I am a new Fit owner. I noticed this weekend that there is a little blue C with a thermometer lit up on the dash when it is chilly out. The light goes off after I drive around a bit. What does the C indicate other than the obvious? I don’t think it was instructing me to “let the car warm up” since it was only about 50 degrees out – not that cold.

 

I believe the engine just idles higher, and that light is to let you know. I don't think I've ever started the car and not seen that light, but the idle seems to depend on how cold it is. Someone else can correct me if I'm wrong. From cold start, I've seen it idle anywhere between 750 and 2000 rpm.

 

The "C" indicates that the engine is cold. Just because the ambient temperature is 50° does not mean your engine is not cold. Check out the older vehicles with actual temperature gauges. They can be sitting in 100° weather for days and check where the gauge is when you start it up.

 

Yes, but what does that "mean?" Should I not put in drive and pull away? Why is the indicator there if not to provide some type of information for the driver? I'll have to troll through the book. I think there is a "dictionary of dash symbols" therein.

 

Nothing out of the ordinary, just the standard cold-engine recommendations...

Start engine and drive (instead of letting it warm up). It will warm up more quickly and pollute less if it doesn't sit and idle.

Keep the revs modest (say less than 4k) until the engine warms up.

Refrain from using the heat until the engine warms up unless you want cold air blowing on you.

 

+1
All it means is the engine is cold and the engine should not be run hard until the light goes off (meaning the engine is properly warmed up)

Other than that the car can be driven normally.

 

It's also an indication you might be able to get some heat from the heater (after the cold light goes off).

Most cars with idiot lights instead of gauges don't bother with a "cold" light. It's a bit of an extra. Manual only says if it fails to go off have your car checked, but that would be an indication of a bad sensor, not that your engine needs a blanket.

 

one of my few gripes about the vehicle is the lack of a temp gauge. i suppose i could fix that.

 

in the morning, when the engine is cold, i shift under 2.5 rpm.

 

A ScanGauge II can help if you want an actual temperature gauge.

 

In addition to telling you that the engine is cold, there is also a light that will tell you when the engine is too hot.

I'm sure you can guess what that one would look like!

 

As people have said, until the engine is up to temp, you do not want to drive it hard...say over 3500-4000rpms. That's the recommendation I've gotten in both of my M Coupes. In addition to the engine coolant temperature, it would have been nice to have an oil temp gauge in the Fit. Even when your coolant temp is warmed up, it's still possible for the oil to be cold. Your oil isn't doing 100% of it's job until it's up to operating temperature...so that's part of the logic behind keeping your revs low until the car is warmed up.