Don't be too woried. I am critical of almost all automotive paint since the switch to water based paints. They are just delicate and scratch easily. Sadly they are also not as repairable.

Keep a good coat of wax on it and it will hold up MUCH better.

 

I forgot to post here about the valve adjustment. I was so shocked by the increase in performance and overall driveability that I had to have the wife take a drive and see if I was crazy. She came back amazed and said it fealt like a whole new car with more power than it's ever had. Do a search of my finding if you are interested or post here and I will relay the findings.

Then I stumbled upon a steal I bought a Honda HFP axle back muffler local for $169.

I Just finished installing the EBC rotors, Hawk HPS pads, new brake fluid and HFP muffler. The muffler sounds FANTASTIC at idle and mild revs. I will take a drive tomorrow to see how the brakes work and how the exhaust sounds on the road.

My only note regarding the brake job is...why in the hell does Honda use those ridiculous rotor screws? I've owned and worked on a stupid amount of cars and this is my first experience with something that idiotic. Keep in mind that I've already complained of overheating the brakes so maybe that plays a part, but I spent a solid hour working on the first screw using an impact driver. That was no use. I then used my air impact gun. That just rounded the hardened steel philips bit. That was the last straw. I grabbed my drill and drilled straight through the screw. Anyone looking to do a rotor change on a Fit...just grab your drill and save a bunch of time. It took 3 minutes to drill the two screws out and brought great satisfaction to me after the ordeal.

 

Just came back from the maiden voyage after brake install. Wow these pads are loud! in the Fit. I've had them on other cars and not heard them at all, but the Fit is so small and light that I really hear them. Glad I didn't go with anything more aggressive. These are loud enough.

I still have one problem that may not have an easy solution...the car pulls to the right under moderate/heavy braking. It did it with the factory parts as well. I always have more brake dust on the passenger wheel. I'm afraid that it's a proportioning problem from the factory.

The muffler sounds great. It's barely noticealbe which is exactly what I wanted. The HFP exhaust is strictly for looks and a tiny bit more sound. It would not make someone wanting to make a statement happy, but it's perfect for us. It won't keep the 1 year old awake on car rides

 

those little screws are called speed nuts. they're pretty typical on hubless honda rotors, and many other vehicles at that. they're suppost to keep lateral runout to a mininum despite uneven lugnut torque. in theory its a great idea. i've never had any problems getting them out.

second your pull probably has nothing to do with a proportioning valave. a proportioning valve jsut blocks off brake pressue to the rear brakes after a certain limit is reach so your rear brakes arn't locking up faster then the fronts. it balances brake pressure front to back, not side to side. what could cause a pull under modeate or heavy braking is; sticky caliper pins, kinked brake hose, or a frozen or siezed caliper. among other things. that was just to name a few.

 

I've never seen them called speed nuts, I ordered them as rotor screws. If that is indeed their name, it's a misnomer since there is nothing fast about them. I have changed rotors on several GM's, a few Nissan's, a couple of Toyota's, and numerous Ford's and never run into them. Most were also hubless. Rotor screws are fairly, not completely, unique to Honda and I see them as a design flaw.

Here's a video of a mechanic showing how to remove them and...drumroll please...he ended up having to use an air hammer because they were stuck also. Removing Brake Rotor Screws That Won't Come Out - YouTube

I've had front to rear proportioning valves. I wasn't speaking of a valve. I was implying that the pressure may not be applied equally from the distribution block. Just a guess. I'd have to drive other Fit's to know if that is the case. Pins lubricated, hoses all fine, etc. It is a very minor pull that has been there since new. And I do mean minor. Can only tell if you take your hand of the wheel when braking which should not be done anyway.

 

Though I'm still on my original pads and they do not pull when braking I have noticed a considerable more amount of brake dust on the passenger's side. Your post brought this to my attention. When I do replace -soon- the pads it's going to be regular honda pads like the oems, they are super quiet and great for a slow driver like me...rarely 60 mph or over

 

My first guess on the car pulling right or left when braking would be alignment. Wouldn't hurt any to have it checked. I just took my FIT in for it's first alignment after having new tires mounted and discovered the car was tracking left. It did favor that direction ever so slightly when braking but was never a driving issue. The OEM tires did show uneven front tire wear.

 

I really think it might just be part of the braking system. It's not uncommon for a car to be off ever so slightly on brake balance.

The OEM pads are not a bad choice. Mine, at 53,000 miles still had TONS of pad life left and were quiet. I was trying to improve braking performance and solve a high speed braking shimmy. I probably could have used new rotors with the old pads. I don't think they would have been worn out by 100,000 miles.

The wife has now driven the car and she doesn't mind the extra brake noise, so all is well and the car is stopping great.

 

Our's has had two alignments in the past 10,000 miles. One because of uneven tire wear and then a second because I put new tires on it and wanted to double check.

Until I put shims in the rear to correct the factory negative camber, I'm going to have uneven tire wear. Frequent tire rotations at least keep it under control. I had this same problem with my '93 Taurus SHO. That was fixed with adjustable rear control arm bushings. The Fit isn't as easy to fix.

 

Very valuable info...

 

I've been deliberating whether or not to post my fuel mileage change since doing the full blown tune-up, but haven't been because I know that no one will believe me. Well, here goes...Don't know if it is attributed to the valve adjustment, IK22's, K&N, honda sport muffler, or my switch to premium fuel, but the results are AMAZING! We were getting between 32 and 34 mpg depending on conditions. Two tanks in since the tune-up and, I can't believe this myself, we are averaging 39 mpg. Still using the car the same way on the same streets.

Two tanks isn't enough for total proof, but we have NEVER gotten above 36 before and now we're getting 39!!! I'm thrilled and not going to change anything. We actually thought the gas gauge was broken because 100 miles in on the first tank and the needle hadn't moved.

My guess is that it's just a combo of everything done. The power increase is substantial. It now goes up and down all of the mountain roads in 5th gear and purrs the whole way up. It used to require 4th and sometimes even third depending on load to get up the road that we live on. Not anymore. 5th gear at 60 mph with no problems.

Needless to say the wife and I are very happy

 

How many miles are on your car? Did you do just a standard tune-up?

 

53,000 miles. Not sure what you would consider a standard tune-up. I adjusted the valves, changed the spark plugs, changed the air filter for a K&N, and changed the oil.

While I was at it, I also installed a HFP muffler, replaced the brake fluid, changed the brake pads, and installed EBC rotors.

Car and wife are very happy now.

 

Excellent results. The valve adjustment would only bring the engine back into new specifications. The Filter and exhaust help it breathe better which would also use a little more fuel to keep it at stoichiometric fuel air. A little more power helps you use less fuel in the long run. Premium gas produces a knock free environment which uses less fuel at the same time advancing the timing which produces more power. Exactly what Ive seen over the years.

 

104,000 mile update:

Just did the valve adjustment again and car sounds and drives better. Did coolant change at same time. Have brake fluid and drive belt still to do.

Overall, the car is still a joy to own and we wouldn't trade it for anything reasonable.

Other change we made about 10,000 miles ago was a switch to 195/60-15 tires. Yes, I realize ALL of the ramifications of such a change, but wanted to give my opinions...
1. The car rides considerably smoother and is quieter.
2. The rpm drop at highway speeds is actually noticeable and allows for slightly more comfortable cruising.
3. Fuel mileage has slightly increased once the correct mileage is calculated. Basically, the mileage works out to the same when calculated, but it is actually 4% give or take better because of the lower odometer reading caused by the increased tire diameter. I suspect this is due to the car being used at Interstate speeds on a regular basis.
4. Handling is considerably worse. This is all relative. It still handles better than 90% of vehicles, but the razor sharp steering is replaced with standard sedan mushy feedback due to the increase in sidewall.

Overall, I highly recommend the change to anyone who uses their Fit as a highway commuter as it makes the car much quieter and smoother. That being said, it is not for those who drive at lower speeds or really take advantage of the handling abilities.

No other real updates. It's just a workhorse that continues to make us happy. All accessories and modifications continue to please us and we wouldn't want to give any of them up.

 

Great update always makes us other owners feel good about our decision in buying our Fit. Keep up the updates.

 

My wife and I were doing the "if we won the lottery" dream talk the other night. Believe it or not, the Fit is one of the only things we own that we'd keep. It would be joined in a different garage at a different house with some other rides, but we both agreed that it would stay.

 

I am always looking at cars but I always go back to my Fit can not find anything that offers, reliability, utility, fun to drive and great gas mileage. Most I can find is 3 out of 4 and even that comes at a higher price. To me it is my classic VW Bus and Beetle combined.

 

This is my issue as well. I find something that satisfies most of my wants, but then I think, "will this be as reliable/cheap to own?"

 

Thanks for such an informative piece. It's great to get real "hands on wrench"
experience & feedback! I lost my '07 Fit Sport to a H&R driver, but I only considered another Fit as a replacement. My Fit is for economical (but sometimes spirited!) cruising, the Silverado is for hauling, and the need for speed is fulfilled by the 70 Charger, & 73 Challenger!
'12 VBP Sport 5MT w/minor appearance & comfort mods!!