2000 HONDA INSIGHT wheel

Appearanc
e Car e

Regula r cleanin g an d polishin g o f
you r Hond a help s t o kee p i t "new "
looking . Thi s sectio n give s yo u hint s
o n ho w to clea n you r ca r an d
preserv e it s appearance : th e paint ,
brightwork , wheel s an d interior . Als o
include d ar e severa l thing s yo u ca n
d o t o hel p preven t corrosion . Exterio
r Care................................. . 19 8
Roo f Antenna............................ . 19 8
Rea r Whee l Skirt...................... . 19 8
Washing..................................... . 19 9
Waxing....................................... . 20 0
Pain t Touch-up.......................... . 20 0
Interio r Care.................................. . 20 1
Carpeting................................... . 20 1
Fabric......................................... . 20 1
Vinyl........................................... . 20
1

Sea t Belts................................... . 20 1
Windows.................................... .
20
2
Ai r Fresheners.......................... . 20 2
Corrosio n Protection.................... . 20 2
Bod y Repairs................................. . 20 3
Appearanc e Car e

Exterio
r Car e
Roo f Antenn a
Befor e usin g a n automati c ca r wash ,
remov e th e radi o antenn a s o it doe s
no t ge t damaged . Remov e th e
antenn a b y unscrewin g it . Whe n yo u
reinstal l th e antenna , tighte n i t
securely .
Rea
r Whee l Skir t

I f a n automati c ca r was h ha s tir e
cleanin g brushes , remov e th e skirt s
coverin g th e rea r wheel s s o the y wil l
no t b e damaged . Se e pag e 20 8 fo r
ho w to remov e an d instal l th e skirts .

Appearanc e Car e

Exterio
r Car e

Waxin g
Alway s was h an d dr y th e whol e ca r
befor e waxin g it . Yo u shoul d wa x
you r car , includin g th e meta l trim ,
wheneve r wate r sit s o n th e surfac e
i n larg e patches . I t shoul d for m int o
bead s o r droplet s afte r waxing .
Yo u shoul d us e a qualit y liqui d o r
past e wax . Appl y i t accordin g t o th e
instruction s o n th e container . I n
general , ther e ar e tw o type s o f
products :
Waxe s — A wa x coat s th e finis h an d
protect s i t fro m damag e b y exposur e
t o sunlight , ai r pollution , etc . Yo u
shoul d us e a wa x o n you r Hond a
whe n it i s new . Polishe
s — Polishe s an d cleaner /
waxe s ca n restor e th e shin e t o pain t
tha t ha s oxidize d an d los t som e o f it s
shine . The y normall y contai n mil d
abrasive s an d solvent s tha t remov e
th e to p laye r o f th e finish . Yo u
shoul d us e a polis h o n you r Hond a if
th e finis h doe s no t hav e it s origina l
shin e afte r usin g a wax .
Cleanin g tar , insects , etc . wit h
remover s als o take s of f th e wax .
Remembe r t o re-wa x thos e areas ,
eve n if th e res t o f th e ca r doe s no t

nee d waxing .

Aluminu m Wheel s
Clea n you r Honda' s aluminu m allo y
wheel s a s yo u d o th e res t o f th e
exterior . Was h the m wit h th e sam e
solution , an d rins e the m thoroughly .
Th e wheel s hav e a protectiv e clear -
coa t tha t keep s th e aluminu m fro m
corrodin g an d tarnishing . Usin g
hars h chemicals , includin g som e commercia
l whee l cleaners , o r stif f
brushe s ca n damag e thi s clear-coat .
Onl y us e a mil d detergen t an d sof t
brus h o r spong e to clea n th e wheels .
Pain t Touch-u p
You r deale r ha s touch-u p pain t t o
matc h you r car' s color . Th e colo r
cod e is printe d o n a sticke r o n th e
driver' s doorjamb . Tak e thi s cod e to
you r deale r s o yo u ar e sur e to ge t
th e correc t color .
Inspec t you r ca r frequentl y fo r chip s
o r scratche s i n th e paint . Repai r
the m righ t awa y t o preven t corrosio n
o f th e meta l underneath . Us e th e
touch-u p pain t onl y o n smal l chip s
an d scratches . Mor e extensiv e pain t
damag e shoul d b e repaire d b y a

professional .

Appearanc e Car e

Compac
t Spar e Tir e

You r ca r ha s a compac t spar e tir e
tha t take s u p les s space . Us e thi s
spar e tir e a s a temporar y replace -
men t only . Ge t you r regula r tir e
repaire d o r replace d an d pu t bac k o n
you r ca r a s soo n a s yo u can .
Chec k th e inflatio n pressur e o f th e
compac t spar e tir e ever y tim e yo u
chec k th e othe r tires . I t shoul d b e
inflate d to :

6 0 ps i (42 0 kPa ) Follo
w thes e precaution s wheneve r
yo u ar e usin g th e compac t spar e tire :
D o no t excee d 5 0 mp h (8 0 km/h )
unde r an y circumstances .
Thi s tir e give s a harshe r rid e an d
les s tractio n o n som e roa d sur -
face s tha n th e regula r tire . Us e
greate r cautio n whil e drivin g o n

thi s tire .

D o no t moun t sno w chain s o n th e
compac t spare .
Th e whee l o f th e compac t spar e
tir e is designe d especiall y t o fi t
you r car . D o no t us e you r spar e
tir e o n anothe r vehicl e unles s it i s
th e sam e mak e an d model .
INDICATO
R LOCATIO N MAR K
Th e compac t spar e tir e ha s a shorte r
trea d lif e tha n a regula r tire . Replac e
i t whe n yo u ca n se e th e trea d wea r
indicato r bars . Th e replacemen t
shoul d b e th e sam e siz e an d desig n
tire , mounte d o n th e sam e wheel .
Th e compac t spar e tir e i s no t
designe d to b e mounte d o n a regula r
wheel , an d th e compac t whee l i s no t
designe d fo r mountin g a regula r tire .
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d TREA
D WEA R INDICATO R BA R

Changin
g a Fla t Tir e

1 . Rea r tir e only :
Us e a flat-tippe d screwdrive r t o
loose n th e tw o stu d fastener s
holdin g th e rea r whee l skirt . 2
. Pul l th e rea r whee l skir t

downward .

D o no t catc h you r clothe s o r
hand s o n th e hook s o n th e rea r
fende r whe n yo u replac e th e

wheel .
CENTE
R CA P
3 . Remov e th e cente r ca p fro m th e
whee l wit h th e en d o f th e
extensio n o r a flat-tippe d
screwdriver .
4 . Loose n th e fou r whee l nut s 1/ 2
tur n wit h th e whee l wrench .
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
REA
R WHEE L SKIR T

STUD

FASTENE R

Changin
g a Fla t Tir e

11.Tighte n th e whee l nut s securel y in

th e sam e crisscros s pattern . Hav e

th e whee l nu t torqu e checke d a t
th e neares t automotiv e servic e

facility .

Tighte n th e whee l nut s to :

8 0 lbf.f t (108N.m , 1 1 kgf.m )

D o no t catc h you r clothe s o r
hand s o n th e hook s o n th e rea r
fende r whe n yo u replac e th e

wheel .
12.T
o instal l th e rea r whee l skirt ,
plac e th e skir t agains t th e body .
Lin e u p th e slot s o n th e skir t wit h
th e tab s i n th e body , the n pus h th e
skir t upward .
Mak e sur e th e whee l skir t i s
installe d correctly . 13.Tighte
n th e tw o stu d fasteners . Alig
n th e mark s o n th e stu d fastene
r wit h th e mark s o n th e
whee l skirt .

It is not recommended to drive your car-
without the wheel skirts.
It will affect the fuel consumption.

CONTINUED

Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d

TA
B

SLO T

Changin
g a Fla t Tir e
WIN G BOL T SPACER CON E
14.Remov e th e cente r cap .
Plac e th e fla t tir e fac e dow n i n th e
spar e tir e well .
15.Remov e th e space r con e fro m th e
win g bolt , tur n i t over , an d pu t i t
bac k o n th e bolt .
16.Secur e th e fla t tir e b y screwin g
th e win g bol t bac k int o it s hole . 17.Stor
e th e jac k an d too l ki t bac k i n
th e spar e tir e well .
18.Stor e th e whee l cove r o r cente r
ca p in th e spar e tir e well . Mak e
sur e i t doe s no t ge t scratche d o r

damaged .

19.Instal l th e storag e bo x i n th e carg o
are a well .
20.Lowe r th e carg o are a floor , the n
clos e th e hatch .
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d Loos
e item s ca n fl y aroun d th e
interio r i n a cras h an d coul d
seriousl y injur e th e occupants .
Stor e th e wheel , jac k an d tool s
securel y befor e driving .

Brak
e Syste m Indicato r

BRAK E SYSTE M INDICATOR *
Th e Brak e Syste m Indicato r come s
o n whe n yo u tur n th e ignitio n O N
(II) . I f th e parkin g brak e is no t set , i t
goe s of f afte r yo u star t th e engine . I f
th e parkin g brak e is set , i t goe s of f
whe n yo u full y releas e th e parkin g
brak e wit h th e engin e running . I
f i t come s o n a t an y othe r time , i t
indicate s a proble m wit h th e car' s
brak e system . I n mos t cases , th e
proble m is a lo w flui d leve l i n th e
brak e flui d reservoir . Pres s lightl y o n
th e brak e peda l t o se e i f i t feel s
normal . I f i t does , chec k th e brak e
flui d leve l th e nex t tim e yo u sto p a t a
servic e statio n (se e pag e 171 ). I f th e
flui d leve l i s low , tak e th e ca r t o you r
deale r an d hav e th e brak e syste m
inspecte d fo r leak s o r wor n brak e

pads .

However , i f th e brak e peda l doe s no t
fee l normal , yo u shoul d tak e
immediat e action . Becaus e o f th e
brak e system' s dual-circui t design , a
proble m in on e par t o f th e syste m
wil l stil l giv e yo u brakin g a t tw o
wheels . Yo u wil l fee l th e brak e peda l
g o dow n muc h farthe r befor e th e ca r
begin s t o slo w down , an d yo u wil l
hav e t o pres s harde r o n th e pedal .
Th e distanc e neede d t o sto p wil l b e
muc h longer . Slo
w dow n b y shiftin g to a lowe r
gear , an d pul l t o th e sid e o f th e roa d
whe n it i s safe . Becaus e o f th e
longe r distanc e neede d to stop , i t i s
hazardou s t o driv e th e car . Yo u
shoul d hav e it towed , an d repaire d a s
soo n a s possible . (Se e Emergenc y
Towin g o n pag e 22 8 .)
I f yo u mus t driv e th e ca r a shor t
distanc e in thi s condition , driv e
slowl y an d cautiously .

Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d

*
U.S . indicato r show n