New to the forum, just looking for some help, quick!

I have a 2012 auto base with about 37k. Early on, the only problems I had were a bad wheel bearing (came from factory like that) and a bad battery at like 2000 miles they replaced under warranty. About a year in, I started to notice it was shifting funny as I came down a hill. Always happened in the same spots in my commute. I don't know much about cars but I knew it felt funny. The rpms would stay high and the car wouldn't shift unless I kind of slammed on the gas. The 2 or 3 times I asked the techs at my dealer to check it out, they couldn't duplicate it. It's been happening ever since but not regularly, just kind of sporadically.

Today I was on the highway with my mom and 6 week old daughter. I noticed I wasn't able to accelerate properly, and the car felt like it was struggling. It began shuttering and the check engine light was blinking. I pulled over, called my fiancé and he came to check it out. The light went off, pulled out onto the highway and it happened again. We managed to get to the next exit, and he led us home. It took forever since I could barely get over 20 mph. He had me try feathering the gas, putting the car into d3, nothing helped. The car was jerking and trying to shift and even with the gas to the floor we were barely moving, not to mention trying to climb hills.

Anyway- my brother told me recently his car had a similar problem (an older Mercedes) and it ended up being a bad battery. I know this doesn't mean anything and they could be totally different situations. But last week my interior light did go out. I assumed it was a blown bulb and haven't gotten to replace it yet. I plan to either attempt to drive it or have it towed to the dealer tomorrow. But since I'm out of warranty and really can't afford any major repairs, I don't know what the point is. With a new baby I really can't be car-less. And I still owe 2.5 years on my loan.

Anyone have an idea what the issue could be?? Thanks in advance for any help!

 

That's not right. A messed up wheel bearing, and a bad battery all within the first couple thousand miles? Sounds like a lemon. Did you buy it used or new?

As for the shuddering, it's the coil packs which have gone out, really common problem with the Fit, at least the first generation (which I drive).

 

I bought it new. It had to be traded from another dealer so it had a hundred or so miles on it from transport but that's it.

Forgive my lack of car knowledge- but I don't even know what coil packs are. Would that explain the check engine light and the lack of acceleration and power?

 

I had a similar situation like this one time when I was driving to college. I was cruising normally on the highway and then all of a sudden the car started jerking and bucking and the check engine light was flashing.

My mom came to my aid and followed me home with the car being erractic the rest of the way.

It ended up being a bad alternator I think. When the alternator can't charge even a new battery anymore, you start losing juice to the ignition. Which in turn, sends interrupted electric current to the spark plugs causing them to fire intermittenly hence causing the jerking motion. The alternator should be producing 13 volts of current I think. If it's not, its crapping out.

When its a bad battery, the car usually doesn't start at all.

Like ikutoisahobo said though, it could also be coil packs.

At 37K its weird your having all of these issues on otherwsie usually healthy Fit models of all years.

 

Oh, and any idea what this fix would cost if that is the problem?

 

Coil packs sit over top of the spark plugs and produce high voltage to create a spark. Other members have mentioned RockAuto.com for Denso or Hitachi coil pack replacements.

If you or your fiancee are handy, you can do the job yourself.

I'm not sure the difference between changing them on the 1st gen vs your 2nd gen but I don't recall the 2nd gens having bad coil pack issues like the 1st gens.

 

I had an issue that sounds similar to yours. It could be this: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...ch-failed.html

I thought the transmission was gone as well and it was a pressure switch failure. As far as the transmission being busy up and down different grades, that's normal. Steve244 posted somewhere on the forum that the Fit's transmission uses grade logic.

 

sounds like limp mode, u can reset by unplugging ur battery and it will reset, however u will lose the codes and not fix the underlying issue.

a couple of weeks ago i triggered limp mode out of the blue while in traffic. i was close to home, and when traffic picked up and i was able to pick up speed the car allowed me to go faster. i got home and checked my fluids and it turns out my coolant was low. refilled, reset the battery and havent had the problem since.

its too early to see any of those problems mentioned above. good luck to u

 

I totally forgot about the powertrain warranty being longer than my regular warranty (which I'm conveniently JUST out of) so I'm still covered if it might be transmission or engine related. And I know they cover the tow to the dealer. I'm not willing to drive it to them, even if it seemed fine, with my newborn in the back just in case. I'm just concerned that it it's not something covered by powertrain that I will end up having to pay them for the two and whatever may be wrong. Think it's worth it to let them take the car??

 

Before you start checking this and that I would start with the basics. If someone you know has a engine code checker that would be step one. Also you just passed the warranty period but id still take it to the dealer, it's quite possible they will resolve it as a good faith gesture (they would want you as a repeat customer...). Power train warranty is 60k miles, engine and trans.