New GE8! Top 5 DIY/Mods to do right away?
 

Hey all!

Moving on from my GD3 to a 2010 GE8 Sport! I'm getting the car at the 100k mark, so I understand that I have a few things ahead of me from a maintenance standpoint. I wanted to reach out and see what you all recommended as the best value mod/maintenance/hack/DIY.

My current plan:

1. IK22 spark plugs
2. Valve Adjustment
3. Transmission sensor replacement
4. LED bulb swap interior lights
5. Progress rear sway bar

I know that I'm asking two things here, maintenance and upgrades, but what are your TOP 5 MUST-DO mods to the GE8? Thank you all in advance!

Replace the stock lawnmower battery with a real car battery.

I bought a Walmart ValuePower for about $50. It's a 26, NOT a 26R!

Remove the hold down bracket and the plastic tray that the original battery sits in.

Bend the front edge of the steel shelf that the battery tray sits on forward with pliers so that it is even with the rest of the shelf. You need to do this for the bigger battery to fit.

Place the new battery in the car sideways: The positive terminal in the upper left corner and the negative in the lower left corner as you are looking at it from the front of the car.

The positive clamp won't fit properly so this is the only fabricating that you will need to do: Make a small, metal extension to bridge between the battery clamp and that extra module that is connected to it. The bridge I made is about three inches long and steps up at about a 45 degree angle to provide the necessary clearance.

I've had this setup in my car since last year and I love it! I never have to worry about my car not starting after sitting for a day without driving it. I can shut the engine off and listen to my radio for a few of hours and it will start right up.

I got the cheapest 26 battery I could find as a test, and this Walmart battery has performed like a champ!

thank you (OP) and reply-er/s...

i recently (may 2k17) picked up my first fit (used) and have been at-a-loss to figure out what might be needed... in particular, i found that the printed manuals (both owner and service) were tough to locate... atm, im working with electronic-copies - but would much rather have the paper-version with me when actually trying to do something... (even something as simple as changing the oil)

i will check on the battery soon... i vaguely remember (during my first-read onine here) that there was a semi-common problem where folks were draining/filling their transmission-oil with motor-oil (or vice-versa)... [[trudges out to the car to look under the hood for the first (?!?) time]]

apparently the battery is a 151R-DLG and my google-fu said that (on these forums) folks often replaced it with a 51R (minus-100)... also, the oil-dipstick had an orange-shield and the transmission-dipstick (i think) had a yellow-shield (much-lower in engine)... i found the oil-input cap, but did not see the transmission-fluid-input cap... unless the clear-cap on rhs was for transmission-fluid... (methinks it is for brake-fluid)

basically, as you can tell, i really need a service-manual - since im kinda dense about these things... if anyone has a paper-version theyd be willing to part with, id like to buy it... [atm - i cannot even locate the electronic-copy i thought id downloaded]

btw, OP, i think i noticed a thread which said you might want to be sure you have wheel-locks for your tires/wheels (since you have the SPORT) version... i dont and was not planning to - but like all things, ymmv... :-)

anyways - thanks for the thread - and any further ideas about things to check (and/or update / replace) on a new-used 2nd-gen-fit...

sincerely, h.

ps - i checked for safety-recalls, btw, and noticed 3 different ones; however when i typed in my vin - the system said zero-recalls... using website named safercar-dot-gov...

5 yrs on my OEM 151R battery. Works perfectly. No need to modify anything. Will replace with OEM size when it needs to be replaced.


OP, I would replace a thermostat and all coolant hoses (there are lots of small ones around the throttle body. Also the radiator cap!

Yeah, i know this is old
 

My first change was putting a hexagonal (honeycomb) aluminum mesh inside of the front bumper to protect the a/c condenser. Custom car grills makes sheets of the stuff sold on amazon. Aint cheap, but my condenser has been nick free in the time I've owned it. Theres an older write up on here about top mods that credit is owed to for that one.

for me having a manual tranny, I picked up a buddyclub short shifter. Speeds stuff up, but a heavier shift knob really smooths it out.

for an automatic i'd look into a throttle controller. Avoid apexi, the voltage output that it sends when in power modes peaks when yer barely touching the gas then dies down the harder you press. Id like to see one with a more.. progressive increace in output
​​​​​​their economy modes just create lag in sending said voltage from the pedal. I think its dumb.

Next up, wheels/tires. More important than the rest. Dont gotta break the bank either. The ge8 on stocker sizing isnt very safe in the rain. If you try to push limits even on the dry, youll find yourself in uncomfortable situations.
​personally i went with sparco terras in 16x7 +35 sizing. Wrap them in some 205/50/16 tires. No rub, plenty of grip if you choose the right rubber. I went with yokohama s drives to enjoy the handling. Burned through em in 20k miles though. Next up is michelin crossclimate+ in 205/55/16. Cant guarantee fitment yet, should be nice. They have a pretty solid rep via tirerack, an aggressive, water friendly, even stylistic treadblock. Plus theyre warrantied for mileage for 50k miles. Prorated up til then, and michelin is good about honoring their warranties. You just pay for it up front, but its worth it usually. Avoid the eco crap. You dont want an 80k warranty tire, too hard/unsafe, n the cheapo stuff can have uneven rubber density leading to poor balancing, cupping, some get tread sep to boot.

Next is the clutch master cylinder.. but again, a manual thing. Gives feel to shifts, removes delayed release of the slippy juice.

at 100k youll likely need struts, a valve lash adjustment, some new rubbery bits all around prolly.

for anyone approaching this milestone, hell, id say thatd do it. Oh, and redline fluids/oils. Check out bobistheoilguy for info, but i and many others, motorcycle crowd included, swear by the stuff. Its got a lot of moly which coats internals to protect from wear. For point of ref, moly is the gobbledygook youll find when you pull off the valve cover. Its an important part of engine break-in and keeps benefiting long after. Their mtl (atf for automatics) really smooths out the tranny, and 0-20 for the oil. Going thicker warms up faster and smooths out noise/valve clatter, but it creates drag on internals that decreases fuel efficiency and also slows the car down a bit. If the cars a little beat or as it ages i might jump back to 10w30. (Already tried it)
​​change said oil around 5k and drain n fill the tranny once at each oil change.

progress bar comes after the rest
​, and ive seen no need for performance coilovers.

anyways, hope this helps someone

In terms of mods, I really like the progress RSB, Revo Shifter Box, and D2 Springs. Car handles so much better afterwards.

where to get progress RSB ?
what about FSB?

thanks

Check Google.

I'm getting out of the Fit game, but the first 5 cheap and effective mods I did were:
1. Routine maintenance - Oil change, spark plugs, air filter, inflate tires, transmission fluid change, coolant flush, bleed brakes, etc. It gets your car running in top notch shape and prolongs the life of the car. You should do them anyway.
2. Valve adjustment - It's free/cheap if you have feeler gauges and ratchet w/ sockets. Improved responsiveness especially if it hasn't been done in a while.
3. Lighter rims and tires - I bought a used set of Konig Helium 10lb rims that sped up acceleration by reducing rotating mass. I found a set of 4 on craigslist for $300. They're $80 ea on Amazon.
4. HPS short ram intake - Increased acceleration, throttle response and high end speed. It was a struggle getting to 65mph with the stock airbox. The car would get to 80mph easily after the mod. I bought one for $150.
5. LED projector retrofit - Improved visibility on the road at night. $50 for a retrofit kit and bulbs on Amazon.

And a few more...
6. Swift lowering springs - Improved handling and susceptibility to cross wind on the freeway. The car is very upright and gets blown easily. It really made the car feel more planted.
7. Rear sway bar - I picked up a used Progress rear sway bar on craigslist for $100. It helped with cornering and steering response.
8. Catback exhaust - I picked up a Yonaka catback exhaust for $230 on their website. It definitely improved throttle response where I could lose traction if I gassed too hard. It also made cruising on the freeway at high speeds easier. It was a bit loud though and I eventually took it off.
9. Upgrade the battery like the guys said before. The one it comes with has a limited capacity and tends to drain easily.
10. Quick shifter for MT vehicles. I picked up the Mugen quick shifter, and it improved the shifting feel. The stock shifter feels like plastic. Add a weighted shift knob on top of that.