New Here - 2001 Honda Insight 5sp

[Designer85]

Hey guys, got on here not too long ago. I have a 2001 Honda Insight manual.



I bought her a couple months ago and at first wasnt getting too great of gas mileage, then the tensioner pulley fell off, and the engine over heated and warped the head gasket. So a huge fiasco to start, but after getting it all repaired it was still not getting what I had hoped (56mpg town/59mpg highway). I found this site and started getting pretty good results (58/65) But still not the 60/70 the says she should get. And since Im pretty sure that the EPA doesnt hypermile, these numbers should be common and easy to get. So Im not sure why I cant average 65+ mpg. Any ideas would be great!

Also, Im planning on making some aerodynamic (hopefully) improvements to help the hwy mpg out. Any suggestions there would also help.

Thanks guys, cant wait to hear from you and participate in the threads.

[S2k-Takara]

What tires do you have on the car, who fixed the engine?

[Gas-x]

Those are sweet cars and you should get better then that for sure.

[Designer85]

I have stock tires, which are low rolling resistant, and a Honda dealership did all the repairs.

@Gas-x: I KNOW!!! I have to REALLY hyper mile the sh*t out of it to get 69.5mpg. I do that by Target Driving

[RobertSmalls]

Hi, 85. You've got a great car there.

Just curious, how fast do you drive to get 65mpg highway? On flat land, you may want to go slow enough to keep it in lean burn, which guarantees you 75mpg cruising. On hills, you could pick up fifteen more mph by lean burning down the hills and keeping it at 50mpg going up the hills. Or you could slow down and engine-off coast down the hills.

I'm sure you could pick up a few more MPG with an engine kill switch. You should also install an assist/regen disable switch. Assist is helpful for allowing reasonable acceleration at lower RPMs, but it depletes the battery, and payback is a bear.

A MIMA would be the ultimate IMA control device, allowing you to apply assist and regen on demand. You can also set it to apply assist when your mpg falls below 80mpg (approaching the limit of lean burn) and apply regen when it climbs above 110mpg (where the engine is too lightly loaded to be efficient). That would be extremely helpful on hilly interstates.

[mtgeekman]

How long are your trips in town?

What kind of speeds to you drive?



I recently changed my route to work (added about 4 miles) and went from struggling to average 65mpg to easily averaging 75+mpg. Looking at my first 800 mile tank.

[Designer85]

I live in Pittsburgh, so its all start stop up and down hills, which isnt really a problem because I use mass transit. But when I go places on the weekends, which are normally 2-3 hrs away, the roads are hilly. There are a couple hills that if I have a full charge at the beginning, by the top of the hill Im at 3 or 4 bars (10-20%). So thats part of the problem. Also, since I admit Im not trying to be a huge hyper miler, I do want to keep up with traffic, I try to retain the speed limit +/- 10mph. Which is how Im able to get above 60mpg. My trips are rather short (10-20 mins @ 40-70 mph).

Recently back from a trip to Miami and Key West. Down there where the roads are flatter I averaged about 69mpg. still under the EPA hwy 70mpg. So I think it may have something to do with the repairs that were done to it. They didnt replace the head, they milled it back to level so it would seal. So I kinda think that may be a problem. Also, would changing my spark plugs to a more performance oriented spark plug help of hurt?

@RobertSmalls: What is "lean burn" specifically. I normally go for target driving, keeping it at a certain mpg regardless of mph. How much is a MIMA system, and how easily is it installed?

@mtgeekman: Congrats man! 800 is awesome! Im still trying to hit 700. I hit 675 when I was down in FL.

[Gas-x]

I have heard that car will give great numbers if you watch your mph. 45 mph Is what gave great numbers to Randall B. He avg in upper 90's and hit 127 in 2007 hybrid fest. Your car if driven right should produce big numbers for you.

[RobertSmalls]

Lean burn is the biggest reason why the manual transmission Insight was rated at 70mpg highway, and the automatic (which can't do lean burn) at 56mpg. When the engine is fully warmed up and lightly loaded, it can run at very lean fuel:air ratios, improving engine efficiency at the expense of power. If you're in lean burn and you press the throttle pedal too far, you'll feel a lurch (or not), the fuel economy gauge will plummet, and the car will go faster.

To get in to lean burn in 5th gear, hold the instantaneous mpg gauge around 90. Hold your foot steady, and it should shoot up over 120mpg. Then, unless you want to go 40mph, *gently* increase the throttle until the impg gauge comes back down to 80ish. 75mpg is the limit of lean burn in 5th gear. Below this, you can not lean burn, and your engine is operating at suboptimal efficiency. Spend as much time as possible in LB on a long trip, and your mpg will be much better.

If you do target driving, and your target is above 75mpg, AND you re-enter lean burn every time the mpg falls below 70, you win.

MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist - MIMA Insight System
~600 solder joints? Looks super-simple to me. *shrug*

[Designer85]

Ah, I was wondering why every once in a while the engine would randomly accelerate. Once it does that I let off the gas until the mpgs go back up to my target, which is normally around 75-80. with MIMA would I be able to accelerate while still IN lean burn?