2004 Honda Insight purchase?

[Natalya]

Originally Posted by hit440

yes we have salted roads but usually not as bad as other northern states. To the dealers knowledge the battery has never been replaced, so one can assume is OEM and therefore 12 years old, have seen it sitting on their lot for at least a month or more. they have had it for at least that long if not longer

Okay then the IMA is definite crap.

[hit440]

so do you think its worth even buying then? if so you think i should offer like 3000 for it or maybe even less?
Other people have said I can still operate the car just fine with a dead IMA, I would just be curious what kind of mileage i would get without

[MetroMPG]

FYI, a functioning hybrid battery isn't strictly necessary to get fantastic fuel economy from a 1st gen Insight.

I mostly drove my Insight with assist/regen switched off. It still blew away the EPA ratings. But I also used many techniques to do so, and almost always took the scenic route when on highway trips (~50 mph).

Provided the 12v battery continues to be charged (it seems some do and some don't when the pack is shut off), the car will be more sluggish but acceptable without hybrid assist (if you consider slightly better than Geo Metro levels of power acceptable).

[hit440]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

FYI, a functioning hybrid battery isn't strictly necessary to get fantastic fuel economy from a 1st gen Insight.

I mostly drove my Insight with assist/regen switched off. It still blew away the EPA ratings. But I also used many techniques to do so, and almost always took the scenic route on highway trips (~50 mph).

Provided the 12v battery continues to be charged (it seems some do and some don't when the pack is shut off), the car will be more sluggish but acceptable without hybrid assist (if you consider slightly better than Geo Metro levels of power acceptable).

is it difficult to switch the assist/regen/IMA system offline?

what kind of "techniques" :P

i used to have a geo metro, great car wish i would have kept it, got rid of it many moons ago

[MetroMPG]

No.

But how mechanically/electrically experienced are you?

[hit440]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

No.

But how mechanically/electrically experienced are you?

mechanically, i have worked on enough vehicles to be good enough in my mind I can turn wrenches and troubleshoot just as well as the next guy.

as far as the electronics, meh not too savy on those, probably know just enough to be dangerous. i know basic wiring and such and what can and cant shock you, as far as rebuilding a pack i probably would not say im experienced enough to tackle on my own.

[MetroMPG]

OK, just curious.

At this point, most people who are getting these cars are aware that they're going to need some work/tinkering. They're specifically searching for them because the payoff is the ridiculously good MPG.

[Xist]

Did you check the area that is rattling for loose or missing fasteners?

I always strongly recommend that people take cars for an inspection before purchase. If it is at a dealership, that is more difficult. I bought my Forester from a dealership and they told me it had the smallest leak in the head gasket, but convinced me it was okay.

Lessons learned:

Try to avoid dealerships.
Use independent mechanics.
Don't purchase old Subarus.
I am an idiot.

If you cannot find the vehicle you want anywhere else, paying a mechanic to come with you might be expensive, but one should have told me "Hey, that will be a $1,750 repair in two years."

I would also ask what the cost out the door would be. My Forester was five thousand, but tax, license, and document fees added another thousand, and they only got me temporary tags!

[Natalya]

Originally Posted by hit440

so do you think its worth even buying then? if so you think i should offer like 3000 for it or maybe even less?
Other people have said I can still operate the car just fine with a dead IMA, I would just be curious what kind of mileage i would get without

You should absolutely buy the car. The bad IMA is just a negotiating point. A very strong one though. "I'm buying a hybrid but I know the hybrid portion isn't going to work right because the battery is old and has been sitting for a long time. Give me a discount." I probably suck at negotiating, you can probably do better.

Anyway, the car can be driven without the IMA and will still get stupidly good MPG, it just won't accelerate as fast. Disabling the IMA isn't super difficult. Also, grid charging might extend the IMA's usable life anyway.

http://prolongima.com/insight/removal/bypass.html

[hit440]

well i know most of yall arent from round these parts being cars are worth different in all areas, but what do you think the car is worth potentially bad IMA and all?