Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you
would if your vehicle was not
equipped with VSA. Your vehicle is equipped with a hill
start assist f eature to help prevent
the vehicle f rom rolling on inclines
as you move your f oot f rom the
brake pedal to the accelerator.
To activate hill start assist, you must
come to a complete stop and make
sure the shift lever is in any of D, S
or L (either in D or S on models with
the paddle shifters) when facing
uphill, or reverse when facing
downhill. Release the brake pedal.
The brakes remain engaged briefly
to keep the vehicle from rolling
forward or backward while
you move your foot from the brake
pedal to the accelerator pedal.
Gently apply the accelerator
pedal as in normal driving. Hill start
assist will release brake pressure
gradually as you accelerate.Hillstartassistmaynotpreventyour
vehicle f rom rolling downhill on a
very steep or slippery slope, and will
not operate on small inclines.
Hill start assist is not a replacement
for the parking brake. If parking
your vehicle, ensure that the
transmission is in Park, and the
parking brake is fully applied before
exiting the vehicle. You should also
turn off the engine before
exiting the vehicle.
The VSA system indicator will come
on when there is a problem in the hill
start assist system. With the VSA
system indicator on, the hill start
assist system will not activate.
Hill start assist will still operate even
when VSA is switched off.
342
Vehicle Stability A ssist (VSA), aka Electronic Stability Control (ESC), System
VSA and Tire Sizes
Hill Start Assist System
295
12/07/13 17:14:42 31TM8630_300
Bef ore DrivingTOC
2014 Insight
To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, rotate
the tires according to the
maintenance messages displayed on
the multi-information display. Move
the tires to the positions shown in
the illustration each time they are
rotated. If you purchase directional
tires, rotate only front-to-back.Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall).
It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling.
If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheels.
Replacement wheels are available at
your dealer. Also be sure you use only TPMS
specif ic wheels. If you do not, the
tire pressure monitoring system will
not work.
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a dif f erent
size or construction can cause the
ABS and vehicle stability assist
system (VSA) to work inconsistently.
The ABS and VSA system work by
comparing the speed of each wheel.
When replacing tires, use the same
size originally supplied with the
vehicle. Tire size and construction
can af f ect wheel speed and may
cause the system to activate.
On U.S. models
CONT INUED
T ire Rotation
Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tires
341
FrontFront
(Front Non-directional
Tires and Wheels) (Front Directional
Tires and Wheels)
12/07/13 17:20:23 31TM8630_346
Maint enanceTOC
2014 Insight
´
Wheels:
Tires:
See page f or DOT tire quality
grading information, and page 384
f or tire size inf ormation. Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
If you mount snow tires on your
vehicle, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as original tires. Mount snow tires on
all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations.
Because your vehicle has limited tire
clearance, Honda strongly
recommends using the chains listed
below, made by Security Chain
Company (SCC). Mount tire chains on your tires when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Install them only on the
f ront tires.
Cable-type: SCC RADIAL CHAIN
SC1026
382
Wheel and T ire Specif ications Winter Driving
Snow T iresT ire Chains
Tires
342
15x6J
P185/60R15 84T
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
12/07/13 17:20:33 31TM8630_347
Maint enanceTOC
2014 Insight
When installing cables, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions, and
mount them as tight as you can.
Make sure they are not contacting
the brake lines or suspension. Drive
slowly with them installed. If you
hear them coming into contact with
the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.Clean the wheels as you would the
rest of the exterior. Wash them
with the same solution, and rinse
them thoroughly.
Aluminum alloy wheels have a
protective clear-coat that keeps the
aluminum from corroding and
tarnishing. Cleaning the wheels with
harsh chemicals (including some
commercial wheel cleaners) or a stiff
brush can damage the clear-coat.
To clean the wheels, use a mild
detergent and a soft brush or sponge.
If equipped
Wheels
Tires
343
Using the wrong chains, or not
properly installing chains, can
damage the brake lines and
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously injured or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding the
selection and use of tire chains.
Traction devices that are the wrong
size or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of
the vehicle.
12/07/13 17:20:40 31TM8630_348
Maint enanceTOC
2014 Insight
Check the air pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement tire should be the same
size and design, mounted on the
samewheel.Thesparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surf aces. Use greater caution
while driving. Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel. Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
After the flat tire is replaced with
the spare tire, the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator stays on
while driving. Af ter several miles
(kilometers) driving, this indicator
begins to f lash, then stays on
again. You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
TPMS SYSTEM’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display. This is
normal; the system cannot
monitor the spare tire pressure.
Manually check the spare tire
pressure to be sure it is correct.
On U.S. models
Compact Spare Tire
348
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
12/07/13 17:21:13 31TM8630_353
T aking Care of t he Unexpect edTOC
2014 Insight
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire f ailure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
perf ormance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Saf ety Standard No.
109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of perf ormance on the
laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.The temperature grade
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinf lation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible
tire f ailure. The tires that came on your vehicle
have a number of markings. Those
you should be aware of are described
below.
CONT INUED
Temperature
Tire L abeling
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles), Tire L abeling
383
(4) (3) (2)(1)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
TIRE LABELING EXAMPLE
Tire Size
Maximum Tire Pressure
Maximum Tire Load Tire Identification Number (TIN)
12/07/13 17:25:31 31TM8630_388
Technical Inf ormationTOC
Warning:that is properly inflated and not for this tire is established for a tire
2014 Insight