2010 HONDA FIT transmission

Your vehicle has several convenient
storage areas:● Upper glove box
● Lower glove box
● Front door pockets
● Seat-back pocket (if equipped)
● Center pocket
● Cargo area side pocket
● Cargo area, including the rear
seats when folded up or down.
● Seat under box
● Cargo floor box (all canadian
models with automatic transmission)
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can affect
your vehicle's handling, stability,
stopping distance, tires, and make it
unsafe. Before carrying any type of
cargo, be sure to read the followingpages.
REAR SIDE POCKET
(RIGHT SIDE)
CARGO FLOOR BOX*
2
FRONT DOOR POCKETS
SEAT-BACK POCKET*
1
SEAT UNDER BOX CENTER POCKET
CARGO AREA
LOWER GLOVE BOX
ꭧ 1: If equipped
ꭧ 2: All Canadian models with automatic transmission UPPER GLOVE BOX
Carrying Cargo
208
Table of Contents

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important information
on parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the vehicle stability assist(VSA
®), and the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS).
Driving Guidelines ......................214
Preparing to Drive ......................
215
Starting the Engine .....................
216
Manual Transmission .................
217
Automatic Transmission .............
219
Driving with the Paddle Shifters
(Sport only) .............................
224
Parking .......................................
229
Braking System ..........................
230
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) ...............
231
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
®),
aka Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), System .....................
233
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ...................................
235
Towing a Trailer ..........................
238
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a
Motorhome .............................
238
Driving
213
Driving

1. Apply the parking brake.
2. In cold weather, turn off allelectrical accessories to reduce the
drain on the battery.
3.
Manual transmission:
Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The START (III) position
does not function unless the clutch
pedal is pressed.
Automatic transmission:
Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal. 4. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III) position
for more than 15 seconds at a time.
If the engine does not start right
away, pause for at least 10 seconds
before trying again.The immobilizer system protects your
vehicle from theft. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine's fuel system is disabled. For
more information, see page 79.
5. If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race. 6. If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return to
step 5.
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air found at
altitudes above 8,000 feet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
Starting the Engine
216
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The manual transmission is
synchronized in all forward gears for
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from fifth to
reverse. When shifting up or down,
make sure you push the clutch pedal
down all the way, shift to the next
gear, and let the pedal up gradually.
When you are not shifting, do not
rest your foot on the clutch pedal.
This can cause the clutch to wear outfaster.Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift into
reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause for a few seconds before
shifting into reverse, or shift into one
of the forward gears for a moment.
This stops the gears so they won't‘‘
grind. ’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking from the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes from
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Before downshifting, make
sure the engine speed will not go
into the tachometer's red zone in the
lower gear.
Rapid slowing or speeding up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
CONTINUED
Manual Transmission
217
Driving
Table of Contents

Recommended Shift Points
Drive in the highest gear that lets the
engine run and accelerate smoothly.
This will give you good fuel economy
and effective emissions control. The
following shift points are
recommended:Shift up Normal acceleration
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd
3rd to 4th4th to 5th 15 mph (24 km/h)
27 mph (44 km/h)
39 mph (63 km/h)
53 mph (85 km/h) Engine Speed Limiter
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the
tachometer's red zone. If this occurs,
you may feel the engine cut in and
out. This is caused by a limiter in the
engine's computer controls. The
engine will run normally when you
reduce the rpm below the red zone.
The engine speed limiter only works
when you upshift; engine speed is
not limited during downshifts. Before
downshifting, make sure the engine
will not go into the tachometer's redzone.
Manual Transmission
218
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Shift Lever Position Indicators
These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shift
lever is in. The‘‘D ’’indicator comes on for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. If it
flashes while driving (in any shift
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission.
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D ’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible. Shifting
To shift from Park to any position,
press firmly on the brake pedal and
press the release button on the front
of the shift lever, then pull the lever.
You cannot shift out of Park when
the ignition switch is in the LOCK
(0) or the ACCESSORY (I) position.
U.S. Sport model
All models except U.S. Sport
U.S. Sport model is shown
RELEASE
BUTTON SHIFT LEVER
CONTINUED
Automatic Transmission
219
Driving
Table of Contents

All models except U.S. Sport
To shift from: Do this:PtoR Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever releasebutton.
RtoP
NtoR
D 3to 2
2to1 Press the shift lever releasebutton.
1to2
2toD 3
D 3to D
DtoN
DtoD 3
NtoD
RtoN Move the shift lever.
U.S. Sport model
To shift from: Do this:
PtoR Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever releasebutton.
RtoP
NtoR
DtoS Press the shift lever releasebutton.
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
page 223.
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 Transmission
220
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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. Sport
Drive (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-godriving.
All models except U.S. Sport
Second (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
Table of Contents