even without them I'd jump at a "free" IMA battery pack

[tiger]

Originally Posted by Wayne M

anomaloustango, there is indeed a 3 day law. New cars, yes, used I don't know.
But in my situation, the used car dealer (Cole's Lilburn Auto sales) has been incredibly helpful and willing (up to $2,500 at least) to cover the expense of the battery failure. However, the local Honda dealer has NOT. The initial estimate started with the $1,200 battery pack, which is all the diagnostic code pulled had indicated. I researched this code in the official Honda service manual for the Insight, and except for testing one other component, it all revolved around heat failure of the battery pack. The Honda dealer wants to CYA and throw in both the control modules and jack the price up to about $4,300! By the time the labor is added in, its up past $5,000.

Cole and myself are both just flipped by the cost and the attitude of the Honda dealer. Cole's is willing to give me back my $$ and wash out the whole thing. Now I got the car at a great price, about a grand less than the private seller 'book' price. So, if I factor in 1/2 of the cost (my share) of the battery fiasco, then it comes up to the average 'retail book' price for the car in Atlanta market. But then, what's going to fail next on a 105,000 mile car? I know it saw mostly stop and go driving, because the brake and clutch pedal pads are worn thru to the metal. That takes a whole lot of foot work to wear like that.

Optomists, chime in here ______

Factored into 100,000 miles (if it lasts another 100k) the battery failure "only" adds .05 per mile cost. Then the average clutch job for one of these is, what, another $800 or $1,000?

I'm really hesitant to throw in the extra $2,500 and be saddled with even more problems for my trouble.

Wayne M; Don't know if this is any help but on this same forum under (Buy/Sell Insight Related Products), mbarrett which lives 50 miles North of Atlanta just posted his Two Week old 2005 Honda Insight, New Formula Red, 5-Speed W-A/C 4-Sell. He just lost his job per his latest posting.

Hope this helps

Regards
Terry

"Buy/Sell Insight Related Products"

[Wayne M]

Terry, thanks for the for sale tip, but a new '05 is also out of range of my budget too.

What a coincedence, a Honda customer satisfaction survey (triggered by a local dealer oil service on the car) arrived today! Boy, did I give 'em an earful in print! :P

UPDATE 7-27-05 Found entire IMA system from "low milage" '04 salvage car. Shipping from WI to GA. Cole's used car guy still working for me, bought the whole thing, still no cost to me (so far). Should be on the road again in a couple weeks or less.

[skinnypilot]

I've never written ANYTHING in all Caps before, so this is an important post-

i am about to buy a used insight (2000 model with only 17k miles) and the owner says that "sometimes" the IMA resets... no specifics, but suppose i take a test drive, and it resets during the test drive... is this something to be concerned about? does it mean big IMA problems? i read the post where the IMA reset during the test drive and the whole IMA system went down soon thereafter... how often does the average insight have an IMA reset?

Eric

urgent replies requested! thanks!

[Jim]

Eric - do a forum search for IMA or recalibration - all the info you need is here. The recalibrations occur more in hot weather when you're running the air conditioner in stop and go traffic. This time of year, they don't occur as often.

Good luck!

[Getshocked.ca]

Originally Posted by Aaron Cake

I wish I had known that Honda dealers are techincally incompetant, have no actual interest in solving problems even if they could, and Honda as a company is even worse.

What aaron is saying is very true, there was a point where I loved my insight but that was in the past, After dealing with Honda, if you are going to buy an insight, the worst thing you can do is put it in the hands of a dealer.

Basically I have done alot of my trouble shooting through these forums and other Insight news groups. unlike aaron and others, i had very little knowledge when taking on this car and i sure am regretting it now.

Familiarize yourself with some common problems that come up often in the troubleshooting section so you will be aware of malfuction

[Insightful Trekker]

As you are aware there are always reports of BAD repair shops, all makes, all models. "Good" reports are rare since a good expereince dosen't motivate someone to the same degree. :twisted:

Any marketing person who has studied the data will tell you its around 7:1 in favor of bad vs. good.