[bix]

good day. i'd like to thank all who weighed in with buying advice. i purchased an insight yesterday (oct. 12) . i bought a honda certified 2003 with 32,625 miles (florida car). i had to drive a-ways to get it - about 5 hours - but i'm sure it'll be worth it. on the trip back, i made 75 MPG, which i think is unreal.

now that the dust has settled and i've really, really scrutinized it, i found something on the exterior that i somehow overlooked before purchasing. seems someone ran a bead of clear silicone in the roof line gap just over the right side of the driver's door. and it's just on the driver's side. should i be concerned about this? the car doesn't smell musty or anything to suggest a leak. why else would it be there? the car also didn't come with any mats. the salesman said that insights didn't come with them while still in production. he tried to give the previous owner's mats, which had the tazmanian devil on them. i said, "yeah, thanks, but i don't think so." should i have received mats? and are the "taz mats" an indication that the previous owner was a nut? thanks.

 

[atlaw4u]

Congrats on the new purchase and welcome. You can get a set of Insight Mats from Majestic Honda in their online store for about $50 bucks and the rear cargo mat is around $60.

As for the silicone I would not worry about it. Many Insight owners have found that during heavy rains or car washes water may leak into that area of the car. You usually discover this when you notice the upper part of your seat belt is wet. I myself just purchased an Insight and may consider sealing with silicone just as a preventative measure.

Enjoy your new Insight.

 

[Dougie]

They didn't come with mats. I bought floor mats and the one for the rear compartment, but in retrospect I probably would only get the floor mats. Some people claim that the back mat makes the car quieter, but I don't notice it and besides the cost, you're just dragging around another five pounds of dead weight.

 

[bix]

thanks for clearing up the silicone issue and also for the recommendation on the mats. good stuff.

i just got off the phone with my wife, and i was trying to adquately express what a huge windfall it was for me to discover this site. amazing. thanks again.

 

[jack9994]

i would check under the carpets as Insights seem to like filling up with water - either from under the trim you mention or through the door panels on to the rubber door seal and into the cabin - just check them out for your peace of mind. See this thread as well as there are some pics showing under the trim. http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... 7&start=45

 

[bix]

water on board

thanks. is it relatively non-destructive to look under the carpet to check for water? what's the best way to go about it? thanks. oh, what are the long-term of issues of water in the cabin with these cars? what rusts?

 

[jack9994]

if you lift the trim panel that runs along the top of the sill you will find some clips that you can release and allow you to get your hand under the carpet

Nothing will rust as its all aluminum but the carpets will start to smell - the foam on the bulkhead under the carpet is pretty good at holding water
Cheers
John

 

[b1shmu63]

Most of the car is aluminum but there are a few supension componets, some brackets under the dash and the seat frames that are steel.

Don't sweat the tazmanian mats: either the owner liked Bugs Bunny cartoons or he got the mats cheap. I put rubber mats on the floor. Because of the generous leg room only uncut truck floor mats were big enough! That doesn't mean I drive it like a truck.

Welcome to the forum. I've averaged about 74 MPG the last few trips and it has been cool and rainy. After 5 years that still makes me smile!

 

[bix]

thank you mr. munro, i hadn't considered the bugs bunny angle. i guess i just rather the previous owner sport a set of foghorn leghorn rubbers than the taz. but they'll be history soon. i was referred to majestic honda and i love the custom mats i found there and have already placed an order. hope they're not too difficult to install.

re: the steel components. i took a look under the passenger seat, and the frame brackets that bolt the seating unit to the car's floor are showing mild corrosion. just tiny spots of surface rust. should i be concerned? despite the fact that i can't see them unless i look, i'm still a little bothered by any rust in an otherwise well-kept used car. any suggestions?

thanks.

 

[b1shmu63]

Hey, my seat bracket is a little rusted too. In my case I installed waterproof spacers, problem solved, but a little touch up paint should suffice if you are not planning on raising the seat.