Thank you for the information! That explains why the outdoor temperateure value is so sensitive to both engine coolant heater and hot road surface!

 

Couple weeks ago we made a holiday trip with Jazz to up north: Northern Norway and Finnish Lapland. Having four people and packages on the road for one week requires some discipline regarding the amount of stuff carried with, because the trunk is rather small. Especially footwear for hiking consumes a lot of space.

We cheated a bit and put the car into the train for the first 800 km (500 miles) and slept in the cabin for that night.



Crossing the border between Finland and Norway.

 

That is strange. My temp sensor has been pretty much spot on and I've driven in over 40C and -40C conditions. I do have a real time engine temp/coolant monitor and I found that it doesn't really influence the outside temp gauge. Unless yours is placed in a different location than mine. I can understand that it being in a shaded spot may give a slightly different reading than in a sunny baked area.

 

By engine coolant heater I mean mains operated electric block heater. When the heater is connected for couple of hours before starting the engine, and the temperature is -20...-30 C, the outdoor temp display on the car shows couple of degrees less cold than the outdoor thermometer on our house. When the block heater has not been used both show practically same temperature. And when I begin driving, it drops two or three degrees.

 

Oh I see. I don't have a block heater so no experience there.

 

New open center console arrived this week, and it looks very good. It just needs to wait for a while until I got time to install it.

 

I have genuine Honda accessory wheels (i.e. dealer option) for winter tires. Since new I have been thinking they look a bit boring. I bought Honda hubcaps with red emblem, which I have on summer wheels, but they do not fit to the centre bore. This autumn I decided to paint the background with enamel paint to see if that will work. It looks nice, but only time will tell if the paint resists weather and washing.

 

Forgot to ask what is the reason that you want to go to a basic center console when you have the upgraded one (with the center storage and probably your heated seats controls)?

 

That's of course about my personal preferences.

I find open storage more versatile and practical. It is easier to use during driving and accessible from both front and rear seats. Like shared candy bag during journeys.

Open center console is also lower from rear, which makes it less awckward to reach to rear during driving. For example to get some stuff from rear footwell, or to reach the map pocket behind the passenger seat.

And it makes more spacious feeling, when there is less obstructs above the seat level. It also makes easier to switch passenger seating positions during the driving.

I will create a place to mount the seat heater switches with the open center console. I'd prefer somewhere around the gear stick, but unfortunately the best place is already occupied by the auto start/stop button.

 

Good points. I did think about moving the heated seat controls somewhere on the dash before my total loss. It is a thick cube.

 

Do you have any pics of the interior heater?

 

Yes I do, see below. It is a 1700 W PTC type Defa Termini II interior heater on quick mount installed on the passenger side of the centre console. Because of the shape of the windshield and the dashboard in GK Fit/Jazz, it doesn't defrost the lower part of the window very well.

 

That's a nice way of mounting it!

 

Streamlined

(licence number altered for privacy)

 

I've read of others who've added insulation to the roof and doors of their FIT.
One of the benefits (aside from reduced NVH) was more consistent interior temps.
Might be something you'd consider adding.

 

I think it's more about the airflow. The area between the shallow windshield and large dashboard top is like a dead end, and therefore warm airflow from the electric heater does not circulate there. It is very different compared to the older cars where the windshield was less inclined and the top of the dashboard was rather narrow.

I take my hat off to people who are putting effort on insulating the Fit/Jazz, but personally I consider it too big job to do, especially when I think Fit/Jazz is actually quite quiet car. Besides I don't want to add weight, because it's the power-to-weight ratio which defines the performance of the car.

 

My extensive sound deadening also did improve the car's ability to stay warmer in winter and stay cooler in summer!

 

Yes, I believe you! Ceiling insulation probably has the biggest effect on that.
Did you weigh or calculate the weight of the sound deadening material used for your Fit?

 

If I had to guess, I would say I have at least an extra 150lbs or more in sound deadening. It does not affect my fuel mileage at all since I kept meticulous records.

 

After contributing to this thread, it has me considering adding more insulation as well.
I'm less concerned with fuel economy and noise, I just like the consistent interior temps.

Had that in my old 86 BMW from factory.
On a sunny yet chilly prairie winters day, the interior would stay warm for hours despite the car being shut off.
I experienced this because I was installing a new head unit (radio).
Was kinda weird, but cozy.