[Allen]

My Honda Insight is a 2005 purchased new. After only 1800 miles ...
(2 weeks, average drive 120 mile round trip) Honda diagnosed my EGR valve problem as really being debri in the EGR port. Solution was to replace the head.
Head was repalced but the car is not nearly as quiet as it was 6 weeks earlier when I bought my Insight new (Honda had it for a month waiting for the head, I drove a rental car 2005 Civic 30 mpg average)

The mpg is still great, average 70+mpg.
The pep in acceleration is a little bit less, slight.
The noise is what I notice most, brrruummm instead of hummmrooom and when idling the motor is just not quiet anymore (the most noticable)

Arrgghhh... I wish I could just start over but I know there is a lot to learn here about a great car!

 

[Hodakaguy]

Maybe the valves are adjusted a little looser than they were before? Mine makes some valve noise when its cold and gets quieter as it warms up? Just a thought.

Hodakaguy

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Hi Allen and welcome to the forum :!:

Multiposting is _strongly_ discouraged here at IC so one of your other replies on the same topic has been deleted. The other has been redirected for replies to be posted here.


Sounds like you got some _VERY_ bad diagnosis and repairs Allen, sorry.

The EGR gasses are plumbed in a separate plenum with a straight shot into each intake runner. If the ports in the head get clogged they are cleanable. And without head removal. There have been many reports from other Insighters having various EGR problems. Often it causes surging / bucking and is worse when driving in lean-burn. It would likely cause somewhat lower MPG, but the major symptom would be a rough running engine at times.

Although I'd agree that _sombody's_ head needs an overhaul or replacement

HTH!

 

[Willie Williford]

head replacement

I agree with John, I would have to see the defective part for verification.

There is also a "paper trail" for any warranty work.

Did you see the documents?

 

[Allen]

Follow up with Honda today

First Im new to this and dont quite understand multiposting. I was just clicking through owner problems and posted EGR comment where I thought it would add information to forum - sorry.

Honda will be calling me today (Honda of America)
All I can tell them so far is that my engine is much noisier than before. It was whisper quiet.
Ill have to see if I can get copy of repair documentation. All I have so far is a Honda receipt for a new head installed (under warranty, 2 week old Insight)

TWO QUESTIONS FOR FORUM: (Too help understand this)
1) Does Honda have different manufacturers for the head on the Insight?
If so then would explain different sounding engine, maybe.
2) Insight owners - is your engine whisper quiet like most new Hondas?
When idling do you hear your engine?

Looking forward to replys I hope to solve this with little trauma. Ive already been traumatized by my dealings with Honda after buying a new car that was then out of commission for 5 weeks when only two weeks old.

 

[Aaron Cake]

My Honda Insight is a 2005 purchased new. After only 1800 miles ...
(2 weeks, average drive 120 mile round trip) Honda diagnosed my EGR valve problem as really being debri in the EGR port. Solution was to replace the head.

What?!? That's a bit like chaning the oil by swapping the engine! Are you sure they replaced the head?

FWIW, the engine in the Insight seems quite loud in general. The valve cover is very thin so you can really hear the valves tapping, and the underhood insulation is much less them most other cars. Hence, you get more noise.

But I still find it very hard to believe that you had a cylinder head replaced due to clogged EGR passages...of course, this is Honda we're talking about, so I guess nothing surprises me anymore...

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Re: Follow up with Honda today

First Im new to this and dont quite understand multiposting. I was just clicking through owner problems and posted EGR comment where I thought it would add information to forum - sorry.

Not a problem Allen. But its an old internet message board concept. Basically what can (and almost always does) happen is that "good" replies get scattered across the various threads. So gleaning or even finding the posts that are / were of the best help is made more difficult.

Stated another way it fractures the subject making it _much_ harder for interested members to follow the topic as it progresses.

Your doing a GREAT job of adding to our collective ownership expereince :!:

PLEASE keep us informed as the situation develops (in this thread )

HTH!

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Re: Follow up with Honda today

<snip>

TWO QUESTIONS FOR FORUM: (Too help understand this)
1) Does Honda have different manufacturers for the head on the Insight?
If so then would explain different sounding engine, maybe.
2) Insight owners - is your engine whisper quiet like most new Hondas?
When idling do you hear your engine?
<snip>

1) AFAIK no. Its a very limited production car to begin with.

2) If it sounds distinctively different to you then something is amiss.
Valve adjustment has already been suggested.
Timing chain tension could be another.
Although its "auto" tensioned (if reassembled correctly).


Reflecting on my earlier post. Sounds like more of some type of manufacturing defect (casting) that wasn't simply cleanable. SO if you could get a better explanation of why such a major part needed replacement so early it would help the group :!:

THANKS :!:

 

[Allen]

Honda of America

Honda of America did open a case on this issue :roll:
Honda dealership billed Honda of America for a new head, yep they really did replace the head.
Honda of America was also billed from dealership for "Interior protection". This happened after I complained Insight was returned to me the first time with grease all over runner board, floor mat and seat cover.
(Honda dealership was busy that day but no excuse for new car returned greasy)
I talked to Honda of America yesterday and as far as I could tell from conversation Honda uses the same manufacturer for head for Insight.
Honda rep was surprised about noise, valve noise and slight loss of power on acceleration.
The best way to explain acceleration difference is that when it was new (6 weeks ago) it was zippy on initial acceleration where as now it is steady accelearation but not punchy from start of acceleration.
I have read here on the forum there is a valve or sensor that kicks in to ??? lean out gas??? or something??? I can still feel that ???sensor??? kick in but later in the acceleration phase than before repair.
Any ideas on acceleration? Something I can suggest next week when I return to dealership for oil change.
Honda of America has agreed my Insight should be tuned when I show up for oil change appt. but it would be nice to be able to tell Honda dealership exactly which sensor to adjust -I am not sure their mechanics really know.

My MPG is back up. I again average 70mpg and yesterday I got 87 MPG going to work and back 34 mile round trip just by driving the speed limit and feathering acceleration for best MPG.
I LOVE THE HONDA INSIGHT. I FINALLY ENJOY DRIVING AGAIN
... and without guilt knowing I am doing the best I can for the Earth and our country.
Gas prices? Haven't noticed!