Hi... I love my new Fit except that I'm afraid to drive it. Sometimes, although I've learned to be gentle with the acceleration, it still accelerates in an unsafe manner.

Latest incident: yesterday, pulling out of a space in a parking lot where the car had been parked for about a half hour, after having been driven for about an hour (one previous stop.)

When I got out of the space and moved into the lane to exit the parking lot, the car was moving very slowly, so I gave it a *little* more gas. No result. Gave it a little more gas--still no effect.

Then I knew I was in for it and had better hang on tight. Sure enough, in somewhere around 6 more seconds, the engine roared and the car jumped forward. (The time varies, and I'm usually more trying to figure out what's going to happen and how I'll handle it to count seconds.)

This happens in parking lots, when making left turns, and at red lights when the light turns green and I start to go forward.

It happens maybe once per hour of driving. So naturally the people at the place I bought it, when I asked them to see if there was something wrong, and they drove it for 10 minutes, said there was nothing wrong (it just had a very sensitive accelerator that I had to get used to. I've put about 700 miles on it now.)

I'm afraid to drive it because a couple of times it's lurched so hard that I was afraid I'd hit the car in front of me. When it's moving so slowly before the leap, I'm afraid of being hit by a car coming up from behind when a light turns green, because they expect my car to be actually moving at more than walking speed. And I try not to make left turns any more without a green arrow to help me avoid a sideswipe if it decides to go into walking speed at the worst moment.

Is this normal? Do you think it can be fixed? Or am I going to have to trade it in on another brand of small car? Most of the time the car works great and I really like it.

 

I have never heard of any Fit having that sort of throttle lag. If anything I thought Honda improved ever so slightly the throttle input on the latest model, but maybe that was just on the MMC GE here in Japan. Pick up a throttle controller, quick and easy install and not at all expensive. Set it to max level on SP setting and report back how the throttle is behaving. Even if you didn't mention this issue I would suggest a throttle controller.

 

IS it an auto?

 

This isn't normal. An intermittent problem is difficult to isolate and fix, but your description is clear. If your local service manager is unable to help contact Honda customer care.

 

Yeah, based on your description, this is not normal at all, and needs immediate attention. Sounds hard to diagnose at the dealership. They, and Honda should be taking the complaint seriously though. We know what happens to major auto corporations when accelerator issues happen.

Honda Customer Service: 1-800-999-1009

 

It's automatic. Also a base model.

 

Sounds like the DBW sensor or something in the system is going haywire. I don't think its a throttle sensitivity thing like Chris does, but that's just based off of the description. If you can make the vehicle do it have a service advisor or tech ride with you and show them exactly what it does.

This is an issue and a very big one that should be taken care of by your dealer or Honda Customer Care.

 

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I agree. It definitely sounds like you have to escalate this issue.

 

Yea that does not sound safe at all, something is definitely wrong and it needs to be corrected immediately.

 

Thanks bunches. This is a stressful situation and ideas and encouragement are good to get.

 

No. I believe by reading this persons post, they may not have a full grasp on how a modern day accelerator pedal works. Its touchy and crisp. I dont think there is anything wrong with this car. especially since the dealer drove it and didn't notice it. When things fail there are error codes, the problem persists. It doesn't magically heal itself.

 

This is definitely not normal. It's probably a sensor, maybe throttle position or knock sensor. If the latter goes bad, the engine will adjust the timing, causing the type of thing you described.
You have to make the dealer understand you're not there because you have nothing better to do, and they have to figure it out.

 

I have to disagree. From the OP's description, the engine is not reacting to increased pressure on the pedal. That is not normal.

It could be that the electronic pedal is failing. In that case, there would be no error code, because the ECU would have no way of knowing that something is wrong. Especially being intermittent.

Have it looked at again. Try a different dealer.

 

Have the dealer to a Idle relearn and see what happens. I bet the throttle position sensor is not calibrated right. I am surprised that the dealer did not do that but then again they probably did not prep the car right. They messed up mine and had 2 prep sessions on my Fit.

 

I finally took the Fit to the dealer and the nice sales manager talked to me a few minutes, and may have figured out the problem. It seems it was something I was doing.

So far (about 20 miles) there has been no problem since.

I'm embarrassed that it was probably my error. However, if anyone correctly guesses what it was, I'll admit it.

Or maybe later I'll post it anyway, in case someone else comes on this board with the same problem.

Most of all, I'm happyhappyhappy that maybe this problem won't happen again and I can enjoy my car rather than dreading driving it.

 

LOL-ing!
Don't tell me it was something like the floor mat being in the way??

 

your pet hamster playing tricks?

playing with the transmission selector? (you or the hamster)

 

pressing the brake and the gas at the same time or the floor mat being in the way would be my guesses.

 

You have size 37AA feet? J/k!

Glad it all worked out for you!

 

Maybe you were accidentally pulling the automatic shift paddles behind the steering wheel?

Never mind, you have a base model. Crap.