Contents
A convenient reference to the
sections in this manual.
Your Vehicle at a Glance
A quick reference to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Important information about the
proper use and care of your vehicle's
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable information on how to
protect children with child restraints.
Instruments and Controls
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and
gauge, and how to use the controls
on the dashboard and steering
column.
Features
How to operate the heating and air
conditioning system, the audio
system, and other convenience
features.Before Driving
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
Driving
The proper way to start the engine,
shift the transmission, and park.
Maintenance
The maintenance minder shows you
when you need to take your vehicle
to the dealer for maintenance
service. There is also a list of things
to check and instructions on how to
check them.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience, and
details how to handle them.
Technical Information
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual for detailed
information.
Index
Service Information Summary
A summary of the information you
need when you pull up to the fuel
pump.Overview of Contents2
2009 Fit
You'll find many safety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with
airbags, make sure you and your
passengers always wear your seat
belts, and wear them properly (see
page14).Restrain All Children
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
small children should be restrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat
(see pages34
-52).
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Don't Drink and DriveAlcohol and driving don't mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don't drink
and drive, and don't let your friends
drink and drive, either.Control Your SpeedExcessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also occur
at lower speeds. Never drive faster
than is safe for current conditions,
regardless of the maximum speed
posted.Keep Your Vehicle in Safe ConditionHaving a tire blowout or a mechanical
failure can be extremely hazardous. To
reduce the possibility of such
problems, check your tire pressures
and condition frequently, and perform
all regularly scheduled maintenance
(see page245).
Important Safety Precautions6
2009 Fit
Automatic Seat Belt TensionersFor added protection, the front seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and a
front passenger in position.The tensioners are designed to
activate in any collision severe
enough to cause the front airbags to
deploy.
If a side curtain airbag deploys
during a side impact, the tensioner
on that side of the vehicle will also
deploy.
The tensioners can also be activated
during a collision in which the front
airbags
do not deploy.
In this case, the
airbags would not be needed, but the
additional restraint could be helpful.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled. Seat Belt Maintenance
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully, and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. If a belt does
not retract easily, cleaning the belt
may correct the problem (see page
267).
Any belt that is not in good
condition or working properly will
not provide good protection and
should be replaced as soon as
possible.
Honda provides a limited warranty
on seat belts. See your
Honda
Warranty Information
booklet for
details.
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts20
2009 Fit
Your vehicle's exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. Carbon
monoxide should not enter the
vehicle in normal driving if you
maintain your vehicle properly and
follow the information on this page.
Have the exhaust system inspected
for leaks whenever:●The vehicle is raised for an oil
change.●You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.●The vehicle was in an accident that
may have damaged the underside.
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.
High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage. With the tailgate open, airflow can
pull exhaust gas into your vehicle's
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
tailgate open, open all the windows
and set the heating and cooling
system as shown below.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle
with the engine running, even in an
unconfined area, adjust the heating
and cooling system as follows:
1. Select the fresh air mode.
2. Select the
mode.
3. Turn the fan on high speed.
4. Set the temperature control to a comfortable setting.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
53
Driver and Passenger Safety
2009 Fit
The heating and air conditioning
system in your vehicle provides a
comfortable driving environment in
all weather conditions.
The standard audio system has many
features. This section describes
those features and how to use them.
Your vehicle has an anti-theft audio
system that requires a code number
to enable it.
The security system helps to
discourage vandalism and theft of
your vehicle.Vents, Heating, and A/C
.............
110
Playing the FM/AM Radio (Models without navigationsystem)
...............................
115
Playing a Disc (Models without navigation system)
..................
122
Disc Player Error Messages (Models without navigationsystem)
...............................
128
Playing an iPod
®(Models without
navigation system)
..................
129
iPod
®Error Messages (Models
without navigation system)
.....
135
Playing a USB Flash Memory Device (Models without
navigation system)
..............
136
USB Flash Memory Device Error
Messages (Models withoutnavigation system)
..............
142
Playing the AM/FM Radio
(Models with navigationsystem)
...............................
143
Playing a Disc (Models with
navigation system)
..................
149 Disc Player Error Messages
(Models with navigationsystem)
...............................
157
Playing a PC card (Models with
navigation system)
..................
158
Playing an iPod
®(Models with
navigation system)
..................
170
iPod
®Error Messages (Models
with navigation system)
..........
176
Playing a USB Flash Memory Device (Models withnavigation system)
..............
177
USB Flash Memory Device Error Messages (Models withnavigation system)
..............
183
FM/AM Radio Reception
............
184
Protecting Your Discs
.................
186
Remote Audio Controls
...............
189
Auxiliary Input Jack
....................
190
Radio Theft Protection
................
191
Setting the Clock
.........................
192
Security System
..........................
193
Cruise Control
............................
194
Features
109
Features
2009 Fit
ꭧ: If equippedTEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL FAN CONTROL DIAL
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER BUTTON
AIR CONDITIONING
BUTTON
ꭧFRESH AIR/RECIRCULATION LEVER REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER/
HEATED MIRRORS BUTTON
ꭧ
MODE CONTROL DIAL
Vents, Heating, and A/C110
2009 Fit
Airflow Controls
Fan Control Dial
Turn this dial to increase or decrease
the fan speed and airflow.
Temperature Control Dial
Turning this dial clockwise increases
the temperature of the airflow.
Air Conditioning (A/C) ButtonIf equippedThis button turns the air
conditioning on and off. The
indicator in the button is on when the
A/C is on.
Fresh Air/Recirculation Lever
This lever controls the source of the
air going into the system. When you
slide the lever to the
side, air is
brought in from outside the vehicle
(fresh air mode). When you select
the
side, air from the vehicle's
interior is sent through the system
again (recirculation mode). The outside air intakes for the
heating and cooling system are at the
base of the windshield. Keep this
area clear of leaves and other debris.
The system should be left in fresh air
mode under almost all conditions.
Keeping the system in recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C off,
can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to recirculation mode when
driving through dusty or smoky
conditions, then return to fresh air
mode.
Rear Window Defogger Button
/
This button turns the rear window
defogger on and off (see page76).
On some models, this button also
operates the heated outside mirrors
(see page102).
Mode Control Dial
Use the mode control dial to select
the vents the air flows from. Some air
will flow from the dashboard corner
vents in all modes.
Air flows from the center and
corner vents in the dashboard.Airflow is divided between the
vents in the dashboard and the floor
vents.Air flows from the floor vents.Airflow is divided between the
floor vents and defroster vents at the
base of the windshield.Air flows from the defroster
vents at the base of the windshield.
CONTINUED
Vents, Heating, and A/C
111
Features
2009 Fit
When you select
or
, the
system automatically turns on the
A/C (if equipped). You cannot turn
the A/C off in this mode.
Ventilation
The flow-through ventilation system
draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then discharges
it through vents near the tailgate.
1. Set the temperature to the lower limit.
2. Make sure the A/C is off.
3. Select
and
.
4. Set the fan to the desired speed. Using the Heater
The heater uses engine coolant to
warm the air. If the engine is cold, it
will be several minutes before you
feel warm air coming from the
system.
1. Select
and
.
2. Set the fan to the desired speed.
3. Adjust the warmth of the air with the temperature control dial. Using the A/C
If equippedAir conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Check the high
temperature indicator (see page63).
If the indicator begins to blink, turn
off the A/C until the indicator goes
off.
1. Turn on the A/C by pressing the
button. The indicator in the button
comes on when a fan speed is
selected.
2. Make sure the temperature is set to maximum cool.
3. Select
.
4. If the outside air is humid, select recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select
.
5. Set the fan to the desired speed.
Vents, Heating, and A/C112
2009 Fit