I just filled up my tank and cannot wait to calculate my first tank's MPG. Much to my surprise, it's 38 mpg (50% city/ 50% highway). My car is still in break-in period and the fuel economy is so impressive. :surprise:
As many of you know, the EPA is revising its mileage figures with a new formula starting in 2008. This lower figure is designed to reflect more realistic driving factors, such as winter and a/c.
If you want to see what the Fit will be rated check out the calculator at fueleconomy.gov:
I just filled up my tank and cannot wait to calculate my first tank's MPG. Much to my surprise, it's 38 mpg (50% city/ 50% highway). My car is still in break-in period and the fuel economy is so impressive.
I had the same dilemma. I couldnt wait to get my first full tank of gas.
I got 38.1 with my first full tank also (topped off shortly after I got out of dealer).
I am thrilled because it is break in and I hope to do better! It was a suprise due ot all the cold starts and idling i did.
I've been reading this forum for a while and finally decided to join and post my Fit experience. We bought a 2007 Fit AT Sport in red for my wife to replace her Saturn SC2 manual. Out of the gate, we were quite disappointed that it didn't get the amazing mileage we expected. Like many have posted, we contacted our dealer and were told that they didn't expect anything was wrong with it and that it would need 10,000 miles to break in.
It now has 3,100 miles approximately and I have been plotting our mileage since 1,000 miles. Most of the time my wife drives it in the city and we have only owned it since January so it is all cold, winter driving (we live in central Illinois). With mostly city driving (70% of all miles so far) and the remaining 30% on some longer highway trips, we've averaged out to around 29mpg so far over the past 2,000 miles. Our highest was a highway trip of 34mpg and the low was all city at 25mpg. Even in the city, our driving is very few stops and little traffic. My wife and I have similar driving styles in that we don't race off the line or stop suddenly, but we don't creep off the line or coast the last 1 mile to a stop to maximize fuel economy. All the gasoline we get is 15% ethanol and has whatever fuel additives they add for the winter... so I'm not to surprised at the mileage thus far. The overall trend is still increasing and I hope that given a couple thousand miles more and some warmer weather driving, we might start seeing some more appreciated mileage numbers.
What is the typical round trip in the city driving? Mileage, traffic, and number of lights and stop signs. What speeds were you running on the highway trips and how much gas was used to refill?
What kind of mileage did the Saturn get? Ethanol and cold weather, along with short trips and cold weather can really wreck gas mileage.
My wife primarily drives the vehicle to school and back (probably only about a 7-8 mile trip with only 3 or 4 stops and mostly 45-55mph. I know such a short trip probably also doesn't help in the cold weather. I can't convince her to let me use the car for my 20 mile one way trip to work for me instead of my mustang 'cause she just loves driving the new car.
The Saturn got pretty good gas mileage... right around 28-29 city and mid 30's on highway trips. Both have similar tank sizes and it doesn't seem like we fill the Fit's tank any more than the old Saturn though. We've been mostly disappointed with only the slight improvements on the all highway/interstate trips we've done. Most of the trips we barely break 30mpg on the all highway drives.
On a bad note, my wife called me today and said she discovered a crack in the windshield of our new fit. We haven't even had it in for service yet and it's got a crack. Hopefully I can convince the Honda dealership to replace it under warranty as neither my wife or I have had a rock hit the windshield while we're driving. I haven't seen it yet (she's still at classes) but I'm hoping it is a windshield defect and will be covered. Otherwise, replacing a windshield after 1 1/2 months will kind of make our first Honda purchase less of an enjoyable experience
Hopefully the windshield will be repaired under warranty.
I would have thought a bit better than 25mpg for your wife's school commute. However when considering, fairly new engine, very cold weather, Auto transmission, short trips on cold engine, Ethanol, poorer aerodynamics than a sedan, and it is about the same mpg as the Manual shift Saturn, you might be doing just fine!
my wife is livid because it may affect her Fit, as honda odometer discrepancies affect some honda fit models. if the odometers are rolling up miles too quickly, then the mileage numbers fit owners are getting are higher than what they really are, right?
if 350 miles/10 gallons equals 35 mpg and the fit odometers are off 3% then its really 339.5 miles/10 gallons equals 33.95 mpg.
this is not good news for fit owners who already dont like their mpg numbers
does anyone know exacly which fit models this may affect. she bought an 07 model, but i cant find info on which fits this may affect. thanks.
My 07 Sport Auto now has about 3500 miles and I am getting 29 around town and 32-33 on the highway. I am not trying to fuel economy, I am just driving the way I usually do. I would like to get 40 mpg, but what I am getting is twice what my Honda SUV gets. I'll take it.
I have had my Fit for only a week and also driving in and around Chicago. With only 250 miles on my Fit, my first tank averaged 25 mpg. I am very disappointed! I'm hoping the numbers will get better.
Believe me, I share your disappointment. You are actually doing much better than me. I've never gotten as good as 25 mpg.
I actually hit an all-time low of 16.39 MPG on my last fill up.
My average MPG since I started driving the car in mid September is about 19.5 MPG.
To reiterate: This is an Auto-Sport that is driven about 3 miles each way (takes about 15-20 minutes each way) to work through the city of Chicago. This is stop-n-go traffic, driving no faster than 30 mpg at any time. Driving conditions are similar during weekend use. The car heater almost always been on since December. Trips of the highway have been few and far apart and I've been on no longer road trips yet (that will change come Summer).
Disappointed with MPG is an understatement. I still get concerned sometimes that something might be wrong with my Fit, but others assure me its the driving condition.
You have a worst-case scenario for fuel economy: stop-n-go driving in the city, probably with lots of idle time (where the car is getting 0 mpg), in winter, for short distances. How did your previous car do under these same conditions?
FWIW, you have a nearly ideal situation for a hybrid that can run on electric-only at low speeds. The good news is, if you were to ever consider selling your Fit, there's a great market for them.
I had my fit for 3mth now. I bought it for the cargo room and for the great mileage that was advertise. But I noticed that I'm only averaging 19mpg. On a full tank, I set the Mileage reading to zero and then i calculate from there. Now, the city that i live in is cold, around 40-60 degrees. so far i only driven it in the city average of 30-40mile making 3-4 stop going one way. Idle time, no longer than 40sec. I'm a very careful driver, making sure not to make any sudden stop or acceleration. I was only able to reads some of the post here considering, there are 200 pages worth. Can some plz tell me what i should do to get better mileage or if Honda is going to do something about this issue. I'm planning to bring my fit into the dealer and let them check it out, but i read that honda, is just going to tell you to wait awhile (10,000mile) to break it in. :confuse: I really don't want to waste that much time and gas money to find out later that my fit is just one of the bad one on the market. I'm a student and really need a fuel efficient car= no money to buy another car! (hence the part that I'm a student.)
Key Average mpg: 19mpg City: cold aver. 40-60degree Drive: 30-40ml in city Stop: (Light)3-4 stop one way+ idle time: 40sec Caution: No sudden stop or acceleration Car Mileage: 200mille
p.s I heard something about a magic oil that suppose to help with gas mileage, i'm desperate....plz
KipK wrote: "Ethanol and cold weather, along with short trips and cold weather can really wreck gas mileage."
The OP lives in central Illinois, as do I, and gasahol (the common name referred to a 10% ethanol/90% gasoline mix) is almost universal here in corn country. In fact, 100% gasoline is almost impossible to find at the pumps, regardless of brand. It's a fact of life for those who live in the midwest, and has been for a very long time - two decades in my location.
I'm not sure where the gentleman in the above post lives, but I'd love to have 40 to 60 degree weather! We're just coming through a period of below 0 degree (F) weather, and would love to see the thermometer consistently at what he considers cold.
I've had my Fit for about a week and a half now. I drive over 40 miles each way to work, 98% of which is on the highway at 65-70mph. I also do some city driving, which would only be a couple miles at a time. I live in Michigan, so we have cold weather and 10% ethanol in our gas. My current odometer reading is 883 miles, and here's how my first 3 tanks have gone:
Tank 1: 33.47 mpg Tank 2: 30.25 mpg Tank 3: 30.97 mpg
Overall I'm pretty happy. The car is still very new, so I'm still getting used to it. I'm hoping as I adjust and the weather warms up the numbers will continue to rise
Now, the city that i live in is cold, around 40-60 degrees.
That's not really cold. Where we are, the temperature was subzero for two weeks, and yet our Fit has been averaging 31 MPG, pretty much 50/50 city/highway (ours is a TRUE stop and go city). So that temperature alone cannot be the reason for your mileage. We live in Minnesota, so our gas also contains 10% ethanol. So again, that alone cannot be the reason. Have you ever tried a sustained highway driving to see what kind of mileage you may get? If your MPG is low even after that, I would take the Fit into to have the dealership check it out.
My last tank gave me 31mpg on mixed hwy/city driving. In general over the 4 months and over 5000 miles of driving, I've noticed that I'll get in the low 30sMPG in mixed driving, high 30sMPG in pure highway driving at about 70mph, and if I take it easy on the highway and keep the speed in the low 60sMPH, then I can get 40mpg. This is with a Sport Auto. We'll see if it improves as the weather warms up. Overall I'm pretty satisfied.
My bigger car is a Ford Freestyle and I get in the low 20sMPG in mixed driving, mid 20sMPG in 70MPH highway driving, and in the upper 20sMPG if I keep the speed in the low 60sMPH. I'm also satisfied with this MPG.
So in general, I get about 50% better mileage in my Fit.
bobw3, our similarities never seem to end. Put our Fit in your Fit's place and our Subaru Forester in your Freestyle's place, and we are having identical MPG experiences. Amazing. As you may recall, ours is also a Sport AT.
We've had our Sport AT almost a month and have about 3500 miles on it, and we're averaging about 36 mpg per tank. 95% of the use is highway driving, approximately 80 miles per trip, almost all on flat ground, average speed around 65-67, and average temperature during that time period has been 20-50 F. When we drop the speed to an average of 55 we get around 38 mpg.
On a recent trip to TN, it only averaged about 33mpg, but that included exceeding 70 for a good part of the drive.
6 months later and after the ILP i'm just got my worst MPG 23.8 last week.. i was averaging low 28-low 30's all highway before ILP.. then got about 29-30 on average 90% highway.. then lowest was 26 a few weeks ago then 23.8 this past week.. the 23.8 might be that i was in 1mph traffic for an hour.. but i'm disappointed with the milage.. have about 11k on it now.. no improvement... consistent is about 29 mpg.. occasionally 27 or 26... but never more than 30 or so... i'm have a feeling that i should not have done the ILP.. was too enxious to try.. i think 28, 30, 32 were my first three tanks before i did the ILP.. what happened if i waited.. maybe it would've gone up to 35mpg at break in? now i will never know.. anyone think the ILP messed anything up? reset the CPU maybe?
The ILP is supposed to be done by the dealer. It is part of the vehicle "GET Ready" Procedure. Honda wants them to do it! It is also supposed to be done anytime the battery is disconnected, replaced, or has gone dead. Honda says to do it! So how can doing the ILP properly cause bad fuel mileage?
If you truly think the ILP caused your problems, you can "FIX" it by simply disconnecting the black cable from your battery for a couple of minutes. Then try a few tanks of gas. If the mileage improves, you solved the problem! If nothing changes, chances are good the ILP has never been done correctly. Process of elimination.
As I recall, you were having trouble removing the battery cable and had a lot of questions that indicated uncertainty on your part, as how to handle the task and tools.
I'm not criticizing. Example: I worked on IBM equipment for 30 years, including main frame computers. A fairly good mechanic. But, when it comes to actually using a computer, I really struggle. Our minds don't all work the same.
yeah i had a problem getting the nut off to remove the battery connector without a wrench.. but then it came off easily after i bought a wrench..I also has questions as to the safety of the process.. I also had questions regarding negative affects as well.. you wanna cover all basis before doing anything you;re not familar with.. i did the ILP as per the intructions.. It is possible that the ILP had nothing to do with my decrease in milage.. all i'm saying is that maybe i should;ve waited until 5or10k to do it.. nonetheless.. I talked to a couple of honda services around me and they said that if they perform the ILP.. all they would do is let it run for 10 minutes without disconnecting anything.. both said the same thing.. I even show them the ILP instructions for the pilot and they said they were not aware of disconnecting the battery.. oh well.. so in short.. i followed the instructions.. waited til the fan cycled twice etc.. and it didn;t help me. I can always do it again later. For those who aren;t getting the milage.. it might be a good idea to wait until you get 5-10k on it before trying.. just my opinion..
"...I talked to a couple of honda services around me and they said that if they perform the ILP.. all they would do is let it run for 10 minutes without disconnecting anything.. both said the same thing.."
hqly2001,
What would that accomplish?
The ILP is part of the NEW CAR GET READY PROCEDURE.
If the dealer did not do it properly, there may have been something else they didn't do that is affecting your mileage. There is a fuse that they are also supposed to plug in, etc...
I believe that if the ILP was not necessary, it would not have been written into the GET READY PROCEDURE! If it was something that was to be done after "Engine Break In", I think it would have been something to do at the first normal maintenance interval, and not something to do before the car is delivered to the customer.
..."I even show them the ILP instructions for the pilot and they said they were not aware of disconnecting the battery.."
The New Car Get Ready TSB says to connect such and such a fuse and do the ILP. My understanding is that the fuse in question was pulled for shipping purposes. Apparently the car will crank and run without the fuse being connected, as they do drive them off the truck.
It also says the ILP is to be done again anytime the battery is disconnected, a particular fuse is pulled and so forth. The purpose for Disconnecting the battery to re-do the ILP was to start from scratch. If your dealer is not familiar with those instruction, you may need to find a new dealer as well as someone to do that ILP correctly for you.
What in the world are you going to do if you have a battery go dead or need a replacement?
As I said before, all you have to do is to disconnect the black cable from your battery for a few minutes. Then the ILP is cancelled. You already have the wrench. Then, if your theory is correct, your mileage should increase. You should be able to do that in less time than you have spent writing and reading posts!
I did the ILP on my Sport Auto and sure enough, my mileage has improved (slightly). I have gone from about 27mpg around town to about 30 mpg and highway mpg has gone from 32 to 34. I must admit that it could be that my Fit is beginning to break-in (4200 miles), but the mpg did go up. I used the procedure below:
Start with a cold engine.
Turn on ignition switch and make sure that every accessory is turned OFF. AC,radio,all lights, everything.
Turn off ignition switch
Disconnect the negative battery cable for 5 minutes.
Re connect cable
DO NOT TOUCH THROTTLE. Turn ignition switch on for 2 seconds, then start car.
Let it idle with all accessories turned off.
In about 10-15 minutes,in 70-80 degree weather, the radiator cooling fans will cycle. After the second cycle let idle an additional 10 minutes. The fans will cycle some more during this additional 10 minutes.
Switch off engine. Reset radio and driver AUTO window.
hi, am thinking of buying a 2004 model honda fit (jazz) 1.3 import (am in the uk) it has 12800 miles on the clock,it is a cvt auto model and was wondering about the reliability of these? as i have heard some grey imports have problems? can any body help?..... thanks...
I did the ILP on my Sport Auto and sure enough, my mileage has improved (slightly). I have gone from about 27mpg around town to about 30 mpg and highway mpg has gone from 32 to 34. I must admit that it could be that my Fit is beginning to break-in (4200 miles), but the mpg did go up.
Great! And thanks for the report.
For some reason folks like to complain if things don't go their way, but rarely do they give the good news.
Maybe the wife should consider letting you drive the car for say a week or so, to see if the mileage goes up a bit because of the slightly longer drive.
You have a worst-case scenario for fuel economy: stop-n-go driving in the city, probably with lots of idle time (where the car is getting 0 mpg), in winter, for short distances. How did your previous car do under these same conditions?
FWIW, you have a nearly ideal situation for a hybrid that can run on electric-only at low speeds. The good news is, if you were to ever consider selling your Fit, there's a great market for them.
I bought my car a month ago and have not put many miles on, but I know I will. Sadly, I got it the day of a snowstorm and could not drive it right away! But alas, all is cured now that I am free again!
With about 900 miles on my MT:
A few days after i got it, I topped off the "dealer full tank" with only 32 miles on it.
Once I started from a REAL full tank I got: 38.1 (man I was HAAAAPPPY!) 34.1 (ish) 35.25 on the last tank.
Know what rocked about all of that?
All three times I got change for a twenty.
Life is good.
(Ok admittedly I haven't taken it down to the fuel light being on and was wishing I had more miles per tank, but I cannot complain about the mpg as I learn to drive this particular car efficiently. I have a few things to get used to.)
You can't assume that this procedure works for everyone. People can do it but it doesn't mean that it will improve the milage for everyone. I just shared my experience and if that is considered as complaining than so be it. You should realize that if there were good news than I will report the good news, if there isn't than I report as it is. You make it sound like if the milage didn't go up than that person must have done something wrong or the procedure was not done correctly.
Obviously these forums are for discussion. People ask questions and others give answers and/or opinions. You obviously have not properly read and comprehended my many post, on many forums concerning the ILP procedure.
You wrote: You make it sound like if the mileage didn't go up than that person must have done something wrong or the procedure was not done correctly.
I have said several times that if the ILP was done correctly by the dealer, doing it correctly again will likely do nothing to improve mileage.. I don't believe I have ever said that every person doing the ILP will improve their mileage. If I did, please point out the post.
You have said many times that you think doing the ILP caused your milesge to drop. Then you have said, doing it before the engine was broken in caused your mileage to drop, then you are saying the instructions might be wrong! Then you say that Honda Servicers said they would simply let the car idle for 10 minutes to do the ILP! :sick:
Here again is my position! If the mileage dropped from doing the ILP: It was probably done correctly at the dealer. When you disconnected the battery you un-did the dealers ILP. Then something went wrong when you did it!
The way prices are going up we won't be able to get much change from a $20 when filling a 5 Gallon gas can.
Me thinks you got the Fit at the right time.
Congratulations on the great mpg figures.
Kip
Thanks Kip! I half wondered if the gas they had in the tank from Japan was superior to that in the US, given that was my best tank overall.
We have had several snowstorms, and at some points I just sat in my car to get out of the cold (shoveling snow and the new fit looked comfy lol) and I would just idle it for a bit, (mainly second and third tank.)
I put a bit more air in tires also, bringing them up from the "recommended 32 psi" to 35. That might be why it went fro m34 up to 35, but who knows.
As far as price of gas goes, change for a twenty or not, we still all get to laugh our asses off at the damned SUV and truck drivers.
and I'm averaging 33mpg, probably about 25% city, 75% highway.
By the way, if anyone's interested, http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ has a spot where you can track your mileage online, and compare it to other people who are tracking theirs. I found it's useful because I have an online backup of my records, just in case something happens to my log.
My daily commute is 30 miles round trip 75% highway and 25% suburb. On the last tank, I drove about 338 before filling up with 9.8gal for about 34.5mpg. I kept the speed between 65-70mph on the highway and took it easy on the gas in the suburb driving.
Now I'm on the next tank and I'm keeping the speeds at 70-75mph on the highway and I'm more of a lead-foot in my suburb driving. I just want to see the difference conservative driving makes. I'll post my results after my next fillup.
Sport Fit, 12000 miles so far Worst mileage: 24 MPG, 75% city driving, paddle-shifting Best mileage: 29.6 MPG, 100% highway driving, paddle-shifting, 65 miles per hour max.
Have tried tanks worth of driving with all manual paddle-shifting, all automatic driving, my wife driving, me driving....
I'm not impressed; my old 96 Corolla got 31 MPG on its worst tank,34 MPG at best... and I didn't have to modify my driving in many different ways to try to find better mileage! Love everything else about this Fit, but the mileage is the pits.
Sport Fit, 12000 miles so far Worst mileage: 24 MPG, 75% city driving, paddle-shifting Best mileage: 29.6 MPG, 100% highway driving, paddle-shifting, 65 miles per hour max.
Have tried tanks worth of driving with all manual paddle-shifting, all automatic driving, my wife driving, me driving....
I'm not impressed; my old 96 Corolla got 31 MPG on its worst tank,34 MPG at best... and I didn't have to modify my driving in many different ways to try to find better mileage! Love everything else about this Fit, but the mileage is the pits.
19mpg city. haven't try highway yet. really frustrated because i'm a student and i bought this car to save gas. plz help if you can! any advice would be appreciate
spec: fit base automatic 30-40 city drive very careful no sudden stop or fast acceleration 75-80 degree no hill in city driving one way making 4-5 stop no longer than 40sec bought before jan 07 300 mile on it
I heard people driving crazy on this vehicle and still getting above 30mpg on city. Can i bring it back to the dealer or something. I'm so frustrated.
plz email at # smthngwrong@yahoo.com if you have any good suggestion. thanks
I am getting the exact same mpg. I have posted here in the past and got some good suggestions that helped me get to 19mpg like increase tire pressure, keep RPM under 3500 (I usually cruise around 2-2.5 RPM) no sudden start/stop, wait until end of break-in. . . . So I just had my first oil change at about 4500 miles and there is NO CHANGE what-so-ever!!!!
I started complaining to Honda Corporate at about 1000 miles and they keep telling me that it is my driving techniques but after making some changes I went from 14-16 mpg to 19mpg. I am struggling to make it to 20mpg and have not done it yet! I have been to my dealer and they tell me that there is nothing wrong with the car and that there is nothing they can do then hand me a pamphlet about how to increase mpg. It is SO FRUSTRATING!!! I will soon be filing a complaint with the BBB and filing a complaint under the lemon law.
My suggestion to you would be to definately bring the car back to the dealership AND file a complaint with Honda Corporate (Customer Care) just to start a file about your problems if nothing else.
I have over 10K miles on my fit now and I am finally getting consistant tanks of 30MPG. I did everything ILP tire pressure, checked air filter, under 3,500K on rpms. But it seems that it just took time to mnake a difference. I was getting 25-29 to start with so it has not been a BIG increase, but I am hoping it will continue to increase.
During the winter months, i would avg in the upper 20s. I'm assuming the stations aren't dispensing winter gas anymore since on my last tank of gas, I got 35mpg with 90% city driving.
Best mileage: 29.6 MPG, 100% highway driving, paddle-shifting, 65 miles per hour max.
If you were doing 100% highway at 65mph, did you use the cruise control? What sort of paddle-shifting would you need to do on the highway going 65mph? Are you driving in the mountains or flat land?
Comments
Kip
Just trying to figure how much sitting at lights and creeping in heavy traffic you do.
Thanks,
Kip
If you want to see what the Fit will be rated check out the calculator at fueleconomy.gov:
new epg calculator
My manual went down to 28mpg city (34 highway)">link title, the automatics in city are even lower!
I had the same dilemma.
I got 38.1 with my first full tank also (topped off shortly after I got out of dealer).
I am thrilled because it is break in and I hope to do better! It was a suprise due ot all the cold starts and idling i did.
It now has 3,100 miles approximately and I have been plotting our mileage since 1,000 miles. Most of the time my wife drives it in the city and we have only owned it since January so it is all cold, winter driving (we live in central Illinois). With mostly city driving (70% of all miles so far) and the remaining 30% on some longer highway trips, we've averaged out to around 29mpg so far over the past 2,000 miles. Our highest was a highway trip of 34mpg and the low was all city at 25mpg. Even in the city, our driving is very few stops and little traffic. My wife and I have similar driving styles in that we don't race off the line or stop suddenly, but we don't creep off the line or coast the last 1 mile to a stop to maximize fuel economy. All the gasoline we get is 15% ethanol and has whatever fuel additives they add for the winter... so I'm not to surprised at the mileage thus far. The overall trend is still increasing and I hope that given a couple thousand miles more and some warmer weather driving, we might start seeing some more appreciated mileage numbers.
What speeds were you running on the highway trips and how much gas was used to refill?
What kind of mileage did the Saturn get?
Ethanol and cold weather, along with short trips and cold weather can really wreck gas mileage.
Kip
The Saturn got pretty good gas mileage... right around 28-29 city and mid 30's on highway trips. Both have similar tank sizes and it doesn't seem like we fill the Fit's tank any more than the old Saturn though. We've been mostly disappointed with only the slight improvements on the all highway/interstate trips we've done. Most of the trips we barely break 30mpg on the all highway drives.
On a bad note, my wife called me today and said she discovered a crack in the windshield of our new fit. We haven't even had it in for service yet and it's got a crack. Hopefully I can convince the Honda dealership to replace it under warranty as neither my wife or I have had a rock hit the windshield while we're driving. I haven't seen it yet (she's still at classes) but I'm hoping it is a windshield defect and will be covered. Otherwise, replacing a windshield after 1 1/2 months will kind of make our first Honda purchase less of an enjoyable experience
I would have thought a bit better than 25mpg for your wife's school commute. However when considering, fairly new engine, very cold weather, Auto transmission, short trips on cold engine, Ethanol, poorer aerodynamics than a sedan, and it is about the same mpg as the Manual shift Saturn, you might be doing just fine!
Kip
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-02-19-odometer-usat_x.htm
my wife is livid because it may affect her
Fit, as honda odometer discrepancies affect some honda fit models. if the odometers are rolling up miles too quickly, then the mileage numbers fit owners are getting are higher than what they really are, right?
if 350 miles/10 gallons equals 35 mpg and the fit odometers are off 3% then its really 339.5 miles/10 gallons equals 33.95 mpg.
this is not good news for fit owners who already dont like their mpg numbers
does anyone know exacly which fit models this may affect. she bought an 07 model, but i cant find info on which fits this may affect. thanks.
I actually hit an all-time low of 16.39 MPG on my last fill up.
My average MPG since I started driving the car in mid September is about 19.5 MPG.
To reiterate: This is an Auto-Sport that is driven about 3 miles each way (takes about 15-20 minutes each way) to work through the city of Chicago. This is stop-n-go traffic, driving no faster than 30 mpg at any time. Driving conditions are similar during weekend use. The car heater almost always been on since December. Trips of the highway have been few and far apart and I've been on no longer road trips yet (that will change come Summer).
Disappointed with MPG is an understatement. I still get concerned sometimes that something might be wrong with my Fit, but others assure me its the driving condition.
FWIW, you have a nearly ideal situation for a hybrid that can run on electric-only at low speeds. The good news is, if you were to ever consider selling your Fit, there's a great market for them.
I was only able to reads some of the post here considering, there are 200 pages worth. Can some plz tell me what i should do to get better mileage or if Honda is going to do something about this issue. I'm planning to bring my fit into the dealer and let them check it out, but i read that honda, is just going to tell you to wait awhile (10,000mile) to break it in. :confuse:
I really don't want to waste that much time and gas money to find out later that my fit is just one of the bad one on the market. I'm a student and really need a fuel efficient car= no money to buy another car! (hence the part that I'm a student.)
Key
Average mpg: 19mpg
City: cold aver. 40-60degree
Drive: 30-40ml in city
Stop: (Light)3-4 stop one way+ idle time: 40sec
Caution: No sudden stop or acceleration
Car Mileage: 200mille
p.s I heard something about a magic oil that suppose to help with gas mileage, i'm desperate....plz
The OP lives in central Illinois, as do I, and gasahol (the common name referred to a 10% ethanol/90% gasoline mix) is almost universal here in corn country. In fact, 100% gasoline is almost impossible to find at the pumps, regardless of brand. It's a fact of life for those who live in the midwest, and has been for a very long time - two decades in my location.
I'm not sure where the gentleman in the above post lives, but I'd love to have 40 to 60 degree weather! We're just coming through a period of below 0 degree (F) weather, and would love to see the thermometer consistently at what he considers cold.
Tank 1: 33.47 mpg
Tank 2: 30.25 mpg
Tank 3: 30.97 mpg
Overall I'm pretty happy. The car is still very new, so I'm still getting used to it. I'm hoping as I adjust and the weather warms up the numbers will continue to rise
That's not really cold. Where we are, the temperature was subzero for two weeks, and yet our Fit has been averaging 31 MPG, pretty much 50/50 city/highway (ours is a TRUE stop and go city). So that temperature alone cannot be the reason for your mileage. We live in Minnesota, so our gas also contains 10% ethanol. So again, that alone cannot be the reason. Have you ever tried a sustained highway driving to see what kind of mileage you may get? If your MPG is low even after that, I would take the Fit into to have the dealership check it out.
My bigger car is a Ford Freestyle and I get in the low 20sMPG in mixed driving, mid 20sMPG in 70MPH highway driving, and in the upper 20sMPG if I keep the speed in the low 60sMPH. I'm also satisfied with this MPG.
So in general, I get about 50% better mileage in my Fit.
On a recent trip to TN, it only averaged about 33mpg, but that included exceeding 70 for a good part of the drive.
now i will never know.. anyone think the ILP messed anything up? reset the CPU maybe?
The ILP is supposed to be done by the dealer. It is part of the vehicle "GET Ready" Procedure. Honda wants them to do it! It is also supposed to be done anytime the battery is disconnected, replaced, or has gone dead. Honda says to do it! So how can doing the ILP properly cause bad fuel mileage?
If you truly think the ILP caused your problems, you can "FIX" it by simply disconnecting the black cable from your battery for a couple of minutes. Then try a few tanks of gas. If the mileage improves, you solved the problem!
If nothing changes, chances are good the ILP has never been done correctly. Process of elimination.
As I recall, you were having trouble removing the battery cable and had a lot of questions that indicated uncertainty on your part, as how to handle the task and tools.
I'm not criticizing. Example: I worked on IBM equipment for 30 years, including main frame computers. A fairly good mechanic. But, when it comes to actually using a computer, I really struggle. Our minds don't all work the same.
I truly suspect your ILP has not done properly.
Kip
yeah i had a problem getting the nut off to remove the battery connector without a wrench.. but then it came off easily after i bought a wrench..I also has questions as to the safety of the process.. I also had questions regarding negative affects as well.. you wanna cover all basis before doing anything you;re not familar with.. i did the ILP as per the intructions.. It is possible that the ILP had nothing to do with my decrease in milage.. all i'm saying is that maybe i should;ve waited until 5or10k to do it.. nonetheless.. I talked to a couple of honda services around me and they said that if they perform the ILP.. all they would do is let it run for 10 minutes without disconnecting anything.. both said the same thing.. I even show them the ILP instructions for the pilot and they said they were not aware of disconnecting the battery..
oh well.. so in short.. i followed the instructions.. waited til the fan cycled twice etc.. and it didn;t help me. I can always do it again later. For those who aren;t getting the milage.. it might be a good idea to wait until you get 5-10k on it before trying.. just my opinion..
hqly2001,
What would that accomplish?
The ILP is part of the NEW CAR GET READY PROCEDURE.
If the dealer did not do it properly, there may have been something else they didn't do that is affecting your mileage. There is a fuse that they are also supposed to plug in, etc...
I believe that if the ILP was not necessary, it would not have been written into the GET READY PROCEDURE! If it was something that was to be done after "Engine Break In", I think it would have been something to do at the first normal maintenance interval, and not something to do before the car is delivered to the customer.
..."I even show them the ILP instructions for the pilot and they said they were not aware of disconnecting the battery.."
The New Car Get Ready TSB says to connect such and such a fuse and do the ILP. My understanding is that the fuse in question was pulled for shipping purposes. Apparently the car will crank and run without the fuse being connected, as they do drive them off the truck.
It also says the ILP is to be done again anytime the battery is disconnected, a particular fuse is pulled and so forth. The purpose for Disconnecting the battery to re-do the ILP was to start from scratch. If your dealer is not familiar with those instruction, you may need to find a new dealer as well as someone to do that ILP correctly for you.
What in the world are you going to do if you have a battery go dead or need a replacement?
As I said before, all you have to do is to disconnect the black cable from your battery for a few minutes. Then the ILP is cancelled. You already have the wrench. Then, if your theory is correct, your mileage should increase. You should be able to do that in less time than you have spent writing and reading posts!
Good luck!
Kip
Start with a cold engine.
Turn on ignition switch and make sure that every accessory is turned OFF. AC,radio,all lights, everything.
Turn off ignition switch
Disconnect the negative battery cable for 5 minutes.
Re connect cable
DO NOT TOUCH THROTTLE. Turn ignition switch on for 2 seconds, then start car.
Let it idle with all accessories turned off.
In about 10-15 minutes,in 70-80 degree weather, the radiator cooling fans will cycle. After the second cycle let idle an additional 10 minutes.
The fans will cycle some more during this additional 10 minutes.
Switch off engine. Reset radio and driver AUTO window.
Great!
For some reason folks like to complain if things don't go their way, but rarely do they give the good news.
Thanks,
Kip
Tell her to take one for the team. lol
FWIW, you have a nearly ideal situation for a hybrid that can run on electric-only at low speeds. The good news is, if you were to ever consider selling your Fit, there's a great market for them.
Just imagine if they ever make a hybrid Fit.
With about 900 miles on my MT:
A few days after i got it, I topped off the "dealer full tank" with only 32 miles on it.
Once I started from a REAL full tank I got:
38.1 (man I was HAAAAPPPY!)
34.1 (ish)
35.25 on the last tank.
Know what rocked about all of that?
All three times I got change for a twenty.
Life is good.
(Ok admittedly I haven't taken it down to the fuel light being on and was wishing I had more miles per tank, but I cannot complain about the mpg as I learn to drive this particular car efficiently. I have a few things to get used to.)
The way prices are going up we won't be able to get much change from a $20 when filling a 5 Gallon gas can.
Me thinks you got the Fit at the right time.
Congratulations on the great mpg figures.
Kip
Obviously these forums are for discussion. People ask questions and others give answers and/or opinions. You obviously have not properly read and comprehended my many post, on many forums concerning the ILP procedure.
You wrote: You make it sound like if the mileage didn't go up than that person must have done something wrong or the procedure was not done correctly.
I have said several times that if the ILP was done correctly by the dealer, doing it correctly again will likely do nothing to improve mileage.. I don't believe I have ever said that every person doing the ILP will improve their mileage. If I did, please point out the post.
You have said many times that you think doing the ILP caused your milesge to drop. Then you have said, doing it before the engine was broken in caused your mileage to drop, then you are saying the instructions might be wrong!
Then you say that Honda Servicers said they would simply let the car idle for 10 minutes to do the ILP! :sick:
Here again is my position!
If the mileage dropped from doing the ILP:
It was probably done correctly at the dealer. When you disconnected the battery you un-did the dealers ILP. Then something went wrong when you did it!
So what have you done to correct the situation?
Kip
The way prices are going up we won't be able to get much change from a $20 when filling a 5 Gallon gas can.
Me thinks you got the Fit at the right time.
Congratulations on the great mpg figures.
Kip
Thanks Kip! I half wondered if the gas they had in the tank from Japan was superior to that in the US, given that was my best tank overall.
We have had several snowstorms, and at some points I just sat in my car to get out of the cold (shoveling snow and the new fit looked comfy lol) and I would just idle it for a bit, (mainly second and third tank.)
I put a bit more air in tires also, bringing them up from the "recommended 32 psi" to 35. That might be why it went fro m34 up to 35, but who knows.
As far as price of gas goes, change for a twenty or not, we still all get to laugh our asses off at the damned SUV and truck drivers.
In reality the Fit is an SUV with a tiny outside, incredibly versitale inside, and great fuel mileage.
So there! :P
Kip
By the way, if anyone's interested, http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ has a spot where you can track your mileage online, and compare it to other people who are tracking theirs. I found it's useful because I have an online backup of my records, just in case something happens to my log.
Now I'm on the next tank and I'm keeping the speeds at 70-75mph on the highway and I'm more of a lead-foot in my suburb driving. I just want to see the difference conservative driving makes. I'll post my results after my next fillup.
Kip
Worst mileage: 24 MPG, 75% city driving, paddle-shifting
Best mileage: 29.6 MPG, 100% highway driving, paddle-shifting, 65 miles per hour max.
Have tried tanks worth of driving with all manual paddle-shifting, all automatic driving, my wife driving, me driving....
I'm not impressed; my old 96 Corolla got 31 MPG on its worst tank,34 MPG at best... and I didn't have to modify my driving in many different ways to try to find better mileage! Love everything else about this Fit, but the mileage is the pits.
Pete
Worst mileage: 24 MPG, 75% city driving, paddle-shifting
Best mileage: 29.6 MPG, 100% highway driving, paddle-shifting, 65 miles per hour max.
Have tried tanks worth of driving with all manual paddle-shifting, all automatic driving, my wife driving, me driving....
I'm not impressed; my old 96 Corolla got 31 MPG on its worst tank,34 MPG at best... and I didn't have to modify my driving in many different ways to try to find better mileage! Love everything else about this Fit, but the mileage is the pits.
Pete
spec:
fit base
automatic
30-40 city
drive very careful no sudden stop or fast acceleration
75-80 degree
no hill in city
driving one way making 4-5 stop no longer than 40sec
bought before jan 07
300 mile on it
I heard people driving crazy on this vehicle and still getting above 30mpg on city. Can i bring it back to the dealer or something. I'm so frustrated.
plz email at # smthngwrong@yahoo.com if you have any good suggestion. thanks
I started complaining to Honda Corporate at about 1000 miles and they keep telling me that it is my driving techniques but after making some changes I went from 14-16 mpg to 19mpg. I am struggling to make it to 20mpg and have not done it yet! I have been to my dealer and they tell me that there is nothing wrong with the car and that there is nothing they can do then hand me a pamphlet about how to increase mpg. It is SO FRUSTRATING!!! I will soon be filing a complaint with the BBB and filing a complaint under the lemon law.
My suggestion to you would be to definately bring the car back to the dealership AND file a complaint with Honda Corporate (Customer Care) just to start a file about your problems if nothing else.
Good Luck!
If not, it may help...
kip
If you were doing 100% highway at 65mph, did you use the cruise control? What sort of paddle-shifting would you need to do on the highway going 65mph? Are you driving in the mountains or flat land?
I still average 34-37 mpg. Something is really wrong with your car. Bad driving doesn't cause a 17mpg difference.