2000 HONDA INSIGHT ABS

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s

(1 ) Safet y Cag e
(2 ) Crus h Zone s
(3 ) Seat s & Seat-Back s
(4 ) Hea d Restraint s
(5 ) Collapsibl e Steerin g Colum n
(6 ) Sea t Belt s
(7 ) Sea t Bel t Tensioner s
(8 ) Airbag s
(9 ) Doo r Lock s You
r ca r i s equippe d wit h man y
feature s tha t wor k togethe r t o
protec t yo u an d you r passenge r
durin g a crash .
Som e safet y feature s d o no t requir e
an y actio n o n you r part . Thes e
includ e a stron g aluminu m
framewor k tha t form s a safet y cag e
aroun d th e passenge r compartment ;
fron t an d rea r crus h zone s tha t ar e
designe d t o crumpl e an d absor b
energ y durin g a crash ; a collapsibl e
steerin g column ; an d sea t bel t
tensioner s tha t automaticall y tighte n
th e sea t belt s i n th e even t o f a crash .
Thes e safet y feature s ar e designe d
t o reduc e th e severit y o f injurie s i n a
crash . However , yo u an d you r
passenge r can' t tak e ful l advantag e
o f thes e safet y feature s unles s yo u
remai n sittin g in a prope r positio n

an d always wear your seat belts

properly. In fact , som e safet y
feature s ca n contribut e to injurie s if
the y ar e no t use d properly .
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s

Seat s & Seat-Back s
You r car' s seat s ar e designe d to kee p
yo u in a comfortable , uprigh t
positio n s o yo u ca n tak e ful l
advantag e o f th e protectio n offere d
b y sea t belt s an d th e energ y
absorbin g material s i n th e seats .
Ho w yo u adjus t you r seat s an d seat -
back s ca n als o affec t you r safety . Fo r
example , sittin g to o clos e to th e
steerin g whee l o r dashboar d
increase s th e ris k o f yo u o r you r
passenge r bein g injure d b y strikin g
th e insid e o f th e car , o r b y a n
inflatin g airbag .
Reclinin g a seat-bac k to o fa r reduce s
th e sea t belt' s effectivenes s an d
increase s th e chanc e tha t th e seat' s
occupan t wil l slid e unde r th e sea t
bel t i n a cras h an d b e seriousl y

injured .
What
you should do: Move th e seat s

a s fa r bac k a s possible , an d kee p
adjustabl e seat-back s in a n uprigh t
positio n wheneve r th e ca r i s moving .
Hea d Restraint s
Hea d restraint s ca n hel p protec t yo u
fro m whiplas h an d othe r injuries .Doo
r Lock s
Keepin g you r door s locke d reduce s
th e chanc e o f bein g throw n ou t o f
th e ca r durin g a crash . I t als o help s
preven t occupant s fro m accidentall y
openin g a doo r an d fallin g out , an d
outsider s fro m unexpectedl y openin g
you r doors .
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

I
ndicato r Light s

Th e instrumen t pane l ha s man y
indicator s t o giv e yo u importan t
informatio n abou t you r car .
* Th e U.S . instrumen t pane l i s shown . Difference s fo r th e Canadia n model s
ar e note d in th e text .

Instruments an d Control s

SEA
T BEL T REMINDE R LIGH T
SUPPLEMENTA L RESTRAIN T
SYSTE M INDICATO R
ELECTRI C POWE R
STEERIN G INDICATO R
LO W OI L PRESSUR E
INDICATO R
MALFUNCTIO N
INDICATO R LAM P
AUT O IDL E STO P
INDICATO R
MAINTENANC E
REQUIRE D INDICATO R
CHARGIN G SYSTE M INDICATO R
IMMOBILIZE R SYSTE M INDICATO R

LO
W FUE L INDICATO R
IM
A SYSTE M INDICATO R
SHIF
T UP/SHIF T DOW N
INDICATOR S
ANTI-LOC
K BRAK E
SYSTE M (ABS )
INDICATOR *
DOOR-OPE
N INDICATO R
PARKIN
G BRAK E AN D BRAK E
SYSTE M INDICATOR *
HIG
H BEA M INDICATO R
TUR
N SIGNA L AN D HAZAR D
WARNIN G INDICATOR S

Indicato
r Light s
Se e pag e 220 .

Malfunctio
n Indicato r
Lam p
Tur n Signa l an d
Hazar d Warnin g
Indicator s
Th e lef t o r righ t tur n signa l ligh t
blink s whe n yo u signa l a lan e chang e
o r turn . I f th e ligh t doe s no t blin k o r
blink s rapidly , i t usuall y mean s on e
o f th e tur n signa l bulb s is burne d ou t
(se e pag e 19 1 ). Replac e th e bul b a s
soo n a s possible , sinc e othe r driver s
canno t se e tha t yo u ar e signalling .
Whe n yo u tur n o n th e Hazar d
Warnin g switch , bot h tur n signa l
light s blink . Al l tur n signal s o n th e
outsid e o f th e ca r shoul d flash . Hig
h Bea m Indicato r
Thi s ligh t come s o n wit h th e hig h
bea m headlights . Se e pag e 5 9 fo r
informatio n o n th e headligh t

controls .

O n Canadia n models , thi s indicato r
come s o n wit h reduce d brightnes s
whe n th e Daytim e Runnin g Light s
(DRL ) ar e o n (se e pag e 60 ).
Anti-loc k Brak e Syste m (ABS )
Indicato r
Thi s ligh t normall y come s o n fo r a
fe w second s whe n yo u tur n th e
ignitio n switc h O N (II) , an d whe n
th e ignitio n switc h is turne d to
STAR T (lII) . I f thi s ligh t come s o n a t
an y othe r time , ther e is a proble m in
th e ABS . I f thi s happens , tak e th e
ca r t o you r deale r t o hav e it checked .
Wit h th e ligh t on , you r ca r stil l ha s norma
l brakin g abilit y bu t n o anti -
lock . Fo r complet e information , se e

pag e 140 .

Door-ope n Indicato r

Thi s ligh t conie s o n if eithe r doo r o r
th e hatc h is no t close d tightly .
Lo w Fue l Indicato r
Thi s ligh t come s o n a s a reminde r
tha t yo u mus t refue l soon .

Instrument s an d Control s

U.S
.
Canad a

AB S

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

Brak e Syste m Desig n
Th e hydrauli c syste m tha t operate s
th e brake s ha s tw o separat e circuits .
Eac h circui t work s diagonall y acros s
th e vehicl e (th e left-fron t brak e i s
connecte d wit h th e right-rea r brake ,
etc.) . I f on e circui t shoul d develo p a
problem , yo u wil l stil l hav e brakin g
a t tw o wheels .
Anti-loc
k Brake s

You r ca r ha s a n Anti-loc k Brak e
Syste m (ABS ) a s standar d
equipment . AB S help s t o preven t th e
wheel s fro m lockin g u p an d skiddin g
durin g har d braking , allowin g yo u t o
retai n steerin g control .
Whe n th e fron t tire s skid , yo u los e
steerin g control ; th e ca r continue s
straigh t ahea d eve n thoug h yo u tur n
th e steerin g wheel . Th e AB S help s t o
preven t lock-u p an d help s yo u retai n
steerin g contro l b y pumpin g th e
brake s rapidly ; muc h faste r tha n a
perso n ca n d o it . Yo
u shoul d neve r pum p th e
brak e pedal , thi s defeat s th e
purpos e o f th e ABS . Le t th e AB S
wor k fo r yo u b y alway s keepin g firm ,
stead y pressur e o n th e brak e peda l
a s yo u stee r awa y fro m th e hazard .
Thi s i s sometime s referre d t o a s

"stomp and steer."

Yo u wil l fee l a pulsatio n i n th e brak e
peda l whe n th e AB S activates , an d
yo u ma y hea r som e noise . Thi s i s
normal , i t i s th e AB S rapidl y
pumpin g th e brakes .
Activatio n varie s wit h th e amoun t o f
tractio n you r tire s have . O n dr y
pavement , yo u wil l nee d t o pres s o n
th e brak e peda l ver y har d befor e yo u
activat e th e ABS . However , yo u ma y
fee l th e AB S activat e immediatel y i f
yo u ar e tryin g t o sto p o n sno w o r ice .

Drivin g

Fron
t

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

Important Safety Reminders

AB S doe s no t reduc e th e tim e o r
distanc e i t take s t o sto p th e car , i t
onl y help s wit h steerin g contro l
durin g braking . Yo u shoul d alway s
maintai n a saf e followin g distanc e
fro m othe r vehicles .
AB S wil l no t preven t a ski d tha t
result s fro m changin g directio n
abruptly , suc h a s tryin g to tak e a
corne r to o fas t o r makin g a sudde n
lan e change . Alway s driv e a t a safe ,
pruden t spee d fo r th e roa d an d
weathe r conditions .
AB S canno t preven t a los s o f
stability . Alway s stee r moderatel y
whe n yo u ar e brakin g hard . Sever e
o r shar p steerin g whee l movemen t
ca n stil l caus e you r ca r t o vee r int o
oncomin g traffi c o r of f th e road . A
ca r wit h AB S ma y requir e a
longe r distanc e t o sto p o n loos e o r
uneve n surfaces , suc h a s grave l o r
snow , tha n a ca r withou t anti-lock .
Slo w dow n an d allo w a greate r
distanc e betwee n car s unde r thos e

conditions .
ABS
Indicator

Th e AB S is self-checking . I f anythin g
goe s wrong , th e AB S indicato r o n
th e instrumen t pane l come s o n (se e
pag e 46 ). Thi s mean s th e anti-loc k
functio n o f th e brakin g syste m ha s
shu t down . Th e brake s stil l wor k lik e
a conventiona l syste m withou t anti -
lock , providin g norma l stoppin g
ability . Yo u shoul d hav e th e deale r
inspec t you r ca r a s soo n a s possible .
Drivin g

ANTI-LOC
K BRAK E SYSTE M

INDICATO R

Light
s

Replacin g a n Interio r Ligh t Bul b
1 . Remov e th e len s b y carefull y
pryin g o n th e edg e o f th e len s i n
th e middl e wit h a fingernai l fil e o r
a smal l flat-ti p screwdriver . D o no t
pr y o n th e edg e o f th e housin g
aroun d th e lens .
2 . Remov e th e bul b b y pullin g it
straigh t ou t o f it s meta l tabs .
3 . Pus h th e ne w bul b int o th e meta l
tabs . Sna p th e len s bac k in place . Replacin
g th e Carg o Are a Ligh t
1 . Remov e th e len s b y carefull y
pryin g o n th e edg e o f th e len s i n
th e middl e wit h a fingernai l fil e o r
a smal l flat-ti p screwdriver . D o no t
pr y o n th e edg e o f th e housin g
aroun d th e lens .

Maintenance

INTERIO
R LIGH T