2000 Insight - TLC and ecomodding build

[nemo]

Great visuals.

[Ecky]

Went out this morning to inspect the air pressure in the tires, and I found this:




Yesterday I went out for a fossil hunt with the geology department, and took my car. We pulled off the road and parked in the grass near a bridge and hiked up the river. On the way back, the professor made an unexpected detour, remembering another outcrop, and we went down a sand/dirt road that had a few rocks. I imagine rolling over a rock is what did this. Otherwise, Gaptooth performed admirably offroad, having no trouble in a spot where an Audi in our group got stuck. I'd have something to say about overinflating tires, but my tires were all down to around 42psi when I checked today, which is barely over the 38 Honda recommends in the front and well below the max sidewall of 51 I fill them to. Definitely a reminder to be gentle to high pressure tires though.

I shopped around and found I could get an RE92 mounted from Pep Boys for $125, or have Tire Rack deliver one to my door for $87. I'll probably take it to Discount for mounting, coming out to around $100.

Sorry cowmeat, I think I'll be keeping the remaining 2 Michelins I have! They'll go in the back, and I'll have two RE92's up front. Changing both rears to RE92's would probably have a negligible effect on mileage, considering the weight distribution.

[cowmeat]

Lol, no problem.

Figured the deal was doomed as soon as I saw the pic!

[Ecky]

Decided to tackle my driver window switch today. It wasn't returning to middle position when I took my finger off, which was problematic because if I didn't remember to move it back manually, the motor would continue to run and eventually overheat (and stop working until it cooled back down). I imagine that would eventually burn the motor out, and since I'm not the only driver it was a high priority fix.

Over at InsightCentral there is a thread on 3d-printed parts in which there are parts for the window switch, so I downloaded the models (you can find them in my InsightTech folder on Google Drive) and had them printed at Scupteo.com. Those arrived too small, and judging by the scale (about 2.5x off) it's because the models were designed in imperial units and Sculpteo printed them in metric. I ordered a second set from Shapeways which allowed me to specify imperial units, and these arrived the correct size, but with a very rough finish despite my selecting "polished". This was a problem, because there are frictional surfaces, and I had to hit the inside with some high grit. The outsides had poor tolerances too, which caused the switch to have a lot of play. I decided to only replace the lightpipe as my other bit (spring detent body) was not broken.

Here are the parts, sharpe'd black where they are visible:




I followed this guide to get the dash apart, and

this youtube video

for the switch disassembly. Pushing the lightpipe out of the switch nearly broke it to pieces. There was a hairlight crack down the middle, but some precision epoxying put it back together so well that you can only tell it was ever broken if you knew what you were looking for.




Here it is installed:




The switch doesn't feel remotely like a stock switch, but it works as it should and will save the power window motor. The $10 for two attempts at 3d printed parts is certainly a lot more palatable than the Honda-sourced $160 replacement for the entire unit. However, I am rather upset about this:




Pulling the dash apart was quick and painless, taking less than 5 minutes total time. However, when I pushed it back into place, something caught and it cracked in the middle. It's almost unnoticeable, but there is now a flaw in my otherwise pristine dash. I suppose I'll keep a lookout for anyone parting one of these cars out, to see if I can snag a dash piece for cheap.

[HyperMileQC]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Went out this morning to inspect the air pressure in the tires, and I found this:

and

Originally Posted by Ecky

However, when I pushed it back into place, something caught and it cracked in the middle. It's almost unnoticeable, but there is now a flaw in my otherwise pristine dash.

Sorry to hear that . I hope you can find a replacement one as good as what you had before it cracked.

[cowmeat]

2000 Honda Insight Used Drivers Dash Mounted Master Power Window Switch | eBay

I'm just paying the 89 bucks if mine ever goes!

Everything I take apart to that point ends up with some little spring flying off into another dimension, or I finish it and there's a tiny extra part still laying on the table

On the upside, if my car ever dies I can apparently make around 2.5 million bucks parting it out!

[Ecky]

Tire came in and had it mounted last night. I already had one RE92, and decided to move the two Bridgestones to the front.

Today I made some of the best mileage I've ever had around town. Temperatures were in the low 30's, but I managed over 70mpg on 3 different cross-city drives, which over the summer I'd have been really happy with 65. I can't wait until the new tire breaks in.

[cowmeat]

Gaaaahhhhh!!!!!!

I'm going to go broke reading your thread!

I might ask my wife for a couple of re92s for Christmas! I like my Michelins, but if it makes that much of a difference and you and I have the same exact Michelins, I probably won't be able to sleep thinking I might get 5 mpg more by a tire swap!

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by cowmeat

Gaaaahhhhh!!!!!!

I'm going to go broke reading your thread!

I might ask my wife for a couple of re92s for Christmas! I like my Michelins, but if it makes that much of a difference and you and I have the same exact Michelins, I probably won't be able to sleep thinking I might get 5 mpg more by a tire swap!

The Michelins, from what I've read, tend to last longer. The ride is better and they're quieter, and I believe they're a little more grippy. They're probably also worth a 5mpg loss, while non-LRR tires are probably worth 10-15mpg. I was content waiting for mine to run out of tread, but getting a pair of RE92's in the front will probably help with mileage, if not be cost effective in the short term.

On the plus side, they're a cheaper tire. Also, Discount Tire claimed they'd match TireRack.com's prices over the phone, but I haven't tried it in practice.

[samwichse]

What size are your Michelins, cowmeat? Are they the proper 165/65 or something else?

Sam