2000 Insight - TLC and ecomodding build

[California98Civic]

12.8 is a definitely a fully-charged reading on a starting battery. Does the Insight normally use the hybrid pack to keep the starting battery fully charged? (BTW, I hope you'll add your new ride to "team honda" as well.)

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

12.8 is a definitely a fully-charged reading on a starting battery. Does the Insight normally use the hybrid pack to keep the starting battery fully charged? (BTW, I hope you'll add your new ride to "team honda" as well.)

The 12v runs the normal electronics and the backup starter, which is only used if the IMA battery is dead or otherwise non-functioning. The IMA motor starts the car, both first startup and during auto-start/stop at traffic signals, so that battery isn't actually used to start the car. But yes, there is a DC-DC converter that feeds the 12v battery from the IMA battery. It may be that it's still figuring out the upper and lower charge ranges I suppose. It didn't drop this morning when I started it.

Did an antenna delete, and drove back to Tallahassee from Jacksonville. I had my brother in the car and he insisted on blasting the A/C, "It's 100F, whaaaaaa". Trip was around 62MPG at 65-70mph. Thinking of doing an upper grille block and rebuilding the missing sections of belly pan as my next mod. Cleaning the EGR passages didn't give a noticeable improvement in economy, though it feels smoother when in lean burn.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Ecky

The 12v runs the normal electronics and the backup starter, which is only used if the IMA battery is dead or otherwise non-functioning. The IMA motor starts the car, both first startup and during auto-start/stop at traffic signals, so that battery isn't actually used to start the car.

Be aware, though, that ALL the electronics, including the IMA system, work off the 12-volt battery. This means that if it doesn't hold adequate charge, that fully-charged IMA battery won't start the engine. You also can't push-start it if it's that low (or at least I couldn't).

The small OEM 12-volt battery is hard to find (or was some years ago), but the larger battery used in a standard Civic (Group 51, IIRC) will fit the tray just fine.

And FYI, one indication of 12-volt problems that I don't think is documented anywhere is when the brake & battery lights in the instrument panel light up simultaneously. I found this sometimes happens on hard acceleration when RPMs go above 3500 or so. If you have an OBDII reader, normal system voltage with the DC-DC converter charging the battery will be about 14.5V, It should fluctuate between that and about 12.8, but if the DC-DC goes off, it can drop as low as 11.5V before it switches back on.

[Ecky]

You know your oil filter was on too tight when you can't get it off with the wrench, so you stab it with a thick screwdriver to get some grimp, and damn-near tear it in half when trying to turn it.




To buy myself some time with the rear mount, I cut up an old rubber mousepad and stuffed it in the gaps. I plan to replace it in the not-so-distant future, but this'll lessen the strain on the other mounts.

[Ecky]

Drove from Tallahassee to Jacksonville again today and tried something a little different. I set a goal of not exceeding 60mph, seeing how little fuel I could use at this speed, and allowing the car to slow down on hills if necessary to maintain lean burn. First half of the trip I averaged 76.8mpg. In the second half I averaged just under 83mpg, for a combined total of 78.9mpg for the whole trip. This was possible in part because my mileage increased dramatically once I left the asphalt highways and got on the concrete roads inside the city limits. At times I was getting in excess of 120mpg while keeping up with traffic on level stretches of road, at around 50-55mph.

I've now witnessed what I've read about mileage dropping off rapidly above 60mph, which wasn't true in the same way my Del Sol. I seem to have a problem of perception though, in that 60mph feels fast enough, but 58 seems very slow to me.

[Ecky]

Checked valve lash, everything was in spec.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Checked valve lash, everything was in spec.

A nice thing of beauty. Careful not to strip those cover bolts... I just bought a small helicoil kit.

[mbolton1990]

Nice 1G Insight!

I've got it's older brother,if you see a faded red CRX HF with a Ecomodder sticker on the rear bumper that's me.I'm usually just on the Parkway / Woodville Hwy



See ya around!

[Ecky]

I'll keep an eye out!

I had my eyes out for a CRX HF too. There was one for sale in town but the owner never picked up when I called, and this came along.

[Ecky]

Cleaned up speaker wiring in preparation for the head unit coming in tomorrow. Threw my old PC sub (hooked up) in the secret under-the-carpet compartment, which is currently stuffed with items to take to Goodwill.






Also took a look in the battery box while I was at it:




Been working on the Del Sol a lot lately, prepping it for sale. One of the rear shocks went out a few weeks back and I scored a 4 set of Integra OEM shocks on eBay for $100. I didn't expect putting them on to be quite so much work! I won't be starting on any aero mods until after I get it prepped.