This is a 2008 Sport with less than 1000 miles on it. Yesterday, I was stuck behind a truck in very slow-moving traffic, and I tried to take advantage of a break in the traffic in the lane beside me to pass him. The transmission, though, did something really weird; after I pulled out into the other lane and gave it gas, rather than accelerate, it just wound up really high -- I had almost no power at all -- and made a scary, whining sound. I didn't know what to do, and the cars behind me were honking. The car was in Drive, but I did notice that a light had come on indicating a numeral "1," so I guess I'd somehow tricked the car into its lowest possible gear. I can't really say what I did to fix it, as the whole incident was pretty stressful, but probably I just took my foot entirely off the gas and waited. Anyway, the car drove fine after that, but I don't want it to happen again, and I'm wondering if anyone can explain this, or has had a similar experience. I was headed uphill (though not steeply) when I tried to pass, and I did stomp the gas fairly hard, but I can't believe this is normal behavior.

Otherwise, I love the car!

 

Sounds like you accidentally hit the shifter paddle at just the right moment to temporarily lock the car in 1st gear. If it's in Drive the computer will correct itself after a few seconds. In S mode it'll stay in 1st. Gotta watch those paddles!

 

Sounds like you bumped the paddle shifters IMO. If the "1" came on without the little "m" to go with it, then you where still in "D" mode instead of "S" mode. If you were already going slow, it's possible that you were in 2nd or 3rd and just bumped it down.

If you use the paddle shifts out of sport mode it only last temporarily before the AT takes over again and the RPMs have to be within a range for it work. Hence why it just took a moment to recover.

If you swear that there was absolutely no way that you could've touched the paddle shifter (and I'll admit I've never accidently engaged mine, they seem out of the way), maybe you have a oversensitive/faulty button on your down shifter paddle. If the number indicator for the gear comes on blinking then it means the shifters were touched, but the RPMs are out of range for the gear selected, although you can usually go down easier than up to use it for engine breaking while still in "D" mode.

If that happens again, just slip it into N quick and back into D to reset and go again, or just use the shifters to bump it back up...and take it in for service

 

That happens sometimes in autos. Used to happen all the time in my 86 Integra, but in the other direction. I'd nearly floor it while merging onto the freeway and it'd skip to the last gear and accelerate hella slow. I'm guessing it's just how auto's are.
(the guys abouve me could be right as well, it could have been an accident with the paddle shifters)

 

You most certainly hit the paddle shifter. I did that a lot by mistake when I first got my Fit, but I guess I am now more aware since it hasn't happened in a while now.

 

Yeah the numbers only show up below the gears when you hit the paddles. You probably started to accelerate and hit the paddle shifter to down shift the car went way up in rpm's but was trying to catch up with its self because you probably hit the gas then paddle. Whinning might have been hitting the rev limiter?

 

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies. It may well be that I somehow hit the paddles without realizing it (the whole event was so surprising that in retrospect, I'm not sure what happened). I'm going to have to experiment a bit, as well as simply get used to having those things on there. . .

 

Yeah just play around with them when you get a chance. Really aren't that hard to use just make sure to watch your rpms. The paddle shifters are actually pretty fun to use. Allot better in S mode than just plain D.

 

It sounds to me like when you steered out into the other lane you bumped the "-" paddle, making it go into first, and at speed in first you will not have any power. Bumping paddles happens, just try to make sure you dont make a habbit of bumping that "-" paddle, its NG for the engine haha.

Tyler

 

[quote=spohdeeohdee;359945]This is a 2008 Sport with less than 1000 miles on it. Yesterday, I was stuck behind a truck in very slow-moving traffic, and I tried to take advantage of a break in the traffic in the lane beside me to pass him. The transmission, though, did something really weird; after I pulled out into the other lane and gave it gas, rather than accelerate, it just wound up really high -- I had almost no power at all -- and made a scary, whining sound. I didn't know what to do, and the cars behind me were honking. The car was in Drive, but I did notice that a light had come on indicating a numeral "1," so I guess I'd somehow tricked the car into its lowest possible gear. I can't really say what I did to fix it, as the whole incident was pretty stressful, but probably I just took my foot entirely off the gas and waited. Anyway, the car drove fine after that, but I don't want it to happen again, and I'm wondering if anyone can explain this, or has had a similar experience. I was headed uphill (though not steeply) when I tried to pass, and I did stomp the gas fairly hard, but I can't believe this is normal behavior.


Sounds like you shifted into '1' either by hitting the downshift paddle or you were so slow the car was already in '1'. You reach maximum speed in '1' at about 25 mph and of course if there was no shift the car just rabn along at a slow speed but high rpm. Next time make sure you are in 'D' or shifting up with the upshift paddle in 'S'. Even in "D" the paddles will work but only briefly but that is enough to get what you described.

 

It's happened to me before, but I was on the highway and wanted merge into the left lane. I happen to hit the gas and the paddle shifter at the right time so that it kicked down two gears. Not fun.