[ldisplay]

ok thinking it may be time to replace my current car its got 300,000+ km on it and is starting to show it .

now I have got a few questions
1. this is the main one since living up here in the great white north(Canada) especially in my area we get temperatures at -40 to -50+ celcius(-40 to -45.55 fahrenheight) we get them about a week or so every winter can the Insight handle this I will have a blockheater but woried about the batteries.
2. I am assuming it is better to keep your batteries fullycharged overnight is the only way to charge these through the engine possible plug in battery charger ?

more may come.

 

[Rick]

There are several Canadian owners on this list so I'm sure they can comment further to specific experiences. That said the Insight will take care of itself. In the extreme cold the engine coolant heater will deffinitely help for warm up. In fact you'll want to block your radiator durring the winter. The only problem people seem to have in extreme cold is when the temperature crosses the threshold of using the IMA to start the engine and it resorts to the starter motor and the 12 volt battery is so cold it can't start the engine.

If your reffering to the main NiMH battery pack in reguards to the cold, no do not attempt to charge them. The Insight maximizes battery life by keeping the pack between 20% and 80%. Fully charging them would significantly decrease battery life and you would end up with a very confused car (the Insight has no external battery charger... you did know that right?).

 

[Chris]

1. this is the main one since living up here in the great white north(Canada) especially in my area we get temperatures at -40 to -50+ celcius(-40 to -45.55 fahrenheight) we get them about a week or so every winter can the Insight handle this I will have a blockheater but woried about the batteries.

Um Sorry, I can't help you there, wish I could though but I don't own a Insight.

2. I am assuming it is better to keep your batteries fullycharged overnight is the only way to charge these through the engine possible plug in battery charger ?

Well I am not sure If you can get a battery charger to charge the batteries overnight or not, as far as I know The nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries used by the Insight are recharged through a process called regenerative braking. Specifically, energy from forward momentum is captured during braking. This energy is then used to recharge the batteries. (In conventional automobiles, this energy is wasted.) Under certain circumstances, the gasoline engine also recharges the batteries. Batteries that recharge themselves mean an electric engine that never needs to be plugged in.

Stating the above, I don't see why you would need to get a battery charger (if there even is one), to charge the batteries, when the car does it on its own, by regenerative braking. Although I have seen on this site somewhere that someone on here has a mod that they made, where the car recharges the batteries by solar power, I am not sure who it is, but I have seen it on here, somewhere. :roll:

 

[ldisplay]

There are several Canadian owners on this list so I'm sure they can comment further to specific experiences. That said the Insight will take care of itself. In the extreme cold the engine coolant heater will deffinitely help for warm up. In fact you'll want to block your radiator durring the winter. The only problem people seem to have in extreme cold is when the temperature crosses the threshold of using the IMA to start the engine and it resorts to the starter motor and the 12 volt battery is so cold it can't start the engine.

If your reffering to the main NiMH battery pack in reguards to the cold, no do not attempt to charge them. The Insight maximizes battery life by keeping the pack between 20% and 80%. Fully charging them would significantly decrease battery life and you would end up with a very confused car (the Insight has no external battery charger... you did know that right?).

no I didn't I know very little about this car

 

[Rick]

no I didn't I know very little about this car

I suggest you read as much as you can on the main site. The information is quite juicy.

 

[b1shmu63]

You must live in Labrador or northern Saskatchewan! -30 is about as cold as it gets here in Ontario.

The Insight is primarily an internal combustion vehicle. You should not have any trouble starting it provided your 12 volt battery is in good condition. However, the extreme efficiency of the engine means that it does not create a lot of waste heat. For this reason blocking the radiator opening helps to maintain correct operating temperature in extreme cold. As long as the engine stays warm the car interior will be comfortable.

 

[Yves M.]

I do not remember the exact temp, but at around -30, the IMA turns into "Charge Only" mode. No assist at all. This is surely to prevent battery damage. So yes, the Insight takes care of it's own.

Once the cabin tempature rizes, then the IMA battery also gets warmer and starts assisting. In city driving and short trips, I have had the IMA off for a few days at a time. But that is really rare here and is only an annoyance.

There is no need for you to consider the car differently than other cars. Just drive it. After a while, you can start playing the game of "High MPG" and fidle with driving habits to get better mpg

 

[ldisplay]

You must live in Labrador or northern Saskatchewan! -30 is about as cold as it gets here in Ontario.

central saskatchewan to be more exact. ok so the car will take care of itself. the whole battery thing was just a wonder. my main concern was our harsh winters.

 

[Yves M.]

It is all in where you live. Me, my primary concern is poth holes. Some have had problems, I remember someone near that had a damaged rear wheel.

This year, we have poth holes the size of .... well, even the Titanic could sink and we would not find it.

Seriously, some a 2 to 3 foot wide and more than a foot deep.

 

[Guillermo]

I've experienced as cold as -30 Celcius with no problems when I was in Minden Ontario.
Like you mentioned an engine block heater helps at those temperatures.
And block the rad with a plastic "for sale" sign (available in all hardware stores and only require minor trimming to fit).
Possibly use 120V AC blanket heater designed to keep 12V batteries warm. and use synthetic engine oil.
Because of the price I suspect 0W20 honda oil might be semi-synthetic.
Don't worry it only uses 2.5 Liters of engine oil :lol:

 

[ldisplay]

here is another question. gas now I know this car is supose to help save gas money but would putting in a higher grade fuel improve the milage. I have herd that it cleans and is good every now and then but is it worth the extra5-10 cents.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Not purely from a MPG / cost per unit basis. You will pay more per gallon / liter than any MPG improvement will recoup. And for the most part there is little difference in the detergent additives between grades (USA anyway).

However, some brands reserve their lowest sulfur fuel for their premium grade. Which will have a long term benefit. Don't know what brands you have in Canada nor where to search for the differences. Amoco / BP or Chevron are the ones I am _familiar_ with here in the states. There are likely others too.

Personally I use premium.