[meow77]

What irritates me more than anything else and I'll probably start a new thread on this is that the Honda dealer told me that because of the way the engine is designed that it will most likely leak a bit of oil off the passenger side of the engine where the timing belt is. eg.. Head meets the block.so the head gasket doesn't seem to be doing its job... plus I have to admin on the pasenger side there are onlyl to little bolts holding the engine down that I think that's pathetic! .. I think that's bogus so I'm driving it around now and starting to see a bit of oil seapage... I think that's ridiculous and will most likely make Honda give me a new engine as I think this one is faulty. I don't care what design problems they have oil should not be leaking on a relatively new engine.

Anyone else have problems with oil seapage on their insight engines?

 

[cakley]

On the passenger side near the back my engine has a little bit of oil. I wouldn't call it a leak. Just a real small amount has seaped out.

I've got 45,000 miles on the car.


For legal reasons. Take alot of pictures. If you state allows it record any phone calls with Honda. Or keep all email sent and recieved.

 

[Yves M.]

Hi,

I think that the guys working on the engine where not knowledgeable enough. They probably do not know how to get the part from beying leak proof using the 'liquid gasket' that is used usually for corners and round joints.

Since the original engine parts did not leak (my 2000 does not), there is no way Not to get it correct. They probably put the sealing compound on a dirty/oill parts so that at the end it dries on the oil instead of the metal and leaks.

Bad job. Probably to get it right, it needed more time and effort and they did not want to do it or redo it.

Best wishes to you and your engine.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

<snip>

the Honda dealer told me that because of the way the engine is designed that it will most likely leak a bit of oil off the passenger side of the engine where the timing belt is. eg.. Head meets the block.so the head gasket doesn't seem to be doing its job... plus I have to admin on the pasenger side there are onlyl to little bolts holding the engine down that I think that's pathetic! .. I think that's bogus so

<break>

I'm driving it around now and starting to see a bit of oil seapage... I think that's ridiculous and will most likely make Honda give me a new engine as I think this one is faulty. I don't care what design problems they have oil should not be leaking on a relatively new engine.

Anyone else have problems with oil seapage on their insight engines?

Its a bit unclear from the information you posted as to the degree of oil "leakage." A _small_ trace of oil such that it provides a sticky film that collects road dust isn't a leak, and _may_ never increase. Its both a "problem" of current oil seal technology _and_ the very light weight oil the Insight uses.

_IF_ the "leak" has a wet shiny appearance then its something that should be addressed. Such leaks loose a enough oil to wash off accumulating road dirt. Whether or not a sufficient amount of oil has been lost to reach the ground is simply a matter of time.

There is an earlier post of a Canadian (?) Insight owner that had a small seepage not truly qualified as a leak. After the head gasket and related gaskets / seals were replaced the last report was the seepage had stopped. But that was late last fall and time along with summer (hotter, which promotes such seepage) will tell.

See the thread titled,

head gasket?!?

in this forum from OCT 03

With Honda's increasing field repair data they _may_ have learned that attempting to repair such oil traces has a very low rate of success and at best are temporary.

My best advice is the old cliché "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

HTH!

 

[opal]

There is an earlier post of a Canadian (?) Insight owner that had a small seepage not truly qualified as a leak. After the head gasket and related gaskets / seals were replaced the last report was the seepage had stopped. But that was late last fall and time along with summer (hotter, which promotes such seepage) will tell.

That was me.
Honda told me that the problem was a chunk out of a "glue seal" in the engine that was allowing trace amounts of oil to "sweat" out of the engine, rather than the original diagnosis of a head gasket issue.

Granted, it's been colder than (nevermind) here for two months, so I'm not going to see anything but a major oil leak, but it was mild here until Dec. and there was not one trace of oil escaping on the engine after the repairs.

Having driven elderly Volvos, VWs and Subarus in earlier life, I learned the habit of fixing issues while they were still small. I'm not sure if having the Insight ripped open last fall was necessary - I'll readily admit that, it was a very small amount of oil - we shall see what the summer highway runs bring.

Meanwhile, meow77, if I'm remembering correctly, you're in Toronto? Call Waterloo Honda (http://www.waterloohonda.com) and ask them about the issue with my Insight (they'll remember me, I'm a giant pain in the butt ). You can have them talk to your dealer as back up, but they probably won't advocate giving you a new engine.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

<snip>

That was me.
Honda told me that the problem was a chunk out of a "glue seal" in the engine that was allowing trace amounts of oil to "sweat" out of the engine, rather than the original diagnosis of a head gasket issue.

<snip>

Unless I missed your reply last fall thanks for the closure.

Now if I could only get Henry8744 to do the same in relation to his recals HENRYYYY!! You listening??!!
<VBG>

thread: CAT converter replacement

in this group.

 

[meow77]

HI all..

Thanks for your input Opal...

I want to make it clear that I've already had my head gasket and crank shaft gaskets replaced due to leakage already... though the crankshaft gaskets "appear" to be working I do see some seapage on the passenger side of the engine.

I have already told the Honda dealer (owner of the dealership) that I'm not happy and we are now in "monitor" stage and have told them that if this continues I will want a Honda rep to come out and look at it and getting a second gasket put in will not be an option... I'm really starting to get pissed off... and I wont' be asking for an engine replacement I"ll be demanding one...

It just pisses me off that a car with less than 35K KM's is having this issue. However I'm watching it and I'm fairly certain that I'll be posting here in the next several months ... with a new engine in the car...

 

[Insightful Trekker]

HI all..

<snip>

I'm really starting to get pissed off... and I wont' be asking for an engine replacement I"ll be demanding one...

It just pisses me off that a car with less than 35K KM's is having this issue. However I'm watching it and I'm fairly certain that I'll be posting here in the next several months ... with a new engine in the car...

From the several postings you have made and their content are you sure your alias shouldn't be "Roar77"? <VBG>

If your that unhappy with your Insight maybe you should consider a buyback instead. Not sure how such a thing works on your side of the border though. An initial consult with an attorney should answer all your questions.

 

[meow77]

Well after your post I think your nick should be called Unsightful Trekker or better yet Useless Info.

Really are you willing to pay for my attorney?

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Well after your post I think your nick should be called Unsightful Trekker or better yet Useless Info.

Really are you willing to pay for my attorney?

Sorry you took the "poke" so hard

State side anyway an initial consult with an attorney is usually "free." But as I said I didn't really know how such things work on your side of the border.

And as difficult as communicating via the written word is it was simply my impression that you are increasingly unhappy with your Insight.

South of your border and under warranty in many states if a defect isn't fixed in a limited amount of tries you have the option of the manufacturer buying back your car.

Useless information, maybe for Canadians.

HTH !

 

[meow77]

If there is a buy back option in Canada I'm unaware of it but would consider it depending on what they would be willing to pay me for the car... and I'd go for a diesel..