What the hell did they do to my Insight?

[bmarkwart]

I took my 2001 Honda Insight (CVT, 80,500 miles) in to one of my local Honda car dealerships (Carmichael Honda) to get an oil change, tire rotation, transmission fluid exchange, and to get the coolant service done.

Everything seemed to be fine at first, but about an hour ago when I was starting my drive home from my girlfriend's house, I realized my heater wasn't working. I had the dial turned to 90 degrees and on full blast (as fast as you can go while in ECON) and all I was getting was cold air. I experimented with the ECON setting and the regular AUTO setting, and all the different modes (air at the face, air at the feet, air at the face & feet, air at the feet & defrost, etc.)...still nothing.

Frustrated, I turned the air off, but I left the temperature dial turned all the way to the right, and after about 5 to 10 min I started feeling some warmth, so then I turned the air back on to the ECON setting and full blast at my face with the dial still set to 90 degrees. The heat was working again...but after 5 minutes or so I felt the air getting colder and eventually it went back to blowing out cold air and I haven't been able to get any heat since.

When I took my car in this morning, the heat was working no problem. Is there any service that I had done that could possibly affect/cause this?

And to top it all off, I just realized those idiots put effing 10W30 oil in my car, and not the Honda recommended OW20 synthetic oil. I've taken my car to this dealership a few times before and they've always put OW20 in without me even asking or mentioning it.

First thing in the morning, I plan on driving back to the dealer and making them drain the oil they put in and put in the correct OW20 oil and make them figure out what the hell they did to the heater.

Does anyone have any insight on what the hell these idiots at this Honda dealership did to my Insight?

[bmarkwart]

My mistake for not putting this in the Troubleshooting section. It's late and I'm pissed.

[retepsnikrep]

They did not bleed the cooling system correctly, it's a bit fussy on the Insight.

[bmarkwart]

Thanks, I appreciate the quick response. So when I go back there in the morning should I just tell them that they need to bleed the cooling system again (and to put the correct oil in of course)?

Are there any ill effects (besides crappy MPG) that this car can suffer by having incorrect, general purpose motor oil (like 10W30) put in it for the 60 or so miles I will have driven on it by the morning?

[Need4Speed]

I just changed my fluid and added a block heater a few weeks ago. They did not follow the procedure, maybe missed step 1:

1. Start the engine. Set the heater temperature control dial to maximum heat, then
turn off the engine. Make sure the engine and radiator are cool to the touch



Tighten the radiator drain plug securely.
8. Remove, drain and reinstall the coolant reservoir. Fill the tank to the MAX
mark with Honda Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2 (P/N OL 999-9001).
2006 Honda Insight
2000-06 ENGINE Cooling System - Insight
9. Loosen the air bleed bolt (A) in the water outlet, then pour Honda Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2 into the radiator to the bottom of the filler neck. Do
not let coolant spill on any electrical parts or the paint. If any coolant spills,
rinse it off immediately.
Engine Coolant Capacities [Including the reservoir capacity of 0.36 L
(0.10 US gal)]
At Coolant Change:
2000-2003 models: 2.5 L (0.66 US gal)
2004-2006 models: 2.3 L (0.61 US gal)
After Engine Overhaul:
2000-2003 models: 4.0 L (1.06 US gal)
2004-2006 M/T models: 3.9 L (1.03 US gal)
2004-2006 CVT models: 4.0 L (1.06 US gal)
NOTE: Always use Honda Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
Type 2 (P/N OL 999-9001). Using a non-Honda
coolant can result in corrosion, causing the cooling
system to malfunction or fail.
Honda Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2 is a
mixture of 50% antifreeze and 50% water. Premixing
is not required.
2006 Honda Insight
2000-06 ENGINE Cooling System - Insight
Fig. 18: Identifying Air Bleed Bolt In Water Outlet And Torque
Specifications
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
10. Tighten the bleed bolt as soon as coolant starts to run out in a steady stream.
11. Pour Honda Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2 into the radiator to the
bottom of the filler neck, and install the radiator cap.
12. Remove the cap (A) from the water outlet, then install an 8 mm hose (B) and a
funnel (C).
2006 Honda Insight
2000-06 ENGINE Cooling System - Insight
Fig. 19: Installing Hose And Funnel On Water Outlet
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
13. Pour Honda Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2 into the funnel until the
coolant level reaches the base of the funnel, then start the engine and let it idle.
14. Add Honda Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2 into the funnel as the level
goes down.
15. Stop the engine, then remove the funnel and the 8 mm hose from the water
outlet. Install the cap.
2006 Honda Insight
2000-06 ENGINE Cooling System - Insight
16. Start the engine, and let it run until warmed up (radiator fan comes on at least
twice). Then, turn off the engine, and let it cool down.
17. If necessary, add more Honda Long Life Antifreeze Coolant Type 2 into the
radiator up to the base of the filler neck and into the reservoir up to the MAX
mark.
18. Clean up any spilled engine

This info is available in this forum as a pdf doc.

[racer26]

le sigh. Welcome to why most of us do our own oil changes, if not all of our own repairs.

Short answer: no, the 10W30 is not likely going to hurt it over 60mi, but get it swapped back to 0W20 ASAP. Frankly, you could probably run it on 10W30 with no long-term ill effects other than reduced fuel economy.

[Eli]

There isn't much difference viscosity wise between 20 and 30 weight. It will lower your fuel economy a bit, but that is about all.

The previous owner of Insight #2 ran 0W-30 its entire life for whatever reason, and it doesn't seem any worse for wear.

[AbCaRed00]

Here's a video procedure for

Do-It-Yourself DIY video on Purging Coolant of Air in the Honda Insight

Do-It-Yourself DIY video on Purging Coolant of Air in the Honda Insight

Possibly they may have forgotten an important part: The heater control should be open when draining and purging.

As Willie has warned in the air purging procedure be sure to open the a/c heater controls to Maximum Hot Temperature or there may remain an airlock in the coolant system and serious engine damage could occur if circulation is impeded.

[Eli]

YADFT - Yet Another Dealership Fail Thread

[aisbell]

You're lucky that they didn't add 4 quarts of the wrong oil to your car and strip the oil drain hole as has happened to many here who trust dealers to change their oil. When I bought my Insight used, its crankcase contained 4 quarts of oil from a recent dealership oil change. At least it was 0W20 oil, but I don't believe in 2002 that Honda's 0W20 was synthetic; it was just priced like synthetic Maybe it's synthetic now.