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Fixed the hazy headlights on our 2011 Sport using the Sylvania headlight restoration kit. I followed the instructions, but added another stage in between the final prep with a fine machine polish, as I thought it still looks too scratched. This might not have been needed had they included another sanding stage between 400 and 1000 grit. I think it turned out pretty well. Waiting for the UV clearcoat to cure now. Not bad for $20 and about 4 hours of time.
(and it will get washed up and waxed, I have to wait until the coating cures, so nevermind all the runs..)
I used a mix of baking soda and vinegar and lots of elbow grease using just a roll of shop towel. Then just waxed. Maybe half hour.
Funny my 2010 Dodge Caravan sitting right next to it has showroom lenses still.
Yeah, that probably would have worked, but I wanted to remove the scratches, smooth the surface, and add a UV clearcoat, so that I won't have to do it again any time soon. The sun here is intense, and it will be parked outside most of the time.
Changed manual transmission oil, now back out to do polishing and waxing...
How challenging is that? What special equipment do you use to get the new tranny fluid in? Do you have to lift the car or can it be done on the ground?
I've been having my manual tranny fluid changed every 10K miles because my shifter gets really notchy, and while it only costs about $65 at my dealer, it seems like something I should be able to do.
How challenging is that? What special equipment do you use to get the new tranny fluid in? Do you have to lift the car or can it be done on the ground?
I've been having my manual tranny fluid changed every 10K miles because my shifter gets really notchy, and while it only costs about $65 at my dealer, it seems like something I should be able to do.
That sounds too frequent to me, but I'm new to the Fit, so who knows. Good quality synthetic fluid should last 30k miles or maybe more, I assume they are using the Honda OEM stuff. It only takes about 1.5qts, I used Amsoil Syncromesh fluid (oil). You have to lift the front end, put it on jackstands, and to make the job a lot easier, remove the front wheel and drop the plastic undertray. Then its just: loosen fill plug, remove drain plug, drain oil, replace drain plug. Level the car by either jacking up the back end, or lowering the front end with the wheel back in place of course, and refill with 1.5 qt.
It is about as easy, and in some ways easier, than changing the engine oil. Somewhere on the forum there is a tutorial.
That sounds too frequent to me, but I'm new to the Fit, so who knows. Good quality synthetic fluid should last 30k miles or maybe more, I assume they are using the Honda OEM stuff. It only takes about 1.5qts, I used Amsoil Syncromesh fluid (oil). You have to lift the front end, put it on jackstands, and to make the job a lot easier, remove the front wheel and drop the plastic undertray. Then its just: loosen fill plug, remove drain plug, drain oil, replace drain plug. Level the car by either jacking up the back end, or lowering the front end with the wheel back in place of course, and refill with 1.5 qt.
It is about as easy, and in some ways easier, than changing the engine oil. Somewhere on the forum there is a tutorial.
I know it's too frequent, but it helps the shifting a lot. At about 12K miles on the car, the shifter would kind of do a popping thing between 1st and 2nd, and then got notchy going into 3rd. The dealer changed fluid under warranty and shifter when back to silky smooth. Notchiness got bad again at 22K at which point dealer replaced tranny fluid again, and I did a blackstone test to see if there was any evidence of the tranny disintegrating--there wasn't. After that I just started having it changed on 10K intervals--works out to every year and a half for me.
Replaced struts on our 2011 with take-offs from a 2018, along with springs, new strut bushings, replaced sway bar end links, sway bar bushings (could only get to the pass. side), and tie rod ends. Big job, but worth it as it transformed the ride. The car is so smooth and quiet, no clunks, front end feels more planted as well.
07-01-2018, 02:16 PM
