2011 Honda Fit Sport Paddle Shifters
 

Good afternoon leading into the evening everyone,
I just had a quick question. I recently got my 2011 Honda Fit Sport and I am loving it. Previously had a 2010 Honda Fit but it was the base model only. My question is this. For the paddle shifters, are you able to use them on a everyday drive? Or are you supposed to use it only when needed? My friend is a mechanic but he seems to be more old school than anything. I tried googling around and I can't seem to find anything about my question. He said that its bad for the transmission because the car isn't designed to use the paddle shifters, it is there for "looks". Please HELP! Despite what he said I have been still driving with the paddle shifters in "S" mode. Thanks guys and I hope to hear from all of you soon.'

-Proud owner of Honda Fit. 2010 Base and 2011 Sport

driving with paddle shifters is fine. the car definitely IS designed to use them.. thats why they are there.

Thats what I thought and also what I said. But my friend was like, they are there for looks. If you don't believe me go ahead and use them and see if your transmission goes bad really fast. These cars are not designed for paddle shifters. I was like uhhhh.... But they put them in the car for a reason no...? Hes like why didn't you just get stick? And the reason why I didn't get stick is because I am not 100% so good at driving stick or else I would have... And I like the whole idea of automatic with paddle shifters.

Anyways, so that means I could use them whenever I feel like right? I could use them to shift. And if I am about to do a quick corner I could go ahead and downshift and then turn right? Weird thing was yesterday when I was driving back (forgot from where) a bmw cut me off really close and I almost hit him so I had to downshift twice because one just wasn't enough. And my car was like *burrrrrrrrrrr* and it slowed down a lot. Does that damage my car? Not hoping to do it every single time like that but I a just curious if that one that damaged my engine in anyway..

Thanks again guys, FIT FREAK!!!

First, all the paddle shifts do is tell the auto transmission to shift. It still does the actual shifting, you're just taking over from the ECU sending the signal. If the transmission disagrees (ie you'll lug the engine or go past redline), it will refuse to shift. So you can't screw up the engine or transmission in a single accident.

As for longer term extra wearing, if you shift later than the ECU would (ie wait till 4-5000 RPMs), you are putting a bit of extra wear on the engine. Similarly, I can only conclude that downshifting for engine braking is wearing out something in the transmission a bit sooner than otherwise would be the case. On a manual, it would be the clutch plate, But with the auto, it could be extra energy in the torque converter wearing out the transmission fluid, or some other element.

Oh okay awesome. So does that mean I shouldn't downshift? And as for the upshifting, I actually don't wait till 4-5000 RPM. I try to change it accordingy: 1st to 2nd around 15MPH, 2nd to 3rd 20 something MPH, 3rd to 4th around 37MPH. And I have been only downshifting on hills, sometimes to pass people because they are driving really slow, sometimes breaking, and sometimes if I am going to fast and need to turn somewhere... I hope its not ruining my engine. My 2011 FIT is pretty new lol...

The left foot pedal is the brake.

You really shouldn't downshift to slow down instead of using the brake. So doing it to control your speed going down a hill is fine, but doing it to stop for a light isn't. But doing it to have better acceleration, to be in the right gear going into a turn, etc is all fine.

Bad is if you see the light ahead turn red, and you drop to 2nd from forth, which jerks the car and makes the engine rev really high. It doesn't sound like what you describe. Note that downshifting as you slow down is a good thing, you just shouldn't use the downshift to as the braking mechanism.

I actually usually try to break first before I downshift. I don't just use the downshift. Or use the downshift first then break. I always try to break first then downshift to a stop light. And for the most part, I try to just simply break.

I agree that you shouldn't regularly downshift from 4th to 2nd, I disagree with everything else you said.

ok, good for you.

So... Is the Honda Fits AT (Paddle Shift) able to downshift or no lol...? I only downshifted from 4th to 2nd once which I know its a extremely bad idea and I am planning to not do it again. But what about everythine else...?

Of course it downshifts, that's what the minus side is for.

Yeah I know the downshift is there so that you could downshift but I mean earlier you said you can't downshift for slowing down and stuff so yeah lol... I seem to can't find the exact answer of the paddle shifters lol. Like if it could be used eactly like a manual. Except without clutch and stuff. lol

basically, you can use it like a manual. so in the same way that you shouldn't use a manual transmission to brake to a stop, you also shouldn't use the paddles.

Oh okay I get it. So in that case, 2 things. Do not break to a stop by downshifting to slow down to a stop and also do not shift from 4th to 2nd right? I think I have maybe downshifted before I slowdown a couple of times... The car should still be okay right?

Your car is fine. Even if you were doing horrible stuff, you'd take years to do damage. But basically shift as you would for a stick and you'll be fine.

Oh okay that sounds like a plan. Thanks a lot for everything. And so I am able to downshift for turns, break then downshift to a red light. Downshift to gain some acceleration to pass someone, downshift for hills.

And stay away from downshifting from 4th to 2nd and downshifting then breaking to a red light. Correct?
I am not 100% all that great with manual so yeah lol... Thanks again!

using a manual transmission to brake to a stop? you mean stalling it? if your talk about engine braking, i do it all the time :D not to the extremes obviously.

Oh, I do it too as well, but I'm not convinced its not wearing on the car. But yes, I do mean engine braking to stop/slow.

everything you do wears down the car. unlike yours, mine's a manual though.

So is the paddle shifters usable lol? Like using it everday instead of driving just automatic? I drove this morning n instead of downshifting to slowdown... I braked but if the traffic breaks a bit too hard I braked n downshifted.

This is true but I would rather have the wear and tear on the brakes than on the engine and transmission. Of course downshift when needed to stay in powerband, especially accelerating around curves, up hills, down hills, etc. but I don't see the point in downshifting just to routinely stop the car. I do the opposite, let the engine stay in higher gear and coast the longest I can before completing my stops with the brakes. This minimizes the most possible wear and tear and gives you the best mpg also, only negative comes from the irate cars behind wanting you to race up to the red light and stop. To them I just smile and wave. I grew a thick skin to ignorant people a long time ago.

_

Yeah, that's the idea.

Awesome! Thanks for info guys