Honda Fit Lighting and Electrical Questions

therodm · June 2006

Hi all,

I have about 350 miles on our Fit Sport. My wife's car actually and I have only driven a few times. Well, maybe I did not notice but this morning and then again after work (no driving in between) when I started the car the "Low engine coolant temp indicator light came on, light blue light. It stayed on for about 45-60 seconds each time and then turned off. It did not come on again while driving. I parked the car in the garage and started it after siting for 2 hours and the indicator came on for about 10-15 seconds. (By the way my drive home is about 5 mile so the car did not get very hot)

I called the dealer and they state that this is normal for the fit. The manual seems to indicate this also. I just am a bit wary becasue my wife has not noticed it, maybe it has always come on, not sure. I just want some feedback form other owners for peace of mind.

I appreciate your feedback and look forward to hearing whateveryone has to say about this issue.

Thank you all!

jrlnc · June 2006

I am sure this is normal for the Fit. I notice it every time I start the engine. It stays on longer in the morning (~2 minutes) but always goes off.

It is not really a warning indicator and that is why Honda made it blue instead of red. I think it is informational only, possibly to make up for the lack of a coolant temperature gauge.

hungarian83 · June 2006

The coolant temperature system on the Fit just gives the most important pieces of information. The blue light will always come on when the engine is cold...this is supposed to happen, and I would be worried if it didn't come on. I have found that after sitting overnight, it takes about 1 minute to go out. After that, no lights should come on while driving.

In the event the coolant reaches what would be close to "H" on the conventional gauge, the red LED lights up. If it exceeds the "H", it will start flashing red.

therodm · June 2006

Hi all,

I have about 350 miles on our Fit Sport. My wife's car actually and I have only driven a few times. Well, maybe I did not notice but this morning and then again after work (no driving in between) when I started the car the "Low engine coolant temp indicator light came on, light blue light. It stayed on for about 45-60 seconds each time and then turned off. It did not come on again while driving. I parked the car in the garage and started it after siting for 2 hours and the indicator came on for about 10-15 seconds. (By the way my drive home is about 5 mile so the car did not get very hot)

I called the dealer and they state that this is normal for the fit. The manual seems to indicate this also. I just am a bit wary becasue my wife has not noticed it, maybe it has always come on, not sure. I just want some feedback form other owners for peace of mind.

I appreciate your feedback and look forward to hearing whateveryone has to say about this issue.

Thank you all!

dewaltdakota · June 2006

That's totally normal. To compare it to a vehicle with a temperature gauge, think of it as when you first start your car, the needle is to the far left, at "cold." This is when you'll see the blue temp light go on on the Fit. As the car warms up, the needle would move towards the center of the gauge, where on the Fit, the blue light goes out. If the car begins to overheat, you would see the needle move towards the far right on a gauge, where the Fit, the red temperature light will glow. At the point of overheating, the gauge would be at the far right, while the Fit's red light would begin to flash.

A dial-type gauge would require you to glance down and notice its actual position, whereas, if you think about it, the Fit's lighting system is more likely to grab your attention, when something begins to go wrong.

bodble2 · June 2006

I dunno...if given the choice, I would still go for a conventional temp gauge. If nothing else, with a real gauge, at least you'd always know if it is working. With an indicator light, if it doesn't light up red, does it mean your engine is ok, or the light isn't working?! :confuse: :sick:

plekto · June 2006

One thing about temperature gauges is that 99% of them now are useless as they have a noticeable dead-spot in the center. They move very quickly once they hit an upper and lower threshold, but inbetween, they hardly move at all, so they are essentially as useless as an idiot-light, since they don't actually show your real temperature.

ie - on my old Buick 160 degrees and 200 degrees showed as 180 degrees - there's no variation or movement until it hits about 210 degrees, then it shoots up crazy fast.

I think Honda realized this and just ditched the useless needle, since the mechanism behind/sensor is identical anyways.

coloradocraig · June 2006

Plekto is correct about the implementation of recent temperature gauges. They are designed to be non-linear so that people don't "worry" about the actual reading. That is, they will always be in the middle unless the engine is cold or there is an actual overheating problem. Therefore, they really convey no more information than the Fit temperature lights do. I really like gauges and thought that the "missing" temp gauge would be a problem for me, but after driving the car for awhile, I actually like the way Honda has designed the lights. Its interesting to note how fast the small Fit engine warms up - only a couple blocks of driving.

hungarian83 · June 2006

"With an indicator light, if it doesn't light up red, does it mean your engine is ok, or the light isn't working?!"

Everytime you turn the ignition key to the II position, every little light comes up on the dashboard. This includes the red "overheating light". If it doesn't come on then, then you know something is wrong and you can get it fixed. I was worried a little at first about not having the conventional gauge, but I am totally over it now. It's really not that big of a deal, and as plekto said, the needle gauges are pretty useless too.

bodble2 · June 2006

"If it doesn't come on then, then you know something is wrong and you can get it fixed."

OK, fair enough. But lets say, 2 hours into your high-speed run across the desert in 110 degree heat, as you hurry home to the wife, after your visit to the Mustang Ranch at Vegas, wouldn't you feel a wee bit more relaxed with a real temp gauge? :P :shades:

mtngal · June 2006

"But lets say, 2 hours into your high-speed run across the desert in 110 degree heat, as you hurry home to the wife, after your visit to the Mustang Ranch at Vegas, wouldn't you feel a wee bit more relaxed with a real temp gauge?"

It's funny that you mentioned that!

I used to have a 2000 Tacoma that had a real temperture gauge. For about a week one early spring I watched the gauge go up every day on my way home up the Grapevine. It never got close enough to the top to panic, but I did pay attention to it. Then one weekend, the first hot weekend of the year, we drove to Vegas. When I took over the driving in Baker and started up Halloran Summit, I watched the gauge climb and reach the top just as I got to Halloran Summit. While having some warning that there might be a problem was nice, it made no difference - we were still stranded in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

bodble2 · June 2006

I thought you were going to say that you often make high-speed runs to the Mustang Ranch!

(Does it sill exist?)

You're right that, with or without a temp gauge, you may still get stranded. But the way I see it, being able to see impending doom may at least give you a chance to take self-preservative action! (Such as stop and flag down the only car that would pass you for the next 90 minutes?) :P

719b · June 2006

if the temp gauge was reading warmer than usual in the early spring, it gave you an opportunity to have a mechanic look at it.
the fact you ignored it isn't the fault of the temp gauge.
you may have been able to prevent a unscheduled stop in the mojave desert

mtngal · June 2006

Ah, that's the problem, isn't it - what is "higher than normal?" Most of the time mechanics say that if it doesn't get up to the high spot, it's normal and ignore it. I wasn't sure that what I was seeing was normal "going up steep grades at high speeds" or if it was an indication of a problem, so I waited to see if it would ever overheat (if I had taken it to a mechanic a vague "the temp gauge goes higher when I'm driving the Grapevine," they would have said there was nothing wrong). Guess it was my misfortune that the first hot day I drove it happened to be up Halloran Summit.

I do prefer to have a real gauge - however, my other car has one of those almost-idiot-light gauges. Maybe since I know that one is not much better than a light (I've gotten used to the idea), it didn't bother me about the Fit's light.

bodble2 · June 2006

"(if I had taken it to a mechanic a vague "the temp gauge goes higher when I'm driving the Grapevine," they would have said there was nothing wrong)."

True, but if you had added that you've driven the Grapevine lots of time previously and the temp gauge had never gone that high, then it may have prompted him to do a bit of diagnosis.

jmiller1984 · June 2006

Haven't been able to check-out a Fit at a dealership, but I really want to know which (if any) of the switches and steering wheel controls are illuminated. I can't stand fumbling around for controls in the dark.

Those of you who know, please share.

fit_ness · June 2006

I think the controls are all illuminated. I'm a couple of thousand miles from my Fit. I can't think of any controls unlit. I know the door and steering wheel controls don't dim with the gauge light dimmer, but they are not distracting.

anotherscott · June 2006

The indicator is just telling you the engine is cold, and the light goes off when the engine warms up to recommended operating temperature. The amount of time will vary with how cold it is outside and how recently the car's been driven.

It's always best to let a car warm up before you drive it, to avoid putting undue wear and stress on its components.

I actually prefer the Honda light to a traditional temperature gauge! With a gauge, I would wonder, when is it warm enough to drive, how far should I wait for the needle to move? With the Honda, once the light goes off, I know it's fine.

And as this post indicated, I think it may actually have educational value. Drivers may not realize that a car should be allowed to warm up. Lots of people just routinely jump into a car an go and don't give it a thought, they may never have been told otherwise. If a car has a gauge, they may not look at it, they may think it serves no purpose except to indicate overheating. The blue light forces someone who might not know to think, "hmmm, why is that light on?" And then they may learn that they should try to avoid driving a cold car when possible.

bodble2 · June 2006

"The blue light forces someone who might not know to think, "hmmm, why is that light on?" And then they may learn that they should try to avoid driving a cold car when possible."

Those "someone" that don't ever look at a temp gauge likely also would not pay much attention to a little blue light that comes on and off.

Actually, I suspect most buyers of Fits, and others models in that price segment, are the "jump in the car and go" type --- the type that treats cars more as an appliance. Perhaps not most of the Fit owners that post regularly on this thread, but probably most of the general Fit customer base.

fitman548 · June 2006

I just found the adjustment wheels for my headlights. I sat in the dark garage with only the headlight lo beams on. I must have cranked that screwdriver 20 clockwise rotations, the passenger side wheel turning 5 or 6 times, and my headlights didn't move AN INCH up or down that wall. What am i doing wrong here?

anotherscott · June 2006

True, but someone who may never look at a gauge may find their attention grabbed by a light. I think you're also right that many drivers--and in particular many owners of this kind of car--are car-as-appliance types, but still, they may want their appliance to be as trouble-free as possible for as long as possible, and being gentle while the engine is cold contributes to that, so if they at least _know_ that they should do that, they just might...

Though I just checked the Honda manual, and it doesn't actually suggest any particular behavior for cold operation. Hmm!

bobinhawaii · June 2006

....illuminated just when the lights are on or are they the type that are on all day regardless?

Thanx for the help...Aloha

fit_ness · June 2006

All day. Always.

sgroff · June 2006

Yes, exactly that. I filled up on Friday, drove the car home and it sat over the weekend. Drove 15 miles to an appointment on Monday. All with no indication of problems. Came out of the appointment and turned the car on; lo & behold, "gas cap." It did go away by the end of the second day.

sfinster · June 2006

The instrument panel is always lit. I find that at night, they're too bright and I have to turn them down. If I'm driving with the headlights on during the day (if it's raining, for instance) I have to turn the instrument lighting up all the way in order to be able to read the radio display. Easy to adjust, though; you twist the trip meter stalk.

ilkirk · July 2006

I had nearly EXACTLY this same problem, even close to the same mileage.

I think it was due to overfilling the gas tank, to be honest. I recall pushing as much fuel into the tank as I could see fit, then after that one short trip, the indicator came on. I drove it for a tank and a half before it cleared itself.

I also called the dealer and they said the same thing. Tighten the cap, drive it a few days, then we'll clear it. I, obviously, didn't have to have them clear it, but I'll sure take the automatic cutoff's advice when I'm at the pump anymore.

The dealer also said to make sure and get several clicks out of the cap... its designed to do it, so I shouldn't be turned away by the horrible noise.

justjules · July 2006

I noticed a couple days ago that when I have no passenger, the airbag off indicator is not staying on after the initial startup of the car. I'm guessing that this indicates that the airbag will deploy regardless of wehther or not there's a passenger in the seat (?). Am I correct that the light is supposed to stay on the entire time there is no one in that passenger seat? Or am I remembering incorrectly?

dewaltdakota · July 2006

You are remembering incorrectly. The only time the light will stay on is if there is enough weight in the seat for the sensor to pick it up, but not enough to allow for the airbag to safely deploy.

So, if the seat is empty, the light won't come on. If an adult/teenager is in the seat, the light won't come on, and the airbags are enabled. If you put a light purse on the seat, the light won't come on, but the airbag is disabled. If you put a bag of groceries on the seat, the light will probably come on, and the airbags will be disabled. The manual may state the minimum weight required to trigger the light, denoting that the airbag is disabled (because there's not enough weight for it to assume it's a person large enough to safely take the impact of a deploying airbag).

scub · July 2006

I wondered about this as with my last VW, a burned out bulb in the instrument cluster cost me nearly $100 to replace. It seems the lights in my Fit are on at 100% during daylight, and with no way to dim them. When you turn on the headlight switch, the control knob for the dimmer becomes active and you can dim to suit your tastes. I hope these are LED lights and won't burn out early due to constant on in daylight. It doesn't seem to address this in the manual, but I only pay half attention to instructions...as most guys do (or don't ).

Steve

getnfittywidit · July 2006

Okay...BUSTED. I've been hopping in and taking off. Didn't realize I needed to wait for the light to go out. I wondered about that, but not long enough to do anything about it. Checked the manual, it said it was normal...moved on.

See I really didn't expect that jumping into a car that's been sitting on asphalt for 8 hours in 95 degree heat to REALLY need to warm up. Go figger!

hungarian83 · July 2006

You don't actually need to have the blue light disappear...you can go right ahead and drive. However, it is definitely a good idea to keep the rpms low and avoid lots of harsh driving when the engine is cold...true of any car.

cdnfit · July 2006

Because of the forum comments about the headlights, before delivery I had the dealer adjust the headlights 2 notches above the specified setting.

I can see quite well at night with low beam, the signs are illuminated, and no oncoming vehicle has complained about the lights being too high.

I have tried the Silverstars (North American Sylvania model) on a previous vehicle and my particlular ones burned out extremely quickly and I didn't notice much difference in visibility. I was tempted to return them to the store because they burned out so quickly - but I didn't think the store would have too much sympathy with me.

See http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/good/good.html

In conclusion, just have the dealer adjust the lights to specs and if that doesn't work then go a couple notches higher.

pdjacob · August 2006

Regarding headlamps on lowbeam, thanks for the suggestions. I was stunned the first time I drove at night and on hilly terrain. I couldn't believe I had not seen this issue in the forums I read before purchasing the vehicle. But now that I'm looking for the issue, I see it in the forums. I just left a message with my dealer requesting they adjust the lamps. It IS dangerous, and I don't understand Honda's reasoning behind the extremely limited range of light on low beam. Any clues? Other than that issue, I am loving my one-week-old Fit.

fitman548 · August 2006

Some were complaining that you can't see far engouh ahead, or that the signs on the sign of the road are hard to read. There are washers with teeth adjacent with the blbs that you can rotate to change the angle of the light. There was a link to a diagram earlier. The passenger-side washer you can see in plain site. The driver side one is access through a hole in the black plastic, then through another hole. Also, IIRC, turn them counter clockwise to raise them. I think...one of the sets of instructions had it backwards. Park 100 ft from a dark wall when you adjust so you can see the changes.

dewaltdakota · August 2006

I think it all depends on whether you're standing behind the headlight, or in front of the headlight, whether or not you would call it "clockwise", or "counter-clockwise."

Here's a diagram, that may help:

Some have suggested that you mark your phillips-head screwdriver, and count the number of times you rotate the screwdriver. That didn't work for me, because the screwdriver would slip sometimes, and I wouldn't get a proper count. It was also hard to keep track of the screwdriver mark, while trying to keep an eye on how far up the headlight beam was working its way up my brick wall.

I found it easiest to place a mark on the edge of the "gear", and then keep track of the number of times it spun around instead. I was running about 12 wrist twists of the screwdriver, to make one full rotation of the "gear."

fitman548 · August 2006

that diagram makes it seem like there are two adjusters of each side. Is that right? One for hi and lo beams? Also, that diagram is misleading because you go at the washer from the side, not straight down through a hole. Right? I'll have to double check later today.

dewaltdakota · August 2006

I think the original diagram came from a non-US/Canada car, so it's probably different from ours. If you go back and take a look now, I've just replaced the diagram with an actual picture of my car, with a screwdriver sticking out of the "gear", for clarity.

The label that you see, showing "Up (left arrow)" and "Down (right arrow)" refers to the direction that you should see the gear teeth moving, as viewed from the top of the gear. So, for the headlights to move "Up", the gear moves left.

On the driver's side, you have to rotate the screwdriver, so that you get the same effect (gear rotating to the left, as viewed from the top, to raise the headlights):

This is what lurks beneath the plastic shield on the driver's side. It really makes it a pain in the butt to see what's going on, underneath it. You can also see where I marked the gear, and added the left/up, right/down sticker:

I hope I haven't confused anyone, more than they may already be! :surprise:

sd_driver · August 2006

The Fit manual says that when the maintenance minder comes on (signalling time for an oil change, for instance) that "This indicator goes off when your dealer resets it after completing the required maintenance service."

Does that mean ONLY the dealer can reset it?

Does that mean if I change my own oil or have a non-dealer mechanic change it that the indicator will remain on?

Or is there some way for a non-dealer to reset the indicator?

I would be very, very annoyed if I HAD to go to a Honda dealer to turn the indicator off

hungarian83 · August 2006

It should allow you to do it yourself. I haven't tried, but I am wondering if you just hold the button down (like resetting the trip odometer) when the oil change section is showing.

dewaltdakota · August 2006

On our 2001/2002 Civics, you would begin with your car shut off. Press and hold the select/reset button in the instrument panel, then turn the ignition switch ON (but don't start it!). Keep holding down the button, until it beeps, and the message goes away (about 10 seconds).

The Fit reset may work in the same way - may not.

carfanatic007 · August 2006

If I'm not mistaken the owners manual tells you how to reset your maintenance minder for those who do there own maintenance. Look it up.

dewaltdakota · August 2006

"Look it up." Me-ow!

Well... Here's the procedure, from the 2007 Honda Fit owner's manual (which I did not have with me, at the time of my earlier post):

If maintenance service is done by someone other than your dealer, reset the maintenance minder as follows:
Turn the ignition switch to the ON (II) position.
Press the Select/Reset knob repeatedly until the engine oil life is displayed.
Press the Select/Reset knob for about 10 seconds. The engine oil life and the maintenance item code(s) will blink.
Press the Select/Reset knob for another 5 seconds. The maintenance item code(s) will disappear, and the engine oil life will reset to 100.

sd_driver · August 2006

Thank you.

My mistake was that I took the manual's directive on oil changes to have the dealer reset the Maintenance Minder as meaning that dealers need to reset it. So I didn't look how to do it myself in the manual until after I posted.

rsharp · August 2006

I finally drove my week old Fit at night on a dark two lane road...YIKES! I thought maybe people were over-reacting to the headlight settings. But after a few miles I switched to the brights because I couldn't see a darn thing. Not only is this annoying but I feel it is downright dangerous. It was amazing how bad the visibility was. I called the dealer immediately and I am making them adjust the lights. Beware all Fit buyers, have the body shop adjust your lights before you ever leave the lot.

Other than that issue the Fit has been everything I expected it to be.

fit_ness · August 2006

Please report this on your owner's survey. This is a safety issue. I almost hit a bicyclist after taking it back to the dealer and being told the headlights were adjusted properly. They did not even make signs or any reflectors reflect. After that scare, I took matters into my own hands and raised them myself. All is well.

dgfit · August 2006

I was able to raise the headlight levels easily and quickly thanks to some of the photos and advice on the fit forums.....but another question....when you see the headlights 'on' a considerable amount if the focused central beam seems to be shining not out directly in front of the car but is aimed at the outer edge of the forward reflector light [yellow]! In fact, you can see some of the light being reflected back...which means this is wasted in addition to being responsible, possibly, for some inadvertant windshield glare. I could find no adjustment whel or gear as is clearly evident for the up/down adjustments. Any advice, besides 'take it to the dealer' which will probably be answered by 'that is the way it is supposed to be'? Is this a problem? I think it is but looking for other answers......BTW, 40 mpg plus in numerous hiway trips even from the 1st and w/o 'idle learn' which I did anyays after 9 K miles or so....usual advice...tires 35-36 psi [max COLD limit is 51 psi in the 15" tires] 65-70 mph [even better 2500 rpm or just a notch below that in ANY conditions to cruise at], limit AC, etc. Thanks in advance!
Don G
Atlanta GA

boatfloyd · August 2006

The Fuel Cap warning indicator came on with my Fit one time. I believe tightening the cap too quickly caused it. The light did go off in a few days, after I tightened it slowly.

boatfloyd

bobw3 · November 2006

Driving with the blue light on is just fine. It's really there just to let you know that if you try to turn on the heater, you're not going to get any hot air blowing from the vents...duh. But you don't have to just sit there in idle until the blue light goes off. The actual engine components will heat up a lot faster than the engine coolant, so you can just drive normally as soon as you start the car...but don't expect any heat right away.

dickturner · January 2007

dickturner · January 2007

Do it yourself is great except that I can't figure out how to get at the bulbs to replace them.
Tried removing the two obvious 10mm bolts figuring that the headlamp assembly would lift or hinge out but no go. What is the replacement trick?

Honda Fit Lighting and Electrical Questions

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