2012 HONDA INSIGHT service

Your tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down, you will see a 1/2
inch (12.7 mm) wide band across the
tread. This shows there is less than
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread lef t on
the tire.
A tire this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see three
or more tread wear indicators.The service lif e of your tires is
dependent on many f actors,
including, but not limited to, driving
habits, road conditions, vehicle
loading, inf lation pressure,
maintenance history, speed, and
environmental conditions (even
when the tires are not in use).
In addition to your regular
inspections and inf lation pressure
maintenance, it is recommended that
you have annual inspections
perf ormed once the tires reach f ive
years old. It is also recommended
that all tires, including the spare, be
removed from service after 10 years
from the date of manufacture,
regardless of their condition or state
of wear.
The last f our digits of the TIN (tire
identif ication number) are f ound on
the sidewall of the tire and indicate
the date of manufacture (See
on page ). In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
Have your dealer check the tires if
you f eel a consistent vibration while
driving. A tire should always be
rebalanced if it is removed f rom the
wheel. When you have new tires
installed, make sure they are
balanced. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. For best results,
have the installer perform a dynamic
balance.
385
Tire Service Lif e
Tire
Labeling T ire Maintenance
Tires
342
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only Honda wheel weights f or
balancing.

Fill the f uel tank.
If you need to park your vehicle f or
an extended period (more than 1
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors.
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc., are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Park.
Block the rear wheels. If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).
Disconnect the 12 volt battery.
Support the f ront and rear wiper
blade arms with a f olded towel or
ragsotheydonottouchthe
windshield.
If possible, periodically run the
engine until it reaches f ull
operating temperature (the
cooling f ans cycle on and of f
twice). Pref erably, do this once a
month. Reconnect the 12 volt battery and
drive your vehicle every month f or
about 30 minutes. This will keep
the IMA battery charged and in
good condition.
Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as cotton. Non-porous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and hatch seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and hatch seals.
Vehicle Storage
348
If this vehicle is unused f or over one
month, the service lif e of the 100V
Nickel-Metal Hydride battery will be
reduced and the battery may be
permanently damaged.

Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack. Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts f ully.
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
18.
17. 16.
15.
Changing a Flat Tire
354
BRAKE HUB
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)

µµ
If the charging system
indicator comes on brightly
when the engine is running, the 12
volt battery is not being charged.
Go to a service station or garage
where you can get technical
assistance. Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories. Try not to use other
electrically operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running; starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly. You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
CHARGING SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display (see
page ). This indicator may blink af ter you
start the vehicle in the morning
when the temperature is below
20°F ( 30°C). It will stop
blinking when the IMA battery
warms up.
89
12 Volt Battery Charging System Indicator
366

However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. A problem in one
part of the system’s dual circuit
design will still give you braking at
two wheels. You will f eel the brake
pedal go down much f arther bef ore
the vehicle begins to slow down, and
you will have to press harder on the
pedal.
Slow down and pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e. Because of the
long distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the vehicle. You
should have it towed and repaired as
soon as possible (seeon page ). If this indicator comes on f or any
other reason, have your vehicle
inspected by your dealer. There may
be a malfunction with the electric
brake distribution (EBD) system.
Avoidhardbrakingandhighspeed
driving.
If the f luid level is low, take your
vehicle to a dealer, and have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads. If the brake system indicator comes
on while driving, the brake f luid level
is probably low. Press lightly on the
brake pedal to see if it f eels normal.
If it does, check the brake f luid level
thenexttimeyoustopataservice
station (see page ). The brake system indicator normally
comes on when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position and as
a reminder to check the parking
brake. If you do not release the
parking brake, the indicator will stay
on, and you will see a ‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display. You will also see a ‘‘BRAKE FLUID
LOW’’ or ‘‘CHECK BRAKE
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and caref ully.
If the ABS indicator comes on with
the brake system indicator, have
your vehicle inspected by your
dealer immediately.89
321 376
Brake System Indicator
Emergency
Towing
(Red)
368
U.S.
Canada

µ
µ If , due to damage, your vehicle must
be towed with the f ront wheels on
the ground, do this:
With the f ront wheels on the ground,
it is best to tow the vehicle no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the
speedbelow35mph(55km/h).
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
Therearetwowaystotowyour
vehicle:
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront) and lif t them
of f the ground. The other two tires
remain on the ground. The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck. Start the engine.
Shif t to the D position and hold f or
5 seconds, then to N.
Turn of f the engine.
Release the parking brake.
Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock.Wheel-lif t Equipment
Flat -bed Equipment
T his is an
acceptable way to tow your
vehicle. T his is the best way to
transport your vehicle.
Emergency Towing
376
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine, your vehicle must be
transported with the f ront wheels of f
the ground.

To use the towing hook:Remove the cover f rom the f ront
bumper using your f ingers, or pry
it of f using a cloth and a f lat-tip
screwdriver to prevent scratches.
If your vehicle gets stuck in sand,
mud, or snow, call a towing service
to pull it out (see page ).
For very short distances, such as
f reeing the vehicle, you can use the
detachable towing hook that mounts
on the anchor in the f ront bumper.
Remove the towing hook and
wheel nut wrench f rom the tool
case in the cargo area.
1.
2.
376
CONT INUED
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
Emergency Towing, If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
377
Trying to lif t or tow your vehicle by the
bumpers will cause serious damage.
The bumpers are not designed to
support the vehicle’s weight.
The steering system can be damaged if
the steering wheel is locked. Leave the
ignition switch in the ACCESSORY (I)
position, and make sure the steering
wheel turns f reely bef ore you begin
towing.

Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conf orm
to Federal Saf ety Requirements in
addition to these grades.The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
The tires on your vehicle meet all
U.S. Federal Saf ety Requirements.
All tires are also graded f or
treadwear, traction, and temperature
perf ormance according to
Department of Transportation
(DOT) standards. The f ollowing
explains these gradings.
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A T readwear T raction
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
384