5 THINGS I HATE about my 2000 Honda Insight
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2024
- Some would call me "overly picky"... I prefer "man of discerning taste".
Facebook: / 100percentjake
Website: 100percentjake.com/
I'm just a guy in Kansas playing around in his garage. Come along in my adventures riding, racing, modifying and repairing my small fleet of unusual msifits.
#insight #cheapcar #100percentjake 
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![2000 Honda Insight Review: Is The Original Hybrid Still The Best? [MIAMI]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/In_Slp-hcPs/mqdefault.jpg)
Interesting, thanks for the insight
Unpopular opinion, but i think these might be classics in the future.
I love mine
I love mine as well! The only things you could find wrong were all very minor.
This car has absolutely cemented my love for Honda as being the best car company in the world. Your ocd with the wheel is something I never noticed. I thought maybe your seat rail may have been moved or bent. As I sit, the wheel finds my middle section. The HVAC bothers me a bit with the fan speed selector, it’s a bit strange but definitely 90’s thinking. The gaskets for the roof? Yes, but after 20 years, it dries up, just like motor mounts, a non-issue. Trans? Yes, known issue, although I have one with 280k and another with 113k and no grinds, also a DC5 (notorious for glass transmission) and have had zero issues. If you own a car past the warranty period, I would hope you know a thing or two about turning a wrench or have deep pockets and someone who works on these. Much like driving a manual, a part of my childhood that I believe every adult should have skills in, for any car. I’m extremely ecstatic to own three of these and could buy a new car but have been smitten with the car so much so that I haven’t driven my DC5 in over three years. You gotta love Honda. If you know, you know.
You, JR and that Prius guy are really awesome Wichita, Kansas men!
Thanks Mitch!
Definitely something in the water.
What’s their channels
You also have a growling input shaft bearing. We can hear it when you drive off from a stop. If you want a spare transmission to rebuild, I have one in my garage in New Hampshire, $300+shipping. Or if you don't drive the car anyway, just pull yours out and rebuild it. I rebuilt mine with GearSpeed synchros, kept the dual cone design, and first gear was already busted in less than a year. I don't mind that it punishes people for attempting to downshift to first. But having tried new synchros, I now recommend the tab filing mod. Will perform it myself at the next clutch job.
I have a spare that will be rebuilt soon with all new bearings and seals. I also decided against getting new synchros because it is a faulty engineering design. Will be filing mine down on the rebuilt transmission for sure.
Some comments on your "Hates" . . . . as the original owner of a 2000 Honda Insight Manual, Silver, with 425,000 miles. Steering Wheel offcenter, never noticed. I actually like the steering placement better than most other cars I've driven (variety of rentals, and the other 3 in our fleet, 2 Subie Outbacks and a Ford Van. Wet seatbelt, have noticed that a couple of time, and my Honda Insight rests outside, in all sorts of weather, not had to resort to any fixes. A/C . . . . simple, had no problem figuring it out. Remember, this vehicle is designed for maximum fuel . . . . READ energy efficiency. A/C econ pulls less power than full A/C mode. The Insight will accelerate quicker in A/C econ versus full mode. You have 3 options when coming to a stop sign, push the Big AC button - engine will keep running and you have full A/C OR push the Econ button to off and the blowers will continue even with the engine shutoff. Gear servos, yes downshifting into 2nd is getting to be a challenge now, throttle lag is an issue and probably grinding things if over 30 mph. Probably going to have the servos tweaked later this fall or possibly replacing with a Civic gear box. Fuel economy too good? I noticed 52.4 on your dashboard, that's not considered "good" in a manual G1 Insight. 60's are bare minimum and try for 70+ mph per fuel tank. Have fun.
I dunno much about how the insight works other than a parallel electric assist motor between engine & trans and a battery pack that gets charged by regen braking and engine alternator? (How does the battery pack get recharged?) but was thinking about a used G1 insight could be upgraded for more power and/or better MPGs....
Like if you could swap out a worn out battery for a more power dense lithium battery, add a plug in charger for more range and use the electric motor more often? Add thin film solar panes to the hood and roof for a couple hundred extra watts of solar charging power when it's parked in the sun for 8 hours while you're at work. Send a few more volts/amps from the bigger lithium battery bank to the electric motor for a little more power.
Those mods would be beyond my capabilities but am wondering if someone knowledgeable could DIY it for a reasonable price?
@@michaelbrinks8089 - if you've not already, check out Insightcentral.net . . . 1st Gen. A number of Insight Geeks having been playing around modifying other LI battery packs. I think a few have been successful. I added a Prolong Grid Charger to my Insight years ago, more to balance out the pack a few times a year than to actually try to extend the range. Other mods that I've seen was a MIMA (manual integrated motor assist) that allowed the driver to have independent control over electric input ( I don't think this mod is available for sale anymore).
@@clintsmitheman6512 Have you seen the 300 mpg VW XL1? It also uses a parallel electric motor but has a plug in battery pack and small diesel engine--68hp/103 ft lbs of torque. About the same HP as a gen 1 Insight but more torque. It gets great mpgs in part due to lots of carbon fiber making it very light ,which makes it very expensive but proves the auto industry is a sham and could easily build an affordable 2 person hybrid capable of 100 mpgs without being super slow. They could easily build something like the Elio but make it a hybrid that could easily get over 100 mpgs but refuse to do so because I believe the auto industry is in cahoots with the oil industry to keep oil prices at a certain price range.
Instead they claim all the better they can do is a 50 mpg Toyota Prius.
@@michaelbrinks8089 I've not heard about the XL1 till now, and I'm a bit skeptical of those MPG figures, especially since VW cooked the books for their emissions a few years ago, but yes small diesel engines are more efficient than gas engines, higher torque, higher potential energy per unit of fuel. It is a sham indeed that 21 years later, the Gen 1 Insight is still the most fuel efficient mass produced hybrid ever made. I was anticipating replacing it with an Elio, sat in a demonstration model a few years ago. Why auto industry thinks that people need these large, over powered vehicles . . . when most people still just commute to work, solo. I'm determined to replace my Insight only with a vehicle that is more fuel efficient.
@@clintsmitheman6512 It can at least easily get 200 mpgs the claimed 300 mpgs is probably under ideal perfect conditions. Although many sacrifices were made to achieve it and using carbon fiber to make it lightweight made it very expensive. But it's proof the auto industry could easily make a 100 MPG small 2 seated hybrid that wouldn't too under powered. When I tell people that car makers could easily build a 2 seated 100 mpg commuter hybrid they refuse to believe me. Auto makers and oil companies also have a relationship. Car makers claiming to make hybrids & EV "to help the environment" is nothing but virtue signaling BS. They also claim it's too difficult for something like the Elio to go from concept to production.Yet they had no problems making the Can Am Spyder or Polaris Slingshot. Both are incredibly stupid vehicles since they off all of the disadvantages of a car & motorcycle while having none of the advantages of a car or motorcycle. They could also take something like the Yamaha 300cc Tricity scooter (2 wheels up front & 1 in rear) and simply add a removable, lightweight, aerodynamic enclosure that would serve 2 purposes. #1 make it more aerodynamic & fuel efficient #2 Protect from rain, cold weather so it could used year round. One nice days if you wanted, you could take the enclosure off. Check out the VW NILS , it's similar to something I would build if I could but i'd make it tandem 2 seated, possible with removable top and add removable hard cases/ saddlebags to the sides that could be used for road trips.We are being lied to by the automotive industry.I think Oil companies don't want millions of 100 mpg cars on the road because it would disrupt our economy. If only 1/2 the amount of gas & oil was being sold each year. So automakers give us 50 mpg Prius and say it's all the better they can do right now.
Huh. Econ mode in my Insight does NOT disable the blower, even when stopped. But I also never run it in auto, so I always have the fan set manually.
The previous owner of my Insight actually pre-emptively opened up the transmission and did the tab mod. My car has shifted great for the 60,000 miles I've had it. Dude also replaced all the seals to pre-emptively solve the wet seatbelt problem. Dude was a legend.
I need to do the tab mod badly. Just can't afford for the car to be down for that long since my wife daily drives it.
Tempted to buy a spare engine and trans. Rebuild the engine, do the tab mod on the trans and pre-emptively replace the input shaft bearing because it's a Honda and Honda doesn't understand how to engineer ISBs.
If the fan speed is manually set it'll stay on when the car shuts off. Otherwise the car will auto-stop and the fan will stop with it.
I need to take that a pillar exterior plastic piece off and re-seal those fittings. Just... don't wanna break it
@@100PercentJake Instead of getting a spare engine and trans, it may be cheaper and easier to get a second car temporarily and re-sell it later. My Insight is actually in the middle of an engine-out procedure, and I bought a 1991 Civic to use in the interim; I know I'll have no problem finding a buyer when it's time to re-sell and get back in the Insight. That said, part of me is starting to question which I like better between the two...
@@JETZcorp My first car was a '98 Civic sedan with a stick. I miss it dearly and it is deeply frustrating how expensive those have become.
I'd love to do a turbo D-series with CRV AWD parts to make a mini Lancer Evo.
Another great video. Loved the shots around Wichita. Well done.
I love Manual transmissions, but they are definitely an endangered species.
Most younger people are not really looking for a 'Driving' experience and would be happy with self-driving cars. Hopefully the manufacturers will continue to offer manuals in 'Enthusiast' type autos and they will live on.
they are endangered in high-performance cars beacause of shifting timing and hamburgerland where you can actually pass driving license on automatic.
in countries where you have to pass license test on manual gearbox and extra 1k usd is more than your average monthly income (read: 168 countries in the world) manuals are basically the only option
@Pretty Sure Sure beginning to look like it.
They are going to love their communist utopia where the car, like everything else, is FREE! "Just put your name on the list and we'll let you know when you can pick it up...
you are number 331,658,649 so check back in 2047"
Your comment seems condescending, it’s not young people’s fault, I think it’s the overflow of automatics in the car market, I’d love to drive a manual but my first car was an automatic, a cheap, and realizable Mazda 3, and can’t afford a manual at the moment, I have driven some before but I’m not comfortable doing it because it takes practice to get a hang of it, and I don’t want to mess anyone’s clutch up. I’m intrigued by self driving cars, you have to admit it’s an amazing technology, there is nothing wrong with being happy with self driving cars. You are no car enthusiast, you’re a manual transmission enthusiast, two very different things
The good news is if you hate this car so much there's a massive queue of enthusiasts wanting to buy one. They seem to be well sought after. Honda must have gotten feedback about the ac in their early hybrids. I have a 2008 civic hybrid. It has a 'hybrid' compressor that can be driven by the engine and or hybrid system. It incorporates an electric motor. This means when you come to a stop and the engine stops the hybrid system powers the compressor and fan so that you maintain your ac. The engine will only kick back in if you're stationary for many minutes and the battery charge is getting low or to heat the coolant if the temperature is getting low.
Your channel needs more subscribers. You are great !
Thank you! Means a lot! 👍
#3 you can bypass by manually turning on fan
One thing I hate the most about this video is the sharp "whoosh" transition between the scenes.
The reason for the steering wheel placement is obvious if you look under the hood to find the steering column; the cars front tapers for aerodynamic reasons and the geometry of the steering is offset; they could have put in some offset linkage but you can also slightly adjust your seat. You have a 20 year old car you bought for $1000; since you are upgrading it :replace the seals so you don't have a leak? AC; worried about heating up a min or two at a stop light? OK don't use that mode then. If your 20 year old car has a syncro going out ; rebuild it there is a RUclips on doing it. There is a CVT automatic version and it is better from driving around town; the manual is really a highway car. If you go highway cruising about 60mph you should get about 70mpg
Did the fuel tank stop leaking ? Did the O2 Sensors fix the check engine light and how did it drive after changing them ? Thanks for the videos !
JR: I'm one of those rare Americans who has driven an M/T Insight like yours. Owned by a coworker of mine years ago... he drove 100 miles or so round trip daily. True, it was economical for one or two people... but it always pissed him off when I showed him that my wife's 2006 Odyssey carrying six people (vs. two for the Insight) was at least as economical on a per person basis (e.g. at least 18 and up to 25 mpg) with better ride, much better acceleration, and great A/C. Agreed, the Insight was kinda fun to drive, but the gear ratios were so wide spread, hill climbing ability was atrocious. Have fun with your slice of history!
My main gripe for the 2001 and 2002 Insight is no cruise control. The offset wheel frankly was not even noticed and mine did not leak. My 02 was automatic and did just fine and got crappy mileage for what it was. Eventually sold it and now I have an 01 coming home to roost that does not leak and is a manual. I never down shift from second to first while moving anyway so any Syncro issues will not be an issue for me. Im hoping for a better running engine in this one. If it ever craps out I'll convert to all electric. That is already in the works for when not if it happens. I want a green early Insight. No need for the engine or battery to be good on that one. I want to convert it to electric.
Two thoughts on this problem with your steering wheel, the first thought is that most people are right-handed so it may have been geared towards that or the scar being designed in Japan, was originally a right-hand-drive design and this is just kind of what happened. One way or another, enjoy the videos keep up the good work and I hope to see you running around town one of these days soon
In the Chevy trucks it sort of makes sense because they have big-ol arm rests on the right side that are great for cruising one-handed but the Insight lacks any such arm rest. I'm with you on it being a possible remnant of a RHD-first design, a theory backed up by the location of the OBD2 port (passenger footwell, poking out from the center console).
Damn there goes my interest of importing one, thanks for this vid
You got this legend of a car for $1000 and you're complaining about it?! ..something wrong with you
Re: the steering rack
the insight steering rack attaches to the column in the center of the engine bay, so i suspect that was as far left as they could put it without causing binding in the linkage.
i notice your head doesn't brush the doorframe when you sit down, my torso is apparently a little longer and i frequently banged my head on it when i first got the car lol
I also think that the massive gap between 1st and 2nd is a factor in the accelerated synchro wear
Thanks for the 1st gen Insight background, I have long thought of getting one though, these days, I think a full EV is more likely.
If available in your market I suggest the Chevy Volt/Opel Ampera. Reasonably easy to get parts for, fairly affordable these days, modern, and you can use it as a full EV if you charge it every night and have a full commute. By far my favorite hybrid.
@@100PercentJake Yeah they are available in the UK but in such limited numbers there is little support or for that matter spares market yet they are not that cheap. Otherwise I would agree.
Hi Jake, im a first time watcher (from your friend Hoovie recommendation) and will continue watching as I like the vid.
Just one thing (which im sure you been told before) I keep hearing "Agent Smith" from The Matrix :-)
Hi Jake! I had a 2006 and a 2007 Honda Civic Hybrids. We absolutely loved them, until Honda reprogrammed the IMA so that the battery would not go down more than 50% state of charge. It made a great car into garbage 🗑! I couldn’t get up the hill to my house in San Francisco without running out of battery assist. The 1300cc engine and it’s CVT transmission were way underpowered without the battery assistance. Honda would not replace the batteries under warranty until they got down to 20% capacity, not 80%, really 20%, not even 21%! I was so pissed 😤 that I had to get rid of them! The batteries didn’t last because they were cycled too much, that’s the reason for the programming change. These cars would be fine where there are not too many hills. I do see plenty of them around town, driven by people who didn’t know how awesome they used to be. I took trips over 9,000ft, with four people, in the mountains and got 50mpg! That was before the change.
Aw, man. That's a bummer! My friend WatchJRGo just bought a first-generation Civic Hybrid, go check out his channel for an upcoming video showing the process of actually disassembling the hybrid battery packs to fix them yourself. They're the most common failure point on these car so if it's something you're comfortable fixing yourself then there's a universe of cheap hybrids ready for the fixing.
100PercentJake Thank you so much, Jake! The second generation Civic Hybrid is a really awesome car and with replacement batteries it would be a perfect car! I watched JR’s video yesterday and loved seeing you in it, Jake!
The solution for many is swapping the OEM nickel metal hydride pack for lithium ion.
What app do you use to track mpg?
Surely if the climate control is set to 72 and ‘Auto’ the auto stop/start will still come on when the climate control demand load isn’t high? In our newer Jeep it won’t do the auto stop/start if the cabin temp is too far away from its target temp in either direction.
The variation you are getting between fill ups is probably due to fuel tank expansion and contraction; the mileage indicator is very accurate; based off your actual injectors. I have two 2000 insights and one has 360,000 miles the other has 178,000 miles they both have very easy and flexible syncros and so you may want to check yours. It was sitting in a field; you can't expect perfection. The insight should be getting about low 50s like you show in town and more like 70 mpg on the freeway if you stay around 65; so your lifetime mpg should reflect your mix; also of course a good hybrid battery is critical to getting best mpg. I'd also note that your driver position is sort of due to how the car is curved; you may note your feet are more under the wheel. I think Honda would have liked to orient the seat slightly toward the right a few degrees; but it isn't legal to do that. The only thing I dislike about the car is the very expensive sensor used to monitor exhaust. If someone knows a cheaper but functional substitute I'd love to know what that is.
What’s your next project Jake?
1:00, ADD much? Lol Great video
Nice love letter to the original Insight
I've never noticed the steering wheel in my 2000 until you mentioned it. By luck I've had no leaks in my roof/seat belt area and I have no garage. My second gear synchro is starting to go out but if you "double clutch" and match the engine speed you will not get the grinding.
How many miles are on yours?
@@yamkaw346, About 165K. The crazy thing is that when I bought it at about 120K the first owner averaged 72 mpg as the lifetime average. Not sure how she did that. I've brought that down somewhat over the years I've had it however. Do you have a first gen insight?
@@tomruth9487 No but I am seriously considering picking one up very soon. There’s one near me with 38k original miles, they are asking a lot for it though. They are getting hard to find.
@@yamkaw346 I paid a lot for mine but it was really in good shape. There are not many first gen insights around for sale so I have a feeling they will become more valuable in the future. I found out my battery was bad soon after I bought it. I installed a grid charger and I've gotten by ok without replacing the battery. The grid charger was a good investment. I've never heard of a first gen with only 38K on it, so it sounds like a rare find. I imagine the battery might still need to be replaced unless that was done recently. I've never enjoyed a car as much as the insight I have. It's not a car for everybody, but if it meets your needs I think you will really enjoy it.
@@tomruth9487 The guy claims he “deep cycled and restored the battery” but I agree I’m sure it would need replaced soon because it’s likely sat unused most of its life. How much did you pay for your insight if you don’t mind me asking?
Any battery issues ?
As others mentioned, turning the fan onto one of the speeds manually keeps the fan on when the engine is off.
I got one in May and had to rebuild the transmission and did the mod to the 2nd gear synchro (first time I’ve ever done anything like that, but it was easy), and it’s been awesome. Lately getting tanks as high as 62mpg keeping up with traffic at 70mph! Love that little turd.
Rebuild the manual trans for the 3-2 synchro grind?
100PercentJake yessir - I was borrowing the first gear synchro when I needed to downshift, but after grinding those inner tabs off the synchro with a Dremel, it shifts great! I also did the majority of the bearings since I had some nasty ISB noise. 6k miles later and 200k on the car and I think it has another 200k in it! Haha
@@WrenchesOnJunk I've been meaning to get my hands on a spare gearbox and try the synchro tab mod. Absolutely wild that Honda messed up the dual-cone design that badly.
100PercentJake yeah, between the bearings and synchros on these, seems like most people have problems by 200k. And, spare gearbox, what’s that?? I say go for it with the one you have, but if you’re gonna go buy another transmission, go for the manual from the Civic hybrid, cause from what I’ve read, the gearing is a lot better for driving an actual car with actual traffic.
@@WrenchesOnJunk My wife drives the Insight every day so I'd need to prep another trans and swap them out on the weekend, lol. I have heard about the HCH trans but those are pretty tough to come by.
I think you're using the word subsequent wrong.
it means "stuff that came AFTER" not before.
so, Chevy pickups can't use the dash from subsequent generations. they use the dash from prior generations.
"Man of discerning taste", 😆!
There's a 2000 for sale near me and I have driven one in the past. Your video cast's some interest! $3500.00 with around 196k makes me wonder how much I will have to put into it for a dependable driver! I love the look. It was way before it's time!
Beware of the "herky jerky" problem caused by excessive carbon buildup in the EGR valve. My 2000 Insight started this behavior around 140k miles.
@@ncnightowl1 hi, i have an 02, can you explain the herky jerky?
@@ncnightowl1 like what it feels like. i know all about the issue just not how it feels
@@ncnightowl1 Interesting, my 2000 has over 180k and still no herky jerky. But I was wondering about the state of my EGR. Thanks for your info.
What a nice vid
Cassette tape radio offers a nice input to connect the radio to something else ...
It is a functional way to connect my phone for navigation; audio quality is noticeably worse than CDs. I might try to find a way to hack an aux cable into the head unit for better quality!
I'd have installed a Grom adapter (gromaudio.com/store/aux1_adapters/honda-acura-98-05-aux-cable-input-car-stereo-kit.html). but they don't make one for my car. Best I could manage was an FM modulator (antenna bypass). Cheap and easy to install, better than tape adapter, but somewhat noisy.
Loving the channel!
@@owenstrawn They specify "no built-in CD changer" on that page. i wonder if that means "your cd changer won't work" or "the head unit won't work" because i am one of the few with a functional factory CD changer lol
The AC fan goes off when the engine stops because it would be running on the 12v battery which is not very big. If you were on a short commute in FL with all the 10 minute red lights, your battery would go dead.... and it's not easy for the car to know the condition or charge of the battery to disable the fans if the battery got too low. My 2017 Kia freaks out if you leave the car radio on for more than 2 minutes with the engine off because it's going to kill the battery.
I don't get your statement about the blower cooling system? The car's interior temp isn't going to change very much in 1 or 2 minutes; which is about max you'd sit. I suppose if you are hot already and you don't want to to stop getting cool ; that may be understandable but it won't be that much of a change over such a short time.
1. Steering wheel located slightly to the right
2. Wet seat belt issue
3. AC control preferences
4. 1st & 2nd synchro problems
5. (not a real problem) MPG too high
2) seat belts are covered by a lifetime warranty. 3) blower stays on during autostop on my Insights. maybe a sensor issue.
SU🅱️REME
MEJ represent
These are impossible to find in the UK
I loved my silver 2004 Insight. I just sold it today after 17 years of service. Sad to see it go, but now I have a CRV and didn't need 2 vehicles.
So dont fix the seal since airbags kill. Got it😂.
How much is that car worth?
$1k
Its just ads?
K swap when
I love how different the 2019 insights work and look from this
Give it to me!
My entire toyota corolla is jealous of this things weirdness
You're a lovely wet day 🥴
all super critical nerd boy hates on the honda insight. I have one and love mine. next time never buy an abandon piece of crap project car and not expect long term issues.
928s are squirrels
If you hate your Insight, why did you buy one in the first place?
Sorry, but I think your least favorite things are an unusually nick picky list of your whining. Most cars have steering columns that are slightly off center or the wheels themselves are not parallel to the driver's chest. Car companies have very specific reasons for these designs.
Make it electric
Buys a quirky beater Honda, then complains about it being a quirky beater Honda. Meh.
Read the video tittle and expect something else
lol door is sucks in your car