2001 Honda Insight

Insight Hatchback

3 - Cyl.

Manual

jhmze13501t000858

Gasoline

The GOOD I am selling my 2001 Honda Insight 5speed manual. It has served me well but it's time for the next owner, I am buying a 4 passenger to replace it. It has always been dealer serviced and always an AZ car. Changes I have made are: Wet Okole custom seat covers, indash navigation/backup camera/Bluetooth/hard drive/dvd/Sat/cd. The optional rear speaker kit from Honda was installed and all speakers are upgraded. I have the custom armrest from Canada. The original floormats are also covered with custom clear protectors. It has the rear deck carpet mat with emblem. The windows are custom tinted, AZ Legal. Oil is always changed at 7.5K with Mobil One 0/20 weight using only oem Honda filters. I have the Fumoto Drain Valve installed for easy oil changes so that there is no chance for stripping the magnesium oil pan. It comes with the Colgan custom Bra and well worn California Car Cover (a little life left in the car cover because it is always used) The Bridgestone tires are practically new and came from Discount Tire. The front engine battery is exactly one year old. I have both remotes and the Honda Security System installed. There are 2 keys. The BAD The IMA and Check Engine light just came on this week. As you can see from the OBDII reader there is a code of 1449. In other words, it's probably time for a battery pack. You can research packs. Go on the internet to find used, reconditioned, or from Honda along with prices.....do your research. You can also go to InsightCentral Forum for a wealth of information. Another small issue is the chrome is peeling up from the driver interior door handle, shown in picture. You are welcome and encouraged to have this car inspected at your cost. Please do your research. *****This car is being sold as is where is. There are no warranties or promises. Please make sure this is the car you want before you bid.********** . First Generation Honda Insight Background informationProductionDecember 1999–September 2006Model years2000–2006AssemblyTochigi, Japan (1999-2004) Suzuka, Mie, Japan (2004-2006)SuccessorHonda Insight (second generation) Honda CR-ZClassSubcompact carBody style3-door hatchbackEngineHonda Hybrid System Gasoline: 1 L ECA series I3 (995 cc/60.7 cu in) lean-burn 12-valve SOHC 67 hp (50 kW) Electric: 144 V 10 kW (13 hp) ULEV/SULEVTransmission5-speed manual CVT (2001–2006)Wheelbase2,400 mm (94 in)Length3,945 mm (155.3 in)Width1,695 mm (66.7 in)Height1,355 mm (53.3 in)Curb weightManual w/o AC 838 kg (1,850 lb) Manual w/ AC 852 kg (1,880 lb) CVT w/ AC 891 kg (1,960 lb)History Based on the Honda J-VX concept car unveiled at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, the Insight was first introduced in Japan in November 1999 as the first production vehicle to feature Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system. In the following month, December 1999, Insight became the first hybrid available in North America, beating Toyota's Prius by seven months.It featured optimized aerodynamics and a lightweight aluminum structure to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize emissions. DesignHonda Insight rear The Honda Insight is a subcompact hatchback 3,945 mm (155.3 in) in length with a wheelbase of 2,400 mm (94.5 in) a height of 1,355 mm (53.3 in) and a width of 1,695 mm (66.7 in). The Insight was only produced as a two-seater. The model launched with only a single trim- manual transmission, no air-conditioning- a choice made to reduce weight and maximize economy. In the second year of production another two trims became available: a manual transmission with automatic climate-control system, and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with automatic climate-control system. The only major change during its life span was the introduction of a trunk mounted, front controlled, multiple CD changer. In addition to the hybrid drive system, the Insight was small, built of light materials and streamlined. In Japan, 2000 until 2002 models carried a front white Taurus-shaped false-alarm grille, but instead, 2003 until 2006 models cannot have the grille.[edit] TechnologyHonda Insight IMA The gasoline engine is a 67 hp (50 kW; 68 PS), 1.0 litre, ECA series 3-cylinder unit providing lean burn operation with an air-to-fuel ratio that can reach 25.8 to 1. The engine utilizes lightweight aluminum, magnesium, and plastic to minimize weight. The electrical motor assist adds another 10 kW (13 hp) and a maximum of 36 pound-feet (49 Nm) of torque when called on, with the aim to boost performance to the level of a typical 1.5L petrol engine.It also acts as a generator during deceleration and braking to recharge the vehicle's batteries, and as the Insight's starter motor. (This both improves fuel efficiency and also extends the lifetime and fade resistance of the brakes, without adding unsprung weight). When the car is not moving, for example, at a stop light, the engine shuts off. Power steering is electric, reducing accessory drag. The Insight uses the first generation of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid technology. (The next generation, used in the Honda Civic Hybrid, is much more space-efficient.) The Insight's electric assist is a ultrathin (about 2.5 inches) brushless 10-kW electric motor located on the crankshaft.[16] Located behind the seats are a series of commercial grade "D" sized NiMH batteries wired to provide a nominal 144 V DC. During heavy acceleration, the NiMH batteries drive the electric motor, providing additional power; during deceleration, the motor acts as a generator and recharges the batteries using a process called regenerative braking. A computer control module regulates how much power comes from the internal combustion engine, and how much from the electric motor; in the CVT variant, it also finds the optimal gear ratio. The digital displays on the dashboard display fuel consumption instantaneously. On the manual transmission up and down arrows suggest when to shift gears. Dashboard gauges monitor the current battery status, instantaneous fuel consumption, and mode of the electric motor — standby, engine assist or charging the batteries. High pressure, low rolling resistance tires and the use of low viscosity "0W-20" synthetic oil also enhance fuel economy. The original Insight had a conventional manual transmission. Starting with the 2001 model, a CVT variant of the Insight was available; the CVT is similar to that used in the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Honda Logo. A traditional transmission shifts between a fixed set of engine-to-wheel ratios; however, a CVT allows for an infinite set of ratios between its lowest gear and its highest. A feature shared by the two hybrids (and now appearing in others) is the ability to automatically turn off the engine when the vehicle is at a stop (and restart it upon movement). Since it is more powerful than most starters of conventional cars, the Insight's electric motor can start the engine nearly instantaneously. The Integrated Motor Assist is run by an "Intelligent Power Unit (IPU)", a desktop computer-sized box. The Intelligent Power Unit, the Power control Unit, the Electronic Control Unit, the vehicle's batteries, converter and a high-voltage inverter are all located under the cargo floor of the vehicle, behind the seats. One key in increasing the vehicle's fuel efficiency was reducing the mass via the extensive use of aluminum and plastic. Both the body and the frame are lightened over conventional vehicles by the use of aluminum. Honda achieved a body weight less than half that of the contemporary Civic 3-door, but simultaneously increased torsional rigidity by 38% and bending rigidity by 13%. Honda built the Insight with aluminum front brake calipers and rear brake drums, and with a largely aluminum suspension, in addition to standard aluminum wheels; all these reduced the ratio of un-sprung to sprung weight as well as the total weight. (This may have been needed to compensate for the bouncy ride of the high pressure low friction tires.) The fuel tank is plastic; the engine mounts were aluminum; and the exhaust is a small, thin wall pipe. Even the compact spare is aluminum. The Insight weighed 1,847 lb (838 kg) in manual transmission form or 1,964 lb (891 kg) with CVT and air conditioning. To maximize fuel efficiency and give good high speed performance with its small engine, the Insight is very aerodynamic. It has a coefficient of drag of 0.25, one of the lowest of any marketed automobile. Because it has no rear seat, the body can start tapering narrower and lower just behind the driver's head, approximating the classic tear drop more closely than is possible in a four passenger car. The rear fenders limit the taper of the lower part, but the rear track is narrower than the front track. The CVT-equipped Insight is classified as a super-low emissions vehicle.The Insight features low emissions: the California Air Resources Board gave the 5-speed model a ULEV rating, and the CVT model earned a SULEV rating – the 5-speed model's lean-burn ability traded increased efficiency for slightly higher NOx emissions. Manufacturing The Insight was assembled at the Honda factory in Suzuka, Japan,where the Honda NSX and the Honda S2000 were also assembled. The Insight and the NSX are aluminum-bodied, while the S2000 employs a steel body. At the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda introduced the concept car Honda IMAS, an extremely fuel-efficient and lightweight hybrid car made of aluminum and carbon fiber, which was perceived by most observers to be the future direction where the Insight is heading. With its aluminum body and frame, the Insight was an expensive car to produce and was never designed for high-volume sales. Instead it was designed to be a real world test car for hybrid technology and a gauge to new consumer driving habits. With an aerodynamic fuel-saving shape similar to Audi A2, and some unconventional body colors it was a bit more than mainstream car buyers could handle, preferring more conservative styles. Production halted announced in May 2006, with plans announced to replace Insight with a new hybrid car, smaller than the eighth generation Civic, but not earlier than in 2009. Ahead of this announcement, Honda stopped selling Insight in the UK, for example, as early as December 2005. To fill the market niche void, in 2002 Honda rolled out a hybrid version of the Honda Civic – Honda Civic Hybrid, followed by Toyota's relaunch of the Prius in 2003. Sales Total global sales for the first generation Insight were 17,020 units. Honda had originally planned to sell 6,500 Insights each year of production.US market The Insight was the first mass-produced hybrid automobile sold in the United States, achieving 70 miles per US gallon (3.4 L/100 km; 84 mpg-imp) per its then current United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highway rating.Insight was introduced in US at a base price of just US$18,880.Other hybrids soon followed, with the Toyota Prius arriving in June 2000. Fuel efficiency The car was the most fuel efficient car available in the U.S. for the length of its production run and is still the leader of any current mass market car. The Insight earned an EPA fuel economy estimate of 70 miles per US gallon (3.4 L/100 km; 84 mpg-imp) in highway driving, 61 mpg-US (3.9 L/100 km; 73 mpg-imp) city. With air conditioning it was 66 mpg-US (3.6 L/100 km; 79 mpg-imp)/60 mpg-US (3.9 L/100 km; 72 mpg-imp). With a CVT it was 57 mpg-US (4.1 L/100 km; 68 mpg-imp)/56 mpg-US (4.2 L/100 km; 67 mpg-imp). Insight aficionados who are "hypermilers" compete to eke out as many miles as possible from a tank, with some achieving considerably more than the EPA estimates. Upon the Insight's release, Honda challenged several automotive magazines to a competition to see who could obtain the best fuel efficiency on the 195-mile (314 km) drive from Columbus, Ohio to Detroit. The contest was won by Car and Driver magazine, which rigged a box behind a Ford Excursion, and had the Insight drive within the confines of the box. With much less wind resistance, the Insight made the trip with a fuel consumption of 121.7 miles per US gallon (1.933 L/100 km; 146.2 mpg-imp), while averaging 58 miles per hour (93 km/h). A two-year test of an Insight with air conditioning, driven 40,000 miles (64,000 km), averaged 48 miles per US gallon (4.9 L/100 km; 58 mpg-imp). The New York Times noted that "[if] you drive the car badly, you will get bad mileage." In the EU fuel economy tests, the Insight achieved a combined efficiency figure 69.2 mpg-US (3.40 L/100 km; 83.1 mpg-imp) with an Extra-Urban figure of 78.4 mpg-US (3.00 L/100 km; 94.2 mpg-imp) and Urban figure of 57.4 mpg-US (4.10 L/100 km; 68.9 mpg-imp).) This remains unbeaten in the UK market for a petrol car, and has only recently been eclipsed by the Smart ForTwo cdi. However the original Smart diesel matched the combined figure when release in Europe in 2000. The Insight has an official CO2 emissions figure of 80 g/km which is still the lowest of any UK market car. It was also the only car to fall into the VED band A (up to 100g/km CO2), introduced in 2005, until 2008 when other manufacturers started developing cars to benefit from the tax free status. Usage incentives Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 in the United States, the Honda Insight was eligible for a US$1,450 tax credit. Cars registered in the UK after 2001 qualified for free road tax because of their low CO2 emissions (2000 registered cars would be taxed on the lower rate of the old system based on engine size). As a Hybrid the Insight also qualifies for an exemption from the London Congestion Charge.Replacement battery pack As of June 2008 in the U.S., according to Honda, there are fewer than 200 battery failures beyond warranty coverage out of more than 100,000 hybrids sold. As of October 2009, as part of a class-action suit settlement, Honda had extended the warranty of these batteries on cars with up to 157,000 miles (253,000 km) of use, or 10 years, for cars registered in certain warm states only.As of 1 June 2008, the replacement battery costs US$1,968 and installation is around US$900. As of 2008, independent mechanics have been known to replace Insight batteries with either Prius sub-packs or Civic Hybrid subpacks. A US$300 used NiMH battery from another more mass produced HEV can be used to build a replacement Insight battery pack. Other independent mechanics have been reconditioning their old Insight battery packs to correct wear and tear issues. Reconditioning allows correction of some issues at lower cost than rebuilding a replacement pack from other used packs.