stop start HONDA FIT 2009 2.G Owners Manual

Anti-lock Brake System
(ABS) Indicator
This indicator normally comes on for
a few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, and when the ignition
switch is turned to the START (III)
position. If it comes on at any other
time, there is a problem with the
ABS. If this happens, have your
vehicle checked at a dealer. With this
indicator on, your vehicle still has
normal braking ability but no anti-
lock function. For more information,
see page231.
Electric Power Steering
(EPS) Indicator
This indicator normally comes on when
you turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position and goes off after the
engine starts. If it comes on at any
other time, there is a problem in the
electric power steering system. If this
happens, stop the vehicle in a safe
place and turn off the engine. Reset the
system by restarting the engine. The
indicator will not turn off immediately.
If it does not go off after driving a short
distance, or comes back on again while
driving, take the vehicle to your dealer
to have it checked. With the indicator
on, the EPS may be turned off, making
the vehicle harder to steer.
If you turn the steering wheel to the
full left or right position repeatedly
while stopping or driving at very low
speed, you may feel slightly harder
steering in order to prevent damage to
the steering box caused by
overheating.
Low Fuel Indicator
This indicator comes on as a
reminder that you must refuel soon.
When the indicator comes on, there
is about 1.64 US gal (6.2 L) of fuel
remaining in the tank before the
needle reaches E. There is a small
reserve of fuel remaining in the tank
when the needle does reach E.Door and Tailgate Open
Indicator
This indicator comes on if any door
or the tailgate is not closed tightly.
Instrument Panel Indicators62
2009 Fit

Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility before
starting to drive.
The defogger wires on the inside of
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side-to-side.If equippedPushing this button also turns the
mirror heaters on or off. For more
information, see page102.Steering Wheel Adjustment
Make any steering wheel adjustment
before you start driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
in a crash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.
1. Pull the lever under the steering column toward you until it stops.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down, and in or out, so it points
toward your chest, not toward your
face. Make sure you can see the
instrument panel gauges and
indicators.
3. Push the lever forward fully to lockthe steering wheel in position.
4. Make sure you have securely locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up, down, in,
and out.
Rear Window Defogger, Steering Wheel Adjustment
77
Instruments and Controls
2009 Fit

AUTO－To open or close the
driver's window, push or pull the
window switch firmly down or up to
the second detent, and release it.
The window will automatically go
down or up all the way. To stop the
window, pull or push the window
switch briefly.
AUTO REVERSE －If the driver ’s
window senses any obstacle while it
is closing automatically, it will
reverse direction, and then stop. To
close the window, remove the
obstacle, then use the window switch
again.
Auto reverse stops sensing when the
window is almost closed. You should
always check that all passengers and
objects are away from the window
before closing it. Mirrors
Keep the inside and outside mirrors
clean and adjusted for best visibility.
Be sure to adjust the mirrors before
you start driving.
The inside mirror has day and night
positions. The night position reduces
glare from headlights behind you.
Flip the tab on the bottom edge of
the mirror to select the day or night
position.
Adjusting the Power Mirrors1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
2. Move the selector switch to L (driver's side) or R (passenger's
side).
TAB
SELECTOR SWITCH
ADJUSTMENT SWITCH
CONTINUED
Power Windows, Mirrors
101
Instruments and Controls
2009 Fit

All models except U.S. SportTo shift from:Do this:
PtoR Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
RtoP
NtoR
D
3to 2
2to1 Press the shift lever release
button.
1to2
2toD3
D3to D
DtoN
DtoD
3
NtoD RtoN Move the shift lever.
U.S. Sport modelTo shift from:
Do this:
PtoR Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
RtoP
NtoR DtoS Press the shift lever release
button.
StoD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN Move the shift lever.
Park (P)
－This position
mechanically locks the transmission.
Use Park whenever you are turning
off or starting the engine. To shift out
of Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
button on the front of the shift lever
to move it.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on
page223.
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop before shifting
into Park. You must also press the
release button to shift into Park. The
shift lever must be in Park before
you can remove the key from the
ignition switch.
Automatic Transmission220
2009 Fit

Reverse (R)－Press the brake
pedal and press the release button on
the front of the shift lever to shift
from Park to reverse. To shift from
reverse to neutral, come to a
complete stop, and then shift. Press
the release button before shifting
into reverse from neutral.
Neutral (N) －Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with the
engine idling. Shift to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear. Drive (D)
－Use this position for
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) for your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up faster.
All models except U.S. SportDrive (D
3) － This position is similar
to D, except only the first three gears
are selected. Use D
3to provide
engine braking when going down a
steep hill. D
3can also keep the
transmission from cycling between
third and fourth gears in stop-and-go
driving.
All models except U.S. SportSecond (2) －To shift to second,
press the release button on the front
of the shift lever. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshift to first gear when
you come to a stop.
Use second gear:●For more power when climbing.●To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.●For starting out on a slippery
surface or in deep snow.●To help reduce wheel spin.
CONTINUED
Automatic Transmission
221
Driving
2009 Fit

When you accelerate from a stop, the
transmission starts in first gear, and
you must manually upshift between
first and fifth gears. Make sure you
upshift before the engine speed
reaches the tachometer's red zone.
The transmission remains in the
selected gear (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1). There
is no automatic downshift when you
push the accelerator pedal to the
floor.
When you are driving in 4th or 5th
gear, the transmission downshifts to
the lower gear under the following
conditions:●The vehicle slows down to a
certain speed.●You press the brake pedal.Downshifting with the paddle shifter
allows you to increase the engine
braking when going down steep or
long hills, and provides more power
when climbing uphills. You can
upshift the transmission manually to
reduce the rpm. Driving in the
higher gear helps fuel economy.
The transmission also shifts
automatically as the vehicle comes to
a complete stop. It downshifts to first
gear when the vehicle speed reaches
6 mph (10 km/h) or less.
The automatic transmission will not
allow you to shift up or down if:
●You downshift before the engine
speed falls below the upper limit of
the lower gear.
If you try to do this, the gear position
indicator will flash the number of the
lower gear several times, then return
to a higher gear. If the vehicle speed decreases below
the redline of the selected lower gear
while the indicator is flashing, the
transmission downshifts, and the
indicator displays the selected gear.
●You upshift before the engine
speed rises above the lower limit
of the higher gear.●You pull both paddle shifters at the
same time.
CONTINUED
Driving with the Paddle Shifters (Sport only)
227
Driving
2009 Fit

Here are the speed ranges for
upshifting and downshifting.To shift from Speed range
1 → 2 over 0 mph (0 km/h)
2 → 3 over 6 mph (10 km/h)
3 → 4 over 21 mph (34 km/h)
4 → 5 over 27 mph (44 km/h)
To shift from Speed range
2 → 1 under 26 mph (42 km/h)
3 → 2 under 51 mph (82 km/h)
4 → 3 under 79 mph (127 km/h)
Starting in Second GearWhen you are in sequential shift
mode, and the vehicle is stopped,
pull the ＋(right) paddle shifter to
shift to second gear. You will see
‘‘ M2 ’’in the display. Starting in
second gear helps to reduce
wheelspin in deep snow or on a
slippery surface.
Driving with the Paddle Shifters (Sport only)228
2009 Fit

U.S. models onlyYour vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
Each tire has its own pressure sensor
(not including the spare tire). If the
air pressure of a tire becomes
significantly low, the sensor in that
tire immediately sends a signal that
causes the low tire pressure indicator
to come on.
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator
When the low tire pressure indicator
is on, one or more of your tires is
significantly underinflated. You
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure as indicated on
the vehicle's tire information placard.
If you think you can safely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly, and inflate the tire to
the recommended pressure shown
on the driver's doorjamb.
If the tire is flat, or if the tire pressure
is too low to continue driving, replace
the tire with the compact spare tire
(see page284). If you cannot make the low tire
pressure indicator go out after
inflating the tires to the specified
values, have your dealer check the
system as soon as possible.
Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and
stopping ability.
Because tire pressure varies by
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure indicator may
come on unexpectedly.
CONTINUED
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
235
Driving
2009 Fit

5. Release the parking brake.Manual transmission:1. Move the shifter into the Neutralposition.
2. Release the parking brake.
Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock. Make
sure the radio and any items plugged
into the accessory power sockets are
turned off so you do not run down
the battery.
When you stop towing your vehicle
and shift out of the neutral position,
you may not be able to move the shift
lever from neutral to reverse or Park.
If this happens, press the brake pedal
and turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position, then shift out of
neutral.
Extended TowingIf you tow more than 8 hours in one
day, you should repeat the above
procedure at least every 8 hours
(when you stop for fuel, etc.)Failure to follow the recommended
instructions exactly will result in severe
automatic transmission damage. If you
cannot shift the transmission or start
the engine, your vehicle must be
transported on a flat-bed truck or
trailer. When towing your vehicle for long
periods, remove the 20A Accessory
Socket and 30A Radio fuses to
reduce drain on battery. These fuses
are located in the interior fuse box
and are shown as number 13 and 61
below.
CONTINUED
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome
239
Driving
2009 Fit

5. Look for any obvious coolantleaks, such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see Emergency
Towing on page311).
6. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark.
7. If there was no coolant in the reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the high
temperature indicator goes off
before checking the radiator.
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
8. Using gloves or a large heavy cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off. 9. Start the engine, and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum heat. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the filler
neck. If you do not have the proper
coolant mixture available, you can
add plain water. Remember to
have the cooling system drained
and refilled with the proper
mixture as soon as you can.
10. Put the radiator cap back on tightly. Run the engine, and check
the high temperature indicator. If
it begins to blink or comes on
again, the engine needs repair (see
Emergency Towing on page311).
11. If the temperature stays normal, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has gone
down, add coolant to the MAX
mark. Put the cap back on tightly.
If the Engine Overheats302
2009 Fit