Hi

I just bought a used 2008 Honda Fit. I love the car but wish it came in a bit better condition. My goal is to make the car much better than what was sold to me, due to the prior owner's laziness and lack of care.

I noticed the MPG isn't on par with the 28mpg it claims. I'd say I get about 21mpg but I haven't gone 4 full gas tanks on it for a more precise measurement.

I want to bring it into a shop to get it investigated so I can get the most out of the gas tank. However, I am unsure of who to bring the car to for inspection and an honest fix.

I was thinking of going to the dealership since they follow Honda standards. Can anyone give me some insight on how I should go about this situation? Dealership or Private Mechanic?

There is no check engine light as well and the car is at 175K. Filter is mildly dirty and I have not checked the spark plugs or O2 sensor or anything myself. I do not have the proper tools at the moment.

Thank you guys!

 

Get the valve clearance adjusted.

 

I'd bring the car to an independent Honda specialist. They would know what things are important regards "Honda standards".

I'd also try disconnecting the battery (have the radio code if stock!) then doing the Idle Learn Procedure (look it up). Sometimes that improves MPG, sometimes it doesn't. Costs nothing, worth a try.


PS: if your Los Angeles driving is all stop and go, you may not get any better than what you are seeing.

 

A number of factors can also influence the mileage you're experiencing: speed, hills, wind, load, tire air pressure, city vs highway, quality/octane of gas, and method used for calculating miles per gallon.


See also this thread: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/1st-...ggestions.html or simply search for other fuel economy-related threads.

 

is it still realistic to believe u can achieve EPA mpg or better for a 7 yr old car with 175k miles and not knowing how it was driven before you bought the car? just putting it out there.

 

Yes... if you take it in to a good shop.

Clear up some of the more obvious potential issues like valve clearance and make sure maintenance is caught up. Throwing a tune up at it is never a bad thing, and including coils isn't necessarily wasting money. Checking out bearings and seals and changing/flushing fluids is fair, too.

It's a good little rig. Doing what you can to make sure it's close to 08 specs will go a long way.