Quote:
Originally Posted by Formula413
If anyone has any tips for how to get the most out of this car I'm all ears.
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First, congratulations! Stick-shifted hybrids have great potential to be ultra-thrifty machines, and fun to drive.
Second, are those HCH wheels? I'm used to seeing cheese-grater wheels on HCH's. No matter, you could/should get a set of Insight wheels with Insight tires come spring, because there is no better LRR tire in that size.
I highly recommend an IMA inhibit switch, which is an easy install. If you turn off the IMA assist when you don't need it, you can completely avoid having the car charge the battery while you're cruising. Such a switch would allow wide throttle, low RPM without the assist kicking in all the time. Since the energy conversion efficiency of motor->battery->motor is poor, it's better to avoid it if you can.
Set up the ScanGauge to monitor for lean burn - IAT, °FWT, TPS, LBN. With the weather we've been having lately, my Insight would not enter lean burn on my commute without its hot air intake. You can see my build thread for more info on the intake.
I find the Insight burns so little gas, that it doesn't have a lot of waste heat to spare. When I turn my heater on full, the coolant temperatures start to drop, even while cruising at 60mph. It's pretty fun to watch, but it means you'll want to wear a hat for better fuel economy.
Got any mods planned?