So our 2007 Fit (83,000 miles) broke down in the middle of Pennsylvania on Xmas eve on the way to visit family. Big bummer. The car is still there - we were rescued by family and will have to pick it up on the way back home.

I was able to drop it off after-hours at a dealership. The primary problem isn't in dispute. The engine suddenly developed a miss. It shook so badly I thought it might break off the engine mounts. The dealership says it needs 2 coils and 4 plugs. They are going to charge me an arm and a leg, but I don't have any alternative.

However, they also are telling me that we need also to get the valves adjusted. They said that if I only replace the plugs/coils but don't get the valves adjusted, the miss may not go away. Further, running the car without adjusted valves would just wreck the brand new coils and plugs, which would have to be replaced a 2nd time.

I called my mechanic back home for a second opinion. He said the dealership is dead wrong. He said my Fit doesn't need a valve adjustment because it has hydraulic valve lifters. He said only older cars need valve adjustments.

I'm distrustful of the dealership's attempt to connect the valve adjustment to the coils/plugs. But I also can't find anything online to verify what my home mechanic said.

I'm picking the car up on Wednesday and will have to drive it about 100 miles home. Any advice?

(Disclaimer: I feel like an ignoramus posting this. In my defense, I've only had this car for a year and am still learning its quirks. Prior to that, I was car-less for 8 years. And prior to that I owned a 1990 Ford F-150. A lot has changed since 1990!).

 

I hate to say this but the Fit doesn't have hydraulic lifters... There has been post that I've read that have mentioned that out of adjustment valves have something to do with the coils failing.... I hate that you have to pay dealer labor and parts prices because a pretty sizable number of people have done the same thing to their cars that you will be paying for.... I would have had to do the same as you if in the same situation as I imagine about anyone else would have too as well.

 

Irritatingly, these cars do need a lash adjustment. The interval is called for somewhere, I don't have my manual handy at the moment. I ended up doing it prematurely when there was an odd batch of gas being delivered in my area that made startup a big more difficult, and I had ASSumed that this was because my effective dynamic compression was down due to the valve lash.

As I would discover, when we switched over to winter gas in the fall, cold starts went back to normal. Which is to say instantaneous, one turn starts. Even now that it is 24*F outside.

It is annoying because it is time consuming, but not especially difficult. Unless you have arthritis.

I do disagree with the dealership that you would have coil/plug issues because your valves are out of spec, however.

 

The only maintenance ref to valve adjustment is if the are noisy. DSM is correct in that there is essentially no relationship between coils/plugs and valves. They might very well need adjusting if they've never been serviced before, however. A misfire is not something attributable to valve adjustment though.

Bottom line, you're getting the coils/plugs replaced and the valve adjustment could understandably be in order, but not required.

 

There shouldn't be a problem driving it without a valve adjustment for quite awhile but with the cold winters up that way I wouldn't have argued too much about having them done unless I had a very warm place to do it myself.. I have gone just over 40,000 miles without adjusting mine .... I feel like waiting to see how far I can go without doing the valves and coils.. I can't help but believe that Fits using premium fuel will go further before before either the coils or the valve adjustment needs to be done.

 

At 83k, it's a strong possibility. But like KC said, not a given.

 

I had 36000 miles on my Fit and no signs of coil or valve adjustment issues matter of fact the motor was as clean as new. 83000 miles is a lot with out knowing the engine history. Since he was on the road did he just get gas? Also was he climbing a hill, maybe a ecu reset is all he needs. Running in NY City there could be carbon issues that running on the highway cleaned but clogged the EGR or CAT. I just have a problem that the plugs went out. I have 140000 on a 2000 van with the original plugs and it runs fine.

 

Tough to say as far as intervals on premium is concerned. Regarding the valve adjustments, the intake can get looser and make more noise independently from the exhaust getting looser or tighter.

It's just that if it gets too tight on the exhaust side things can melt, though I have yet to hear of a Fit experiencing that. So he can take some solace in that, I suppose.

 

A million thanks to you guys for your quick responses here. I feel a lot better having some additional information.

Sounds like I can at least wait to have the valves adjusted until I get back home to NYC. I have recently noticed a little more clatter than I'm used to, so maybe it's time for that. It's quite possible it wasn't done by the previous owner. And I guess I need to find a new mechanic in NYC - one who knows that my Fit doesn't have hydraulic lifters.

As far as the coils/plugs go. I was actually able to get another mechanic to check that on Xmas Eve before I dropped it at the dealership. He ran the computer on it, but didn't have parts and was closing up for the holiday.

For the curious... My day-to-day driving is all surface streets in NYC - lots of stop-and-go, rarely get above 30mph. I'd been driving for a little over an hour at highway speeds when this happened. I was down to about a quarter of a tank of gas. I wasn't pulling a hill or anything. I was cruising along at about 65mph. All of a sudden I felt the change. Even before I looked down and saw the check-engine light, I knew I had to pull over. It was an instantaneous change - it was running really smooth until that point.

 

Any chance you can get to an autozone and have them pull the CEL code for free? also while you are there get a can of MAF sensor cleaner....

at 80k its possible the maf tanked and if it did it would be an instantaneous, what the hell!!, power drop that would leave you on the side of the road.

I ended up replacing all coils and plugs...come to find the coils are fine...

pull and inspect your sensor. Use the cleaner. See if that can get you back on the road.


BTW how much were they charging for valve adjustments. I have to do mine and I am over dealerships after my recent experiences and dont really know anywhere else to go in NJ.

Wish there was a DIY here for GE8's

 

Let us know what happened when you get if fixed..

 

The Fit, and the family, made it home safe and sound - though a little poorer for the experience. The dealership charged $600.08 for 4 plugs and 2 coils. They also offered to adjust the valves for $550 or so, but I declined that kind offer. I do hear what might be some valve clatter, so the work probably needs to be done, but I figure I can do it for less price by someone I trust nearer to home.

 

Glad you made it Home. 600 dollars is not to bad considering the urgency of the situation. Here is a thread that will help you on your other project. https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...clearance.html

 

The coils fail on some Fits but I agree that the valve adjustment deal is a smoke screen.

 

Usually when your car needs a valve adjustment the first code that appears is misfire of cilinder n.x! A non professional mechanic reads this code and tell you that some coils must be changed!!!!!
I can tell you that very often It's wrong!!!!
It's very difficult without a software to realize when your valves needs to be adjusted, even if when you drive you should notice that it's more difficult to reach high rpm (because usually valve gap at exhaust tends to decrease).
Map value at idle is about 29 kpa. When you read higher values (32-33 kpa) usually you should adjust them...
So in this case the first thing to do is to check/change plugs, then check coils (it's a waste of money changing them according only with a fault code...you can simply remove it, attach another plug to it with a negative side and check if there's fire!!!) and then check valve clearance.....