Hey everyone, I'm trying to find out if this is normal for the car or if I have a problem. Every morning I back out of my driveway in reverse, come to a complete stop in the road, then shift to drive and pull away. However, when I first drive after shifting out of reverse, the car has a significant jump or lurch no matter how lightly I accelerate. It doesn't sound like anything is damaged, it's just kind of odd to me. Someone else was in my car one time when I did this and it was noticeable enough for them to ask me what had happened.

I can live with it. It's not a big deal as long as it doesn't mean something is wrong. Is this normal for the Fit? I only have a couple hundred miles on it and I'd have to guess it has been this way since I got it. As I stated in the title, it's an 09 AT.

Thanks!

 

Mine does the same thing...especially since it has been so cold out I notice it more.
I think its normal.
My CL did the same thing...and our TSX. I think it has to do with the car not being totally warmed up. But I think I remember my CL even doing it when it was warm out. I never had any problems though.

I would not worry.

 

Yes, I have that too. It's not right away for me, it's about a car length before it leaps ahead, like it has someplace to go without me. Or like a dog on a leash that lunges.

It seems to be ONLY when I am starting the car from cold, from the garage. I don't notice it lunging after having gotten to the store and then backing out of a parking spot and shifting back into Drive.

I think it may have to do with a couple things. One is that the car is cold. The second is that I am so used to having to give my car gas to start it, the old car, that I think I am giving this one gas too. It's a habit I have to break, as I was reading in the manual NOT to do that.

It says to start the car to just turn the key. NOT to give it any gas at all. Then if it doesn't start to then give it a bit of gas.

And I wondered if that is why it lurches, to burn off the extra gas (gas = power) that is in system??? This shows how little I know about cars.

This IS kind of dangerous though. That lurch or lunge could easily knock down someone or crash into something.

 

Thanks for the responses! It is a relief to know I'm not the only one who has experienced this, and I'm really not ready to return to the dealership so soon. I have only ever owned the car in cold weather, so I can't say how it behaves under any other circumstances. I haven't noticed how it behaves after being warmed up because I've basically only ever driven it to work in the morning and home at night. I suppose I'll keep an eye on it, but won't freak out just yet.

 

Hmmm. It has been pretty cold here lately, but I have not noticed this happening with my car.
However, when I back out of my parking space, I come to a stop facing downhill, where I put the trans in D and take off down the driveway. I have noticed many times a slight "Tch!" sound, and always thought it was my tires rubbing the plastic for a split-second as I turned to go down the drive. Well, it turns out that it doesn't happen if I stop the car fully and hold the brake down firmly at a stop, while the transmission has a chance to engage fully. So, it has been the sound of the gears "snicking" into sync, I suppose. Before, I would stop, put the lever in D, and immediately release the brakes and roll out. Hopefully it has never harmed anything; it's just a quick little scrape sound.
But I am totally unfamiliar with that "lurch" deal. You'd best keep an eye on it so it doesn't get worse.

EDIT: I'm sorry, I forgot I was in the GE section. Mine is a 2-year old GD3. OOPS!

 

Are you properly warming the car up? I never get that.

 

Thanks Joe. Fortunately, mine doesn't make any sort of sound as you described. Do the 07 Fits have a different transmission from the 09? I can't claim to know how it works, but it feels as though the transmission doesn't fully shift from reverse to drive until I move forward, resulting in the lurch as it engages under motion. It almost feels like something that would happen while using a manual transmission.

Still, unless this is an indication that something is broken, it doesn't feel particularly dangerous as it happens fairly quickly at a slow speed. It's just a little embarrassing when I'm trying to tell someone how great my new car is, then they ask, "What the hell was that?"

 

Every morning I start my car 5-10 minutes before I leave, then drive gently until the cold engine light turns off if it is still on.

Could it possibly have anything to do with the fact that I am starting the car and immediately going into reverse without driving forward first? Maybe I'll just start backing into my parking spot instead.

 

be gentle with the pedal. very gentle.

 

Haha, I swear I'm trying my best! Are you indicating that the same thing happens to you?

 

check your tranny fluid level the exact way the manufacturer recommends. I have had problems similar to this on other cars that were due to low tranny fluid level that stopped after the car was warmed up.

 

Hm, thanks for that suggestion man. I'm only at 200 miles so it didn't occur to me to check fluids, but you never know. Maybe the dealership didn't bother to top it off, or it could be contracting enough to drop the level at such low temperatures?

 

If it's a loud "click" than it's normal. Mine does it...this has been discussed elsewhere in the threads.

 

No, it is definitely not a click. I promise you there is absolutely no sound when this happens. It is a lurch, almost like going over a speed bump. It feels like Magnus Ver Magnusson is behind my car, giving me a shove as I pull away.

Please don't pull the "this has been discussed already" card on me. I am good at internets. I understand the search function. I have experienced the Googles.

 

You tell em!

 

All this is happening because the engine is running faster when the engine is not at normal operating temp. Once the engine speed lowers to normal then the clunk is gone.

 

Mine lurches a little if I leave before the engine warms. It is usually when the engine is still idling higher during a cold start, or it could just be from all that horsepower under the hood, lol.

 

I remembered NOT to give the car gas when going to start it tonight. I then shifted into reverse, moved back a touch, then put the car in neutral to see if the car would rev on it's own. It did not.

I then put the car in drive, without going anywhere, and sat there for a moment to see if the car would lurch. It did not.

Put the car back in reverse, backed out of my spot. Put car in D, and went forward, and it DID NOT LURCH.

So, are you giving it gas to start it like I was doing? Maybe that's it???

 

It's the little engine that could!

Even if you don't want it to!

 

you shouldnt shift from drive to reverse and vice versa until you are COMPLETELY stopped. also when shifting from reverse to park