Happy Holidays everyone.

Well, this morning I go out to start my 4 month old 2010 Fit and nothing. Only a few of the idiot lights light up - brake, seat belt, etc. No headlights, no radio. The dome light comes on but is very dim.

I also tried making sure it was in Park, which it was. I guess the brake lockout feature is electrical because I could not shift out of Park, even with the brake depressed.

I checked that the dome lights were off - they were.

Car ran perfectly fine the day before. No issues with it starting, etc.

So then I check the Internet and found this:

2009 Honda Fit Sport: Dead Battery

So, I go and check my hatch. Yep, it's not closed all the way! Gah!

I guess Honda's don't have a battery rundown protection feature? I thought all new cars had this years ago.

This is going to suck because at least 5 times in the past I've closed the hatch and started driving only to see the hatch wasn't fully closed.

If I arrive home and use the hatch, I better make sure the hatch is SLAMMED SHUT, so my battery doesn't go dead again. What if my g/f drives it and doesn't close the hatch all the way? Stranded again. I have a feeling I'm going to be constantly worried if the hatch is fully closed.

In my opinion, this is a huge FAIL on Honda's part. This is my first foreign car and the first time I've been stranded in the last 20 years of driving!

 

Well its a good thing its only a battery and not something else. Also when you want to pull out of park when the car is not running you need to make sure you turn the key to the on position then step on the brake it sure come out of park.

 

should your $13000 car come with a personal assistant to assist you in closing that 5lb hatch so this problem doesn't occur again?



no beef. just saying that you can't blame the company for a driver error.

 

HAHAHAHAHA.

 

Driver error is leaving the headlights on even with the alert dinging. It is kind of inexcusable that there's not a battery saver circuit.

 

Can't help but agree, I think some of us are expecting a bit much from our Fits (complaining about the USB port functions, comfort of the seats,etc.) Its a new car, sure, but its the small guy of the bunch.

 

Mega-performance for the family wagon
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Other CTS-V Sport Wagon performance and handling all-inclusives include aluminum 6-piston front and 4-piston rear caliper Brembo disc brakes, dual-mode Magnetic Ride Control, 19-inch polished aluminum wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport P52 tires, and Stabilitrak electronic stabiity control system with four driver-selectable modes.
Buyers can choose from two six-speed transmissions: a manual TREMEC TR-6060 or a Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
As for fuel efficiency, it’s not bad, considering all the performance the engine delivers: EPA-estimated 14 mpg city/19 mpg highway.

 

Hah! I always forget to turn out an inside light. My hatch is pretty easy to close completely.

I have a self-contained booster battery/cable combination that saves the day. I've given up on remembering to turn the lights out.

Merry Christmas.

 

That's a bummer. I can't tell you how many times I left the Map Light on over night and it just cranked right over. Get one of those portable batteries.

 

Once you've killed your battery, you're going to have problems with it cold cranking. I killed it when I left the radio on, and once winter rolled around it kept dying on me.

 

I experienced the same hatch not closing tight problem as well with my trunk light on. Luckily I caught it in time. I am so paranoid that I did three things:-

1) If I open the hatch and close it, I will try to wait until the courtesy passenger cabin head lamp goes off and try to peek at the trunk light to ensure it is off

2) Since, mine is a Sports that came with OEM alarm, I set the alarm and if the alarm cannot be armed, I now the hatch door is not close tight

3) I tried to avoid storing groceries and stuff in my trunk using the hatch. Instead, I use the back passenger space via passenger back door as much as possible. I folded up the magic seats, place two racks on the floor carpet and that's our daily storage space. It works well for us because there only two of us... With FIT, we have the magic seats that can fold 7 ways to Sunday.

Heard the magic seats were designed by Japanese engineers after they spent countless hours at mall parking lots observing behavior of shoppers coming out with their groceries bags. 80% of them stored their groceries and shopping bags on the back passenger seats vs opening their trunks.

 

OP is just spoiled. What an effin attitude. Blaming the car for not closing the hatch.

Sounds like the GF is a good match for OP. Hopefully, they are sterilized.

 

 

Better luck with gravity next time!

I think the 5 hatchbacks I've owned give a good base for an opinion, and the Fit is no better or worse than any of them when it comes to closing the doors. However, I suppose it's possible that a brand new car is a little more air tight than one that's been loosened up with a few miles, so that might make it harder. I know my dad's old FD rx7 was so tight, the doors were hard to shut from air pressure. Tiny cockpit though.

edit: btw - the solution is quite simple. Slam the effing door. lol I've NEVER had this happen on any car.

 

get the Acura rear light so you can turn it off.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...ll-w-pics.html
http://www.acuraoemparts.com/delray/...All&vinsrch=no

 

No reason to blame the victim here- it's a tiny light and the battery ought to be large enough to survive a few days of that light being on.

Frankly I'm surprised that light alone would drain the battery- for the first couple of weeks I owned the Fit I was wondering why they didn't put a light in the hatch, it's so dim.

 

I've had the battery on the charger since about noon. Looks like it's taking a charge and is almost done.

I have verified that the rear cargo light does stay on if the hatch is not fully closed.

Since I now know the car doesn't have battery rundown protection, I think I'm going to pull the light bulb from the cargo area.

Thanks to all those with helpful suggestions and comments. I do appreciate it. I was pretty peeved when it first happened. Some of the other remarks - wow, pretty harsh. Sure don't feel very welcome here or feel comfortable saying anything negative about the Fit.

 

I agree. I was relieved to find out what the problem was.

I did put the key in the on position - but if the battery is dead, I don't think it works - I think it's electrically controlled.

 

I was going to just yank the bulb, but I like this solution better.

Thanks Farther!

 

Good point. It takes less than two days for the map light to drain the tiny battery to the point that the car won't start. My 1990 Miata can keep a map light lit longer than that and still start. That battery is very small and is in the trunk.

Cheers