So this is my first post to Fit forum. Hello! I own a 2008 first Gen Honda fit sport, I've owned it for about 3 years and I just hit the 100,000 mile mark on it. For a while my car has occasionally started shuddering (that's the best descriptive word I've got) it happened regardless of speed, gear, up a hill, down a hill, flat, idling, pretty much every scenario. It happened most often while accelerating up a hill. My bf who owns some CRXs and his brother who had various other older Hondas, decided it was my catalytic converter. The cored it out yesterday. Now my engine light is on where it wasn't before. My car SO FAR hasn't shuddered yet, it's running louder now and there is an annoying hissing noise coming from near the floor on the passenger side of the car every time I step on the gas. The greater the acceleration, the louder the hiss. He said that all cars make that noise but in three years I've never heard it, nor have I heard it in any other car I've ever owned, or driven. I know he had to lift up the flooring in the front of the car but idk what was done involving that. I know this is really long but please if anyone can help me out with thoughts or ideas I would appreciate it!!

Thanks!

 

Welcome to fitfreak!

When you say "they cored it out yesterday" do you mean they took out the honeycomb part that was on the inside of the catalytic converter? If so, that might be why it's louder because that honeycomb part is what filters in the catalytic converter but since it's gone there is no restriction there so it will be louder. Also that's why your check engine light is on.

Did they just diagnose it by themselves without a scanner? You should always have a scanner to help diagnose car problems.

 

Yes they knocked out all of the stuff inside the catalytic converter. And apparently they own a scanner but my car had no check engine light on previously so I don't know if they used it or not. And does this explain the hissing/scraping sound coming from the front passenger floor area? Thank you for your response, I appreciate it a lot.

 

I'm not sure about the hissing/scraping sound but the catalytic converter would be in the middle of the car right after the header. Them knocking out the honeycomb part inside the catalytic converter is causing your check engine light. If the catalytic converter was the issue, he could've just replaced the catalytic converter instead.

 

I was quoted like $1,800.00 from the dealership to replace a catalytic converter so he was trying to save me money 😞

 

Never ever go to the dealership they will rip you off. The catalytic converter is easy to install actually since he was able to remove the honeycomb from it. You can always get a maganaflow catalytic converter which is like $300 something. That's more reasonable I think.

 

The hissing could be that they did not reseal the cat properly or install the exhaust donut tightly causing very minimal exhaust leak? Do you smell fuel inside the vehicle?

Derykisonder is right, aftermarket cats are cheap. Never ever go to the dealers for that.

 

first, they should have not bored out the cat; that's allowed emissions with hydrocarbons that the oxygen sensor 'sees' and the check engine light reports you are no longer 'green'. its a federal crime by the way. if your state has inspections when they catch you they'll be not very nice. jail time even.
the hissing is likely an exhaust leak so you will need to have that inspected and repaired as its a safety hazard to breath exhaust fumes. (its one way to commit suicide). the shuddering is likely a result of coil paks and spark plugs wearing out and yes they do wear out. try replacing the spark plugs first and the the coil paks if the changed plugs don't help.. expect a cost of $400 to $500; maintaining 'green' cars isn't cheap. that's if you have at least 50,000 miles on your car.
ps you cannot compare a fit with a crx.and good luck.

 

Where did you get that estimate of $400 to $500? For both spark plugs and ignition coils, it'll only cost $250 max.

 

Best I found was about $350 shipped for the OEM spark plugs and coilpacks. What'd you find for $250, and where? I didn't look too hard but I'd be slightly disappointed if I could've gotten the same for $250 shipped. I know there's cheaper aftermarket alternatives but I'm talking about OEM.

 

OEM ignition coils which are hitachi cost you about $210 and OEM spark plugs run you the other $40.

 

for 4 plugs and 4 coil packs, $250, for 4 each, $400 to $500.
you may be lucky but more often than not having 2 cylinders go bad the other 2 won't be far behind.
good luck in any case.

 

Again mahout, nothing personal but I can't understand half of what you are talking about. For four each, 400 to 500$? What?

On rockauto.com, the OEM Hitachi coils are 47$ each so that's about 200 or so for all four. The denso iridium plugs are about 8-10$ each so that's a grand total of about 250$.

I strongly recommend changing the coils yourself; it's very easy. Plugs are a little trickier. For a proper plug job you need:

-socket wrench and extension
-A spark plug socket. I strongly recommend the magnetic kind.
-a torque wrench capable of doing small values like 12 ft/lbs
-dielectric grease
-copper antiseize

Have you ever adjusted the valves? If not, it'd take a look or pay someone to do it. Cheers

 

4 spark plugs and 4 coil packs are 4 of each. total $400 to $500.
as for those cheap coil packs, how many have you bought and had to return? we have found here that less than OEM coil packs are a waste of time - and money. those will cost about a hundred bucks apiece and plugs $10 to $15.
each. not installed yet.
we've set valves here tens of thousands of times and help some customers learn to do it themselves. ditto coil packs and plugs. whats your point ?
pay attention; there'll be a quiz later.

 

It's businesses like you that I hate, running people up double just for parts. $400 for a set coil packs that are by the way Hitachi brands for OEM is way too much of a rip off.

 

You say that for 4 plugs and 4 packs, 250$ then 4 each 400$. Someone throw me a bone here. Which one is it, 250$ or 500?

As another poster has mentioned, the hitachi coils are the OEM coils that Honda sells. They are the same part number. I doubt they would be produced on a different assembly line or that they would be more or less reliable than the ones Honda gets from Hitachi to sell to their customers.

Ok so let's say that the plugs are 15 $ each. That's 60 for four plus 200$ for the coils. Add some shipping and it's still less than 300$. What you could do is order all the stuff and hire a mechanic you trust to put it in. It's max a 1-2 hour job so less than 100$ in labour probably. It really is easy to change the coils, But I'd get the plugs done professionally unless you have all the tools and greases that I mentioned earlier.

A valve job is pretty intense though. It is long too so definitely shop around. Good luck!

 

you caught my mistype; it was supposed to be 2 coli packs and 2 spark plugs for $250. the mistype should be obvious from other parts pricing made by me. however I'm not at all agreement with your proposition that cheap coil packs are hitachi. I think you just want to be disagreeable.
we pay less than $100 and more than $60 for good coil packs and charging $105 is a reasonable markup. The real problem is the cost of coil packs; I'm used to less than $50 for new points and 4 spark plugs.
likewise I see no reason why Honda cannot get away from having to monitor and gap valve clearances; Suzuki turns 9500 rpm on their automated valve clearances with a very clever system.
and 2 hours labor is $164; thats about how long the car is here cooling down and checking/setting the clearances. or do you check them hot?
the emissions controls necessary to meet environmental standards requires some really sophisticated electrical devices and unfortunately when they wear out they are expensive.

 

Dude. Just search fitfreak. Everyone here knows that the Hitachis are exactly the same coil and can be bought for about 50$ online or for 105$ as you say, for the exact same part with a Honda sticker on it. To each his own.

Anyway, again I only understand about 30% of what you are talking about. You are going on about Suzuki, 9.5k RPMs, less than 50$ for new points... what?

I hope the original poster has been informed that he has the choice to buy new coils from Honda or online, as he chooses. Perhaps he is able to make sense out of what you are talking about also. No disrespect intended, I just really don't get your posts. I don't want to argue for nothing, you can PM me if you want.

 

Don't mind him anymore honestly, he's giving information based on the fact that he owns a shop.

 

When I used to work at Honda, even the techs there told me the coils are Hitachi just packed in a Honda bag.

For the OP's issue, the catalytic converter would be her most expensive part and she would need that to pass emissions.
Rockauto has the coils for $60/ea and NGK laser iridiums for $12/ea.