[kookmyers]

I dont know where to begin other than from the beginning.
I have had it (2000 manual) for less than a year. obviously i bought it used and it had 40 some odd thousand miles on it. the LMPG (which i did not know about at time of purchase) was 50.X.
My wife and i commute daily about 30 miles round trip (not really a commute) and it was fine until recently. in total, we weigh about 350lbs which i realize may affect the performance.

This is the most sluffish car ever! i get red reading posts about the quickness of the insight and top speeds! i can hardly keep it at 65mph!

up until about 1.5 months ago, the car was fine as i said before. we were gettting 64mpg tank averages.
now, with no apparent change to anything other than the san diego weather, we are getting 56mpg. i checked the tire pressure which i keep at 44psi cold for all four tires and this is not the problem. i have put about 8000 miles on the car and the air filter was replaced just before we bought it.
there is just under 50k on the car now.
i do not want to take the car into a shop and say "find" a problem. the maintenance reqd light was on a while back but i reset it figuring it was an oil change type of light.
the last oil change was 5000 miles ago and i used the mobil 1 synthetic. i am gearing up to do another change soon....

driving wise, i find that i cannot get the mileage i was getting even if i am doing 55mph on the freeway. i often find that i can do better in 4th gear. any need for acceleration require a downshift to third which i often have to do on a slight grade on the freeway because i start approaching 50mph and the mpg meter is at 25-30.

something must be wrong.

 

[Delta Flyer]

I'm sorry you are having problems with your Insight.

No, the Insight is not a pocket rocket, but I test drove it and realized what I was getting: performance of the regular CRX (not the Si), with better fuel economy than the CRX HF.

A possibility: your O2 sensor might be bad. I was lucky and did not have it replaced, but until then, performance and fuel economy went down.

 

[kookmyers]

I am sorry for the mutiple posts. my computer was misbehaving and i pressed STOP and then submit multiple times.
Hopefully, i did not come off like i thought i had a race car. my concern comes from the fact that the performance (mpg) has made a significant decrease since i have owned the car and it is now running like the LMPG might suggest it ran with the previous owner....

 

[Yves M.]

Hello, I removed the duplicate posts, lucky nobody replied in those.

To make sure all the warning lights in the dash are OK, do you see the IMA , Check Engine, ... lights turn On when you turn the ignition key to start the engine. And they turn Off after a few seconds.

Not to have power on the hightway, I would have expected that you would have a light somewhere stating there is a problem

The only time I had something similar to you, in my previous car, it was the catalizer core that broke and turned 90 degrees to block the exhaust. Then as soon as you try to push the gas pedal, the exhaust back pressure prevents the engine from breathing and no power. I could feel it when trying to accelerate from a red light.

I guess you need to bring it to an expert (don't know where though) because this is not normal.

Also, do you see the Assit lights and the regen lights. Do you feel a difference in the way the car accelerates and decelerates when the lights appear. Cause you should feel the charge and assist.

 

[stevenvillatoro]

I live in San Diego, also. I noticed a drop in my MPG about six weeks ago, as well, to the level you reported. The early morning temperatures, even in our region, are significantly colder than during most of the year, and we've had substantially more rain this year (following 180 days of NO rain). I notice about a five mile per gallon drop in mileage on wet roads, and several additional miles per gallon drop based on temperature. It may be that you are noticing similar variations for these reasons. A few weeks ago, to combat winter, I did the cardboard radiator block that you'll find posted, and it has consistently boosted my mileage by 10+ MPG. In fact, my SD-LA commutes, which often netted me no better than high-50s MPG are now consistently giving 73 MPG, and last week I got 86 MPG southbound with a draft assist during the last 25 miles.

 

[kookmyers]

Wow, steveO, thats great. i have been thinking of doing that but i have been scared. does anyone have pis of their engine temp gauge after a 10+ mile trip with and without the mod?
all of the vehicles indicator lights are OK. the regen and assist are working as they always have. i have noticed that the auto stop is not working as much as it used to but after a while it is fine. i attribute that to the temp.
Steve, have you ever driven another insight other than your own? i have not and have been curious as to see about the levels of performance.
if you are too, maybe we should get together?

Thank you Yves, for removing those posts! sorry again for being annoying!
:wink:

 

[SeanW]

I'm in Northern LA County and would second everything that SteveO said about the drop in MPG and add one thing: "Winter Blend Gas". In 2003-2004, I saw a drop in my MPG that start towards the end of December and lasted thru March when it shot back up again. My commute and all other conditions remained about the same. This is something that has been discussed here in the past.

This year my commute has changed and the temperatures and conditions have been all over. I've noticed a slight drop in MPG that I'm hoping will go back up with spring and warmer weather!

 

[stevenvillatoro]

Kookmyers, what part of SD are you in? I have never driven another Insight than my own. My temp gauge with the radiator block in place will stay exactly dead-center (halfway) between cold and hot. Try it!

 

[Willie Williford]

Guess it is time for the San Diego area INSIGHTERS to get together for a "meet and confer". I'm game.

I to have noticed a slight drop on my mpg, probably due to the lower outside air temperatures, rain, and the "winter gas".

As far as power goes, I'm not suffering. Even in the mountains and up the I-8 grade from El Cajon to Campo.

 

[kookmyers]

My wife and i recently went to Napa and there were many reasons why we took our gas guzzling truck... one of them being that i dont think our insight could make it up the grapevine grade. maybe if i pushed it or maybe in first gear. :wink: (not bringing down the insight....just my insight)

steveO...i live in university city.

lets set something up!

 

[commuter]

I did the radiator mod to my 2000 5 speed and I didn't get quite the response that others did. I got about 3 MPG more with the mod. I used the foam packing material that comes in roll form. I cut a piece to 16 X 7 and stapled a long strip to the top so I can pull the thing out easier. My temp gauge sits right at half way.

If you guys do a meet let me know, I will be there. Maybe we could do a meet and cruise. Maybe from Escondidio up to Julian. That way we could try the climb to Julian to experience the loss of power as a group. I personnally don't feel alot of power loss while climbing as long as your in the right gear and have plenty of battery. This is from some one who sold a Infiniti G35 6 speed (290 HP) to get an Insight. BTW I used to meet up with a group of G35 owners about once a month to do short little fun runs like I'm suggesting.

Mike

 

[figgy]

It sounds like your car is definitely broken in some way, as 350 lb passenger weight is nothing that should cause the problems you describe.

Maybe other Insighters local to you can provide you with a good service shop, as that would seem to be the likely solution to your troubles.

 

[Calpod]

Kookmyers,

There is no reason why the insight shouldn't make it going uphill, I've been up the grapevine several times, if you are planning an Insighters meet, let me know, I'd like to join, I can drive down to San Diego, and maybe we can drive up the Cajon Pass, We can have walkie-Talkies, and communicate on the way up as far as when to change gears and at what speed.

 

[kookmyers]

Perhaps it is just how i am driving the car that might be a problem. I can go up hills OK, i just have to have it geared for 3000+ RPMs. I really would like to try and get together with a group to at least let others drive mine and maybe drive another one. I am not familiar with the Cajon Pass, but a drive to Julian could be fun. Now, where to find the time???

 

[stevenvillatoro]

Since we live minutes apart, let's get together. There are plenty of hills locally that are adequate for making a comparison. Via Capri, Clairemont Drive north off I-52, etc. The biggest challenge for me to maintain a good balance between gas mileage and power is I-5 going north between I-52 and my exit at Nobel Drive. The long and relentless climb kills me... although I hadn't even noticed a significant climb when driving other cars! Hahaha, the things we notice in an Insight.

 

[BillClark]

[dis] liking my insight

I just got back from a trip to Southern AZ; Bisbee is about 4600 ft alt. and coming out of Bisbee north to Tombstone there is a long climb to about 5000+ feet. Wife and luggage and me {300+lbs} made it up hill in short order without going into Super on the CVT. I was very surprised at the power afforded from the power system even at that altitude.

I do get a little herkyjerkey after it sits for a weekend; but it clears up if I let up on the gas and then take 'er up to about 90; seems to run EXELlent at that speed for the 52 mile commute.