after almost 3 months of waiting, my new insight 5 speed has arrived. i'm still on my first tank of gas, so i am still learning how to get the best mileage possible.

by the way, i am impressed even with the mileage i'm getting in the break in period. after 150 miles (the needle on the gas gague finally moved one notch :-), i am getting 56 mpg and it's still climbing.

i do have some questions about the climate control. unfortunately, i had to take a model with AC, because that is what the dealer had on order. i can't figure out the controls. i've read the manual, but it's just not clear to me.

the manual says that if the AC is on, the autostop shuts off. however, when i turn even the heat on, the autostop shuts off. if i press the econ button, i get 2 modes, econ AC on and econ AC off. do i need to use econ mode even with the heater in order to keep the autostop on? does the heater lower gas mileage like the AC does?

also, for ventilation without AC, i like to just keep the recirculate off, turn the temp to the coldest, and open the vents or turn on the fan. i'm supposed to be able to do this with my car, but i haven't figured out how to do it without shutting off the autostop.

does anyone else have an insight 5 speed with AC? can you enlighten me as to how to control the heat without killing the mileage and autostop?

thanks in advance

traceyp

 

First of all, avoid the large AUTO button - it allows the A/C to disable autostop.

The defrost activates the A/C to dry the air, so you might want to stop the fans just before stopping to allow autostop to work.

Looking at the temperature display just above the radio, the button on the right toggles to "A/C Econ", "off", and "A/C always on" (this is not what is say - it's what it does). I play it safe and just toggle to fan only.

 

Congrats on your purchase. I had to wait 6 months, i feel your pain!
You want it on ECON whenever you use the AC or heat, this way you will engage the idle stop. Obviously if you live in a desert there may be times you need the AC all the time.

I have a CVT so i can't help you much more.

 

Congrats Tracey. I too am a newcomer to the Insight, having great luck in locating a 2006 manual a/c like yours only a month ago. Mine is blue and I'm averaging 73 to 75 mpg on a 53 mile round trip to work everyday - about 2/3rds highway, but with some traffic on either end of the trip. I keep the a/c on econ or econ a/c all the time and autostop always works, unless of course I have the defroster on. I have read many posts with exotic shift patterns and use of battery power by flooring the accelerator, but am getting the best mileage by using the shift indicators in the dash, although I often get into 5th a bit earlier. Wait until winter, you'll love the heater that comes on right away. It comes on right out of my driveway, I guess because it uses electricity instead of water for heat, which again should not deplete your mpg. Just keep auto and defroster turned off whenever you can. I also love the power steering, even when hardly moving, again my guess is due to electric power instead of a belt turned by a gas engine. I guess we've got the last of the classic hybrid as I have heard that Honda is stopping production of the Insight in September. Have fun with your great car!

 

Chuck said it all.

Welcome to the exclusive little club with so few people. Oddly enough, I see about 4 different Insights everyday not including mine. 3 Silvers & 1 red (sometimes 2). Ocassionally I see "the other" green one that runs around these parts, very seldom though. He's heard of me and I've heard of him through different people but our paths have never crossed when one actually noticed the other and detoured to speak to the other.

Keep it up, the mileage gets better. One secret that I do is before each commute to work I reset "Trip A". That normally helps me keep my mileage up about 5 MPG higher than when I don't do it before each trip to work. Remember you have FOUR MPG meters (FCD) on your car. Regular FCD, Trip A, Trip B and Lifetime.

 

that was another question i had that was not clear from the manual.

i get the Trip A and Trip B and Lifetime indicators, but the FCD is confusing to me. what *is* the FCD (other than "Fuel Consumption Display" :-) how is it different from the other trip counters?

how are people using their trip counters?

i plan on using one of them to keep track of mpg per tank, resetting every time i fill up.

the other, i plan on using for normal trip purposes (like tracking mileage on a particular stretch of highway, on my commute, etc).

the lifetime will become less and less important i think.

but that still leaves me asking what the FCD is...?

 

FCD is instantaneous. Trip A/B/Lifetime are running averages.

 

oh. so, the FCD is the bar at the bottom of the display that tells you what you're getting at that moment? it's not another sort of trip odometer.

got it.

tracey

 

While I have only had my Insight for a month, my understanding is as follows.
1. The instantaneous mpg is provided via the bar graph that is at the bottom of the dash display.
2. FCD is available with the push of the FCD button to the far left of the dashboard. This really just provides another means of tracking miles and mpg for a segment the driver chooses. Pressing FCD again returns the display to the last normal use. Lifetime mpg/Odometer, Trip A or Trip B. FCD can be reset at any time by holding the FCD button down until it resets.
3. While not in FCD display, you can move between Lifetime/Odo, Trip A and Trip B with the Trip button on the right side of the display. Trip A and Trip B can be reset by displaying the desired trip setting and holding down the trip button. Lifetime/Odo are usually not reset (Odometer cannot be reset for obvious reasons, although the Lifetime setting can be reset with a procedure outlined in the owners manual)

The way I use these setting is as follows: Lifetime/Odo I leave alone, FCD is reset with each fillup so I can track the overall mpg and miles between fillups. I reset trip A and trip B whenever I leave for a trip, and reset trip B when starting my return trip. That way I can easily determine the miles/mpg on my trip out (trip A upon arrival), my return trip (trip B when I get back) and my overall trip (trip A when I get back).

I hope this helps explain the guages. Obviously you may decide to use them in a different way based on your needs. John

 

Tracy;
Take your time. You haven't had the car that long and as you're now learning these Insights are NOT like regular cars. I've had the "Silver Bullet" since mid-March or so and each and every day is a learning experience with it and I know I'm not the only Insight owner who will tell you this.

As for the AC, it's my understanding that the Insights now come "standard" with AC.

As for the heater lowering gas milage, it's my understanding that it does NOT but if you use the AC - DO - use the "Econ" mode.

And for what it may be worth, if you're not already doing it, have a look at www.insightCentral.net. For all practical purposes it's all about the Insight.

By the way, best of luck with the car!

Hope this helped.

Fred :-)