light HONDA INSIGHT 2001 1.G Repair Manual

CONT INUED
Open the hatch.Determine which bulb, stop/
taillight, back-up light, side marker
light or turn signal is burned out.
Remove the socket f or that bulb
by turning counterclockwise.
Pull the cover back.
Loosen the nut holding the rear
light assembly. Remove the two covers. Remove
the two screws holding the rear
light assembly. Remove the light
assembly.
Push the new bulb straight into
the socket until it bottoms.
Pull the bulb straight out of its
socket.
3.
2. 4.
5. 6. 7.
1.
Lights
Maint enance
Replacing Rear Bulbs
203
CCOOVVEERR

Reinstall the socket into the light
assembly by turning it clockwise
until it locks.
Testthelightstomakesurethe
new bulb is working.
Reinstall the light assembly and
tighten the two screws and nut.
Reinstall the two covers.Push the new bulb straight into
the socket until it bottoms.
Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to
remove the two screws holding
the license plate light lens.
Pull the bulb straight out of its
socket.
Turn on the parking lights and
check that the new bulb is
working.
Reinstall the two screws and
tighten them securely.
3.
2. 4. 5.
1.
8. 9.
11.
10.
Lights
Maint enance Replacing a Rear License Plate Bulb
204

Removethelensbycarefully
prying on the edge of the lens in
the middle with a f ingernail f ile or
a small f lat-tip screwdriver. Do not
pry on the edge of the housing
around the lens.
Remove the bulb by pulling it
straight out of its metal tabs.
Push the new bulb into the metal
tabs. Snap the lens back in place.Removethelensbycarefully
prying on the edge of the lens in
the middle with a f ingernail f ile or
a small f lat-tip screwdriver. Do not
pry on the edge of the housing
around the lens.
1. 2. 3. 1.
Lights
Maint enance
Replacing an Interior L ight Bulb Replacing the Cargo A rea L ight
205
IINNTTEERRIIOORRLLIIGGHHTT

Block the rear wheels.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
If you need to park your car f or an
extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your car back on the road. If
possible, store your car indoors.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the car is being stored indoors).Coverthecarwitha‘‘breathable’’
cover, one made f rom a porous
material such as cotton.
Nonporous materials, such as
plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront and rear wiper
blade arms with a f olded towel or
ragsotheydonottouchthe
windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and hatch seals. Also, apply a body
wax to the painted surf aces that
mate with the door and hatch seals. Drive your car every month f or
about 30 minutes. This will keep
the IMA battery charged and in
good condition.
If you store your car f or 12 months
or longer, have your Honda dealer
perf orm the inspections called f or in
the 24 months/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule (Normal
Conditions) as soon as you take it
out of storage (see page ). The
replacements called f or in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the car has actually
reached that time or mileage.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse (5-
speed manual) or Park (CVT). 169
158
Maint enance
St oring Your Car
206

As you dry the car, inspect it f or
chips and scratches that could allow
corrosion to start. Repair them with
touch-up paint (see page ).When you have washed and rinsed
the whole exterior, dry it with a
chamois or sof t towel. Letting it
air-dry will cause dulling and water
spots.
Check the body f or road tar, tree
sap, etc. Remove these stains with
tar remover or turpentine. Rinse it
of f immediately so it does not
harm the f inish. Remember to re-
wax these areas, even if the rest of
the car does not need waxing.
Wash the car using the water and
detergent solution and a sof t-
bristle brush, sponge, or sof t cloth.
Start at the top and work your way
down. Rinse f requently.
Fill a bucket with cool water. Mix
in a mild detergent, such as
dishwashing liquid or a product
made especially f or car washing.
Rinse the car thoroughly with cool
water to remove loose dirt.
Only use the solvents and cleaners
recommendedinthisOwner’s
Manual.
Wash your car in a shady area, not in
direct sunlight. If the car is parked in
the sun, move it into the shade and
let the exterior cool down bef ore you
start.
Frequent washing helps preserve
your car’s beauty. Dirt and grit can
scratch the paint, while tree sap and
bird droppings can permanently ruin
the f inish.
210
Washing
Exterior Care
Appearance Care
209
Chemical solvents and strong cleaners
can damage the paint, metal, and
plastic on your car.
Although almost all exterior panels on
your Honda are made of hardened
aluminum, they may dent more easily
than steel under some conditions.
Exercise care when leaning on or over
any part of the body.

µ
µ Polishes Polishes and cleaner/
waxes can restore the shine to paint
that has oxidized and lost some of its
shine. They normally contain mild
abrasives and solvents that remove
the top layer of the f inish. You
should use a polish on your Honda if
the f inish does not have its original
shine af ter using a wax.
Always wash and dry the whole car
bef ore waxing it. You should wax
your car, including the metal trim,
whenever water sits on the surf ace
in large patches. It should f orm into
beads or droplets af ter waxing.
Cleaning tar, insects, etc. with
removers also takes off the wax.
Remember to re-wax those areas,
even if the rest of the car does not
need waxing.
You should use a quality liquid or
paste wax. Apply it according to the
instructions on the container. In
general, there are two types of
products:
Waxes A wax coats the finish and
protects it f rom damage by exposure
to sunlight, air pollution, etc. You
should use a wax on your Honda
when it is new.
Clean your Honda’s aluminum alloy
wheels as you do the rest of the
exterior.Washthemwiththesame
solution, and rinse them thoroughly.
The wheels have a protective clear-
coat that keeps the aluminum from
corroding and tarnishing. Using
harsh chemicals, including somecommercial wheel cleaners, or stif f
brushes can damage this clear-coat.
Only use a mild detergent and sof t
brush or sponge to clean the wheels.
Inspect your car f requently f or chips
or scratches in the paint. Repair
them right away to prevent corrosion
of the metal underneath. Use the
touch-up paint only on small chips
and scratches. More extensive paint
damage should be repaired by a
prof essional.
Your dealer has touch-up paint to
match your car’s color. The color
code is printed on a sticker on the
driver’s doorjamb. Take this code to
your dealer so you are sure to get
the correct color.
Waxing
A luminum WheelsPaint T ouch-up
Exterior Care
Appearance Care
210

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Remove the storage box from the
cargo area well.
Take the tool kit f rom the spare
tire well. Remove the jack (in the
jack cover) f rom the inside of the
spare tire.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
Park the car on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traf f ic. Put the transmission in
Reverse (5-speed manual) or Park
(CVT). Apply the parking brake.
Open the hatch. Raise the cargo
area f loor by lif ting up on the back
edge.
Turn on the hazard warning lights
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car while
you change the tire.
2. 3.
1.
4. 5. 6.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed217
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JJAACCKK
FFLLOOOORRBBOOAARRDDTTOOOOLLKKIITT
SSTTOORRAAGGEEBBOOXX
The car can easily roll off the
jack, seriously injuring anyoneunderneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack.

Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page ).
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See
on page .)
Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .68
224 237
185 224
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 223

Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc.
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank. Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
If your car’s battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
To jump start your car, f ollow these
directions closely:
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page . Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
1. 2.
135
233 239 185
T he Starter Operates Normally Jump Starting
Starting the
Engine
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
224 A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyonenearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
Letthecarsitforaminute.Open
the hood and check the oil level
(see page ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during
cornering and other driving
maneuvers. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (See
on page .)
The engine running generates the
oil pressure.
When the auto idle stop is
activated, the engine is stopped.
But the low oil pressure indicator
does not light.
1. 2. 3. 4.
124 167 239
Emergency
Towing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
228
LLOOWWOOIILLPPRREESSSSUURREEIINNDDIICCAATTOORR
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the car stopped.