Got a new UFO*: 2000 Honda Insight 5-speed (ailing IMA hybrid battery pack)

[MetroMPG]

Yeah, not quite that dirty. No passage was fully blocked on mine.

However I'm reading on InsightCentral now about the other end of the plumbing -- the EGR valve.

A dirty valve (leading to either mechanical and/or electrical malfunction in its operation) will also apparently cause the herky-jerky bucking problem under light load.

Cleaning the valve has been said by several owners to clear up the problem to varying degrees of success (some report only short term fixes, others have long term happiness).

[MetroMPG]

Woohoo!

I'm tentatively saying that the EGR parts cleaning has solved the herky-jerky / bucking / engine miss at low load cruise!

EGR plate channels cleaned, EGR valve disassembled, inspected & cleaned, everything re-installed.

The valve didn't look bad at all, in terms of carbon/soot, and the carbon traces (in the potentiometer that sends valve position info back to the computer) showed no signs of wear/scratching, as they have on others' gen.1 Insights. But I flipped the contacts over anyway to present a smoother contact surface.

Took the car on a 20 km mostly rural highway drive that I've done a few times before and experienced NO engine missing. (Had it before on this route.)

2.9 L/100 ... 81.5 mpg (US) round trip mileage from a cold start, bit of idling, couple of high load & high RPM bursts.

And that's with the hybrid assist & regen disabled.

Car's ready for inspection now.

[MetroMPG]

Will post pics of the fettuccine carbonara after supper.

I mean the EGR carboned up before & after cleaning.

[cactus jon]

Interesting posts about your EGR cleaning. I bought my 2001 Insight last year and have not done anything besides Mobil One 0w20, KN air filter, and change the gearbox oil. I have also noticed a slight stumbling at low rpms under load. Was the EGR system hard to disassemble and clean? I do not have a shop manual and don't want to get in over my head. There also seems to be a lot of clatter from the top end. Posts on Insight Central seem to indicate that the sewing machine sound is normal.

[MetroMPG]

Hi Jon -

FYI, I wouldn't have called my car's stumble "slight". It was really jerky - you could see engine RPM drop & jump on the tach when it happened.

My understanding is some minor "stumble" is considered normal by drivers of Honda's lean burn engines.

But, no, it's not difficult to remove the EGR valve (2 12mm nuts) or the EGR plate (3 12mm bolts, and 2 12mm nuts, one of which is finicky and the other is particularly tricky due to clearances). FYI, I did it without a shop manual. I do have a moderate amount of mechanical experience though.

If you're intent on investigating anyway, I'd try the "soaking the EGR valve overnight with WD-40 " trick first, as it's the easiest to try.

See: EGR valve cleaning, instructions please - Insight Central: Honda Insight Forum

If that doesn't work, proceed to the EGR plate removal/inspection/cleaning if needed.

See: ERG Plate Removal/Cleaning - With Pics - Insight Central: Honda Insight Forum

I did them both at the same time because I felt like diving in, not because it was necessary (the valve was apparently fine).

[MetroMPG]

Fettuccine carbonara!



Above: EGR plate before. None of the passages were completely blocked, but one was over 50% blocked (left side of photo).



Clean. Dug out the baked on carbon & crud with plastic and dull metal tools.



Business end of the EGR valve. Sooty, but not nearly as caked as the EGR plate. Filled & soaked it overnight with WD-40 anyway. Also disassembled the "top" (other end) of the valve & inspected the potentiometer's carbon traces (were fine). Flipped the contacts over for a smoother interface anyway.

[dcb]

I kinda like the bolt-on egr circuit/trap, that setup looks very practical.

Any theories why the passage on the left is more clogged than the other cylinders?

[MetroMPG]

Easier to clean up than the Metro EGR problem, maybe (the problem that cooks the exhaust valve). Did you ever do that to your Metro? I haven't had to yet, and don't know the procedure.

Actually, the other two passages were more gummed up than that photo suggests.

Much of their gunk remained stuck to a thin metal spacer/gasket that is sandwiched between the cyl head and that plate. A fair pile of crud pulled out of those passages when I took things apart.

It might be interesting (to some people) to know from other owners if there's a pattern in the blockages.

[MetroMPG]

I wish this car had wind-up windows, not electric ones!

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by cactus jon

I have also noticed a slight stumbling at low rpms under load. Was the EGR system hard to disassemble and clean?

The EGR "herky-jerky" is anything but slight, at least when it's fully developed. (You might have an early case, or it might just be normal behavior.)

The EGR valve is easy to remove & replace, but not so easy to disassemble & reassemble. But IIRC a new valve assembly is about $120 or so on-line.