2002 Insight Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction
........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
......................................... ii
Your Car at a Glance ........................................................................\
................................................... 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
...................................... 5
Proper use and care of your car's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint\
System.
Instruments and Controls ........................................................................\
......................................... 43
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to us e dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
........................ 83
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
.......................................................... 117
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new car, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................................... 131
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance ........................................................................\
............................................................. 151
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your car to the\
dealer.
Appearance Care ........................................................................\
...................................................... 205
Tips on cleaning and protecting your car. Things to look for if your car ever n\
eeds body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected ........................................................................\
.............................. 213
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and\
how to handle them.
Technical Information ........................................................................\
............................................. 239
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada) ................................................................253
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.............................. 257
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
............................................................................. I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.
Several warranties protect your new Honda. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a
symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your Honda, other
property, or the environment.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Honda is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your car so you
can ref er to it at any time.
Maintaining your car according to the schedules given in this manual helps
to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves your investment. When
your car needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Honda dealer’s staf f is
specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Honda. Your
Honda dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be pleased to answer
any questions and concerns.
Calif ornia Proposition 65 Warning
This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of
Calif ornia to cause cancer and birth def ects or other reproductive harm. Congratulations! Your selection of a 2002 Honda Insight was a wise
investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.
Introduction
WARNING:
i
You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passenger always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly.
(See page ).
Since all children are saf est in the
back seat of a car, and your car does
not have a back seat, we recommend
that you do not carry a child
passenger.If a small child who
must be restrained in a f orward-
f acing child seat, or a larger child,
must ride in this car, be sure to
f ollow all instructions and saf ety
warnings in this manual. (See pages and .)
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page .)
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
15 26 29
7 156
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Your Car is Not Recommended
f or Child PassengersBe Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and DriveControl Your Speed
K eep Your Car in Saf e Condition
Due t o t he passenger’sairbag hazard, you should never
carry an inf ant in a rear-f acing childseat in t his car.
6
µ
This indicator reminds you that it is
time to take your car in for
scheduled maintenance. When the distance driven since the
last scheduled maintenance reaches
6,000 miles (9,600 km), the indicator
starts blinking. If you exceed 7,500
miles (12,000 km), the indicator
stays on.
Your dealer will reset this indicator
af ter completing the scheduled
maintenance. If this maintenance is
done by someone other than your
Honda dealer, reset the indicator as
f ollows.
Turn of f the engine. Press and hold the trip button in
the instrument panel, then turn
the ignition switch ON (II).
Hold the button until the indicator
resets (approximately ten
seconds).
Ref er to the Maintenance Schedules
f or Normal and Severe Driving
Conditions on pages
.1.
2.
3.
156 160
Gauges
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Maintenance Required Indicator
59
I IN ND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration. We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer f or service.
Help assure your car’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution. Your Honda is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical damage.
Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined. Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline
118
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.
163
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
Vehicle Condition
Owner Maintenance
Checks Driving Habits
124
This section also includes
Maintenance Schedules f or normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions f or simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself .
If you have the skills and tools to per-
f orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your Honda, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer. This section explains why it is
important to keep your car well
maintained and to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.......................
Maintenance Saf ety .152
.
Important Safety Precautions . 153
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 154
...
Required Maintenance Record . 161
.......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 163
..............................
Fluid Locations .164
......................................
Engine Oil .165
..................................
Adding Oil .165
....................
Recommended Oil .165
..............................
Synthetic Oil .166
....................................
Additives .166
.....
Changing the Oil and Filter . 167
.............................
Cooling System .169
............
Adding Engine Coolant . 169
.......
Replacing Engine Coolant . 171
....................
Windshield Washers .175
.......................
Transmission Fluid .176
Automatic Transmission .....................................
(CVT) .176
5-speed Manual .........................
Transmission .178
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 179
............................
Brake System .179
...........................
Clutch System .180
.....................
Air Cleaner Element .181
....................................
Hood Latch .182 ...........................................
Battery .183
.................................
Wiper Blades .185
..............
Air Conditioning System . 188
..................
DustandPollenFilter . 189
.....................................
Drive Belts .189
...............................................
Tires .190
......................................
Inf lation .190
Recommended Tire Pressures f or Normal ...............................
Driving .191
..................................
Inspection .192
..............................
Maintenance .192
.............................
Tire Rotation .193
...
Replacing Tires and Wheels . 193
......................
Wheels and Tires .194
..........................
Winter Driving .194
.............................
Snow Tires .195
............................
Tire Chains .195
.............................................
Lights .196
........................
Replacing Bulbs .198
...........................
Storing Your Car .204
259
Maintenance
Maint enance151
Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
This section includes instructions f or
simple maintenance tasks, such as
checking and adding oil. Any service
items not detailed in this section
should be perf ormed by a Honda
technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
Regularly maintaining your car is the
best way to protect your investment.
Proper maintenance is essential to
your saf ety and the saf ety of your
passengers. It will also reward you
with more economical, trouble-f ree
driving and help reduce air pollution.
Maint enance
Maintenance Saf ety
152
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’s
manual.
Improperly maintaining this car
or failing to correct a problem
before driving can cause a
crash in which you can be
seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’s
manual.