I just bought this car with 105,000 miles on it. During normal city driving, it has a rather hard shift (nothing that throws or jerks me around, but certainly something noticeable). It gets a bit better after the engine warms up, but it doesn't totally go away.

Before, I got the car, a friend of mine requested that the transmission fluid be replaced from the get go, and the dealer said it was (not sure if it was a power flush or just a replacement, but there's new fluid nonetheless). I've also been reading in some places that this is apparently just a characteristic of the car.

Is it true that it's just how the car normally operates? Because I have a hard time believing that. And sort of on topic, regarding power flushes, is the idea that a power flush could actually damage the transmission true?

 

The trans should not be flushed; drain and fill only. Can the friend you bought it from drive it and advise if the shifting action has always been that way? It could be perfectly normal, but if not, I'd let a trained tech troubleshoot it. Could just be fluid-related, but it could also be something in the electronic control.

 

Thanks for the reply!

I actually ran a diagnostic test on my car and it came up with no codes at all. I was talking to the mechanic there (wasn't at the Honda dealership) who said that because of the small engine and the larger car, it was probably just normal in terms of shifting.

Later on, too, I noticed that the downshifts from 3-2 and 2-1 are somewhat jerky (even more so than the upshifts). I tested to see if it was actually the brakes by going into neutral and braking, and keeping it in drive and braking. The jerks did go away upon moving into neutral.

I assume, then, that it's normal for the downshifts on my Fit to just be naturally jerky? I know that on the sport model, if there was a potential issue with transmission, it would make the gear icon blink on the dashboard, and nothing has happened so far.

 

We just got a 2007 Fit Sport and I've noticed the slight jerk you speak of when it goes from 1st to 2nd. With the way the front wheel drive motor is mounted, the whole engine racks back and forth when shifting. I've noticed that on a lot of Hondas, I think its par for the course and even exaggerated when you try and push it off the line with a heavy gas pedal.