Maintenance Events
This table records regular maintenance events.
Date Maintenance Event
May 20, 2000 Oil change at 3,454 miles by Roush Honda. When I got home, I checked the engine and found it clean, although the aluminum panel under the engine held a few tablespoons of old oil in the grooves. It appears the technician was limber enough to remove the filter with the panel on and could not see the spillage. No harm done. I "Gunked" the engine and underpanels and rinsed everything clean. Good for another 3,750 miles.
August 6, 2000 Changed the oil myself at 7,655 miles. It was not difficult. You do have to remove aero panels under the engine (easy). The oil pan is even marked to make sure you remove the correct plug. The heavy drain plug shines like chrome. I used 2.6 quarts and changed the filter. The filter only gets changed on every other interval (that's eco-friendly). I wonder if the next change will only take 2.4 quarts (the filter holds some oil). If so, I'll only need two new quarts and the left over from this job.

I did note that the filter gasket compresses as it is tightened to such a degree that you can only get about 1/2 turn on it after first contact. The filter markings call for 3/4, but the shell touches the filter mount before you get there. 1/2 is within normal filter tightening range
February 10, 2001 Changed the oil and filter myself at 15,144 miles. I need not have changed the filter at this interval. I was not paying attention to my maintenance history. Certainly no harm done, so I'll skip next time.
February 11, 2001 Rotated tires this morning (front to back, no side swapping) at 15,155 miles. There was noticeable wear difference between the front and back tires. Wear was even on each tire. I used a torque wrench to tighten the lug bolts. I think this is particularly important with the Insight's aluminum wheel hub parts.
July 29, 2001 Changed the oil myself at 22,400 miles. I did not change the filter at this interval. Normal service requires a filter only every other change. The hood latch was looking grubby, so I cleaned it off with Gunk and water and lubricated with lithium grease.
December 22, 2001 Changed the oil and filter myself at 29,455 miles.
January 26, 2002 Rotated tires (front to back, no side swapping) at 30,400 miles. I used a torque wrench to tighten the lug bolts to 80 ft/lbs. I think this is particularly important with the Insight's aluminum wheel hub parts.
July 13, 2002 Changed the oil myself at 37,069 miles. I did not change the filter at this interval. Normal service requires a filter only every other change.
February 22, 2003 Changed the oil and filter myself at 44,767 miles.
May 4, 2003 Rotated tires (front to back, no side swapping) at 47,740 miles. I used a torque wrench to tighten the lug bolts to 80 ft/lbs. I think this is particularly important with the Insight's aluminum wheel hub parts.
September 16, 2003 Changed the oil myself at 52,300 miles. I did not change the filter at this interval. Normal service requires a filter only every other change. Changed the engine air cleaner.
May 8, 2004 Changed the oil and filter myself at 59,360 miles.
July 18, 2004 Rotated tires (front to back, no side swapping) at 61,312 miles. I used a torque wrench to tighten the lug bolts to 80 ft/lbs. I think this is particularly important with the Insight's aluminum wheel hub parts. This is probably the last rotation for these tires.
September 18, 2004 I replaced the original tires with new Brookstone Potenza RE92 tires at 62,500 miles. These are the same as the original equipment. We had some heavy rain today and the shallow tread remaining was clearly not doing the job. Safety first.
December 30, 2004 Changed the oil myself at 66,367 miles. I did not read my records before I started, so I changed the oil filter unnecessarily (I hate it when I do that!). Normal service requires a filter only every other change. This will probably be my last genuine Honda oil fill. Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-20 is now available for less money at several shops around town and my original oil supply is now depleted. I ordered a new supply of drain plug gaskets and filters from Majestic Honda for the next 50,000 or so miles. The screws that hold the panels on under the engine are getting hard to remove. I'll replace them at the next oil change. I lubed them with lithium grease this time.
August 2, 2005 The 12 volt battery died yesterday. I drove to work normally and parked. When I hopped in to go home, the car would not start and the instruments dimmed and became largely inoperative after the normal key-on light show. A friend gave me a hand push, and the car started easily (manual transmission). The 13 mile drive home was rough and the only instrument that seemed to work was the speedometer. Assist was dead. A check at several auto parts stores indicated that the battery was a dealer only item. While they had batteries that would work, they were longer and heavier.

So, off to Honda I went. Sure enough, the parts book showed the original small, light battery. However, when the parts gent brought it out, it was a longer, heavier unit (Civic-sized) just like the discount auto parts stores had. I confirmed that the part number was correct. So, Honda has switched the lighter battery out for a cheaper high-volume unit that wipes out a good bit of the fine engineering they did with the aluminum suspension and brake parts.

This is the first shady practice I've seen from Honda since I got my Insight. I wonder what the additional 25 pounds or so would do to DOT fuel efficiency ratings? Shame on you Honda. I went to NAPA and bought their battery for $20 less than Honda's. I'm annoyed and will try to find a smaller unit that will meet the car's original design spec. Perhaps at a Suzuki motorcycle store?
August 7, 2005 I changed the front brake pads today at 72,308 miles. It was quite easy. I bought the pads at NAPA for about $17. They were special order, but fit just fine. READ THIS POST COMPLETELY!

I followed the car manual instructions, but some things remained a bit of a mystery. Be sure to observe exactly how the clips at the end of the brake pads are installed before you take them off the caliper. Also, the shim on the outboard pad is a bit of a brain teaser, but it goes on and off easily if you just use your noggen and have patience. The key is to keep the middle of the shim flat so you can scoot it a bit to one end or the other to get it over one of the larger clips. Then it comes off easily.

I used a large "C" clamp to GENTLY compress the inboard pistons to almost flush with the bore shoulder to make it easier to install the thicker new pads. No hammers or pry-bars were required.

This is a dirty job. Get a can of brake cleaner. Cover the work area floor with cardboard. Spray off all the parts and calipers and clean with a brush. I used a wire brush and a bristle brush. The cleaner works really well. You might want some thin mechanic's gloves to keep the very-hard-to-remove dust off your hands.

August 11, 2005 update. The brake pads did not seem to want to release fully for a few days. Gas mileage dropped to the mid 50s and the car did not seem to roll as freely as Insights do (like on ice skates). The front wheels were uncomfortably hot after my commute drive. I did an inspection on August 9th and bled the front cylinders just to be sure, but everything looked textbook. Today gas mileage was coming back up nicely and the wheels were just warm as I drove into my parking spot at work. I don't understand the physics, but it appears that things must wear in a bit before normalcy returns.

August 20, 2005 update. The brake pads were still not releasing completely. The car was not as free as it was before installing the NAPA brake pads, and the wheels were still very warm to the touch after a drive. So, I broke down and bought a set of Honda pads at three times the NAPA price. When I opened the box, I could see the difference in quality and construction. The pad material was clearly different. The Honda pads also came with new shims.

I changed the pads again (I'm good at this now!), using care to do the job exactly as specified in the manual. While I had the car up, I checked the rear shoes. They were like new. No reason to touch them. I took the opportunity to rotate the tires as I usually do, and took the car for a spin. The results were immediately obvious. The car coasted freely, stopped smoothly, and came home with cool wheels. There is a lesson here, and that is that Honda parts are going to be required on this vehicle.
October 15, 2005 Changed the oil myself at 74,095 miles. I did not change the oil filter. Normal service requires a filter only every other change. This was my first Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-20 fill.
August 19, 2006 Changed the oil myself at 81,615 miles with Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-20. I also changed the oil filter.
April 16, 2007 The car went to Roush Honda today at 87,000 miles for a change of fluids, coolant, brake, and transmission. I also had the accessory belt changed. I bought a new driver's side floor mat/carpet, and some plastic fasteners to replace some of those holding on exterior trim.
June 25, 2007 Changed the oil myself at 89,092 miles with Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-20. I did not change the oil filter. Normal service requires a filter only every other change. Rotated the tires.
March 26, 2008 Changed the oil and filter myself at 96,742 miles. Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-20 fill.