2001 Honda Insight ZE1 - Citrus Yellow
Discussion
Scope creep ahoy!
With the warning lights doused I almost waited patiently for the rear speakers... until I remembered this would be an ideal opportunity to track down any final leaks.
Just a handful of screws and clips secure the handbrake trim, console and main carpet - all swiftly removed for a good clean and demould.
Sure enough, damp in the footwells... this could be historic so I thought best to pull the whole lot out, dry it out and see what happens.
Random FT supplement... and black mould propogator.
I only had to wait a day or two for the first false british summer period to expire and rain sweep in. Behold, leak discovered at the front the doors, under the speaker panel. A cursory scamper through the 80s neon drenched Matrix known as 'insightcentral' revealed this could be as simple as the door membranes needing to be resealed. WIthout them water pools in the door seal and overflows onto the inside.
Next up - some top draw door card action...
With the warning lights doused I almost waited patiently for the rear speakers... until I remembered this would be an ideal opportunity to track down any final leaks.
Just a handful of screws and clips secure the handbrake trim, console and main carpet - all swiftly removed for a good clean and demould.
Sure enough, damp in the footwells... this could be historic so I thought best to pull the whole lot out, dry it out and see what happens.
Random FT supplement... and black mould propogator.
I only had to wait a day or two for the first false british summer period to expire and rain sweep in. Behold, leak discovered at the front the doors, under the speaker panel. A cursory scamper through the 80s neon drenched Matrix known as 'insightcentral' revealed this could be as simple as the door membranes needing to be resealed. WIthout them water pools in the door seal and overflows onto the inside.
Next up - some top draw door card action...
Edited by Spinakerr on Sunday 26th May 10:00
Door cards on the Insight match the rest of the construction philosophy - simple, small number of fittings, well designed.
The wing mirror reverse trim pops off, one scren in the pull handle and two in the grab handle.
Two more behind the speaker grille, and the card then pops and lifts off, thankfully the door handle mechanism and lever can be left in place. I'm glad I modified those speaker terminals rather than soldering them on - neatly unclipped!
Membrane is in place, but the evidence of leakage is clear.
Driver's side had perhaps been looked at by a previous owner. While the gaffer tape looks bad, there is a decent black silicone bead underneath.
I dusted off the tube of OB1 I had used to seal the roof, and the nice lady at screwfix gave me a few spare nozzles when I pleaded my case (and they were out of stock for a multipack), so both membranes were carefully resealed.
That may be the end of it... we'll see. I'm sure somethign else will now develop.
While I had the sealant gun in hand I also slathered the boot electric seal, which can be another cause of water ingress.
Next up - after some failed attempts, the Pioneer two ways arrived with suitable innocuous and inoffensive grille design. Why do so many speakers look like the torture implements laid out for Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies?
Some gentle modification to the aluminium panel, some new holes drilled and test fit looks good. Once the carpet is freshly cleaned I can make the incision and ensure they sit flush.
As they are Pioneer to match the front (and the head unit) I know I can modify the terminals to remain clippable.
Finally - carpet cleaning and 'refitting is the reversal of removal' Haynes-style aggrevated completion.
The wing mirror reverse trim pops off, one scren in the pull handle and two in the grab handle.
Two more behind the speaker grille, and the card then pops and lifts off, thankfully the door handle mechanism and lever can be left in place. I'm glad I modified those speaker terminals rather than soldering them on - neatly unclipped!
Membrane is in place, but the evidence of leakage is clear.
Driver's side had perhaps been looked at by a previous owner. While the gaffer tape looks bad, there is a decent black silicone bead underneath.
I dusted off the tube of OB1 I had used to seal the roof, and the nice lady at screwfix gave me a few spare nozzles when I pleaded my case (and they were out of stock for a multipack), so both membranes were carefully resealed.
That may be the end of it... we'll see. I'm sure somethign else will now develop.
While I had the sealant gun in hand I also slathered the boot electric seal, which can be another cause of water ingress.
Next up - after some failed attempts, the Pioneer two ways arrived with suitable innocuous and inoffensive grille design. Why do so many speakers look like the torture implements laid out for Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies?
Some gentle modification to the aluminium panel, some new holes drilled and test fit looks good. Once the carpet is freshly cleaned I can make the incision and ensure they sit flush.
As they are Pioneer to match the front (and the head unit) I know I can modify the terminals to remain clippable.
Finally - carpet cleaning and 'refitting is the reversal of removal' Haynes-style aggrevated completion.
Spinakerr said:
Membrane is in place, but the evidence of leakage is clear.
Driver's side had perhaps been looked at by a previous owner. While the gaffer tape looks bad, there is a decent black silicone bead underneath.
I dusted off the tube of OB1 I had used to seal the roof, and the nice lady at screwfix gave me a few spare nozzles when I pleaded my case (and they were out of stock for a multipack), so both membranes were carefully resealed.
That may be the end of it... we'll see. I'm sure somethign else will now develop.
To get water to the level of that speaker hole is a lot of damn water - do the bottom of the doors not have drain slots/holes?Driver's side had perhaps been looked at by a previous owner. While the gaffer tape looks bad, there is a decent black silicone bead underneath.
I dusted off the tube of OB1 I had used to seal the roof, and the nice lady at screwfix gave me a few spare nozzles when I pleaded my case (and they were out of stock for a multipack), so both membranes were carefully resealed.
That may be the end of it... we'll see. I'm sure somethign else will now develop.
It is a decent design for the door - the drain holes are neat and arranged correctly, but any rain entering from the weatherstrip and glass angle would hit the mebrane and then leak in before it gets to the drains. Hopefully this little round has lessened it!
No date on the FT, it was so encrusted with black mould I didnt study it directly. The previous owbet did say he helped the owner before him take some of the interior out.
More hiae testing and interior refitting to follow over the bank holiday I hope!
No date on the FT, it was so encrusted with black mould I didnt study it directly. The previous owbet did say he helped the owner before him take some of the interior out.
More hiae testing and interior refitting to follow over the bank holiday I hope!
With life duties and minor emergencies taking up weekends, I just couldn't get to the Insight before the MOT expired mid June.
This weekend the car needed to be moved (it will become apparent why...) so I brewed a good coffee, rolled it out the garage and assesed the situation.
This lot:
Needed to go in here:
I spent a good while with brushes and disinfectant gettign rid of all mould traces - not fun.
I even removed the ingrained FT supplement:
Door cards went on easily - that was fresh in my mind! The rest of it... well let's just say photos are your friend when you have 50 clips in a box.
I tried out my new purchase - the Vax spot cleaner - on all carpet and fabric items. We may - MAY - have purged the damp smell.
Rear speakers then! Honda supplied the wiring in a neat clip, and as with the front speakers it was a fund puzzle to extricate the terminals, lightly bend them to fit on normal Pioneer speakers and check operation.
Thank you, insight central!
The rest of the interior went back in without fuss - it is actually relatively simple, as you might suggest, and luckily no sacrificial clips to replace.
On to the tricky bit - cutting the holes for the new speakers:
I subscribe to the adage 'measure 413 times, cut once' and it went to plan. Main irritation was the fluffy sound deadening/insulation snagging all of the T-1000 arsenal ("Knives, and stabbing weapons").
The cut may look ragged but it tucked nicely into the grilles, which I selected for their subdued appearance.
I then drilled some new pilot holes into the aluminium and found 8 suitable screws to get through the carpet and hamster bedding.
Happy with that!
With everything cleaned, installed, treated and tested it was time for the MOT! Just one problem...
This weekend the car needed to be moved (it will become apparent why...) so I brewed a good coffee, rolled it out the garage and assesed the situation.
This lot:
Needed to go in here:
I spent a good while with brushes and disinfectant gettign rid of all mould traces - not fun.
I even removed the ingrained FT supplement:
Door cards went on easily - that was fresh in my mind! The rest of it... well let's just say photos are your friend when you have 50 clips in a box.
I tried out my new purchase - the Vax spot cleaner - on all carpet and fabric items. We may - MAY - have purged the damp smell.
Rear speakers then! Honda supplied the wiring in a neat clip, and as with the front speakers it was a fund puzzle to extricate the terminals, lightly bend them to fit on normal Pioneer speakers and check operation.
Thank you, insight central!
The rest of the interior went back in without fuss - it is actually relatively simple, as you might suggest, and luckily no sacrificial clips to replace.
On to the tricky bit - cutting the holes for the new speakers:
I subscribe to the adage 'measure 413 times, cut once' and it went to plan. Main irritation was the fluffy sound deadening/insulation snagging all of the T-1000 arsenal ("Knives, and stabbing weapons").
The cut may look ragged but it tucked nicely into the grilles, which I selected for their subdued appearance.
I then drilled some new pilot holes into the aluminium and found 8 suitable screws to get through the carpet and hamster bedding.
Happy with that!
With everything cleaned, installed, treated and tested it was time for the MOT! Just one problem...
Last Saturday the movement of various driveway obstructions and my obsession with getting things fitted properly meant I just missed the drop-in MOT place.
However, the 'test drive' went all to plan, bar a horn that sounded like a dying fly trapped in a windowsill.
I therefore decided to make the most of the early evening, excavating another Honda 110DB horn to fit. Two little issues - the original is buried far down the front of the radiator, the bracket absolutely seized with rust...
...secondly, the original has an earth, the replacement is 'single wire'. This I believe is due to the aluminium spacebody of the Insight, but could just be Honda variance.
Quick 5 minute job, right? Not if you are me. I spent a good while assembling spanners and prods to dislodge the original horn. Not luck.
I then spent a good while failing to solder the old wires onto the new connector - my iron finally quit, clearly it had been on its way out!
Replacement fired up, I also faffed about making an earthing point on the back of the new horn.
Finally, I spent even more of the (now evening) designing and assembling a new bracket from exising bracket that would attach to spare bolt hole in the slam panel.
I am, however, happy with the end result. I will trim the old horn into obscurity if I ever take the bumper off and air con radiator out. Hopefully I'll never have to do that, ha!
Cue air con dying... today.
Still! I don't need air con for an MOT.
Passed! Phew!
However, the 'test drive' went all to plan, bar a horn that sounded like a dying fly trapped in a windowsill.
I therefore decided to make the most of the early evening, excavating another Honda 110DB horn to fit. Two little issues - the original is buried far down the front of the radiator, the bracket absolutely seized with rust...
...secondly, the original has an earth, the replacement is 'single wire'. This I believe is due to the aluminium spacebody of the Insight, but could just be Honda variance.
Quick 5 minute job, right? Not if you are me. I spent a good while assembling spanners and prods to dislodge the original horn. Not luck.
I then spent a good while failing to solder the old wires onto the new connector - my iron finally quit, clearly it had been on its way out!
Replacement fired up, I also faffed about making an earthing point on the back of the new horn.
Finally, I spent even more of the (now evening) designing and assembling a new bracket from exising bracket that would attach to spare bolt hole in the slam panel.
I am, however, happy with the end result. I will trim the old horn into obscurity if I ever take the bumper off and air con radiator out. Hopefully I'll never have to do that, ha!
Cue air con dying... today.
Still! I don't need air con for an MOT.
Passed! Phew!
Thanks all - yep it has done 350 miles since the MOT so straight back on it!
The MG was main driver for a few weeks, as the GTV cooling fan gave up ( see the thread ), which more than tripled the fuel bills. A pretty big incentive to get them road worthy!
I have the two radiators, fresh in from RockAuto, so now its just a question of finding a day to take it all to pieces and figure it out.
I took a look at the rear shock misting, its really not too bad and I will put that back a few months, research parts and take my time as no driveway at present!
The MG was main driver for a few weeks, as the GTV cooling fan gave up ( see the thread ), which more than tripled the fuel bills. A pretty big incentive to get them road worthy!
I have the two radiators, fresh in from RockAuto, so now its just a question of finding a day to take it all to pieces and figure it out.
I took a look at the rear shock misting, its really not too bad and I will put that back a few months, research parts and take my time as no driveway at present!
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