I have had issues with my 08 Fit Sport for the past two weeks. It feels weak, especially on inclines. It will not hold the speed when I take it off of cruise to go up an incline. It will lose speed, and want to rev up to maintain. I have had my car since last July. I have not had this problem until two weeks ago. It also seems to lose speed faster when I coast ( in drive) to make a stop. I'm also getting between 20-30 miles less on a tank. I drive very carefully on the same route everyday on my 40 mile commute to and from. What could the problem be?

 

It's most likely the 109hp kicking in.

 

zonianjohn, you should find the tallest bridge, and drive your GE off of it. (I know you drive a GE, it's the only explanation for your douche-baggery)

 

i had noticed the same with my GD as well. i ran through one tank of gas ripping through the RPM band and slamming gears whenever i had the chance. basically driving it like i stole it and still got 35 mpg LoL. after that tank i noticed my GD got it's "punchyness" back. coincidence, maybe

i'm not that mechanically inclined and i'm not sure if this applies to newer cars like the Fit but i remember reading about carbon buildup and how it could make your car feel sluggish if it isn't burned off. can we get a tech in here to shed some light on the subject?

 

Ethanol fuel and running the air conditioner would be what imagine is slowing you down.

 

yah, plus the heat and humidity. it's summer time.

 

Check to make sure you don't have a stuck brake caliper, otherwise probably due to turning on the A/C, makes the engine feel weaker.

 

I don't use the air conditioner anymore because I also thought thats what it could be. I sweat like crazy soemtimes, but it's okay. I also use ethanol free gas from Fina. I have been using that gas since October 08. Perhaps I need to burn off some carbon build up. I usually don't rev my engine past 2800 rpms. I forgot that I did run over some rubber, or something on the free way like 3 weeks ago. It hit the bottom around where the shifter is. and the left front tire area. I looked under the car, and it didn't look dented. I didn't have this problem last summer, or in the winter.

 

Haha, dude, turn the AC on!
It doesn't make THAT big of a difference, definitely if you're sweating.
I hate sweating in a car.

Hopefully it's not from running over that rubber.

 

If you hit something, check the oil and tranny fluid, whichever gearbox you have (yeah I know it's a PITA to check the MT, it's gotta be on a lift, over a pit, or all 4 corners on jack stands, if you use ramps it won't be level, and and if it's the same geometry as my old s40 the ISB will try to go dry).

I had to do this myself this past week. I was getting sluggishness and BAD clutch chatter because I had been so nice to it apparently it had glazed over in all this wet weather we've had last month. It was as bad as a 6-puck. A 10-minute run through some slow, twisty roads with lots of nearly revmatched shifting down to 1st at every corner seemed to cure both. You don't have to run like a rally car but try driving a little more sprightly for a week or two- suggestion, let it shift at 4000-4500 or so, run it from stop to speed limit WOT a couple few times, and don't low-rpm load it like you're hypermiling. It's the high temps that take the carbon off, but if you're at low speeds high throttle, the fuel coming in will condense out of the charge due to the low velocity and turbulence and just form more on the backside of the valve. I think this car's more sensitive to it because the ports are tiny (don't take much to cut flow) and there's one valve that doesn't even open more than a hair most of the time.

If it's still doing it, I'd look into valve clearances.

 

I have read of more cars with the automatic transmissions losing power than manual shift models.... Manual shift Fits turn higher revs and aren't as inclined to carbon build up..... I have knowledge of other cars with small displacement engines and automatic transmissions that had carbon build up in the combustion chambers over time.... at lower speeds it is better to shift down a gear or two and use light preasure on the throttle pedal to prevent carbon accumulation......I always use premium grade fuel and Lucas or Marvel Mystery Oil and on occasion Berryman B-12 ,and have never had power loss issues in any of my cars or motorcycles.... ..

 

2 8 0 0 RPM'S are you kidding me? you need to rev that thing up man!!!, honda put a rev limiter at 6800 for a reason, all the HP (109 ha ha i know) is up there.
i rev mine to 6500 daily i love this car, yeah i'd like more power, but i love my fuel economy even more = what other car can you rev the piss out of it and still get 31mpg and then hit the long road and get 42+

 

Your fit is suddenly feeling weak?!?! Mine always has haha

 

Many people seem to forget that the Fit was designed for fuel economy not for speed.

 

Honda has always built engines that produce their power at high RPM. Even a 250cc Helix scooter will run for years at 13000 RPM at 70+ MPH, and the were first marketed in the eighties ..... It is just the nature of the beast.

 

If you think the dropoff in performance and fuel economy coincides with having run over the object in the road, you may want to have your alignment checked. It could be that it was knocked out by the object.

It also could be that Fina started putting ethanol in the gas. Check with them on that.

 

As for premium fuel, for what it's worth... my civic had 9.6:1 compression, enough to need premium for most other car companies of the day. After 3 tanks of the stuff (with running timing at 4 degrees advanced to help it out), I had to retard the ignition timing 2 degrees from stock and run hard with regular for a month to make the pinging go away. Didn't burn fast enough in the short rod motor so there wasn't enough combustion pressure, and it made a carbon hotspot mess. The fit has higher compression going for it, but it's even more undersquare (73mm x 89mm, vs 75 x 90) and it's anyone's guess how much dynamic compression is left at the end because Honda likely gave the cam an extended intake valve event to bleed it off so it could run on regular.

Tire pressure could make this difference, just 5 pounds would make the change you described, even if it didn't go under your TPMS warning level.

Check air filter condition just for kicks because it takes 2 minutes. Likely not the cause because of its induction location but its easy enough to do.

Could be the same diagnosis I gave a Saturn driver with the same symptoms. A/C compressor. If you're on the defrost or defrost/floor settings your A/C is still running even though the light is not on, unless you unplugged the connector from the switch on the HVAC dial.

 

I think I will get my alignment checked this coming week. I knew that the Fit had a low power engine when I got it. I don't try to drive it like I'm some kind of race car drive. The only reason I initally considered this car was for fuel efficiency. I drive this car so gentle for that reason. It has changed in power level in the past 2 and a half weeks. Can the warmer wheather really have such a profound effect on cars?

 

Yes, and it will be especially noticeable in cars with not much power to spare such as our Fits.

 

likely the culprit if it just recently got warmer


btw, carbon buildup on pistons will actually increase efficiency... and driving it hard won't "clean out" carbon from the intake tract

the wife and i drove her fit from CA to VA 3 times and every time we hit the warmer states I noticed decreased performance... it's just the hotter, less dense air