2015 Honda Fit M-CVT DRIVE PULLEY SHAFT recall
I have not had the recall done and I run 2100 at 65.
I had the CVT and ignition coil recall done saturday morning.
Overall, I don't feel like the car is faster. But I have seen a significant increase in fuel economy.
Typically I average 28 MPG in about 90% city/10% highway driving. Since having the recall done, I've driven 65 miles, 100% city, and am getting 34 MPG according to the computer.
I have to get gas tonight so I'll track it by hand for the next full tank and see if this is really the case.
The CVT feels much more like a CVT than it did before. It doesn't hunt for the right ratio anymore (which was a lot like a typical AT IMO). It seems to be a lot more variable and keep the engine right at the sweet spot. The CVT seems a little slower to change to the next ratio when using the paddles. A couple times, I'd upshift from 4th to 7th and it now takes a full 2 seconds or so for the tach to drop from 5000 to 2000.
Another observation - does anyone's steering feel heavier since the update? I'd swear the wheel is heavier and gives a little more feedback? It feels like they swapped the EPS with a hydraulic unit. Definitely not complaining about that. Or maybe I'm just crazy.
Overall, I don't feel like the car is faster. But I have seen a significant increase in fuel economy.
Typically I average 28 MPG in about 90% city/10% highway driving. Since having the recall done, I've driven 65 miles, 100% city, and am getting 34 MPG according to the computer.
I have to get gas tonight so I'll track it by hand for the next full tank and see if this is really the case.
The CVT feels much more like a CVT than it did before. It doesn't hunt for the right ratio anymore (which was a lot like a typical AT IMO). It seems to be a lot more variable and keep the engine right at the sweet spot. The CVT seems a little slower to change to the next ratio when using the paddles. A couple times, I'd upshift from 4th to 7th and it now takes a full 2 seconds or so for the tach to drop from 5000 to 2000.
Another observation - does anyone's steering feel heavier since the update? I'd swear the wheel is heavier and gives a little more feedback? It feels like they swapped the EPS with a hydraulic unit. Definitely not complaining about that. Or maybe I'm just crazy.
My coil recall was done last week. Overall its a bit smoother at idle, and still feeling the increased tug down low. MPG still appears up in the city, (low 30s) but it all evens out to maybe a +1 Mpg increase even with the cold weather. The CVT reprogram seems to have been the biggest benefit of the two.
Total Recall
Took my Honda Fit to the Stealership on Halloween day for the CVT recall thinking that the Service Center would be empty and I could zip in and zip out. Three hours later it was completed. Don't think it typically takes that long but they were abnormally busy and I had at least 3 other cars ahead of mine.
I'm always in Eco mode and it seems a little peppier on acceleration. Never received a Honda recall notification - I believe they were contacting customers beginning October 16th.
I'm always in Eco mode and it seems a little peppier on acceleration. Never received a Honda recall notification - I believe they were contacting customers beginning October 16th.
Fitfreak is quite an owner resource
Thanks for all the informative notes folks. I don't have a lot of confidence in my dealership (or most others for that matter) and it is reassuring to hear that these two recalls seem to go reasonably well.
Apparently my 12/2014 produced fit falls under this recall. I took it in to get them to take pictures of the misaligned front bumper issue as instructed by American Honda. Have a case open and they want pictures before they will authorize a body shop to look.
I was told by the service advisor that the CVT recall needed to be done. I was surprised to hear that as I had been following this thread and had just checked the recall site a few days ago. I plugged my vin and it was updated 11/5. Since I document my mileage very carefully, I'm curious to see how this will affect MPG and performance.
I was told by the service advisor that the CVT recall needed to be done. I was surprised to hear that as I had been following this thread and had just checked the recall site a few days ago. I plugged my vin and it was updated 11/5. Since I document my mileage very carefully, I'm curious to see how this will affect MPG and performance.
Got my (CVT) notice in the mail yesterday, so I'll be scheduling a dealer trip next week, if possible. I, too, keep detailed mileage records and will report back with any noticed changes in either performance or mileage.
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I got the recall notice yesterday and concerned that the software update will put a limiter on how much power the engine provides to the CVT. Which makes me think they didn't spec'd this design properly or used inferior parts?
I am going to wait this out for a bit to get overall picture.
I am going to wait this out for a bit to get overall picture.
After driving one tank after the CVT recall, I think it's a good improvement. Acceleration from a stop seems to have been smoothed out and actually feels stronger. The gas mileage is hard to gauge with this tank because I had a lot of short errands to run over the weekend and Veterans day. I still managed over 38.326 MPG but the last 5 tanks have been consistently at 43+ MPG. So short drives and driving in sport in twisty roads really mess with your mileage. Also not sure if my gas station as swapped to a winter blend yet. I can say that with the current drive mpg screen, I can still hit 46+ MPG like I did before the recall so that's a good sign.
S Mode + HKS Exhaust =
S Mode + HKS Exhaust =
After driving one tank after the CVT recall, I think it's a good improvement. Acceleration from a stop seems to have been smoothed out and actually feels stronger. The gas mileage is hard to gauge with this tank because I had a lot of short errands to run over the weekend and Veterans day. I still managed over 38.326 MPG but the last 5 tanks have been consistently at 43+ MPG. So short drives and driving in sport in twisty roads really mess with your mileage. Also not sure if my gas station as swapped to a winter blend yet. I can say that with the current drive mpg screen, I can still hit 46+ MPG like I did before the recall so that's a good sign.
S Mode + HKS Exhaust =

S Mode + HKS Exhaust =
just a guess here.. but a software fix for a hard item.. the shaft, seems like a economical fix for Honda.. I think a correctly hardened shaft is more appropriate, but that cost more in time and steel. I would feel better with a mechanical fix.
When the two factors are combined over time, the high pressure could cause the shaft to break. If this happens, it would result in losing drive to the front wheels or in them locking up. According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF), Honda received the first report of a shaft breaking in July 2014 in the US, and there was a wheel lockup in Canada in January 2015. As of September 3, there were 23 warranty claims about this issue but no reported injuries.
The fix will be an update to the CVT's software, and the recall will begin October 16, according to NHTSA. Honda is urging owners to get their vehicles repaired as soon as they receive the notification."
So...what do we think the software fix changed? I would think that it would be the software lowering the high pressure since it isn't a hardware fix (Harder spec drive pulley shaft). If this is the case, what does lowering the pressure to the drive pulley shaft do? What is affected by lowering the pressure to the drive pulley shaft? Ex: Fuel economy, acceleration, power, etc?
Educating myself now --->
I gather from this video that if pressure is reduced, belt clamping pressure has been reduced. If belt clamping pressure has been reduced, the CVT would be prone to belt slippage sooner in the long run. Also, at the end of the video, the clamping of the pulley is what helps forward motion. If clamping pressure is reduced, acceleration could/should possibly be slightly slower. But that is not what people are noticing or feeling. I'm not sure how reducing pressure to the pulley increases gas mileage.
Last edited by Myxalplyx; Nov 16, 2015 at 12:17 PM.
My guess is that any change in fuel economy is related to the software reset deleting any "learning" the controller had done previously (assuming the CVT controller is able to "learn" in the same way your engine controller learns how you drive and adjusts accordingly). Depending on the way you drive, you could experience a temporary increase or decrease in mileage while it relearns.
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There have been one or two folks here who reported CVT problems not related to the recall (one that comes to mind failed completely and the dealer ended up replacing the whole unit). There have others who have reported issues with their MTs. Neither surprises me… stuff breaks, 6 Sigma notwithstanding.
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