Archives

I am buying the 2010 honda insight tonight and I was wondering what your suggestions would be. I have been reading the forums and it seems I should set the tire pressure
to 42 in the front and 40 in the back. Are these numbers correct?

What about cruise control.. is it best to use that on the highway to stay in the green?

Are there any tricks to get the electric to work byitself without gas?

Anything else I should know?


Much Appreciated! THanks

Daniel- Pennsylvania

Hi Daniel;

First of all, congratulations on your new car :D

42F/40R are good pressures to start with and many hybrid owners will feel quite OK at this level. Others will want more and you'll see no shortage of admissions on that front. ;)

Cruise control is often frowned up and for good reason since it insists on raising the fuel consumption for almost every road grade change the car encounters. Practicing the DWL technique is perhaps recommended for the more challenging topographies and unless you have a long drive ahead of you I would recommend staying off the cruise control.

The best way to stay in the "green" is to lower your speeds. Even if you drive carefully you'll be dropping off the green zone as you begin to dabble into the 60+ MPH range.
The Insight II delivers the best highway results in speeds of 45MPH to 60MPH, but then it drops dramatically beyond this range.

Cheers

MSantos

Speed:

I go on a highway for about 18 miles
then onto another highway where I am in bumper to bumper traffic for about 10 minutes
then back to normal highway driving.

My commute is 30miles each way.

The way home is the same exact conditions.

I do have a chance to go backroads on the way to work.
Take the highway for 18 miles then drive the next 12 miles on backroads.

But the back roads are very hilly and only a short stretch is flat.

Better MPG on highway to back roads? or better milage highway to bumper to bumper back to highway.. I guess I will need to do some tests eh?

All the highways are 55mph.. I am sure I can do 55 if I leave early enough.. probably everyone on the road will hate me though .. i usually do 60 in the 55

You might be surprised. I do 50-55mph pretty much anywhere I drive on a highway without issues.

Hi Daniel;

I would give the back roads another more careful look. It may appear that a hilly topography is worse for MPG but I am willing to bet that you can master that without much trouble and the car will help you there as well.

Choosing a path with bumper-to-bumper is a definite MPG killer and there's nothing you or the car can do to mitigate that.

Besides, it is also likely that your personal energy levels will be greatly enhanced if you take the back roads anyway. ;)

Cheers;

MSantos

I would agree 40-42 psi is a good minimum for tire pressure except when driving in snow. I generally set the tires at exactly the max sidewall (I won't buy a tire rated for less than 44psi, and I'm sure the Insight's tires must be rated at least that high).

Yep, avoid using the cruise (since you ask, I assume you're buying the EX). A judicious right foot will beat the pants off cruise control every time.

Moderately hilly terrain won't necessarily clobber your mpg. It effectively forces you into an extended pulse and glide regime, and as long as the terrain doesn't deplete the pack too much (forcing regen) on the climbs or cause you to brake much over and above regeneration on the other side, it might not necessarily be a negative.

Bear in mind my comments on EV mode are based on just 3-4 hours behind the wheel of Insights: I found that with a relatively full pack, I could get into EV mode on flat to slightly downhill grades at speeds up to the mid 30s or so. Just keep a very light foot on the throttle -- not quite light enough to instigate regenerative braking -- and it should kick in. EV-only mode can be useful, but is desirable ONLY if it doesn't deplete the pack so much that it triggers a forced regen. If you have an stretch of road that is a candidate for EV and followed by a downhill, stop sign or other situations where you're going to be using regenerative braking anyway, then go for it. Watch the system status display to verify that the ICE has shut off, and from then on monitor the charge level to make sure you aren't depleting it too far.

Well I just drove my new insight home and the highway was a challenge for sure.

Getting up to speed.. the gas pedal felt very hard.. it seemed hard to get up to speed
Once up to speed I was okay. I tried the cruise control which seemed to go green then blue.

The green/blue is very sensitive when you are applying the gas.
I cannot tell what my MPG was but it was slowly going up.

When going up a hill on the highway my speed went from like 57 to 53 and I had a hard time on the gas getting it to go up. I shifted into Sports mode and it was like the power was unleashed.. rpm's went up and I did speed up nicely.

So all in all it was fun and a new experience.
It will take a learning curve!

I think I was looking at the green/blue too much.. i just need to go blue and get up to speed and then stay in the green when up to speed.. I would go drive more but it's sleeting out.

Congrats on the great car! Be sure to study the HI-II specific article on the home page.

Good luck.

Here's a little test clip showing the Insight in action:

http://www.youtube.com/v/jkpTe0OQnKE&hl=en&fs=1

Cheers;

MSantos

thanks..but i cant find the HI II article.. where is it?

That's cause its not as I remembered it. But you can get a lot from the following:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=179380#post179380
HI-II car review

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1306
tarabell's hch-ii article

Two questions.. is it better to use the paddle shifters and downshift when coming to a stop or to just hit the brake slowly.

When I am driving I watch the needle go from the middle up to Assist.. is assist good or bad?

I really wanted to see my mpg from the dealership to my house..the bars showed about 43mpg
but the actual digital readout only said like 19.5

The paddle shifters are fun but they are not your friend if you want to drive green. If possible always look ahead and plan your stops by ensuring that only the regen brakes are used. That means that small deflections on the charge needle are preferable to large swings.

Keep the assists as low as possible for maximum fuel economy. Assist can be good if used wisely and at the right moments. At all other times minimize its use as much as possible.

Make sure you use both trip meters appropriately. for instance, use trip metter B for tank MPG averages and trip meter A for driving segments. This way you'll have a good idea of how well you're doing day after day.

Cheers

I can't seem to switch from A to B

I had fun in bumper to bumper today getting to the back roads.
In bumper to bumper i just coasted behind a few mph but when I did stop I noticed a slight pull back before it went foward again.
Coasting down the hills of the back roads is fun and letting the foot off the gas on the hills shows mpg at 100% and shows only the battery is being used.

The thing shows 22.1MPG and rising slowly.
But also the real time showed me about 50mpg on the highway going 57mph.
On the backroads I was getting much better results.
but It still only shows 22mpg readout.. but I guess i need to switch to trip B?

The car really shines when going downhill and you let your foot off the gas and the bar goes 100% and shows battery only mode
The car keeps its speed very well.
When going up the 45mph hill.. people did get mad at me as it took me a while to get up to speed in econ mode.. took me a while to get to 45mph.. i thnk next time I should use sports mode for that hill.. the hill is a hill I have to go up to get to my work.
I will have to go into the blue everytime.. no way around it

I am willing to bet that your trip meter has not been reset and it is still displaying a commulative MPG. You'll have to switch to a trip meter of your choise and reset it by holding the "button" down. If I recall correctly, it is the button next to the MID.

Backroads are generally the preferred path for many in this forum. As you discover more about the car, you'll also adopt other strategies and techniques that will work well for you. For instance, on small hills, picking up a tiny bit of speed while going downhill may help on the next climb without resorting to S.

Lastly, a very critical component of one's improvement is the development of a thicker skin that is supported by a safe and preemptive driving protocol. Using your hazard lights or even strategic ridge riding are good and proven approaches that may work for you too.

What is important to remember is that no matter how safe and legally compliant we attempt to be, there will always be those to whom we are nothing more than an obstacle. Often, we can't do much about those folks except hope that maybe they'll see the light someday. :(

Cheers;

MSantos

I will try the trip meters on the way home
Thanks for the advice

To toggle between a and b, briefly tap the set /reset button under the i button on the right inner side of the steering wheel. Get it to the channel you want, press and hold the set/reset button and it will clear the info. Tapping the i button will take you to the different modes.

Daniel:
I am visiting Palm Springs area and just met a guy that has a year old Insight and he love's the car.He had nothing bad to say about the auto. Hal

Might get a foot of snow thursday into friday this week.
Does the insight perform well in snowy conditions?

Might get a foot of snow thursday into friday this week.
Does the insight perform well in snowy conditions?

I know a lot of the guys on insightcentral.net are happy with the way it performs in the snow.

I found the Trip A and Trip B
Finally!

But i still have a problem
Both Trips.. the white bars show around 45mpg.. but both trips digital show 29.5mpg after 3 trips .. does notmake sense
shouldn't it show like 45mpg..

Have you tried resetting them?

The white bars indicate the mileage for each trip which is every time you start the car. I recommend using trip A for the tank. Reset it when you fill. Use trip B for each trip.

Okay I figured it out today!

Very nice MPG today .. 25miles, highway only

By the time I got off the highway I was around 56mpg

But I have this big hill to go up to get to my work.

By the time I parked I had 51.2mpg

Not bad!! The way home should be the same way because I have a big hill to go up to get back home also.

The last few days the roads have been wet and it has been windy. I was only getting 45mpg.. but I am very happy today as it is dry out.. We are getting snow tomorrow.. I am getting used to it more.

The cruise control did a very good job on the highway.. I really think it did better than I could do.. Kept me in the green and also the bar below the mpg was showing 100% a lot. Highway driving was showing 55mpg with cruise control on.. going about 57mph.
I have not had the car above 62mph yet.. lol.. I really dont care if people pass me

I do have another question!!

On my way home I have a very big hill I go down.. should I just cruise down the hill in D or should I switch to Neutral?
It is about a 50mph hill.. very long so I can get some good MPG there. Hardly have to use the brake

Where in the country are you? Great job on the mileage - as the car breaks in a little expect it to get even better!

I live in USA- Pennsylvania.. in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia.

Yes I just got the car so I need to go fill the tires with some more air today.
Honda fills them too low.

Ahhh... yes. The car will eventually break-in a bit and that will be good, but the driver break-in is always the most important factor leading to great MPG.

... so I need to go fill the tires with some more air today.
Honda fills them too low.

Way to go Daniel, and before you know you'll be in the upper 60's in no time ;)

Cheers

MSantos

About that long downhill...

I would roll down it in neutral. Find the sweet spot for starting the long downhill, so you don't exceed the speed limit, but also aren't too slow up at the top.

* but I don't know the INsight very well.

If you find yourself exceeding the speed limit by more than you are comfortable with, you could use the regen braking (lightly) and not waste the energy.

Yes but if your SOC is maxed then brakes are required. The HCH 11 I have coast like the thing is free wheelen! My wife thought she had a run-away the first time the SOC maxed on her:D I would not go to neutral in a HCH or Insight,but that's up to you. Hal.

Okay no problem.
I just filled my front tires to 42 and back to 40
Just did some small city driving .. tons of red lights and hills
Did okay at 42mpg.. auto stop only seemed to work for a minute until the gas kicked in.. I guess I don't have enough charge?

How long should the auto stop last for? minutes?

That's one of the reasons the Insight doesn't get the mileage the Civic Hybrid can - it's autostop is much more limited.

Daniel, I've seen quite a lot of discussion on this. I recommend turning off the HVAC system completely when at a stop -- that seems to extend the autostop for most people I've seen complaining about it. The consensus is that there is a bug in the programming such that if you even have the vent running with no heat or AC specified the autostop is shortened to just half a minute to a minute.

Give that a shot and see how it goes for you.

For the hill, try a "soft glide" first. That's where you get the car to turn the engine off but don't use any electrical propulsion or regenerative braking. If the speed gets a little high, back off the pedal a bit and let regen slow you some. Using N at higher speeds with a Honda CVT is a bit tricky -- it seems to slap around a bit and definitely has more internal resistance than a manual transmission... plus I'm not sure how it would like re-engaging at a high speed (might rev pretty high for a bit). If you find you need more regen and can't get it because the state of charge is too high, try dropping down to S mode to get more aggressive engine braking. That isn't ideal but the next time you go that route you could try to use a bit more of the pack before the hill so you have "space" for regen on the hill.

Good luck and keep posting questions!

Ok I will give it a shot

I was able to get another 50mpg trip home

Problem is my mpg is good until I hit two very long uphill spots on the highway which cannot be avoided.. I see the speed turn blue.. and I hear my gas flying out of my car like water

Very sad time listening to that little engine groan as it uses whatever power it has in its tank!
It is still winter.. hopefully spring and summer will give me 60+mpg

Drove through the snow on the way to work today.. averaged 53mpg
Filling the air in the tires may have helped some.. I do notice my mpg on the highway seems slightly higher than it was

Very nice, Daniel! How's that Auto-Stop behavior? Are you able to do a soft glide on the hill?

Yes.. I was reading on the other forum that if you have a full charge .. you should neutral down the big hill..

I am now trying to find a decal for my white boring insight..
I was thinking about stripes or honda decal.. im not very good with art stuff
any ideas?

Drive a Fusion Hybrid before buying the Insight. I'm a confessed Honda person, I have 3 Honda motorcyales, had an Accord, and a Civic. I was focused on getting an Insight, until I drove a Fusion Hybrid. As much as I hate to admit it, I think the fusion is a much better car. After your test drive, if you like the Insight, at least you'll know.

It is a little too late since I already bought the Insight.

The Tesla is a better car, too. FFH more expensive than HI-II. Both great cars. Enjoy.

If anything ever happens to my Corolla, i'll be looking to get an Insight as my replacement.

The neutral on the downhills is NOT good as I see GAS being used
when I keep it in Drive with the foot off the gas.. just battery is being used
I will no longer use Neutral.

I filled up my first gas tank yesterday. 400 miles with some gas to spare.. my wife said it was low so she forced me to fill up more gas.
Not bad for a 10.6gallon tank

When coasting in gear, you are getting regeneration (regen) of the IMA battery. There is a "sweet" spot that you can VERY lightly press the accelerator and it will neutralize the regen and get longer coast time. It depends on your terrain as to whether you need the regen or not. I have one hill on my commute that if I leave it in drive, I get 1mile at 50+ mph. If I feather it in gear as described, I get 1.3 miles of coast.

Hi Magikhat:

___You have to be very careful l with what you read in "other" forums (you know the one ;)). If you can maintain speed on the downhill, it is best to leave your Insight-II in gear even with or without a topped off-pack as you are in fuel cut on the way down. If the slope is not enough to keep a high enough terminal or you have another rise ahead and need the velocity to carry you over the next rise, a NICE-On is highly recommended. Another two or three months and your will be moving into a FAS regime with your numbers going through the roof once you have dialed in your daily segment, pressed up your tires and learn to use more of the Hypermiling tools available to you.

___This was an all-city/suburban RT Loop at the MAMA fall rally last year:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/507/Insight-II_90_6_mpg_over_5_2_miles.jpg

___You will be in the low to mid-70’s in no time if you keep improving the way you are today :)

___And you did read the 2010 Insight-II preview, right?

___Also, climbing consumes a large amount of fuel and you have to figure out a way to climb most efficiently and make up for it on the backside of whatever you climbed.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I could be wrong, but i thought it was bad to go from neutral back to drive with a CVT while the car is at speeds? I think i may have read something like that here.

Switching between N and D is not a problem at all with these CVT's... provided that the driver does not ride the accelerator before the PCM can do its thing.

The thing to remember is that these vehicles are not race cars, so give the CVT the 1-2 seconds it needs, and all will be just fine.

Cheers;

MSantos

I do a slow climb up the big hills, but if there is some pissed person behind me or if I feel I am messing up the flow of traffic I will switch into sports mode.

In Drive I try to use the downshift but it does not give me enough power up really big hills..
But the downshift is good up small ones