I got a letter in the mail today from Honda, it was about the light switch recall. I have yet to bring my car in to have it done and in all honesty am pretty hesitant to bring the car to them at all. Im not 100% comfortable with leaving my car with them for any mount of time.

So put your self in my place, if you where me and had my car what would you do?

 

I'd like to be there when you drive up to the service bay just to see the reaction of the service advisor when he sees your car. What a sight that would be...

Since you're a savvy DIY kinda guy maybe you can just talk them into either giving you the parts required or see if you can make an appointment to just wait on it/be there when they open it up. I wouldn't leave it if I had your car.

 

I was in your exact same position on Monday when my second recall notice for the headlights arrived in the mail. It was pretty pushy about me needing to bring my car in.

I really don't trust anyone with my car either, it's one of the big reasons I do all mods/repairs myself or with friends.

So that's when I did some googling, here are the most helpful sights I found:
1. Read Jodele's post, the others are useless (but read my next paragraph): https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/1st-...tml#post959379
2. Search page for "headlight," this supports Jodele's testimony: HONDA FIT Problems
3. Same thing, also supports Jodele's testimony: HONDA Recalls & Defects | HONDA Problems & Service Bulletins

However, I don't agree with Jodele's conclusion that your car is fine if your connector isn't burnt/charred. Links 2 and 3 show that the root cause of the problem is when the low beam wire is stretched too tight. So if the connector looks okay but the wire IS stretched too tight, it still has the potential to eventually loosen and corrode/overheat in the area of its contact (in the plastic connector). No problem though, you can check it yourself - here's what I did.

Of course, disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for anything that happens - do this at your own risk.

1. Lower your steering wheel all the way down because it'll give you more room.

2. Gently remove your steering column top cover by prying/pulling up on it. You can use a flathead screwdriver but try not to scratch anything. It doesn't take too much force so just gradually increase force and it'll eventually unclip. IIRC there are 4 parts where it clips into the steering column bottom cover, 2 on the left side, and 2 on the right side. If you get through this step okay, you've already gotten through the hardest part of it all. Hopefully none of the clips break but if one does, rest assured that the tech at the dealership would have broken that clip as well - if not more - because he/she wouldn't have been as gentle as you.

3. Locate the gray plastic connector that leads into the headlight switch.

4. Unclip and pull it out. There's a clip right on the top-center. It's a tight squeeze but if you have skinny fingers you'll be fine. If your fingers aren't skinny, use something to press down on the clip as you pull (chopsticks, screwdriver, whatever). Be careful if you use a screwdriver, don't let it slip and f*ck all the wiring.

4. Find the red/white wire and see if it's stretched too tight relative to the other wires of the connector. I suggest checking all the wires' tensions, just in case Jodele was mistaken about which wire the dealership lengthened. Or you could just find out which wire is for the low beam, but checking them all is easier if you ask me.

5. Inspect all the contacts in the harness for corrosion or heat, a flashlight helps. You can check just the red/white wire's contact, but I suggest checking them all for the same reason in the previous step.

(If the wire is not too tight and all the contacts look fine, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. But if the wire IS too tight and/or you observe corrosion/melting, you should either lengthen the wire yourself or bring the car into the dealership and let them replace whichever parts are damaged, which could include the entire connector and headlight switch. If you decide to bring it into the dealership, just leave the top cover off or keep it at home altogether.

5. If everything looks okay, plug the connector back in. Make sure it clicks/clips back in securely, you don't want that to slowly work its way loose while you're driving at night.

6. Clip the steering column top cover back on. The end.

Hope that helps.

 

Tagged for interest

 

If you dont DIY... schedule it for a Saturday morning, and watch them like a hawk.

Insist that you drive into and out of the bay, make something up about "especially tricky clutch engagement" this is what I do when I have to take any of my cars for alignment, which is pretty much the only time a tech of any sort would be touching my car.

This removes the possibility of some random jackass taking it for a joyride, even briefly on the lot.

Im buddy-buddy with my Service Mgr and the Parts guy at this point, but I dont trust the techs in the least.

 

So what (if anything) did you end up doing?

 

I have taken my Honda in for any and all recalls without any issues at all. In fact for the power window switch recall I had not gotten my notice yet but had the car in for an oil change. Honda fixed the recall for me without
even being asked to. I want to document that the items have been fixed
in case I ever decide to sell but most likely will never sell my Fit.

 

I have not done anything with it yet. The thing is I have had the car for four years and work nights. I have done ALOT of night driving and never once had a problem with the lights. The other thing is the car is no longer my daily car and really is not driven in the dark much so im just not sure I want to even mess with it

 

Get it done i held off and it went on a very important weekend to me. I haven't seen my kids since december and when i was leaving it failed thank god cause if that happened in pa or upstate i would of been screwed royally with only my foglights. i even had the power window switch done while i was at it. iwas going to call that week to make an appointment to get it done this week i regret that choice

 

Your high beams should have been functional?

 

I did all my recalls since my cousin is the manager of the service department.. Nothing went won't with mine

 

A state trooper would of had a field day on me with high beams I don't like taking chances would rather ride with fog lights but in pitch black ereas they only go so far and deer in pa you need some range. I only use my foglights when i am in rural or ereas where lights are not plentiful

 

It's not that I don't trust there ability to do the job. It's more I don't trust them with my car ir that they will be careful with the car.

I have a few friends that are mechanics. One worked at tires plus, one at Fire Stone an one as a tech at a dealer. I know that when a nice car come in, no matter what the shop, 9 times out of 10 someone takes the car out for a "test drive".

 

So true. Same with valet drivers, I've known a few and their stories are terrifying.

 

Used to manage a valet place. I'm still amazed cars were never wrecked...

 

Just wait...the one time you need your lights the passenger side will fail. I just installed my new springs, brakes and wheels, after having both front axles pop out and having to re-position them, I finished the car and took it for a test ride. I drove for 15 mins and noticed the passenger light only works on high beams.

I know you have a lot more done to your fit than i do, but i would get it done so it just doesn't randomly go out on you like mine did.

 

Sounds like it's your passenger bulb that's dead, the low beam filament. You can try replacing your bulbs and see if that works.

The recall affects the low beam switch, which should control both low beams. Pretty sure that if your problem was the recall, both low beams would've been out.

 

Don't take this the wrong way but its a FIT! Haha may have a K in it but OK... If it bothers you that much tell them you wrote down the mileage and theres no reason for them to leave the dealership(so what? 2miles or less?). Think about it, they see S2000's, NSX's, TL-S's etc... all nicer cars. These are professionals on tight timeframes, they shouldn't have time to be "joy riding". I used to have access to all sorts of exotics at the shop I worked (you'd probably flip handing the keys to an early 20's male). In the end, they are just a car and I had a job to do.

 

Do you have kids? imagine how you would feel having some stranger watch them. Yes it is only a Fit with $20K+ into, its nothing special but the car is my baby. Im not conformable with some random person having access to it, I dont even let anyone in my family drive the car. A lot could go wrong in a short joy ride and yes the change of it happening is slime it doesn't mean it would not happen. Yes at the end of the day its only a Fit but people are a lot more careful with the more expensive cars then they are with the cheaper cars modded.

 

Totally with you on this one MNFit