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one or more technical malfunctions affecting mpg

1K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Insightful Trekker 
#1 ·
I drive the 2006 Insight. It has never been quite right. Mileage is lower than I used to get with my Civic Hybrid (2003 - 2006) and the engine idles on stop about 20-25% of the time instead of turning off as it should, seemingly independent of ambient temperature.

The local dealer -- where no one had ever SEEN an Insight before -- assures me that the car is running properly. That is simply not correct.

1) life mpg = 49.5 for 4429 miles. I got slightly better mileage with the Civic hybrid, driving exactly the same places, same frequency -- yet the Insight is lighter weight and more streamlined so should get better mileage under same conditions. BTW: same gas station, same pattern of heat and air conditioner use, both CVT.

2) With same driving conditions, the Civic engine stopped virtually every time I stopped in traffice (stop signs, lights, etc.). This Insight turns off on stops only about 75-80% of the time.

For example, I drove the car 25 miles across the city this morning at 9:00 AM, a 45 minute trip. Air temperature approximately 32'F. I drove back, same route, three hours later. Air temperature approximately 45'F. The car idled at every stop on both trips; the engine never once turned off on stop.

Does anyone have any idea how I can locate a competent Honda shop to evaluate the vehicle? In my experience, Honda claims they are all good, and every dealer's shop claims to be the best. This car is not running properly, though, and I would really like to have the malfunctions, whatever they are, corrected.

(Yes, lots of good things about the Insight. This particular car is not running right, though, and the local dealer is useless on the issue.)
 
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#2 ·
I would guess that any Honda shop is just going to look for malfunction codes, and if there aren't any then they'll all be equally helpless.

I would also guess that if the auto-stop is working 75% of the time, it's probably ok. When the temperature is near freezing it does seem to operate erratically, probably because of the dependence on ambient temperature, state of charge, and heater settings.

Perhaps instead of trying a comparison to the Civic, it would help to just try to maximize your mileage by using the various techniques discussed in this forum, and see what you can get. The Civic has a bigger engine, for example, so if you accelerate at stop signs and make heavy use of the Insight IMA to try to "keep up" to your Civic's performance, the mileage might be lower than expected.

Bottom line is that if there aren't any codes it will be pretty hard to convince any Honda dealer that there is a problem...
 
#3 ·
cravener said:
For example, I drove the car 25 miles across the city this morning at 9:00 AM, a 45 minute trip. Air temperature approximately 32'F. I drove back, same route, three hours later. Air temperature approximately 45'F. The car idled at every stop on both trips; the engine never once turned off on stop.

Check the ambient temperature sensor and its connection.

http://www.insightcentral.net/KB/faq-co ... html#NoAIS

But in the temperatures you describe your in the no AIS range. IIRC AIS under the EPA city drive cycle will improve MPG in the 10% range.

HTH! :)
 
#5 ·
Auto stop does not work at all -- never -- when the heater/air conditioner is turned off. Surely, that can't be the way the car is supposed to work, if air conditioner use reduces efficiency.

Does any know what this relationship between heating/cooling system and the auto stop may indicate?
 
#6 ·
cravener said:
Surely, that can't be the way the car is supposed to work, ...
If outside air temperature is in the 40F neighborhood then its _not_ supposed to work. The temperature sensor is not a precision instrument so I'd allow a few degrees of variance.

Also any "auto" temperature function without the additional button press to place the system in "Econ" mode does run the AC compressor and will override AIS. So does pressing the front defroster button.

Roughly translated in an ASCII graphic to: \~/

Reads like you need an owners manual. ;) (and an afternoon of reading)
 
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