2001 HONDA INSIGHT engine

The condition of your car and your
driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Always maintain your car according
to the maintenance schedule. This
will keep it in top operating condition.
An important part of that mainte-
nance is the(see page ). For
example, an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses f uel. It also wears out
f aster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly. Engine oil also af f ects f uel economy.
The f uel ef f icient, low-viscosity
0W-20 oil recommended f or your
Insightisformulatedtohelpthe
engine use less f uel. This oil is
available at your Honda dealer.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your car’s underside adds weight and
rolling resistance. Frequent cleaning
helps your f uel mileage and reduces
thechanceof corrosion.
You can improve f uel economy by
driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more f uel.
To get the best f uel mileage, drive in
the highest gear that is practical for
the speed you are driving, and
always accelerate slowly.You may f ind that your Insight’s
unique combination of an engine and
an electric motor has driving
characteristics that are somewhat
dif f erent f rom what you are used to.
Shif t Up and Shif t Down indicators
(5-speed manual transmission only)
on the instrument panel show when
to shif t to a higher or lower gear. By
shifting as soon as the indicator
comes on, you will keep the engine
operating in its most economical
range.
Wind resistance causes vehicles to
usemorefuelathigherspeeds.
Driving at moderate speeds on the
highway reduces wind resistance
and conserves f uel.
Depending on traf f ic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your car uses extra f uel.
165
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
Vehicle Condition
Owner Maintenance
Checks Driving Habits
126

A cold engine uses more f uel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to
‘‘warm-up’’ a cold engine by letting it
idle f or a long time. You can drive
away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up f aster, and you get
better f uel economy. To cut down on
the number of ‘‘cold starts,’’ try to
combine several short trips into one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Turnoff theA/Cto
cutdownonairconditioninguse.
Use the f low-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is
moderate.If air conditioning is needed, you can
save some f uel by using the A/C in
‘‘Econ’’ mode. When the outside
temperature is above 41°F (5°C),
this mode allows the Auto Idle Stop
f unction to shut of f the engine when
the vehicle is stopped, resulting in
fuel savings.
You may notice that using the A/C
causes a greater drop in f uel
economy than you are used to in
other vehicles. Although the amount
of extra f uel used by the A/C load on
the engine is no greater than other
vehicles, it is more noticeable
because of your Insight’s excellent
f uel mileage. Using the A/C in hot
weather may result in f uel economy
that is lower than expected.
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
127

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual transmission. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your car, and the braking system.........................
Preparing to Drive . 134
.......................
Starting the Engine . 135
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude . 135
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 136
............................
Auto Idle Stop . 137
Shif t Up/Shif t Down
...............................
Indicators . 139
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 139
..............
Automatic Transmission . 140
Continuously Variable ............
Transmission (CVT) . 140
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 140
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 140
.............
Engine Speed Limitter . 143
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 144
............................
Auto Idle Stop . 145
...........................................
Parking . 147
..............................
Parking Tips . 147
.....................
The Braking System . 148
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 148
...............
Brake System Design . 149
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes . 149
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 151
...........................
Towing a Trailer . 152
Driving
Driving 133

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that the hood and hatch are
f ully closed.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your car.
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passenger has f astened his
seat belt (see page ).
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9.
10. 11.
15 45
76
78 135
Preparing to Drive
Driving
134

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
f unction unless the clutch pedal is
depressed.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) f or
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stallsright away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear f looding.
As bef ore, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position f or no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lif t your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air f ound at
high altitude above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to the problem.
Use the f ollowing procedure: Turn of f all electrical accessories
to reduce the drain on the battery.
Push the accelerator pedal half-
way to the f loor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do not
hold the ignition key in START
(III) f or more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release
the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smooths
out.
If the engine fails to start in step 2,
push the accelerator pedal to the
f loor and hold it there while you
try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the engine
does not start, return to step 2.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
1. 2. 3. 4.5. 6.
1. 2. 3.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission:
Starting the Engine
Driving
Starting in Cold Weather at High
A ltitude (A bove 8,000 f eet/
2,400 meters)
135

The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift into
Reverse with the car moving. Push
down the clutch pedal, and pause f or
a f ew seconds bef ore shif ting into
Reverse, or shif t into one of the
f orward gears f or a moment. This
stops the gears so they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the vehicle speed is low
enough that you will not activate the
engine speed limiter in the lower
gear. Make sure the engine speed
will not go into the tachometer’s red
zone in the lower gear bef ore
downshif ting.
5-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving
136 Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.

To maximize f uel economy, your
Insight has an Auto Idle Stop
f unction. Under certain conditions,
the engine will shut of f when you
come to a stop. Those conditions are:The engine coolant is nearly up to
normal operating temperature.
The vehicle’s speed is below 19
mph (30 km/h) and you are
pressing on the brake pedal to
come to a stop.
You depress the clutch pedal.
You are not pressing on the
accelerator pedal.
The IMA battery is sufficiently
charged (at least 1/3 on the
Battery Level Gauge).
The A/C is of f , or in ECON mode
(See pages ). There is adequate vacuum reserve
f or the power brakes.
When these conditions are met, the
engine will shut of f as you come to a
stop. It will start again automatically
when you depress the clutch pedal
and move this shift lever to first gear.
There is no need to start the engine
with the ignition switch.
It is recommended that you move
the shift lever to Neutral and remove
your f oot f rom the clutch pedal while
you are stopped. Sitting with the
clutch pedal depressed and the shif t
lever in gear will cause the engine to
continue running, def eating the f uel
economy benef its of the Auto Idle
Stop f unction. During Auto Stop, the IMA charge
and power brake vacuum reserve is
monitored by the system. If either
drops below a desired level, and the
shif t lever is in Neutral, the engine
will restart so it can recharge the
IMA battery or replenish the vacuum
supply.
84, 93
CONT INUED
5-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving
Auto Idle Stop
137

This indicator comes on as a
reminder that the engine has
stopped because of the Auto Idle
Stop f unction. When the indicator is
of f , it means that Auto Idle Stop is
not active. When the indicator is on,
but the engine is not running, it
means the clutch pedal is depressed,
but the transmission is not in gear.
When the indicator is blinking, it
means the clutch pedal is not
depressed. You cannot restart theengine with the ignition switch when
this light is blinking.
This indicator will blink, and you will
hear a chime, if you open the door
when Auto Stop is active.
Always turn the ignition switch to
LOCKandremovethekeyif youare
getting out of the vehicle.
5-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving
A uto Idle Stop Indicator 138
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