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Forgive me Father Wayne for I have sinned. Because of my laziness I have committed the greatest of all cleanmpg sins. :(

I recently bought a 2000 MT Insight and I have put about 800 miles on it without checking the tire pressure. :o The lowest tire pressure was 20psi and the highest was 35psi. :o

Today after giving the Insight a bath I checked the tire pressure and pumped them up to 44psi all around.

I'll take out the car tomorrow to see if I can see any difference besides a rough ride. The shocks need replaced so I hope it wont be to bad.



Please dont ban me for too long.

We won't if you don't leave them all the way down in the 40's too long!! ;)

GO OUT IMMEDIATELY AND PUMP THEM UP TO 60 and promise to check them WEEKLY!

The real blame lies with the previous owner, who probably drove like that for years.

I dont think I will go above 44psi. I tried about 60psi with the Prius a while back before I got my Hymotion battery and I did not see that much improvement over the 44psi. I think I will keep it at 44psi for the Insight.

The tires for the Insight are new. I don't know if the previous owner installed them or if the dealer installed them. They looked brand new when I picked up the car and the tires still have all the little rubber pointy things on them from the molds.

Since the lifetime MPG was 49.3 I'm guessing the previous owner was not a hypermiler. That or the commute route was not that good. If I remember correctly the car came from the mountain area of West Virgina.

Find a nice hill to glide on and check speed/distance with the tires at 44psi. Raise/test drive incrementally and see the results. The Insight glides differently than a Prius.

Report: Not only has Jay repented, but performed a miracle!

He got his Insight tires to 70psi by injecting all the GM hot air "it's not a hybird".

Report: Not only has Jay repented, but performed a miracle!

He got his Insight tires to 70psi by injecting all the GM hot air "it's not a hybird".

If I injected all the GM hot air the tires would bust. :D The tires can only handle so much BS before they bust.

If I injected all the GM hot air the tires would bust. :D The tires can only handle so much BS before they bust.

Kind of what I was thinking Jay.:p:D

Simple solution: GM just introduce a compressed-air Volt. :p

Simple solution: GM just introduce a compressed-air Volt. :p

Power exclusively by GM hot air. GM hot air sold where ever you hear GM BS.

Mike is correct — the Insight responds like no other car I've ever driven to increased tire pressure. At least give it a try; Blue Swayed coasts for what seems forever with the tires at unmentionable pressures. ;)

Hi Jay:

Arrrrgggghhhh :mad:

:D :D :D

Post of the day and being tweeted now ;)

Good Luck

Wayne

Hi Jay:

And do as Father Sean say's: "Start at S... and finish in the E..."

I remember seeing an Insight's Comp pressure in the low triple digits once but only accidentally ;) :D

Good Luck

Wayne

I recall a thread at InsightCentral showing that there's a big MPG benefit up to sidewall max (44psi), but very small returns beyond that. Small returns may be attractive to you, but I stick with sidewall max because I like a supple, luxurious ride (compared to my road bike @115psi).

Hi Robert:

Supple in an Insight? From 40 on up, not much changes where ride is concerned ;)

Good Luck

Wayne

Hi Robert:

Supple in an Insight? From 40 on up, not much changes where ride is concerned ;)

Good Luck

Wayne
No kidding. When I drove my car home from Phoenix, AZ the tires were at only 40 psi. That was not a ride that I would have termed "supple." I didn't notice much of an increase in ride harshness when I went up to, as Sean said "unmentionable pressure" but, the mpg did go up considerably and I could tell it was easier to hold lean-burn at higher speeds and on steeper terrain.

It's not an Insight, but I expect my Civic shares some similarities to it. I have measured an improvement in coasting ability between 50 and 60 psi. There's a long 1/3-mile downhill coast that I drive every day. Crest the hill at 40 mph and maintain that speed all the way down. That extra pressure is worth ~3 mph at the end of the slope - higher means I gain 1-2 mph, lower means I lose 1-2 mph.

60 seems to be the limit for my car and tires. I can't measure a difference at 70 vs 60.

Don't forget to check alignment too. The Insight has different alignment than other Honda cars. The new tires do not show any wear marks that may be caused later by misalignment.

Yeah I think I'm going to have to get an alignment since the other night. The city finally decided to pave the part of the road I got pulled over on for dodging pot holes. ( officer thought I was drunk ) The city dug up all the black top on Friday and left it that way over the weekend. :mad: Well I was driving at night in the right hand lane with all the man holes and other access holes and it felt like every tire was going to pop. Since I had the tires up to 44psi and the Insight need new shocks running over all that was horrible. My but hurt it was that bad.

I really need to find a local shop that can do a proper 4 wheel alignment.


I might pump the tires up a little more just to see if there is any difference.

Why do you think it needs new shocks? Are they leaking oil?

Well for one when my dad was driving it I was following him and noticed that the right rear tire bounces a LOT. When I'm driving it I can feel just about every pebble in the road. It does not absorb much if anything.

Well for one when my dad was driving it I was following him and noticed that the right rear tire bounces a LOT. When I'm driving it I can feel just about every pebble in the road. It does not absorb much if anything.

Have you had the tires balanced? One of the attributes of the Insight is the ability to "feel the road!":D

Have you had the tires balanced? One of the attributes of the Insight is the ability to "feel the road!":D
Nice way to put that Mike.:p I think another feature is it's ability to give that "seat of the pants" feel too.:eek::D

"seat of the pants"

"feel the road!"

Ouch! :eek: :p I prefer my seat to be cushioned, thank you!

"Feeling the pebbles in the road" contribute to slower driving and contribute to increased MPG in the Insight.

Or a numb backside... ;)

Seriously, you gain a new appreciation for the phrase "ride quality" once you have to navigate a pothole-ridden stretch of road in an Insight with "properly" inflated tires. :D

Or a numb backside... ;)

Seriously, you gain a new appreciation for the phrase "ride quality" once you have to navigate a pothole-ridden stretch of road in an Insight with "properly" inflated tires. :D
No kidding. Don't even think about a gravel road. I've been down that road before.:eek: