Hello. I have 2017 elegance cvt GK3, I think elegance model is more or less the same as EX. Car was undriven when I got it, now it has 1000km. (~630miles)

Just upgraded my wheels to 17”, and now it’s time for some coilovers.
KW kit would give me 20-40mm (1 - 1 1/2”) lower ride height, but I found out that 15mm (3/5”) would be recommended due to Honda Sensing system.

So my question is, is the 15mm (3/5”) total maximum with that system, or can I do more if I recalibrate the radars and cameras?

Thanks for advance.

 

I haven't been able to find any info on this. I know on other Honda models you are able to adjust the aiming mechanism of the radar. There is a bracket with adjustable joints that must be dialed in. This makes me think the radar system could be adjusted to function properly. I have not looked at how the Fit unit in particular is designed and setup. My experience is with the units that my employer makes for other Honda models.

I found a good article on CR-V milliwave radar. See here:
https://www.searchautoparts.com/abrn...idance-systems

It is adjustable but you definitely need some very specific tools that are probably out of our price range.

More information I found: https://s3.amazonaws.com/culturesync...esentation.pdf

The only reference to the effect on fit models in particular was a note from Spoon on their progressive springs that says not recommended for Honda Sensing (may effect functionality).

Have you tried checking Civic forums and what not? I have not done that yet.

 

The more stuff I'm reading, the more i'm thinking i'm not lowering my fit.

 

just lower it and see how it works, especially on coil overs you can raise it back to stock height..? at least the ones i installed on my GD and others had dat range.

id get the coilovers first and play with the height so dat you dont accidentally buy aggressive wheels (width and offset).

 

Just a quick 2 cents on the topic. I have 10,000+ miles driving my fit loaded to what I believe is max weight.. (800 pounds inside the car) I have helper air springs in the rear and I don't always adjust them to the same pressure and I don't always load the car exactly the same way. I use the Honda Sense features a lot.... I have never in 10,000 miles had a feeling that the system was not functioning consistently. Sometimes I make the car perfectly level, some times I get lazy and let the back sag a little.

Hopeful I understood the question correctly.

 

its good to know there is some range in tolerance. when one lowers the car, there is usually rake (front lower than rear) unless one goes for those tanabe springs aka boat look (barf) so probably the opposite of wat ure doing with the heavy load in the rear..

 

I don't know that this should affect the system too much. Object detection: When it comes to range, it has to be able to detect range for a wide range of car sizes, heights, etc. It has to respond to a Pilot and a Yaris the same way. So I don't think the height would make much of a difference per se. I could see the angle off horizontal being a thing; but will your lowering really affect that?

I could see there maybe being some difference in how the camera can read lane markings. They are going to appear more compressed vertically. But again, the system has to work well on many different slopes too.

I am NOT an expert (actually I am vaguely expert like given my job, but I'm not an engineer), and I would think that if the system is not able to function properly it will most likely be designed with a warning light to tell you that.

 

Sensing is definitely erratic being lowered. But I didn't buy it for the sensing.

 

Thanks for all the information.

After read those Helios links I presume that the system has to be calibrated always if wheel alligment needs to be done. So my experiences the 15mm limit would refer to that.

With that KW coilover kit I can’t go back to stock height, there is minimum lowering of 20mm in front and 10mm in the rear. So if it doesn’t work I have to change it to stock springs and dampers.
What comes to special tools and workshop environment. I have good relationships in local university’s testing facilities. So I probably can use their tools and laboratories to do necessary adjustments.

Only problem is that my current work is so hectic that if I have day or two time to make those modifications and some problems occurs. Next time that I have time to look it throu might be after couple months. And every one who has a wife knows how big problem it is if there is unwanted warnings in the dashboard...

 

Do you have first hand experience with these issues? Can you elaborate? Thanks!

 

collision assist is delayed and sometimes it doesn't always pick it up. maybe its because i really havent had a chance to hit anyone. who knows what the algorithm is for collision assist. your speed relative to distance of object in front.

i haven't tried cruise control yet. not sure how the erratic collision assist would affect the automatic cruise control when someone slows down or speeds up in front of u.

lane keep is about the same.

 

I just ordered Eibach Pro-Kit. I use the driving aids during my daily commute, so I will be able to give feedback. Stay thirsty my friends.

 

Subscribed for updates.

 

I was lowered on 3 corners for the past week (long story, see build thread for details) and just got the 4th corner lowered this evening.

During drive home everything functioned perfectly.

I will update again after commuting back and forth from work next week on my normal route. Normally I just set the cruise at 60mph and don't touch anything.

 

Drove to work today in normal traffic. No issues with Honda Sensing. Everything worked like normal.

 

Excellent!

 

all right I'll break this down real quick since this is what I do for a living........... The (FCW)Forward Collision and LDW)Lane Departure Warning/(LKAS)Lane Keep Assist System are in the windshield's camera the little flat topped triangle shape cut out in the black frit near the rear view mirror is the camera view area. The Sensor in the bumper is for (ACC) Adaptive Cruise Control.

The Camera system in the windshield is calibrated with VERY specific measurements to the factory specs and there are NO adjustments for altered ride heights. In fact when I do one it's supposed to be very specific...... All tires correctly matched to OE size and inflated properly, fuel tank FULL, vehicle NOT loaded. I recalibrate cameras for a living and do lots of Hondas but have yet had the pleasure of doing a Fit. I've heard a few guys saying they reverse engineered and recalculated and set everything to the new modified camera height but we will not do that for liability reasons as you are then changing factory specs.

most of the cars i've had come through with modified suspension we adjusted to as close to factory height as possible for the recal or I advised them that whether they wanted to trust the accuracy of the unrecalibrated system was up to them. But we raclibrate all cars with ADAS systems after windshield replacement as it is recommended to be done.

 

 

This thread brings up a very important issue.
Very complex technology is being included with cars that are considered "affordable and simple" nowadays.
Active safety systems are no longer reserved for cars that are expensive to buy and natively expensive to maintain.
And yet this stuff is out of the league of any regular repair shop to fix.
Specialized tooling and software is reserved to a small number of repair facilities and an average technician has no knowledge, training or expertise to touch this stuff.
So as much as I appreciate the added safety it provides, it puts tight restrictions on what you can and cannot do to a car.
We are being held hostage by developers of technologies who are the only ones with the tools and resources to fix , update and/or maintain them.
This is not a Koenigsegg, it's a cheapest Honda you can buy.
Fun times.

 

Gentlemen, a short view back to the past. Thirty years ago, Niki Lauda told us: "Take a trained monkey, place him into the cockpit and he is able to drive the car." Thirty years later Sebastian told us: "I had to start my car like a computer. It's very complicated." And Nico Rosberg said, err, he pressed during the race, I don't remember what race, the wrong button on the wheel. Question for you to both. Is formula 1 driving today too complicated with 20 and more buttons on the wheel, are you too much under effort, under pressure? What are your wishes for the future, concerning technical program, errrm, during the race? Less buttons, more? Or less and more comunication with your engineers.