$1500 Insight pics

[War_Wagon]

Well here it is, all 369,000 kms worth of Insight. The 1.0L seems decent, but the battery pack remains a mystery. Driving it around the yard where it's stored seems ok, but I could not get the feature where the 1.0L shuts off at a stop with the clutch in to work. The charging lights never came on either while driving, though I never got over 30 km/h. I know the display itself works as the pre-start cluster check lights everything up just fine. I wish there was a local Insight guru that I could bribe with beer and/or Burger King to come have a look at it and let me know where I stand. Failing that, I guess I will just find out the hard way. Wish me luck!

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[nimblemotors]

looks to be in excellent condition, bodywise at least.
I would really suggest you convert it to all-electric, don't bother trying to get the engine working etc. just ditch it all, and put a DC electric motor in it.

Originally Posted by War_Wagon

Well here it is, all 369,000 kms worth of Insight. The 1.0L seems decent, but the battery pack remains a mystery. Driving it around the yard where it's stored seems ok, but I could not get the feature where the 1.0L shuts off at a stop with the clutch in to work. The charging lights never came on either while driving, though I never got over 30 km/h. I know the display itself works as the pre-start cluster check lights everything up just fine. I wish there was a local Insight guru that I could bribe with beer and/or Burger King to come have a look at it and let me know where I stand. Failing that, I guess I will just find out the hard way. Wish me luck!

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[BuckarooBanzai]

gorgeous whip mate!

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by War_Wagon

Driving it around the yard where it's stored seems ok, but I could not get the feature where the 1.0L shuts off at a stop with the clutch in to work.

Autostop doesn't work when the engine is cold. Coolant temp needs to be (my experience) above 140 in summer, higher in winter. There's some fairly complex logic in there: you also have to get above a minimum speed, have shifted at least into second, the climate control needs to be off...

The charging lights never came on either while driving, though I never got over 30 km/h. I know the display itself works as the pre-start cluster check lights everything up just fine.

What's the battery charge indicator show, full, empty, or part? It won't usually do charging at low speeds...

[CigaR007]

Best of luck on the endeavor ! I wish I had an Insight (pun intended)..

[War_Wagon]

The battery shows about 2 lines under full for charge. I let it run for 15 mins or so as I was driving it around, but I don't know if that got it hot enough or not. I guess I won't really be able to test it out until I can get it out on the road for a good run. If the IMA battery is toast I won't get stuck will I? As in I should be able to drive around on just the 1.0L right?

Thanks for all the thumbs up, I am a bit out of my league with this car but I do really want to see what I can do with it.

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by War_Wagon

If the IMA battery is toast I won't get stuck will I? As in I should be able to drive around on just the 1.0L right?

Correct, assuming everything is in order with your 12V battery. You can drive an Insight for a long time with a dead 12V and not know it if the IMA system is in order. Also check the condition of the tranny-to-frame ground straps: they like to corrode.

If you're going to be working on the car, you should pick up a copy of the factory service manual.

Your car appears to have 9 visible "H" logos.

It looks like a great car, and I wouldn't hesitate to pay $1500 for another Insight. What plans do you have for this car, in terms of modifications?

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by War_Wagon

The battery shows about 2 lines under full for charge.

Then you probably won't see charging except when decelerating from a good speed - 30 mph or so. There's some demand logic in the system, so it's more likely to charge as the battery gets lower.

I let it run for 15 mins or so as I was driving it around, but I don't know if that got it hot enough or not.

My guess is not. Even with a partial radiator block, on a day near freezing it takes 5 miles or so of driving at 50 mph to get up into the 140 degree range. A note on the (pretty much worthless) temperature gauge: it'll show 2 bars when cold, at about 145 will suddenly jump to 5-6 bars, and won't change again unless you get into mountain climbing on a hot day and forgot to take the radiator block out. I recommend getting a ScanGauge.

If the IMA battery is toast I won't get stuck will I? As in I should be able to drive around on just the 1.0L right?

Yes, as long as the 12-volt battery is good. Even with the IMA system totally inoperative, you should be able to drive as long as the 12-volt provides sufficient current to run the electronics & spark. And even if the battery pack is toast as far as providing assist, it should still be able to run the DC-DC converter to act as an alternator.

Another good reason to have a ScanGauge: if the system voltage is in the 13+ range, the IMA is charging the system. As I mentioned earlier, you can see the occasional fault where the DC-DC shuts off for some reason (it's like it trips a circuit breaker or something), but they're easily reset by switching the ignition off for a second or two.

[JMac]

So jealous. I've never even seen one for less than $4k. Good luck with that!

JMac

[Nevyn]

My jealousy knows no bounds! Congrats and treat her well!