I just got an 08 Fit Sport MT a few weeks ago with 29K miles. I noticed a vibration in the car, especially at highway speeds, like tires were out of balance or car had an alignment problem.

I took the car in for service, and they road force balanced the tires. The vibration was lessened, but still present. So they swapped tires from a stock Fit and tested, and the vibration persisted. The notes on the invoice say, "Same road feel as originally felt on test drive. Determined this is a normal condition."

So, just kind of curious - is it really normal for an 08 Fit to have a vibration? It's not absolutely terrible, but it is noticeable. I especially notice it at higher speeds, and it seems to be on/off/on/off every few seconds.

Oh, another thing - the place where I bought it said that the car had been in their inventory since May, and the tires might have flat spots. I guess that's why they took tires off a stock Fit to compare.

Just think it's kind of strange to take something in for service, and have them say "we tried, but we can't fix it, so it must be normal."

Any suggestions?

 

The car is only a 1.5L engine, so yeah you're gonna be vibrating at higher speeds since the rev's are so high. It's normal. I grew used to mine

 

I'm not expecting it to feel like my Jetta TDI...but curious why it would be an on/off vibration and not just constant?

 

Hi, have you checked wheel bearings? I had same kind problems and problem was wheel bearings. After half year noise startup annoying me in higher speeds. So I had to fix it. Spare parts was quite expensive

Recall all Honda Jazz / FIT due to defective Wheel Bearings >

Recall all Honda Jazz / FIT due to defective Wheel Bearings Petition

 

Thanks Bantam. I'm taking the car back to the service department on Friday, so I'll ask them about that possibility. And maybe while I'm there I'll be able to test drive another Fit, to see if it's all Fits or just mine.

 

I have an 08, do mostly highway driving, and have no idea what you're talking about. It's not a limousine but I've had riders that thought it was spookily "Mercedes like" in it's ride. I've hit nothing and maintain it impeccably. I'm guessing something is out of balance.

 

It depends what you mean. If it is actually shaking, that is not normal. Mine had a problem with that and a front end alignment/wheel balance solved that.

If it is just a little bouncy/rough over the pavement, that could just be attributed to the short wheel base or the rear torsion bar suspension.

 

@feddup - it's encouraging to hear not all 08 owners have this issue; I'm pretty sure it's not normal despite what the service dept said. And if they really thought it was normal, I'm not sure why they went through all the trouble to try to fix it to begin with. Wouldn't it have been simpler for them to say from the start, "That's just how Fits ride" ?

@Padraic - it's not just the bounciness; I can handle that, and don't find it surprising in such a small car. There's a moderate vibration/buzziness to the steering wheel, which is in time with the rattle in my glovebox - on/off/on/off every few seconds. It's hard to describe. It was a lot worse before they balanced the tires, but it hasn't completely gone away.

The service manager suggested I bring the car back and ride along with a tech to make sure they understand the problem. Hopefully it'll be resolved on Friday.

Thanks for everyone's feedback.

 

hm, i've been getting that recently in the mornings but it's because it's been cold and my tires get flat spots at night...after the tires warm up it goes away.

I can't imagine dealing with that throughout my ride...it's definitely not normal and they didn't look into it enough. stock fit have flat spots too? haha

 

Part of it is the tires being cold. Ever since manufacturers went to nylon/polyester combinations of radial belting, the tires "bind up" internally and get tight when the weather turns cold. Running them for a couple of miles warms them up and they stretch and stoften up. The BFG Potenzas on mine are bad about that. Usually takes about a mile or so for them to stop vibrating, but no steering vibration is felt during that time. What you're dealing with Mila really sounds like you have a wheel bearing that's got a low spot in it, and during driving, it's rotation is hitting a slight bend in the bearing cage and getting a vibration out of it whenever the cage rotates to a certain spot in the hub (if the cage is the problem or something in the bearing, it's rotating to the bottom of the race where the vehicle weight is on it, or to the top of the race where the load is removed). It's a high speed vibration --- and if it's in the bearing, it really won't take long to come apart. So be advised.

Also, I would suggest jacking up the car and checking the tie rods while pulling the tire side-to-side with it off the ground, if it moves, you have a tie rod end that's loose. Next, pick up and down on the wheel to see if there is any play in it. If there's play in the up and down, it's a bearing. If you find nothing on either of those, check the passenger side CV axle and make sure the rubber bushing hasn't been broken or thrown off of it. That's a harmonic balancer since the shaft is so much longer than the driver's side. There's also a bearing mounted to the engine that the CV shaft runs through. Push up and down on the axle and make sure that neither end, nor the end bearings where the boots are moving up and down. A little in and out sliding is normal, but no up and down or side-to-side. Do the same with the driver's side to make sure. There's about 10 bearings from one wheel end to the other: D to P = Hub bearing, CV axle end and boot, shaft, CV hub and boot, Transmission output bearing and seal, Transmission, passenger side bearing and seal, CV boot (the boots have bearings in them also), Shaft, carrier bearing (mounted to engine), vibration damper, CV boot and bearing, Outer Hub bearing and Passenger wheel.

I know this is detailed but driveline problems are like bells, you can get something in one end, and because it's all connected it will sound like it's coming from other placese. I hope this info helps you. Best of luck!!!

 

@SHG_Chiquita thanks for the reassurance, mostly I posted to make sure I wasn't crazy to think this was an abnormal condition.

I'm in southwest FL so cold tires don't factor in yet. Our lows have been in the 70s

Thanks for the detailed post rubix - I'm not skilled enough to do the work myself, but it gives me a good path to follow when I take it in for servicing. I'll just keep pursuing them until they've tested every possible cause!

 

If I was there I would be glad to help ya out! Sorry I'm in North AL. I hope you find the problem though. No engineer in their right mind would DESIGN a vibration into a vehicle! That just sounds like a cop-out for the techs to not have to try and fix it.

 

I think the techs made a fairly good first attempt at fixing it, I was just disappointed they didn't keep going til the job was done. Hopefully they'll do better tomorrow.

Thanks for offering to help out! If I were closer I'd probably take you up on it. On the other hand, I'm still under the 90day/3000mile warranty from the place I just bought it, plus the manufacturers warranty...so let's make them take care of it!!

 

Welcome to FF Mila,
And I also have a 2008 Fit Sport. 25+k on it and never had a front end/ steering vibration. So there is something not right under there. GLW the finding and repair, Mike

 

It is not normal no matter the engine size unless the road is not flat.
1. Did they check foir a wheel or tire with excessive runout? that is the rim edge does not turn in a single plane but moves 'in and out' sideways as the wheel turns. Runout shoulkd not exceed .010" and can be measured by turning the wheel with a pointer positioneed right at the tire edge, or the rim edge.
2. were the shocks tested to see if they 'chatter' without goodf reason? Shocks at small jonces may not be smooth and steady thus ths 'vibration'.

Neither is unusual. And more unusual but has happened;make sure your wheel nuts are torqued properly AND there is no crack or broken wheel did=sc or rim. The latter may require a hitech crack detection service.

 

@Perrenoud thanks for the warm welcome...I got addicted to this board when I was doing research before buying my Fit. It's an awesome source of information, and has even inspired me to do some small upgrades once I get some money together.

@mahout they said they did a rim readout and I guess the results were normal. I was told that when they called Honda, they found out there was a TSB for vibration, but they didn't give me specifics on that. I'm going to see if I can get more info on that tomorrow.

I don't think they tested the shocks, but that will be another question for them, if the vibration persists.

PS I added a poll to this thread just for fun!

 

I do not have the 1.5L engine, only 1.4L (83hp) and a CVT. But I have had no problem with vibrations on my car. I have been on a trip in Germany along the Autobahn and have legaly driven in speed around 160-180km/t and was actually a little nervous if the car would starting to vibrate or feeling unstable in high speed as I have felt in other cars in that speed. But it was suprisingly smooth and very stable in high speed.

Only drawback was that it took ages to get up to 180km/t

 

nice to know, Fonix! Not that I plan on taking it that fast. The roads start getting crowded with tourists and older drivers this time of year so it's hard enough to even go 75mph(120km) sometimes...

 

i have had no issues like that either and ive got around 34,000 miles on the car

 

Hey all, I've got an '08 sport 5 spd, ~45k miles, with the lo profile tires for summer, and regular sport rims and tires for winter, and no cyclic vibration with either set. Maybe someone already said this, but if it comes and goes, it has got to be some sort of harmonic disturbance of two different vibrations. They will match up then wander, match up-wander. Mila, thought here, is there another dealer in the area that would be feasible to take it to, for a second opinion type of thing? You said it got some better after the balance; what if they did a half-assed balance, and it could get a LOT better with a good balance?