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Anyone else get a loose engine splash shield under their car?
3rd Generation GK Specific DIY: Repair & Maintenance Sub-ForumThreads discussing repairs and maintenance you can do yourself on the 3rd generation Honda Fit (GK)
There are sufficient issues with the splash shield coming off. Use zip ties to ensure it stays on. They are cheap and effective. There is no reason to not use them.
If the dealer changed your oil, and the shield fell off, it was their fault. Replacement should be free.
I hate the two rear clips on the shield. They have tiny Phillips heads in plastic. They either break or the heads get stripped, and I have to pry them out. I bought a bunch of them (two Fits), but I don't want to have to keep ordering and buying them. I'll have to figure a better way to attach those two rear points.
If the dealer changed your oil, and the shield fell off, it was their fault. Replacement should be free.
I hate the two rear clips on the shield. They have tiny Phillips heads in plastic. They either break or the heads get stripped, and I have to pry them out. I bought a bunch of them (two Fits), but I don't want to have to keep ordering and buying them. I'll have to figure a better way to attach those two rear points.
I use zip ties it's extra work but they hold up well. Check it every now and then though, I had one incident when one came loose cause I ran over a twig, must have hit the part where the zip tie is.
I use zip ties it's extra work but they hold up well. Check it every now and then though, I had one incident when one came loose cause I ran over a twig, must have hit the part where the zip tie is.
My dealer only removes the front part to change the oil.
There are sufficient issues with the splash shield coming off. Use zip ties to ensure it stays on. They are cheap and effective. There is no reason to not use them.
My daughter changed the oil in my garage in her 2016 EX last week. She asked me for some cable ties. When I asked what for? She said a few of the plastic push in pins were missing and she uses cable ties to replace them. She did the same thing on her previous 2011 Fit.
This really sounds like something Honda ought to address. It has been going on for years.
My daughter changed the oil in my garage in her 2016 EX last week. She asked me for some cable ties. When I asked what for? She said a few of the plastic push in pins were missing and she uses cable ties to replace them. She did the same thing on her previous 2011 Fit.
This really sounds like something Honda ought to address. It has been going on for years.
I find this screw-up hard to understand. They have simple sheetmetal screws in the front portion, but in the rear they have those two ridiculous plastic things.
I've been thinking of a way to put in something simpler. From what I recall, it's not possible to reach behind the opening for the plastic pins. If I was into welding, I'd just weld a nut on there.
...From what I recall, it's not possible to reach behind the opening for the plastic pins. If I was into welding, I'd just weld a nut on there.
For now, zip ties are the easiest solution. They are cheap, strong and easily added. To weld you'd need to go under the car, grind away at the paint, do the weld, then repaint. That's way more work than adding 2-3 zip ties per oil change.
Something like a drywall anchor might work, but it might rust itself to the bolt. This area is prone to lots of salt water and muck. There are plastic versions.
For now, zip ties are the easiest solution. They are cheap, strong and easily added. To weld you'd need to go under the car, grind away at the paint, do the weld, then repaint. That's way more work than adding 2-3 zip ties per oil change.
Something like a drywall anchor might work, but it might rust itself to the bolt. This area is prone to lots of salt water and muck. There are plastic versions.
Funny, but that's what I was think about using - non-rusting, of course. I was also thinking about Dzuz fasteners, but the size has to be just right.
After the last oil change the two rear fasteners were gone. Not sure if it was immediately after or not since it was not noticeable until I was driving behind our Fit. So that's two times for us. Fortunately, I had previously purchased a few of those and took only a few minutes to reach under and push in some new ones. Two weeks later, still holding.
i did the oil change on the GK for the second time since ownership da other month.
while the hardware is garbage, it does seem to hold fine if u are gentle with it. i dont foresee mine having to be replaced. i live in a snow belt state with harsh winters. no issue.
Had my FIT at the dealer for the bumper recall which requires dropping the engine splash guard. That same evening I performed my first oil change and those clips fell right out ... dealer didn't bother to replace with new clips! They appear to be single-use clips: drop the pan and heave the clips.
Those clips are a cheap/cheesy/stupid design flaw. BUT - they are also very inexpensive:
Part Number: 91514-TG1-T01 $0.50 a piece.
I ordered 6 of them, replaced the two the dealer broke and have two sets for future oil changes.
By the way same dealer had to order the clips for me as they had none in stock ... probably why they didn't replace them when they should have.
Thanks.... I called the Dealer ( parts department) and they don't "stock" them. So I brought up the fact that if I had my oil changed at their location and the clip was damaged, they would send my vehicle out with out replacing them. Made a good point.... so they are ordering me (6) at .75 each and will put some in stock. Thanks for posting the part number DDfit151
My GD you don't have to take the shield off to change the oil.
I bought a shield off amazon for like 30 bucks. its trimmed a little different than the stock one.
2016 LX, manual. I've had two oil changes done by my local independent. Have never had any issues with it coming off. I had mentioned the shield problems at my first oil change. Tech told me it was just a matter of reinstalling it correctly.
So, any problems may not be caused by the design, but by whoever is working on the vehicle.
The design or the rear attachment has to get some of the blame - ridiculous. The sheet metal screws are fine. Why couldn't they have used them in the rear? I've lost one of the speed nuts for a screw, but they're easy to replace. I have an oil and trans fluid change coming up. While the shield is off, I'll trace it onto my stainless steel for future reference. I'll also try to figure a way to attach the rear of the shield.
Last edited by SilverEX15; May 5, 2017 at 08:53 AM.
Just another reason why I change my own oil. I keep some extra fasteners "in stock" so I know they're good. The problem seems to be that the dealers who change your oil don't stock replacement fasteners, so they reuse damaged ones. Not so much as a design problem as much as a training/inventory problem.
Not so much as a design problem as much as a training/inventory problem.
It's poor design to use single-use fasteners for something that needs to be removed and replaced repeatedly for routine maintenance. Most such plastic fasteners are designed to be installed only once. It is indeed poor design, and it's been a known problem since the first generation of Fits.
It's poor design to use single-use fasteners for something that needs to be removed and replaced repeatedly for routine maintenance. Most such plastic fasteners are designed to be installed only once. It is indeed poor design, and it's been a known problem since the first generation of Fits.
Other than the one fastener that was broken when I hit a cat, I've had no trouble reusing the plastic fasteners, because I know enough not to overtighten/strip them when I install them. The design certainly could be better, but I'm not about to resort to zip ties, either.
Giving Honda the benefit of doubt, sometimes I wonder if the splash shield fasteners are a shining example of automotive engineering and we just don't get it. Is it possible they designed the shield to easily break away without tearing up the bottom of the car? I had that thought when I was driving for miles over a frozen slush that was loudly rubbing on the bottom of the car. That experience gives me pause whenever I consider replacing the fasteners with a sturdier alternative.
... Is it possible they designed the shield to easily break away without tearing up the bottom of the car?...
In the event that the splash shield would break away, it would be damaged or destroyed by either the rear tires, getting hooked on something under the car, or destroyed by a following vehicle. The splash shield might also damage something on the bottom of the car. In all cases, I see no upside to having the owner buy another splash shield for a couple hundred. Can you think of a use case? i thought of that too, but cannot come up with any probable use case.
