Quote:
Originally Posted by live4soccer7
Thanks for the pics and info everyone. I think for the time being that I'll stick with the good old vx. If I come across a manual first gen insight locally then perhaps I'll take a look at it and see.
What are some of things I would/should look for on a new one? I'm new to the hybrid arena, but am quite experienced with ICEs.
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Pretty much all G1's have the same issues.
Water can leak down the passenger B pillar, and cause corrosion in a connector that powers the trunk latch button. The fix is to pull the pillar garnish off (just yank it) and clean the connector. The trunk can still be opened in the mean time with the key.
The driver and passenger door lock actuators fail. They're like $5 on RockAuto though.
The driver window switches and the contacts on the cluster for resetting your trip meter get iffy after 15+ years. The window switch is $250 from Honda but you can 3d print a replacement for ~$3. The template is on InsightCentral. The contacts in the cluster require you pull it out and replace them. A member on IC provides this service for cheap, or you can order new switches (~$5) from digikey and do it yourself.
Most develop a downshift grind in 2nd and 1st by 200k miles. The synchros don't wear out, it's just a design flaw that can be fixed if you open it up. Mine has it, I just double clutch and ignore it. A member on IC offers rebuilt ones with the design flaw corrected for $800, and they're so light you can probably lift it in place from under the car without aid.
The rear engine mount is very soft to absorb the vibrations of the 3 cylinder, and they usually break before 200k miles. There are no third party rear engine mounts, and they're about $80 if I remember. The good news is that it just gets more vibraty if you don't fix it, and you only have to do it once in the life of the car.
The ground straps to the engine and transmission usually break - after the rear engine mount does.
The EGR passages need to be cleaned every 150k or so miles, as they gum up. They're pretty accessible on the front of the engine though. I did this in about an hour and a half; the hardest part was scraping the scrap out of the EGR plate.
Mechanically, the engines last practically forever. I've heard of a very few people breaking camshafts when abusing them, but there are more examples over 400k miles without a rebuild, and most don't burn any oil even with crazy miles. If you find one that burns oil, I'd pass on it.
The axles seem to last really well, as well as transmission bearings, probably because of the lower power of the car, but these still fail eventually like in any other vehicle. The clutches and brakes last longer than you'd expect too - many are still on their factory pads after 15+ years. Most everything is aluminum, which means no rust to deal with.
The hybrid batteries in these can reasonably last 10-12 years, longer if you baby them, but they're the real Achilles heel of the car. Most G1s had their batteries replaced under warranty before the 10 year mark, meaning some 2006's could have batteries as young as 2 years old at this point. Some earlier Insights are getting to the end of their second battery's lifespan. You can tell if the battery is weak because it won't assist very long, and when you're rough on it, the battery gauge may "recalibrate" - that is, you'll see it jump up or down quickly. The car will continue to drive even with a fully dead battery, but you get a CEL and it won't pass inspection, and it's a dog to drive without assist. The bright side is that there are some dedicated people on IC working on a cheaper drop-in lithium replacement, but it's not ready yet.
EDIT: The Insight is a hybrid, but the hybrid system is really a bolt-on, and the car works fine without it. Aside from the battery eventually needing replacement (or the car becomes slow), you can treat it like any other gasoline car.