2000 Insight Issues - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

War_Wagon · 07-03-2011, 09:54 PM

Well where to start. First, I think the IMA light and the Check Engine light have been disabled. I am assuming there is an actual check engine light, not just the Maint Required light. I originally thought the Maint light covered everything, but I was wrong. The IMA light in the lower right never comes on either. How hard is it to pull the dash cluster out to see if the bulbs are still there?

I forced a recal on the computer again, and let the car idle outside the office for a while. It charged up the IMA, so I started driving. The assist worked, the auto-stop worked, and it showed charge to the IMA. Life was good. I shut the car off and went to buy some beer, came back out and drove away. The assist worked for a moment, then stopped. I showed charge to the IMA (which was at about 75% full), and then the auto-stop cut out. So now I had no assist, no auto stop, but the battery level dropped to about half. The next set of lights I pulled away from, there was a brief bit of assist, then a bit of charge, then they both stopped. And that was it. Neither the assist nor the charge gauges lit up again. Though strangely after a few seconds the battery gauge jumped back up to almost full, even though it had not been showing any charge going into it. I am thinking it is safe to say that my IMA is lunched, which I kind of expected, I just hope no one has messed with anything serious in their attempts to make the IMA and check engine light go out - for once I am actually hoping it's just the bulbs that have been pulled!

retepsnikrep · 07-06-2011, 11:57 AM

I suggest you post on Insight Central: Honda Insight Forum forum to get help with these symptoms.

Mr. Pancake · 07-06-2011, 01:14 PM

Have your 12v battery checked, if it is low on charge and/or bad it will cause chaos with the ima system.
Not sure specifically for the insight, but my ima light comes on for a second or two when the car is first started, just like the other dash lights. I would imagine the insight is supposed to work the same way.

MetroMPG · 07-06-2011, 06:03 PM

Another surefire way to make the IMA light come on (if the bulb is in fact operational) is to switch the big breaker on top of the battery compartment to "OFF".

War_Wagon · 07-08-2011, 04:00 AM

Sadly I am sure the check engine light and the IMA light have been messed with. I started up the other twin and watched the lights carefully to see what they are supposed to look like in the pre-start light check mode, and, well someone's been a monkeying around on this one. I just hope they didn't hack anything up trying to get the lights to go out.