Replacing the Clutch

[Alexander Hales]

For those of you who read my last post:

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... highlight=

I SHOULD HAVE SOLD IT! lol, no I love this car and wouldn’t dream of it.

Anyway, my clutch went out along with a censor in the clutch housing. Total cost of repairs, including the sensor, $3,000.00 plus. I don't know why it’s so expensive, especially since I can go on Majestic Honda and buy everything in the Clutch Housing, Clutch Release and Clutch category for only $979.22. And out of all that I’m sure I only need 5 or 6 parts to get it working again.

I don’t have $3,000.00 to burn so I guess this means I’m fixing it myself. Only problem is I’ve never replaced a clutch before. Has anyone had experience with replacing the clutch in their Insight? And do you have any suggestions or concerns?

[Guillermo]

If someone is quoting you $3000 US to replace the clutch it means they don't want your business, or you came accross to the mechanic as someone who looks like he has deep pockets... LOL

Just get a quote somewhere else, I suspect replacing the clutch on the Insight is not any more difficult then replacing the clutch on a typical FWD japaneese car. Whether you replace it yourself or pay someone to do it, buying the parts from Majestic Honda is probably a good idea.

[LoNOx 1]

$3000 is ridiculous. Guillermo is right. That place didn't want to work on it.

Clutch replacement is not an easy job if you don't have any prior experience. I would get a second price.

[LoNOx 1]

I just read that you mentioned a sensor was bad as well.

What were your symptoms?

For the clutch??

For the sensor??

I'm always skeptical of a dual failure.
IE: mechanical AND electrical

[Insightful Trekker]

The question is more related to this recent one here:

clutch replacement cost?
http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=6080

IIRC there are no member posts outlining the proceedure.

The FSM would be the place to look. AFAIK its little different than a Civic. However IMA component replacement (in the bell housing) may _require_ (absolutely) a special central magnet rotor puller, the "heart" of the IMA motor.

Its strength is so great that removal or reinstallation will be all but impossible without it. And consequential damage (physical & functional) to other nearby IMA components is almost a guarantee if you try.


Seems like we're trying to compair an apples + oranges price. You need to do some more shopping for the clutch repair cost alone to determine if your paying more than the normal dealership premimum.


And there's a recent cost report here:

strange clicking (knocking) sound from the tranny (I think)
http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=6168

[Alexander Hales]

Sorry I didn’t reply sooner; I changed my email address shortly after posting this topic, and it took longer to reactivate my account then I originally anticipated.

There are some new developments that came up which I think might explain why my quote was so expensive. The first thing is that my oil pan is now cracked. It was not cracked when I towed the car into the Honda service center and they never mentioned a crack to me when I got the car back. But it is obviously cracked because when you let the car sit for more then a few minutes it leaves a rather large puddle of oil. I suspect that they some how cracked the oil pan and then decided to jack up the cost for replacing the clutch to pay for the additional repair. I had the car sitting in my parking garage over night before I towed it to the service center and the oil pan was not leaking at that time.

The second thing is that the clutch isn’t the only part that needs to be replaced; the disk sensor that sits behind the flywheel needs to be replaced as well. The technician at the service center said that the sensor could have been knocked out by debris from the damaged clutch. Because the sensor is part of the IMA, the IMA light is on and the car won’t start off the 144V battery. The IMA error code is T1565 which stands for Motor Communications Signal Problem (or so that’s what they tell me).

Im in the process of getting a second quote and I think im going to have the car towed to another Honda service center to get a second opinion all together.

To answer you questions LoN0x1, the car will only start off of the 12V battery, the IMA light is on and I can’t put the car in gear. When I put the car in gear and let of the clutch, nothing happens. Those are the symptoms.

The cost to buy all the parts online from Majestic Honda is $750.77

Disk Sensor: $132.46
Flywheel: $167.71
Friction Disk: $70.98
Pressure Disk: $110.83
Bearing: $28.64
Oil Pan: $220.33

The cost for buying all the parts from the Robertson’s Honda Service Center in North Hollywood is $1,425.00 and that does not include the oil pan.

Disk Sensor: $444.10
Flywheel: $259.80
Friction Disk: $381.12
Pressure Disk: $246.74
Bearing: $93.24

These prices came from the same Service Center but were quoted from the Parts Department literally feet away from the service desk that gave me the original quote of $1,425.00. Total cost for parts $945.51 and again this does not include the oil pan.

Disk Sensor: $238.43
Flywheel: $307.92
Friction Disk: $133.43
Pressure Disk: $208.34
Bearing: $57.79


I own the title on the car so I’m contemplating getting a small loan out to pay for the repairs.

[Alexander Hales]

Wow... The Honda Service Center I was getting a second quote from just called and said that they don't want my business. I wasn't rude to them or said anything that would be out of line, they just said that “if the oil pan is cracked, the IMA light is on and the clutch needs to be replaced, you would be better off having the car repaired at the service center you had the car originally diagnosed from.” They then went on to say that "if we had originally diagnosed the car then we could help you."

I then offered to have the car towed for a second diagnoses at there center and they said no, “we don’t want to work on your car because it has a cracked oil pan, sorry.”

I guess I could try having the car towed to another service center and pretend like I don’t know what’s wrong with it, lol.

[b1shmu63]

That is horrible!

It sounds to me like the second service center didn't want to step on the toes of the first. I suppose you can hardly blame them for not wanting to get involved in what could be a battle.

If a mechanic at the original service center dammaged the transmission the mechanic may not want to admit it to his boss. (The mechanic may not have realised it was magnesium.) The service manager may think you did it, or the tow truck operator did it, etc. etc.....

I'm getting upset just reading about it and I don't know what to suggest, except that it sounds like you would be able to do the oil pan yourself with minimal outlay.

[Alexander Hales]

Ill figure something out… I would like to repair it myself, but I guess it’s a little over my head.

[Alexander Hales]

So no one on this forum has ever changed the clutch on their Insight?