[Joule]

Bought it. 2002 Monte Carlo Blue CVT 295 K miles. Super clean with toasted IMA.unplugged BCM per Bumblebee instructions and drove it home 2 hrs on ICE only. Price reflected more toasted IMA and high mileage than the "super clean" interior and exterior. A/C needs a charge. Saw engine temp start to climb at highway speed (it was 90+°), so I did the tried and true full blower fan with cabin heat turned to max.

Took the engine temp down, but punishing on me.

Needs new lift gate struts and a CVT fluid and filter change.

These cars prone to overheating? I was running a/c at max. (My first Gen 1 Insight) .

Lifetime MPG 54.7.

 

[Joule]

After reading in the owner's manual about potential overheat conditions, I think I'm ok. One of the hotter days of the year, prolonged highway with long uphill. A/C on max. Temp. dropped immediately after I turned heat on. I wasn't using "S" mode.

I think cooling system is probably Ok.

 

[Joule]

Was too busy driving to count the bars, but I'd say it got to 2 o'clock. Still a decent margin from the red, but up from 4 o'clock (six bars). Came back down to six bars almost immediately after shutting down the a/c and cranking the heat -- I mean pretty much instantly.

It was f'in hot here Saturday, 90+° and high humidity. I was at speed with full a/c on the highway, climbing a long incline.

 

[Joule]

Sam, as Dana Carvey as the late George H. W. Bush used to say "message received." No sense in using a AAA tow unnecessarily. I have no immediate need to use the car. I may drive it a mile to local mechanic for cooling system pressure test. I have not done a proper coolant "burp" but will grab some Honda coolant and do so. Thanks all for the caution.

 

[Joule]

Did not check for cooling fan operation. What's protocol there?

 

[Joule]

Ok, so the plot thickens and I am puzzled. It does need coolant added and a proper burp. But, my coolant overflow reservoir has a hose out the side of the tank and no hose on the tank top proper. From dealer parts drawings for my year '02 CVT, there is supposed to be a hose on the tank top. It simply isn't there. Possible earlier style was replaced with a subsequent redesigned part? If so, any downside to running it with the different overflow tank? (After coolant add and burp of course). I am all ears.

 

[Joule]

Willie. Spoke too soon and observed improperly. All hoses present and correct. Still need to add coolant though.

 

[Joule]

Drove it. 415 miles.

 

[Joule]

Stripped it almost clean. Bought what was left of a parts car (engine and transmission had already been removed after a front end hit) and took it down to pretty close to a bare shell.

 

[Joule]

Yesterday actually. John charged my spare pack at the stick level on a hobby charger and installed it for me. I had been running ICE only since I bought the car in late July. Picked a spare "dead" Primearth pack up for cheap figuring we might just be able to recover this zombie pack. So far, so good. Getting high fifties gas mileage on a CVT running snow tires. Pack is charging/ discharging predictably. Assist, regen and autostop all appear to function well. Car is so much better than running ICE only.

 

[Joule]

Got it inspected yesterday (passed) and had two new Potenzas mounted and balanced. Took off the snows and now have Potenzas on all four corners. Ride is sprightlier and it seems to require less assist than with the snows.

Don't know if the mpg will improve until the new tires wear in a bit. Put the new tread in the rear, as opposed to up front.

 

[Joule]

I don't want to scare you, but I had Nexens on a Volvo wagon, and they were positively awful with any moisture on the road. Just take extra care in the rain/snow.

 

[Joule]

Yesterday, I buffed out my horribly oxidized headlights with Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish using a lamb's wool pad on a drill. (Saw this means of headlight resto on the web).

Literally five minutes of buffing with two applications of polish made my headlights look new.

Apply polish with your fingers so there's a thin, even coat on the lens, then buff. I raised the hood and draped a contractor-size trash bag over the engine compartment to catch splatter from the buffer, of which there is a bit.

Between applications of polish, I wiped off excess polish with a couple paper towels and dried off the headlights so I could judge progress.

Before applying 303 Protectant for UV protection, I wiped the lenses off with damp paper towels to remove any polish residue then dried with paper towel.

Finished with 303 Protectant for UV protection.

I will never sand headlights again.

Not the same headlight, but you get the picture.

Tried the newly-refinished headlights tonight and they were nothing short of spectacular.

 

[Joule]

Replaced the radiator. Old one was clearly shot.

 

[Joule]

You're in LA so that's still probably an hour commute.​

 

[Joule]

Changed cabin air filter and evicted (unoccupied) mouse condo.

 

[Joule]

A prior owner opted for a different strategy than cutting the aluminum bar that runs across the back of the glove box. Instead, he left the right hand attachment bolt off and just pivoted the bar out of the way. That has made it a little tough for me to get the glove box back in, but it may not matter for now since I'll probably go back in and take the squirrel cage fan out for cleaning.

 

[Joule]

So as part 2 of my cabin filter project, I removed the climate fan (thanks to acrazyjohnny for the suggestion). Removed the dried grass matted into the fan and scrubbed fan vanes with a toothbrush to remove caked on dust.

Where the fan could previously have been described as anemic, now it could blow my glasses off.

The difference is night and day.

Highly recommend that you make this a part of your cabin filter change regimen if that change shows evidence of critters in the filter space.

Three screws (T25 torx head) and one electrical connector and the fan is free. You do not need to remove the glove box to get at it, as it sits underneath the dash. Working space to the forward-most T25 is tight.

 

[Joule]

Changed a pretty nasty engine air cleaner and vacuumed the acorn husks out of the air cleaner housing. Engine air flow should be much improved. Wondering whether I'll see improved MPG.

Down to 48.4 with the onset of colder weather and winter formula gas from around 52.

 

[Joule]

Mine was much nastier. You have almost inspired me to photograph it.