I just imported my parents 2009 Fit to Canada and found very strange issue. I turned on heat and after adjusting vents to my liking noticed some white fluffy tissue inside the vents - several pieces pressed by hot air against the vent grid from the inside. I tried to pull it out using my fingers and pencil (the only tool I had with me) and they look like a cotton or wool flock - some synthetic insulation foam/carpet material or something like that.
I noticed it in central and side vents, took out 3 or 4 pieces so far. My best guess would be it's some kind of insulation from Honda that comes from factory, but why it's inside the vents? Could it be that at some point inside the vents plastic tubes are broken and insulation material is starting to get inside? Can it be something from outside sucked into the vents - is that possible? I'm not sure if air can come directly into the vents or there's some filter in between?

 

Ok, I found the problem. If you open lower glove-box and take it down to check cabin air-filter behind it - you can see some strange white padded insulation on the back side of glove-box. This insulation (when glove-box is closed) comes very close to fan intake (especially when in recirculation mode) and part of this insulation due to time and suction pressure from fan was deteriorated and sucked into the ventilation system. Not sure if Honda knows about this - looks like a Service Bulletin to me.

 

I doubt if this would warrant a SB as no one else here has mentioned it. Also after a bit of time I suspect it would stop as only so much material to go through vent.

I suspect maybe someone has disturbed the padding/insulation on a previous filter change. Or could be the mice. I had a chipmunk living around my cabin filter. He ate part of it and shit of the other part -).

 

I think you are right - it may be the mice. Because I saw small black kinda rice things - probably mice poop, didn't payed attention at first. I hope mice did not make home in warm underbellies of Fit, otherwise mice probably crossed border illegally during export/import procedure (I'll let mice bother with immigration control), but whats worse I hope Fit wires are not that yummy otherwise I may end up with eaten wires and start experiencing electrical issues
I have a cat, but he is too lazy too even eat his cat food, definitely not catching mice.

 

You got mice. They will gnaw wiring. So when It stops one day you know what it is.

Maybe the trip to the Great White North froze them?

I would replace filter. Chinese ones are cheap. I bought three last year on Ebay. You can get them at Crappy Tire but take the old one as one I looked at was mislabeled.

bill

 

Thanks, that's why I couldn't find cabin air-filter at Crappy Tire. I'll take it next time with me to check size.