2005 HONDA INSIGHT open hood

Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first................................
Break-in Period .94
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Fuel Recommendation . 94
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Service Station Procedures . 95
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Ref ueling .95
OpeningandClosingthe .........................................
Hood .96
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Oil Check .97
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Engine Coolant Check . 98
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Fuel Economy .99
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Improving Fuel Economy . 99
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Accessories and Modif ications . 101
................................
Accessories .101
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Modif ying Your Vehicle . 102
.............................
Carrying Cargo .103
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Air Intake .106
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
93

Screw the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least three times.
If you do not properly tighten the
cap, the Malf unction Indicator
Lampmaycomeon(seepage).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.Put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood near the center.
Slide your hand to your lef t until
you f eel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up until it
releases the hood. Lif t up the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves
stif f ly, or if you can open the hood
without lifting the handle, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated.
1.
2.
5.
6.
180
Service Station Procedures
Opening and Closing the Hood
96
HOOD
RELEASE
HANDLE
LATCH

Open the hood and remove the
engine oil f ill cap. Remove the
black cover under the engine.Remove the oil drain bolt and
washer from the bottom of the
engine. Drain the oil into an
appropriate container.
Do not loosen the smaller bolt
located above the drain bolt.
Install a new oil f ilter according to
the instructions that come with it.
Make sure to clean of f any dirt
and dust on the connecting
surf ace of a new oil f ilter. Remove the oil f ilter, and let the
remaining oil drain. A special
wrench (available from your
dealer) is required.
2.
3.4.
5.
CONT INUED
Changing the Oil and Filter
Maint enance
137
WASHER OIL DRAIN BOLT OIL FILTER

Open the hood.
To change the headlight bulb on
the driver’s side, remove the
engine coolant reservoir tank by
pulling it out of its holder.
Theheadlightswereproperlyaimed
when your vehicle was new. If you
regularly carry heavy items in the
cargo area, readjustment may be
required. Adjustments should be
perf ormed by your dealer or other
qualif ied mechanic.
Your vehicle has halogen headlight
bulbs. When replacing a bulb, handle
it by its steel base and protect the
glass from contact with your skin or
hard objects. If you touch the glass,
clean it with denatured alcohol and a
clean cloth.
1.
Lights
Replacing a Headlight Bulb
Headlight A iming
146
HOLDER
Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot
when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch
on the glass can cause the bulb to
overheat and shatter.

Disconnect the blade assembly
fromthewiperarmbypushingin
the lock tab. Hold the lock tab in
while you push the blade assembly
toward the base of the arm.Remove the blade f rom its holder
by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull f irmly until the tabs
come out of the holder.
To replace a f ront wiper blade:
Raise the wiper arm of f the
windshield. 2.
3.
1.
Wiper Blades
154
LOCK TAB BLADE
WIPER ARMS
Do not open the hood when the wiper
arms are raised, or you will damage the
hood and the wiper arms.

´´
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start your vehicle with an
automatic transmission (CVT) by
pushing or pulling it. Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
To jump start your vehicle:
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery. Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake. Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc. The numbers in the illustration show
you the order to connect the jumper
cables.
1.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
175
BOOSTER BATTERY
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

CONT INUED
The reading on your vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
If your vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. The only
indicationmaybethetemperature
gauge reading reaching the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood.If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperature
gauge reading comes down to the
midpoint, then continue driving.
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Turn of f all accessories, and turn
on the hazard warning lights. If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (see
on page ).
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
183
If theEngineOverheats
Emergency
Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
177
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
reading at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.

This indicator should never
come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing or stays
on, the oil pressure has dropped very
low or lost pressure. Serious engine
damage is possible and you should
take immediate action. Saf ely pull of f the road, and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
Let the vehicle sit f or a minute.
Open the hood, and check the oil
level (see page ). An engine
very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
Start the engine, and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If it does not go
out within 10 seconds, turn of f the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
bef ore you can continue driving
(see
on page
). The engine running generates the
oil pressure.
When the auto idle stop is
activated, the engine is stopped,
but the low oil pressure indicator
does not come on.
1.
2.
3. 4. 97
135
183
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
179
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the vehicle stopped.