hello,

so the weird whirring sound that happens on the first start of the day all winter hasnt gone away and the weather has improved significantly. This makes me think it might be time to replace the starter.

But in looking at the service manual, it is recommending I remove the washer fluid reservior, oil dipstick, and intake manifold. While it does look tight, I'm not sure it needs to be removed.

What do the more seasoned fit freakers out there think? I know alot of people have left the forum but I'm hopeful.

Thanks for reading.

 

My '09 base trim Fit does the same thing during colder weather. The sound is a "squawk" noise as the starter is disengaging when you release the key from the Start position. Sounds as if a bearing is dry-seizing, but it will only do it on the first cold start, but once warmed up, not any more until the next cold start. It has no effect on the operation or cranking speed of the starter, except that it's noisy for a moment when it happens.

Until it causes a real problem, I think I'll wait on it, as the cost of these starters is horrible.

 

I would not replace the starter until it actually was failing to start the engine.

That's doubly true if the car is a manual which can be bump/push started pretty easily. Even with an automatic, though, I see no point in replacing parts that are serving their purpose fine.

I did need to replace the starter on one of my cars once, not a Fit. In that case, it was pretty readily accessible—more so than the oil filter, in fact, which happened to be very badly located. The symptoms were very obvious: the starter spun, but the engine didn't, because the overrun clutch on the starter (which allows the engine to turn faster than the starter motor once the engine catches but before the key is released) had worn out and free-wheeled in both directions instead of just one.

 

In my opinion, a noise which should not be there is cause for concern, in this case, I believe that the starter gear is not quite fully retracting from the flywheel when you release the ignition key, thus resulting in a brief grinding noise. I just replaced the starter on my 2009 Honda Fit Sport for this very reason. Fortunately, there was almost no visible wear/damage to the flywheel (at least the section that I could see when I removed the starter). But there could have been a lot of damage, eventually resulting in dead spots on the flywheel. Sure, with a manual transmission you can push start - if you have someone to help or you always manage to park pointing downhill. But I believe that most people would agree that a new starter is a better solution. If you have an automatic transmission, the push-starting is not even an option.

Ignoring problems generally leads to bigger and more expensive problems. Listen to what you car is trying to tell you. Otherwise, you will probably end up stranded somewhere facing a major repair bill.

 

There is a thread on this forum with some useful advice on replacing your starter. I successfully completed a starter replacement on my 2009 Fit Sport yesterday, and I added some recommendations based on my experience. Most mechanics with a decent tool set should be OK. If you need some specialty tool accessories, such as wobble extensions or U-joints for your ratchet, then I suggest Harbor Freight. Their chrome vanadium hand tools - wrenches, ratchets, etc. - have worked well for me and the prices are good. I used to be a Craftsman guy - I grew up with Craftsman like my father - but their quality went into the toilet in the early 2000s.

Note: I do not recommend the power tools at Harbor Freight. I had a paint sprayer fail in less than five minutes. But the hand tools have been solid and they have some good sales. I did break a 1/4" long wobble extension once, but I was putting a lot of torque on it - more than I should have.

 

Harbor Freight is good for those tools that are not critical, but gotta have to complete a job without emptying your wallet.

My Fit hasn't made the starter noise in quite a while, but when it turns colder, occasionally at the first cold start it will squawk once, but still spins strongly and starts right up w/o hesitation.