2012 HONDA INSIGHT ECO mode

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Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic
Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up)
Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running
Improperly inf lated tires
The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the multi-
inf ormation display (see
on page ).
For example: Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption.
Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel economy at speeds above
45 mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
An underinf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption.
In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy. Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon (0 kms
per liter).
Use the ECON mode as much as
possible.
309
Fuel Economy Factors
Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page ).
Improving Fuel Economy Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Drive moderately
Observe the speed limit
Maintain proper tire inf lation
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean
A void excessive idling
313
Vehicle Maint enance Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
254

The multi-inf ormation display (see
page ).
Your vehicle’s f uel economy may
improve more with the ECON mode
on (see page ).
The driver f eedback inf ormation is
shownintwolocations:
The ambient meter, located
behind the speedometer (see page ).
The system monitors your driving
style, and can display how it impacts
your vehicle’s f uel economy. You can
then make adjustments to your
driving style to maximize f uel
economy. (For additional
inf ormation on f uel economy, see
page .)
Eco Assist System is a driver
f eedback system designed to help
you develop and maintain a f uel
ef f icient driving style.
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253
Eco A ssist System
266
ECO-drive Result
ECON BUTTON
ECO-guide feedback
ECON MODE INDICATOR
Ambient Meter

TheEcoDriveBarontheEcoguide
f eedback display appears on the
multi-inf ormation display while you
drive.During acceleration, the bar
extends to the right of the center
line.
If the bar extends into the
Inef f icient Driving Zones, your
current driving style is not
conducive to good f uel economy. If the bar stays within the Efficient
Driving Zones, your current
driving style is conducive to good
f uel economy. During deceleration, the bar
extends to the left of the center
line.
It is recommended to drive in the D
position f or better f uel ef f iciency.
CONT INUED
Eco Drive Bar
Driving Style
Slow, steady
acceleration -
maximizes f uel
economy
Slow deceleration -
maximizes f uel
economy
Moderate
acceleration
Moderate
deceleration
Aggressive/
Inconsistent
acceleration - lowers
fuel economy
Aggressive
deceleration - lowers
fuel economy
Eco Guide FeedbackEco Drive Bar Examples
Eco A ssist System
Driving
267
ECO
DRIVE
BAR
Acceleration
Monitor
Inefficient Driving Zone
Center Position
Deceleration
Monitor
Inefficient Braking Zone Efficient Zones
ECO ELEMENTS

The Ambient Meter (the light
behind the speedometer) changes
color to show the ef f ects of your
driving style. This f eature can be
turned of f (see page ).Fuel Economy
Meter Background Color
103
A mbient Met er
Eco A ssist System
268
AMBIENT METER
U.S. model is shown. (Background Color)
Green
Blue Green Blue High
Low

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The f ollowing procedure clears all
leaves and your lif etime points. This
procedure must be f ollowed exactly.
As you progress to a higher level, the
system monitors your driving style
more strictly. As a result, you must
f urther ref ine your driving style to
continue to move up to the next level.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Conf irm that the ECON
mode is OFF. If it is OFF, proceed to
step 1. Do run the engine.
Thefollowingaresomeof the
conditions that may af f ect your
score:
Extremely high or low ambient
temperature
Inconsistent acceleration use, such
as pumping the pedal repeatedly
within a short period of time
Frequent use of the climate
control system
Short distance trips If theECONmodeison,pressand
releasetheECONbuttontoturnit
off. You also need to turn the ignition
switch off.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position again. Do run the
engine. Press and release the brake pedal
at least two times. The ambient
meter color changes f rom blue to
green .
Complete the following steps within
30 seconds:
The ambient meter color
changes only if the multi-
inf ormation display’s meter
color change setting is on. (See
page .)
Press and release the ECON
button two times (ECON mode
comes on, then goes of f ). The
ambient meter color goes of f , and
the accumulated data is cleared.
Turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. :
1.
2.
3. 103
Reset the System
not not
Eco A ssist System
272

Honda’s Continuously Variable
Transmission’s unique design
provides a smooth, constant f low of
power. It is electronically controlled
f or more precise operation and
better f uel economy.These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in.
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
When the ‘‘D’’ indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display.
Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT)
Shif t L ever Position Indicators
Automatic Transmission (CVT)
Driving
273
EX models
Insight and LX models

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CONT INUED
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically adjusts to
keep the engine at the best speed f or
driving conditions. To help the
engine warm up f aster, the
transmission will select ratios that
allow the engine to run at higher
speedswhenitiscold.
Press the brake
pedal and the release button on the
frontoftheshiftlevertoshiftfrom
Park to reverse. To shif t f rom
reverse to neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift.Press
the release button bef ore shif ting
into reverse f rom neutral.
Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Always shif t to the
Park position if you need to leave the
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from Neutral to
another position.
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
buttononthefrontof theshiftlever
to move it.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch. To shift into the S
position, press the release button on
the front of the shift lever, and move
the lever to S. Selecting Second
shif ts the transmission into a lower
range of ratios for better
acceleration and increased engine
braking. Use Second when you are
going down a steep hill.
277
Insight and LX models
Automatic Transmission (CVT)
Drive (D)
Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
Park (P)
Shif t L ock Release Second (S)
Driving
275

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µ When the vehicle reaches the
maximum speed in any shif t position,
you may f eel the engine cut in and
out. This is caused by a limiter (112
mph, 180 km/h) in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
speed to below the maximum.
To shift into the S
position, press the release button on
the front of the shift lever, and move
the lever to S. The S position is
similar to D, except the range of
ratios are different for better
acceleration and increased engine
braking.
With the shift lever in D or S, you
canalsousethepaddleshiftersto
shif t the transmission up or down.
With the paddle shifters, you can
operate the transmission much like a
manual transmission without a
clutch pedal. For more inf ormation
on driving with the paddle shif ters,
see page .
To shif t to Low, press
the release button on the front of the
shif t lever. Use Low to make better
use of engine power when climbing,
and f or maximum engine braking
when going down steep hills.
ForfasteraccelerationwheninD,S,
or L, the transmission will
automatically ‘‘kick down’’ to a lower
range of ratios by pushing the
accelerator pedal to the floor.
278
EX models
Insight and LX models
Automatic Transmission (CVT)
Second (S)
Low (L) Speed L imiter
276