Insight Record?

[red1dr]

Originally Posted by Jivko57

I try hard for several months already and also have changed sparkplugs, egr, front tires, have put synthetic oil in the engine and new mt fluid.

From info posted by various people here, it seems to be important for best mpg to:
- use OEM spark plugs, and to match them to the letter stamped next to the spark plug hole on the cylinder head so the electrodes are indexed correctly
- use OEM Bridgestone RE92 tires (anything else seems to cause a 5-10mpg drop in back-to-back testing) and pump them up to at least 44psi (the sidewall rating), preferably more
- use 0W-20 synthetic oil
- use the Honda MT fluid spec'd for the transmission

Yes rain makes a huge difference, probably in tire drag. I move laterally in the lane to try to stay away from the deeper standing water but it isn't always possible.

But it sounds like you're getting there!!

[JuiceMcGoose]

Originally Posted by red1dr

- use the Honda MT fluid spec'd for the transmission

No offence meant red1dr but there has been way too many MT bearing failures reported on this site. You can go to Honda-tech.com and read for hours about both the new and old Honda trans. fluid (the formula was changed a while back). I have more that once. I've also owned 5 Honda MT cars since '88. Honda MT fluid is beyond a doubt not the best trans. fluid.

I have GM SyncroMesh non friction modified/Pennzoil syncromesh in my Insight right now and it shifts into 1st gear while moving better than what ever was in it before.

This 12377916 -GM SyncroMesh Manual Transmission Fluid- Friction Modified - 12377916 is commonly considered the best Honda MT fluid.

[red1dr]

Originally Posted by JuiceMcGoose

No offence meant red1dr

None taken.

Originally Posted by JuiceMcGoose

...but there has been way too many MT bearing failures reported on this site.

Really?? Where?? I've been on this site for >3 years (lurking before I joined) and don't recall seeing bearing failures reported, but maybe I missed them. FWIW, I've owned 4 MT Hondas since 1985, zero problems, including >50,000 mi on my Insight with the OEM trans fluid in it.

I almost never shift into 1st while moving (2nd works well for that) and take it easy shifting in general, so maybe I don't notice issues.

In the '80's before Honda MTF came out, Honda spec'd motor oil in the MT. Since I had motorcycles and had oil for them, I'd use 4-stroke motorcycle oil in the Honda MT because motorcycle oils lube the trans and clutch and so have gear lube additives built into them. When Honda MTF came out, I switched to that.

You recommend the friction-modified GM fluid but you're using the non-modified in your Insight??

In any case, it's a good idea to select an MT fluid carefully, as you have done, because some random too-heavy lubricant could decrease mpg. As I understand it, the Insight MT is different from the typical Honda MT.

[JuiceMcGoose]

You recommend the friction-modified GM fluid but you're using the non-modified in your Insight??

I already had the non-friction modified sitting around so I used it.

Really?? Where??

I searched for trans bearing and got 4 pages. Below is from the first page:

Trans Overhaul

Input Shaft Bearing Replacement

Oh boy - M.T. bearing availability

Trans Overhaul

If you really want to know the low-down on Honda MTF you will have to do a search on Honda-tech.com. and read. Trans bearings should last 400K at least. If they don't, somethings wrong.

I can't say for sure if trans fluid is a cause of syncros going out on transmissions because of the human factor but from what I've read the friction modified helps a great deal in that area also.

[randerson0248]

Several months back I changed MT oil in my 95 civic. Put in the Honda MTF.

It shifted much worse than before. I took out the Honda oil two weeks later and put in Mobil 1 10w-30 I had laying around. Shifted much better.

I'm going to try the GM/Pennsoil syncromesh on my next trans oil change. People seem to like it.

[MN Driver]

For what it's worth, those bearing failures were exclusively talking about the input shaft bearings and believed to be from people shifting into second and release the clutch causing a strong load speeding up the transmission from the engine side in a different way than the engine speeding up the transmission, if I'm putting this together with words properly, it's explained in one of those threads. Also explained was when downshifting the engine, if its rev-matched better rather than using the clutch to match the speeds it will be much nicer on the ISB bearing, synchros, and clutch put together.

On a completely unrelated car, my other car, it specs a 75w90 gear oil and took longer to shift in the winter when it was at 145k miles or so, switched it out with Pennzoil synchromesh and change it once a year before winter. I half expected the transmission to croak on an oil completely out of spec and far thinner than gear oil but with the thinner fluid it has shifted like butter and now over 70k miles of using it. I haven't touched the fluid in my 2000 Insight yet since I bought it, it's at 111k miles and I've been waiting until the weather is nice. I'm not experiencing any shifting issues right now, even if I pull it into 2nd gear at 30mph without a rev-match, which is try to never do anyway, but when I do it seems to operate as expected and shift quickly and smoothly.