Hello guys, another Fit freak here :-D

I LOVE me Fit, it has been serving me well, better than an SUV. Just love it.

I bought my Fit 2015 with CVT brand new from the dealer in Nov, 2014, change oil and filters regularly, take good care of her all the time. It never had any problems for the last 3.5 years, until recently, when the temperature dropped, every time when I press the button to start the engine, it will only but immediately start everything electric, like headlight, dashboard, entertainment, just not the engine. Meanwhile, you will hear some really quiet noise for a second as if some liquid is flowing quietly in the tubes. I will have to wait in the car for a few minutes, sometimes 10 minutes, and keep trying, eventually it will start the engine.

When the temperature increases, it takes less attempts, but still annoying.

I brought it to the mechanics for an oil change, they also did an inspection, saying the battery is good, they didn't find any issues. But the problem still exists.

The reason why I don't want to bring it back to the dealer where I bought it, is because they are not very honest regarding price. Last time they tried to charge me $300+ to change the air filters. I ordered from Amazon, costed me only $30+ in total and 10 minutes.

Any suggestions will help! Thank you so much in advance.

 

There have been anecdotal reports of GK5 starter failure here before 50K. These seem to be more prevalent in the EX/pushbutton start. If your vehicle is out of warranty, Honda has been all over the place as far as help. Sometimes they'll foot the bill, sometimes they won't pay anything, and sometimes they split the bill or give you a service credit.

I'd contact Honda corporate to see if they offer any support. If you take it to a dealer and your vehicle is out of warranty, ask if there is a diagnostic fee before you agree to an inspection. I recently recommended someone on this forum to have a dealer check it out, and the dealer charged a $125 diagnostic fee just to say the starter is gone.

 

i dont know about the liquid sound, but push button start cars can fail at the switches.. brake switch and clutch switch if MT. id take the switch apart and clean it real well with WD40.

 

Thank you Bargainguy, I'm completely a newbie on the terminology about cars. My best guess is, GK5 = Generation 2015? before 5k (miles)? Usually how many years does regular warranty covers? I remember I bought some extra years from the dealer, but can't find the paperwork. I just contacted Honda, waiting for their feedback. Thanks again.

Thank you Kenchan, is it newbie friendly to clean those switches with wd-40? :-D

 

GK is the chassis code for the 3rd generation. GD was the 1st, GE was the 2nd. Normal bumper to bumper warranty is 3yr/36k miles and the drive train warranty is 5yr/60k.

 

yah, actually ive used WD40 on many electronic contacts including jacks for my music gear, potentiometers on amps, volume sliders on mixers, etc. for decades. it doesnt take much, just a tiny squirt and wipe off the excess.

but thats if the culprit is the switch contacts.

 

How old is the battery? I know you said it tested good, but I've seen multiple bad batteries that pass when tested. The fact that you say it is worse when the temperature is cold is typical of a bad or failing battery.

 

the fluid noise could be a couple of things...from generic experience...probably someone can correct my errors......car will do vacum check on fuel system...car will "test" abs brakes.....those are the only noises i can think you may be hearing...2 cents....POSSIBLY...the electrical drain from those tests weakens the battery sufficeintly so you have to "wait" for it to recover....try leaving the lights on for 5? minutes (never done this..so maybe someone could suggest a better time range)...THEN try and start the engine.....if it doesnt or slow crank..battery may be the problem....i would bet battery...if i had to bet.

 

Thanks guys. I contacted Honda and they left me along for a few days. So I contacted them again. They said my car is out of warranty. There's nothing they can do. I can only go to dealers to pay for the diagnosis.

Yes, 2015FITEX was right that I always have to sit in the car for a few minutes and then start the engine, it will be fine.
Lane03, I think what you said might be very likely the reason. How can I verify if it's the battery issue? Should I just go to advanced auto parts and try it out?
Thank you Kenchan, what switch should I look for, approximately where? how do they look like?

Thank you guys so much!!!

 

If the battery is the original (3+ years old) then I would just replace it as you'll need to do that soon anyway even if the battery isn't the cause of the problem.

Edit: Another test would be to simply try jump-starting the car when cold and see if it starts right up.

 

The fluid noise could be the fuel pump priming. Since the tank is right beneath your seat, you can probably easily hear it. It's like when starting a motorbike. (15 seconds into this video ) I also sometimes here the fuel sloshing bank into the tank after I turn off the car.

If the battery is 3 yrs old, I'd just swap it out with a 51R to see if that fixes it.

There have been reported failures of starters as well. For those who reported it, the starting problem gets worse and worse.

My suggestion would be to find a good and trustworthy independent mechanic. I hate going to the dealership and only go for warranty work.

 

Thanks guys. In the last couple of days I haven't heard that "liquid-like" noise after I press the button anymore.

Also, the reason why I hesitate about getting a new battery is because I am going to drive this car for another 1.5 months and then I will sell it. It's perfect condition except this. If I can fix it with a little WD40 like Kenchan suggested, that will be great. I hope when it gets warmer, this problem hopefully will be much less an issue.

(Kenchan, you said "push button start cars can fail at the switches.. brake switch and clutch switch if MT. id take the switch apart and clean it real well with WD40." Would you please give me a little further information on what I need to do? Do i need to just spray a little bit of WD40 into the start engine button, or do I need to tear the car apart to clean the brake switch and clutch switch? Thank you so much!)

What do you guys think?

 

your going to haveproblems selling a dodgy car...at least you can say new battery?

 

I think at a minimum you should see if jump starting the car fixes the issue. If so, replace the battery. Fix the problem, don't try to cover it up just long enough to sell the car. If you can't fix it, disclose the problem when you sell the car.

 

hes going to HAVE to fix it or 1) hes going to get 500 dollars for the car 2) a brick through the front window of his house,


neither are good options.....