Honda Insight: Lightweight Rear Brake Drums and IMA Brake Pedal Switch

• The older Insight has a two- piece rear drum design with aluminum fins. The design borrows from the retro 1950 Buick drums that had cast iron spun into an aluminum body. This design has significantly reduced weight over a cast iron drum. The use of aluminum fins on the outside is to assist with cooling. Machining this drum can be tough, and all attempts should be made to remove as little material as possible to keep it within the 181 mm service limit. Always inspect for cracks in the friction surface of the drum.
• As for the IMA, this system uses inputs from the brake pedal position switch and, on later models, an accelerometer to distinguish how much regenerative braking should be used. A properly adjusted brake pedal position switch can make a big difference in the operation of the regenerative braking. If a customer complains that the regenerative brakes are grabby, readjusting the brake pedal position switch might resolve this problem. Also, if the pedal is not properly adjusted, the engine idle shut off will not work as it is supposed to.

Honda Civic: Cold Start, High Altitude and Hard Pedal
On some 2006-‘07 Civics, a cold start in high altitudes may produce a hard brake pedal. This is due to a fast idle and low engine vacuum. The solution according to Honda is to replace the master cylinder rod seal and reprogram the engine module’s software so more vacuum is produced during high idle conditions.

All Honda Models: Quick Booster Test and Darco Fasteners

• On the Pilot, or any Honda, if only one of the slider pins is seized, or the pads are flexing in the bracket, the boost-assist- ed hydraulic system will have no problem forcing things to move. A quick check for this problem is similar to the boost- er test: With the engine off, stroke the brake pedal to dump the vacuum. If the pedal feels good without boost, but you’re able to get excessive stroke with boost, suspect excessive movement somewhere.
• As for the Darco Fasteners, some Hondas use Darco-coated fasteners, which some caliper pins and bracket bolts use to prevent corrosion. Make sure you replace with similar fasteners that are coated or plated when installing new hardware.