Had the exact symptoms with my 94 Civic. Changed fuel filter/pump... No change. Suspected bad gas.... Added full tank of gas from Shell when tank was almost empty, problem vanished and has never come back. Never buy gas from run down, cheap gas stations.

 

Bought 2007 Fit on Thursday 5th. Driving fine. Drove it to and from work Friday and Saturday, then to and from the doctor Sunday(yesterday the 8th).

When I started it up Sunday morning to head to th DR, the cool temp light came on but went off after about 5 miles. I notice it idling a little hard, but just assumed it was the sudden 30 degree drop in temp the night before.

Last night I drove about 25 miles (the temp was back up to the 60's outside), and it suddenly stopped accelerating and I pulled over to the shoulder of the freeway. As it came to a stop, the check engine light came on and then it died. When I tried to start it back up, it started with ease, revved on its on to about 2500rpms and then died. This happens every time I try to start the car.

This car was originally owned in Orlando FL, until about 2 years ago, so I'm wondering if the hot salty sea air in FL followed by the change in climate to here in Houston and the recent weather changes has caused the valves (which, to my knowledge, have never been readjusted, and I KNOW they weren't done by the dealership I bought it from), to get all out of whack.

I know it's not the alternator as the car still turns over and revs up, and from what everyone else is saying it sounds like either a vacuum leak or the valves need readjusting. Any thoughts?

 

If you have any type of warranty bring it back to the dealer !

 

I registered just so I could post a quick word of thanks, and to reinforce this thread once more (executive summary: the valve adjust did the trick)...we just bought a 2007 Fit Sport with 165k miles, and it had this cold stall issue, just as so oft described herein...it seemed to run fine once warmed up, but until then stalled dependably and frequently. It wasn't throwing any codes and we went ahead and bought it knowing the issue and having already found this thread (and a couple other similar ones).

I found a mechanic who's a retired career Honda guy. He listened to my whole story detailing the above and thought it sounded reasonable to try the valve adjust (he hasn't worked on a lot of Fits). He offered to do it for $75! He said all the exhaust valves were REALLY tight and wanted to keep it another day to drive it, let the valves re-seat, check the compression and adjust the valves a second time, to be sure they're in spec and that there was no major damage from burnt valves.

All that seemed reasonable, and in the end he charged me $165!...less than the dealership wanted here to do a valve adjustment (sideline: dealer mechanic in Gresham said he'd never heard of this issue), and much more thorough service, I'm sure. Several days later the Fit is running like a top and hasn't stalled once, and I've left this mechanic my 92 VX with almost 300k miles to change out all the belts and waterpump for under $400!

I suppose this story could have gone badly--had any valves been damaged we'd be looking at a big ugly repair...so if you're having this cold stall issue with no codes, don't waste money on other stuff-go straight for the valves, and get after it more sooner than later.

 

All I can say is I changed my coil packs and it fixed the same problems you are having. its not a hard diy either

 

08 HONDA fit sport, 5speed, 147K, experiencing the shuttering, bad gas mileage, 260 a tank down from 330. I had the plugs replaced, car ran better but the mileage still sucked. So went ahead and had valves done. And now the fun begins....

in two days the car stalled 4 times, when cold, took back to shop, couldn't produce problem, I started reading the forums, and found that I have a common problem. So time for me to start working on it myself.

I replaced plugs, with Denso Iridium, I didn't check the gap, I know I should have but I put them right in from the box, Question: should I take them out and gap them to 35?

I replaced the 3 and 4 cylinder coil packs with OEM Honda, then 1 and 2 with Hitaich coil packs. from amazon. Again the car seems to pick up alittle of it's old self, but didn't reflect in gas mileage, or the change in the stalling although it does seem that the car only needs 1 to 3 minutes of warming up. instead of 5mins.


I'm thinking I should take plugs back out, gap them to 35, put something on the spark plug threading to stop them from loosening up.

I well most likely do this today, but I can't get it out of my Head about the valve Job. the stalling started right after that, Now , assuming that it was done right, which I'm losing confidence that it was. If I did a Leak down test on the cylinders would that help me to determine if they did it right, I just found a video on the process to due valves, and want to do it myself, but maybe this has more to do with the Air/Fuel mix. A sensor maybe, Like to hear your thoughts ....Thanks.

 

The stalling when it's cold was what made me get a valve adjustment done on my car and it fixed everything. It sounds like they didn't do the valve adjustment correctly because if they did it correctly that would all go away right away.

Where did you get the valve adjustment done?

Btw, Hitachi coils are oem honda.

Koolkevin1107 on the video!

 

I had it done at a Volvo specialist, it's called Swedish solutions, I asked if they worked on Honda's, they said they did, I didn't find out until later, that a friend of mine used them a couple of times, He said they weren't good. I didn't think this was a complicated job, but I didn't find that video that your showing me until this week, if I had seen it, I wouldn't have taken it to Nobody. and done it myself. I like this car a lot, and want to solve this problem. I well watch the video a few more times, but I'm wondering about the throttle body does it need cleaning. any thoughts on another way to check the valves job as being done correctly?

 

I took mine to the Honda dealership in my area when I first got the car and I haven't gotten the valve adjustment done yet since then. The best way is to see if the clearance was enough or if it was too tight.

The throttle body would cause crappy idling and if it was really bad it'd throw a code.

 

The only way to accurately verify the valve clearance is to do all the work in the Video again. That is why they check them multiple times after adjusting!

If the job was done correctly the gaps will be within THE RANGE stated on the hood sticker. If wrong, you will either be able to insert a thicker shim than spec in (too loose), or NOT be able to fit the thinner shim in (TOO TIGHT).


PS: on the Exhausts, I always 'aim' for .001 too loose, because they DO tighten up over time. The next time I adjust them, they have gone back to being tight.

 

we in Ohio, are experience winter lows of 10 to 15 degrees, so the valve job well have to wait, until at least 25 to 30 degrees is safer. I believe the gap for our fit is 44 for the spark plugs is that correct? I've also read that some Fitters are gapping them at 35 has anyone done this, like to know if they were suffering from the same problems, wandering RPM, stalling after starting, shutter.

 

so after talking with my used car friends haha, I'm going to go to auto zone to see if they can tell me if the car has a code thrown, as of right now there is No Check engine light on, but what the hell.....

I have also done more research on the O2 sensor/replacement, anyone have a part number for 08 Honda fit, that would be greatness, my thinking is the car is getting bad gas mileage, if the sensor is bad it might be giving me a heavier fuel mix ratio , more fuel /bad mileage, if any have replace this, did you go with denso or another maker.?

 

I'd still do the valve adjustment before changing anything else. Unless there's a check engine light I wouldn't change the O2 Sensors.

 

X2

Out-of-adjustment valves will cut gas mileage especially in cold weather!

++++++++++++


For the part numbers of stuff like the O2 sensor, visit RockAuto.com and see what they offer. Pressing INFO often tells you the part number and brand of the OEM part (which in this case, you should buy DENSO or NGK). Or you could look up the part number at a dealer site like BernardiParts.com .

 

Ok guys, I well have to check on the tools, (basically get the car in the air, and tools to turn the crank. I will watch the above video a-LOT, more times haha, and stop back when I'm ready to perform the valve adjustment. Peace and Harmony, oh "Happy New Year"

 

Hey you , FITFREAKS ,

I DID do the valve job, it was easier then I thought it would be, the car performs much better. Well.... until now, but that's another thread.

 

2008 Sport A/T, owned 2 years and this winter was bad, had to warm it up for 5 minutes or it would stall. I changed plugs and coils with no change. With all the valve adjustment issues I've read I knew it HAD to be the problem so I pulled it apart and while I was there I figured I would have the injectors cleaned since I got a buddy with that service at his shop.... He did a flow test and they were HORRIBLE..... 2 didn't flow ANY fluid until the pressure was turned up and one had 50% flow and horrible stream and didnt clear at all. After his magic ultrasonic treatment the all flowed perfectly.... I did the valves anyways and found all the gaps to be set at .008 instead of the spec'd .006-.007/.010-.012 in/ex. probably due to a lazy mechanic. I also think that once warm the injectors opened up some but man can't wait to drive it now

As shitty as it was running Im surprised it ran at all, now it feels like a friggen V6!! I can't wait to see what mileage is now as I commute 50 miles daily, I also hope it didn't do any kind of damage running so lean/rich in opposing cylinders. Also surprised no CELs ever.

my 2¢

 

Must be too much ethanol in the fuel!

 

Does anyone have the torque specs for the cover and throttle body bolts?

 

Hi i've been experiencing the same issues for quite some time now. Stalling, vibrations etc. Mine has alnost 84k mileage. I read this thread and talked to a mechanic about adjusting the valve clearance but he said it doesn't need to be adjusted since its already self adjusting becausr of it's timing chain? Please shed light on this. Thank youuu