[julianachos]

Opened the Insight's doors for the first time in two days since I've been driving the Miata. The best description I can offer is it's warm, but not an uncomfortable feeling like before - similar to opening an oven after baking something for a while with 350°F temps and the heat blasts in your face.

I've been sitting in it during breaks at work and would have the window facing the sun up while the other is all the way down. Much more pleasant than the pre-tint era of this car.

 

[julianachos]

Time to rewind a bit since the Insight and I are approaching our one-year anniversary together. I've decided to send Blackstone Labs an oil sample for analysis.

How it started (August 2021) -

How it's going (August 2022) -

Since owning it, I've been using Mobil 1's 0W-20 synthetic oil. When finding out FCP Euro offers a Liqui Moly 0W-20 synthetic with an API SP certification, I had to try it out considering I can get free oil changes out of it. While I was in the area, I picked up a jug.

http://imgur.com/dmsCos1

 

[julianachos]

Getting a number of things done before tomorrow. Stuff I've done this week and last:

Cleaned up the headlights because I'm too lazy to take the precautionary route to clear them and not do this again. Maybe on the third round, I'll get them cleared - this is round two:

Contacted @jeffffej about his spoiler vinyl as mine is roached. The original plan was to paint this, but I need a solid day to dedicate to that. The vinyl installation took only 15 minutes.

What I started off with:

What I ended up with:

Jeff was right about the line being pretty well blended between the spoiler's original finish and the vinyl as you have to be really close to notice it. The finish between the two are different, but I feel like he chose an appropiate spot to cut the vinyl to make this unnoticable.

In hindsight, I should've sanded the spoiler down more, but the vinyl isn't a permanent solution for me. If you are reading this and considering the vinyl, definitely sand the spoiler down until it is absolutely smooth otherwise you will be disappointed. You can see some of the clear coat finish on the photo below towards the edge of the spoiler.

My spoiler's flaws are just over where the vinyl is cut. Still something that is noticeable only if you look up close.

Tuesday marked one year of owning the Insight. We celebrated by replacing its original O2 sensor with a new one. The LAF sensor was replaced last year months before I purchased it and considering the O2 sensor was $35, it was a no-brainer. The drivability and performance were well worth the five minutes of work.

 

[julianachos]

This is one modification I thought I'd never do anytime soon. One day I was lucky enough to get my mitts on one of these bad boys.

What I started out with:

Acquired a lightly used Sony XAV-AX1000. I have a similar unit in my Fit which I got spoiled with.

Of course, some modification had to be done to the once-untouched panel...

Voila. Waiting on a trim ring in the mail.

 

[julianachos]

Approaching 30k miles in roughly one year. Hoping to increase that number for the second year.

Found a 1991 CRX HF in town. Of course I had to take a photo.

Visited the track in hopes to do a few pace laps in the Insight since I was put on a waitlist to drive my Miata, but that didn't happen due to the pace laps being canceled. I became my friend's pit crew and photographer instead.

In the "What did you do to your G1 Insight today?" thread, I posted a little thing I did to hold me over while restoring the factory hood emblem: a simple 3" decal of the Honda logo. (note: 3" and silver is what I used. Here is the eBay link: Vinyl Decal Window Sticker For Honda VTEC SI ACCORD CRV CIVIC | eBay)

I placed this one .25" too low, so I'm going to remove this one and use the second decal I ordered because I knew I couldn't trust myself eyeballing this.

Before I forget, the trim ring arrived.

 

[julianachos]

Updating this thread with stuff.

Early October, I got three new Dunlop Enasave 01s. Couldn't get RE92s from Tire Rack and I already had one Dunlop mounted on the car...

In case y'all wondered what first-generation Miata wheels looked like on an Insight, here you go:

Being that Mazda's hub bore has a smaller diameter than Honda, I couldn't drive the Insight to get the tires mounted. Getting the Fit was an inconvenience, so I managed to make something else work...

Two days or so later I took it on a mini day-trip.

Turned the Insight into a mini-work truck.

Changed out the radiator and cap, courtesy of Jue Motors - thanks again, @Bull Dog! Leaving for Texas next week and this was the last major thing I didn't do. My water outlet housing doesn't leak, so I didn't touch it.

 

[julianachos]

A few months ago, the original owner of my Insight told me he is visiting his brother that lives near DC and would like to see the Insight. Of course, I said yes.

Reunited after 14 months!

@PeteT admiring the extra 31k miles added to the odometer.

After all this time and work, I finally took the Insight on a proper road trip instead of a long day trip. I usually do these kinds of posts on my 590k-mile Fit's thread. This is my annual drive to visit family in Houston.

The odometer at the beginning of the trip:

A slight delay of course near DC.

Another delay, but in Atlanta.

Same Atlanta nonsense, but in the morning.

Almost every time I drive to Houston, I cross the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge on I-10 which is an 18-mile, two-lane twin-span bridge that hovers over swamps. I've heard they will soon (or already started) ticketing people that cross said bridge in under 18 minutes. Knowing before I would zoom through at a reasonable speed that would beat the limit, I decided to take the opposite approach. I reset the meter a little late but was rewarded with a nice figure:

The sun was setting on the final stretch of my time in Louisiana. It was looking pretty nice out.

Arrived in Texas with about 30 minutes left of driving. Considering I did minimal stops, we needed to stretch our legs.

I've only stopped once since leaving Atlanta in Mississippi that day, and that was about seven hours prior to this stop.

Always visit the statue.

Washed the Insight and dragged my dad to the Space Center just to take photos in the parking lot. Driven by this place a bunch of times, but never stopped to look. Considering I only drove the Fit to Houston and took a more visually appropriate car, I couldn't resist the opportunity. Maybe one day I'll go in.

 

[julianachos]

Took the Insight to Catalina Cars and Coffee. You can see it in the background behind the wealth.

My buddy was supposed to bring his Insight, but brought over his newly purchased Volvo. I couldn’t blame him, so we went to his place so he can show me the Insight and his other cars.

Drove around Houston for a bit.

Met up with a friend later on. Last year, we met up in our Fits. This year, in our two-seater, manual Honda hybrids. His is a 2016 CR-Z he bought new and has modified it a bit.

What’s funny is my Insight is a first-year model and his CR-Z is the final-year model.

Years ago when CR-Zs were new, I drove a CVT and was mildly underwhelmed. We did a quick cultural exchange swapping cars and drove around. My friend was quite impressed with the Insight and I was no longer underwhelmed about CR-Zs. I get the hype now and for me, it was a distinct familiarity between the Fit and Insight.

My parents decided to surprise me with a motorcycle as a Christmas gift - more on that later. I had to get creative with packing it in the Insight for its 1600-mile journey home.

One last stop at you-know-where:

Unsure if I have a glutton for punishment or poor timing management skills (probably both) here are pics of traffic in Atlanta and DC, of course.

Ending odometer mileage:

Got home and was just a little over my oil change interval by about 100 miles. Was too busy running errands and going to work.

One thing is not like the other. At the Volkswagen dealer here.

This is the motorcycle I brought home: a 1974 Honda QA50. I had to take a pic of it with my 1974 CB125 I picked up two years ago.

I started out the trip leaving Delaware with a full tank and filled up once in South Carolina. The next day, I filled up again in Mississippi. Arrived in Houston with just over half a tank and the trip meter reading 465 miles! I drove about 100 miles running around.

I left Houston with a full tank and filled up once in Alabama. On the second day of driving, I filled up in North Carolina. Got home with about three notches as shown above.

I did about 75 mph the entire way with only hypermiling on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. This thing is great.

 

[julianachos]

My Honda-supplied NiMH pack from 2016 was starting to show its age, so it was time to upgrade.

Last April, I had done a charge/discharge session and it brought the NiMH pack back to life. When I had let the Insight sit for about three weeks in July while I had its transmission rebuilt, I think that progress took a step back and hasn't been right since. It also didn't help it was summer time and I added the +40% hack. In the last few weeks, the battery meter would go up and down more than it should. No IMA or CEL codes, but it was time...

Back in September, I purchased an 18S- module from someone, then purchased the other two necessary modules (18S- and 12S+) shortly after. I was able to buy a LiBCM 48S 5AhG3 kit last week and took the pack out so I could start the day somewhat prepared when I had time to start the conversion (today.)

I'm using the VOLTAGE_SPOOFING_ASSIST_ONLY_VARIABLE mode and of course, utilizing the +40% hack. It is so much better to drive around now. Letting it do its thing now while I go to bed.

Thank you so much, @mudder, for making this possible for the Insight community. I'm in love with my Insight again.

I also cut the white/green wire on the DCDC.

Not going to spam this post with pics, but here are some:

 

[mudder]

Looking good! By now hopefully that 63 mV cell delta has had a chance to balance out? Welcome to the lithium club. Sounds like you're already falling in love with the car again.

 

[julianachos]

I got home after a 15-minute drive and it was reading 48 mV. Will probably do one long leisurely road test later today since the first date went well.

Edit/update: left it charging overnight and got good results.

Ignore the lack of mounting, I finished this all up at 11:30pm last night.