No "Arm" Rest for The Wicked...
 

Been about 2 years with The Fit, I have a 2010. And I have to say it's been great. The usual "complaints", cheap carpeting, no locking fuel door, with an inside release.

But overall? So much more to like, than dislike. A very satisfying vehicle to own.

However? Discovered another "minor" annoyance today. I bought the Honda center console and armrest. Today noticed the arm rest covering is IMO prematurely bubbling and almost flaking off.

Hasn't split, or torn yet...but the surface is getting weak.

I'm not too far away from it starting to flake off, or ripping.

For the amount Honda charged for this upgrade? I am disappointed in it's durability.

Since I'm talking about the small padded top piece that slides inwhich you rest your arm? And since it was NOT cheap to buy, I just wish Honda would of used more durable materials.

It wouldn't of taken much more material than the average mens wallet to make it out of leather. So what $30, $40?

Instead it appears Honda used a cheap immitation vinyl.

When it starts to look really bad, and/or does rip or flake, I guess my only option is to try to recover or upholester it myself.

But I guess in 2 years, if your only real discovered complaint is the covering on the arm rest?

That's still pretty good.

I still really like The Fit. I understand "cost savings" moves in some areas. But in some cases, it seems to me like the "difference" to make something just a little better would of been so marginal, that I wonder why Honda did NOT.

You'd be hard pressed to find cheaper carpeting than Honda put in The Fit.

The rubber IMO on the OEM all weather matts is too soft.

And now? The arm rest top is disintegrating.

Too bad these very minor things....mar the ownership of an otherwise wonderfully designed vehicle.

I have had my 2010 for 2 years as well. I agree with you--I am very happy with my Fit- Same complaints--I actually had to have the carpeting replaced within the first year since a hole wore in the front. I thought I saw that Honda had upgraded the carpet with the 2012 model. Can anyone verify?
I never did get the OEM armrest (too cheap ;) ), but opted for the less expensive one sold by Zeta products-- so far it has stayed in great shape & shows little wear--I rarely carry a passenger and mine may see less use.

After only a few short months and 6K on the car, the part that locks the sliding top into place is already weakening and I find the top part sliding forward a bit when I rest my elbow on it.

Sooznd, I don't think the carpet is upgraded in the 2012. Although I haven't seen the older models, what is in mine is closer to spray-on fuzz than what I would call carpet. It doesn't bother me as I have the Weathertech digitals in front and no one ever sits in back. And the back seats have the Honda mats that came with the Sport.

I must be the only person who actually likes the little pull-down armrest that came with the car. It is just the right height for me and seems entirely sufficient. I don't need the storage in a console as the built-in cubbies and cupholders are adequate.

afreespirit--"spray on fuzz" is good description of the floor covering, it is not carpet. :)
After I found a hole in mine, I brought it in to the dealer- (it was less than a year after purchase and only 11k miles)--so they said "we have never seen anything like this before" & agreed to replace the floor covering under warranty. Months later I received a call from Honda corporate-- asking me what type of shoes I had been wearing (trying to imply it was my fault)-wondering why it had worn so quickly. I told them I wore regular shoes & the quality of the material was poor. I referred them to this forum to show them it was not just me.

Ive been looking into a center arm rest for only one reason. My best friend feels the need to make me drive everywhere (because my fit is awesome obviously). But every time i pick my arm up to adjust the radio or anything, i find him steeling my only armrest. Not that he is doing it on purpose, he is just looking for somewhere to put his arm and the fit is lacking any passenger accommodations. would it really have been that hard for honda to put an arm rest on the passenger side as well? its always the simple things that kill an otherwise amazing car......

OP, what kind of cleaners are you using on your armrest?

I've had mine for a couple of years without any issues. And my arm is practically glued to the the thing when I'm in the fit. How do you know the material is PVC btw? I do wish the slide action latching felt a bit more positive.

I have a 79 one from ebay that is in great shape after 3 months, and another on the way that looks closer to the OEM and is made of real leather. Bug me in a month about it.

I have had mine since 2010. Fabric, not pvc, from the factory. Just fine.

Armrest reupholster
 

My center armrest cover on my '09 has stretched so much it's practically hanging over the side. Probably the humidity and saltwater hasn't helped (I live in Hawaii). Does anyone know how to take the top cover off for reupholstering? I removed every screw I could find but no luck - it must snap on somehow.

2012 Armrest Removal Question
 

I was under the impression that if one purchased an after market, or the OEM armrest/console, that you could remove the seat armrest and replace the cover. Upon removal of said armrest, I find that there is a BIG hole, and the rotation mount for the armrest seems to be a permanent part of the seat. As I intend to purchase Clazzio's, I'm wondering if anyone else has run into this problem, and how did you resolve it?? Thanks in advance for any assistance!!:)
2012 VBP Sport 5MT w/ minor appearance & comfort mods!!

Armrest removal cover
 

I bought the Honda center armrest console and it came with a round plastic cover that snaps over the hole in the side of the drivers seat when the stock armrest is removed. Maybe you can get one from Honda?

Weathertech mats are a great way to hide and protect the cheap carpet. One of the best things I've purchased for my Fit.

Armrest Hole COver
 

Thanks for your reply. Could you post a picture??:)

Noticed the same thing in my car today. Bummer.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7...e2b91040_z.jpg

Well, I blew it big time.

The cover on my arm rest was looking so stretched and wrinkled that yesterday I made the "mistake" of overestimating my skills. But I couldn't stand the look, it looked like a fat old womans arm.

So I disassembled the Arm Rest. Yes...remove enough screws and you can get the top part to come off...it unsnaps from a "layer".

Actually that part went pretty well.

The mistake I made was in trying to fix it. I bought some vinyl and was going to try to simply patch cover it.

Maybe someone with REAL upholstery skills could of done a much better job, but the job I Frankensteined?

Well....there will be no photos because it's just too embarassing.

On the "positive" side (sort of)....it's not a vague issue at all now. I can't live with this...

The only thing that bothers me at this point is the cost of replacement...won't be cheap...and the fact that I pretty much feel I'm forced to buy the exact same piece again.

So if I treat it with kid gloves...and NEVER clean it with anything wet..perhaps I get another year, year and a 1/2?

The above picture of "Team Kitty" is exactly what happened to mine, except mine got much, much worse. Eventually huge wrinkles and bubbling.

I really like the center console, and even the arm rest, having taken it apart, I can say it appears to of been built well.....but it's a case where one of the most important aspects...the cover on the arm rest itself wasn't product tested enough IMO.

If only Honda would of upgraded the cover just a little...thicker vinyl or even real leather. But IMO the vinyl is just too thin, and prone to premature breakdown in substance.

To answer an earlier question...When I first got the arm rest I did use Meguiars inside detailer spray on it to clean it off...perhaps that hastened it's deteriation.

When I get a new one, I plan to keep it as dry as possible...and use NO cleaner on it as much as possible.

That would be my advice to anyone that does own one. Try not to use ANY chemical on it...and keep it as dry as you can.

What about ditching the arm rest and getting the center console? i have considered it just because the arm rest is too narrow and short, its like resting my arm on a padded broom stick.

maybe try going to an auto junkyard and see if you can find a decent condition 1, they are usually very cheap regardless of condition, but might take a little time to find 1.

also the no-lock gas cap bothered me when i first picked up my fit, but then i did some searching around and found that if someone really wants to siphon your gas they'll need to bring along at least a 6' tube to get to it which i find hilarious!

I should be clear, I'm talking about the upgrade "center console" arm rest, NOT the fold down arm rest that comes standard.

I took the top portion to a local upholstery shop. I'm going to have it professionally re-upholstered. Leather this time. Which I think Honda should of made it that way originally.

I'll let you know how it all goes.

Fitchet, I'm glad to hear you were able to get the top part off without too much trouble. I plan on doing the same thing in the coming months and having an auto upholstery shop recover it in black or charcoal cloth seat material. I noticed a couple of Phillips head screws but it seemed like there might be more hidden underneath that would make it impossible to remove. Glad that's not the case. Pics when it's looking good please!

The top piece does remove...and it's actually pretty easy. The hardest part is just being careful not to lose any screws. A magnetized screw head and/or a pair of tweezers, or needle nose pliers will avoid the frustration of dropping a screw.

Sorry I took no pictures....I basically just experimented. But basically if you remove the plastic underside of the top portion...which is 4 screws...plus two that hold the piece which is the handle used to lift the top piece...plus a single screw in the middle near the hinge...the plastic underside is lose...you can move it out of the way by simply hinging it down towards the base. Then the top portion reveals the metal portion of underside of the top....slide that forward...or since it's hinged...up...and 4 screws will align with 4 holes...remove those...and the very, very top portion simply comes off..with a little jiggling. The usual disclaimer of proceed at your own risk applies. But basically it's just carefully removing the screws.

I got my top piece back from the upholstery shop. I had it redone in dark grey leather.

To be honest? The color match is so close to the original that it doesn't look that much different than the original piece did when it was brand new. Perhaps smoother and a little less visual texture. I think it feels much nicer...and looks much nicer than the wrinkled, blistering original as it deteriated.

I'm VERY happy as I thought my original piece had deteriated so bad, that it looked horrible.

I think if you already own the console and experience this deteriation, the best thing to do is to simply have that piece redone. I'm hoping real leather, will offer more durability and longevity.

I do not offer this as fact, simply overheard opinion. BUT the guy at the upholstery shop said they were getting a LOT of similar type of work from all car makes. Seems on newer cars, new ecologically friendly vinyls, that are produced using less petroleum, don't seem to be holding up as well. He said I was "lucky" as GM had a big arm rest/console in one of their SUV's that was deteriating very quickly and they had already redone several.

I have no idea...but I was surprised at how quickly the vinyl on my piece seemed to deteriate.

Anyway, I'm back in business...I think it looks great, it certainly feels better...now I just hope it lasts a little longer than 15 months.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/pict...772761&thumb=1

my 09 came with it when i bought the car late 2008. still looks like new. you guys may have gotten a bad batch?

anyway i noticed on my '12 that it comes with a built-in armrest on the driver seat (kinda minded me of a minivan... not cool) but it's functional so i dont plan on getting the optional one. not ever sure if they would even fit on the '12.

Fitchet- thank you so much for the super detailed removal description! Looks like you picked the right place to do the job. Looks stock just like you said. Nice when things work out. Thanks again.

Kenchan- the console comes with a little plastic plug for installs on sport models so you can remove the factory arm rest and cover the hole. Not necessary on base models.

Now I'll be taking a really close look at mine:confused: I haven't noticed any issues with it, but I never look at it, never clean it, just use it.

Please let us know how the re-upholster job goes and what it cost.

Jim

Armrest Reupholster
 

My armrest too was getting stretching and bubbling, it did make it almost 5 years though. I got it right when I bought my 2009 at the end of '08. It was really bothering me and I didn't want to buy a whole new armrest just for the top pad. It actually wasnt that bad getting it off. First open the armrest and you will first see two screws on the underside, carefully remove them so they don't drop into the armrest. Next there is one screw near the hinge, and finally the two screws on the lock, for a total of five. Now the underside should come down exposing the bottom of the armrest. Slide the pad up or forward two clicks, and you will see four screws, the same type that were holding bottom covering. One those are removed the top pops right off with a little bit of wiggling. I just searched for furniture repair shops in my area and found a guy to do it for $45 in real leather. Although when I picked it up he conceded I got the deal of the week as it was alot more work than he expected. A little more padded than stock and I went with black stitching as the car is cloth anyways. I have pictures if anyone wants to see, just nowhere to host them so hit me up and I can email them to you.

Old thread, but the arm rest on my 2009 is torn to shreds. It is in very bad shape. Material hanging out on all sides. My shift cover is also torn up. I will definitely recover the arm rest. Thanks for the info on how to take the top part off.

I think they sell an accessory leather shift knob. I also had to use jb weld in the driver and passenger armrests inside the door panels because those cracked just from normal use. Had to pull them off first though of course. I no longer have the car. Same about the interior material quality.