[foxfire235]

Hi all,

I have sort of a general question: How high up does your clutch pedal go before it "catches" in first gear? My Nissan Xterra's (2001 w/50K) clutch catches very near the beginning of when you release the pedal, but on my new 2005 insight, it catches almost near the top and feels sort of "weak". The Xterra would grab right away and take off in gear, but the Insight seems to hesitate a little and almost "shudder" when I take off. I realize this is hard to explain, but hopefully someone out there knows what I'm talking about. I also notice this when i'm stopped on hills. The car almost feels like its going to stall.

The insight I test drove was a CVT, so I have nothing to compare it to, other than my dad's old Subaru. His clutch catches near the top, but its has a ton of miles on it (>300K). This leads me to believe that the insight's clutch needs adjusting or something.

Any Ideas?.

I searched for "clutch" but couldn't come up with any usefull answers.

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

I am sure that this is not right for a new 2005. I am reasonably certain that the clutch pedal mechanism can be adjusted to change the bite point (have a look - from memory there is an adjustable nut and bolt).

That said, as it is a new 2005, safest bet is to take it back to the dealership where you bought it. HTH.

 

[kapps]

Our '00 model has a clutch engagement point probably 1/2 inch from the bottom. It's definitely higher than any other car I've driven but it's always been like that to my knowledge. If it's engaging that high, I'd have Honda take a look at it.

 

[Aaron Cake]

The only adjustment on the Insight clutch is pedal free play. The rest is all hydraulic.

I've found the Insight to have the most random clutch of any car I've ever seen. After owning it for nearly 3 years, I STILL can't predict where it will engage. All the Insights I've driven have been like this.

 

[Rick]

Of the Insight's I've driven two were pretty close, the other was way different.

 

[foxfire235]

Maybe I should have Honda look at it, only problem though is that the dealership I bought it at is 800 miles away. :shock: The local dealer asked me "why would you want an insight?" when i originally inquired about it earlier this year. Should I even trust them with somethign like this?

 

[Rick]

Wow, that is a little discerning. I'd hope the service department is a separate entity from the sales and there's a chance. I'd first find out if they have anyone who has been trained to work on the Insight. I know with my local dealership their head mechanic has gone to the special training, and he's even replaced an Insight engine before which makes me feel a lot better going there. Maybe you can find something similar.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

I also notice this when i'm stopped on hills. The car almost feels like
its going to stall.

Q: How can you tell the difference from a "stall" and an auto-stop :?:

A: It self restarts when releasing the clutch, pressing on the accelerator pedal or changing the gearshift position.



Yes, it is difficult to describe sufficiently for a NG repair.

Pg. 13-4 of the factory Service manual gives the procedures for clutch pedal adjustment. But they are limited. Pg. 2-5 gives the specifications for pedal height, stroke and play as shown on the diagram on pg. 13-4.

If the clutch isn't within the specified norms then there _may_ be some air left in the system. Bleeding would be the first step of this potential needed repair. If the clutch still won't release within the range specified after and needed adjustments are performed something is potentially seriously wrong in the bell housing (release arm, pivot bolt, pressure plate, disc, etc.) But it is a touchie-feelie diagnosis beyond what can be accurately described in a few words. Read: There's a lot of middle ground I am leaving out for brevity's sake.

While the need for this adjustment procedure is unusual there's nothing "hybrid" specific about it. Any competent Honda tech is up to the task.

HTH!