2011 HONDA FIT Overheat

Your Vehicle at a Glance(main controls)....................................................................................................................3
Driver and Passenger Safety (seat belts, SRS, and child protection) ...........................................................................5
Instruments and Controls(indicators, gauges, dashboard, steering wheel, and other convenience items)
..............57
Features(heating and cooling, audio, steering wheel, security, and cruise control) ................................................109
Before Driving(fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading) .......................................................................................199
Driving(engine and transmission operation) ...........................................................................................................215
Maintenance(minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage) ...........................................................245
Taking Care of the Unexpected(flat tire, jump starting, overheating, and fuses) ...................................................285
Technical Information(vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls)
........................................................317
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information)........................333
Index ..............................................................................................................................................................................
I
INDEX
Service Information Summary(fluid capacities and tire pressures) ............................................................... last page
Contents
1
2011 Fit Online Reference Owner's 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. 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 page 233.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
are about 1.64 US gal (6.2 L) of fuel
remaining in the tank.
When the needle reaches E, there is
a very small amount of fuel in thetank.
Door and Tailgate Open Indicator
This indicator comes on if any door
or the tailgate is not closed tightly.
Instrument Panel Indicators
62
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High Temperature Indicator
This indicator monitors the
temperature of the engine coolant. It
normally comes on when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II) position
and goes off after a few seconds. In
normal driving conditions, this
indicator should not blink or stay on. In
severe driving conditions, such as very
hot weather or a long period of uphill
driving, this indicator may blink. This
means the engine coolant temperature
is high. If the indicator begins to blink
while you are driving, be sure to slow
down to prevent overheating. If the
indicator stays on, pull safely to the
side of the road and turn off the engine.
See page 303 for instructions and
precautions on checking the engine's
cooling system.
Do not drive the vehicle while the
indicator is on or the engine may bedamaged.Low Temperature Indicator
This indicator monitors the
temperature of the engine coolant. If
there is no problem, this indicator
comes on when the engine is cold. If
it comes on when the engine is warm
(normal operating temperature),
have the vehicle inspected by your
dealer as soon as possible.Turn Signal and
Hazard WarningIndicators
The left or right turn signal indicator
blinks when you signal a lane change
or turn. If an indicator does not blink
or blinks rapidly, it usually means
one of the turn signal bulbs is burned
out (see pages 266 and 268). Replace
the bulb as soon as possible, since
other drivers cannot see that you aresignaling.
When you press the hazard warning
button, both turn signal indicators
and all turn signals on the outside of
the vehicle flash.
CONTINUED
Instrument Panel Indicators
63
Instruments and Controls
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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
219
Driving
Main MenuTable of Contents

Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure the
parking brake is set firmly, or your
vehicle may roll if it is parked on anincline.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
before you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the vehicle from
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in thetransmission.Parking Tips
Make sure the windows areclosed.
Turn off the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the cargo area or take them withyou.
Lock the doors and the tailgate.
On Sport model
Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verify that the
security system is set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
If the vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, put it in first gear
and set the parking brake.
If the vehicle is facing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, put it in reverse gear
and set the parking brake.
Make sure the parking brake is
fully released before driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
Parking
231
Driving
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U.S. models only
Your 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 page 286). 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)
237
Driving
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Clutch Fluid
Manual Transmission only
The fluid level should be between
the MIN and MAX marks on the side
of the reservoir. If it is not, add brake
fluid to bring it up to that level. Use
the same fluid specified for the brakesystem.
A low fluid level can indicate a leak in
the clutch system. Have this system
inspected as soon as possible.Headlight Aiming
The headlights were properly aimed
when your vehicle was new. If you
regularly carry heavy items in the
cargo area, readjustment may be
required. Adjustments should be
done by your dealer or another
qualified mechanic.
Replacing a Headlight Bulb
Your vehicle has halogen headlight
bulbs. When replacing a bulb, handle
it by its base, and protect the glass
from contact with your skin or hard
objects. If you touch the glass, clean
it with denatured alcohol and a cleancloth.
Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot
when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch
on the glass can cause the bulb to
overheat and shatter.
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the electrical connector
from the bulb by pulling the
connector straight back.
3. Remove the rubber weather seal by pulling on the tab.
MAX
MIN
BULB
ELECTRICAL
CONNECTOR
RUBBER WEATHER SEAL HOLD-DOWN WIRE
Brake and Clutch Fluid, Lights
264
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To safely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inflated.
The following pages give more
detailed information on how to take
care of your tires and what to do
when they need to be replaced.
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.Inflation Guidelines
Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life, and ridingcomfort.
Underinflated tires wear unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
Overinflated tires can make your
vehicle ride more harshly, are
more prone to damage from road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
warns you when a tire
pressure is low. See page 237 for
more information.  : If equipped Even though your vehicle is
equipped with TPMS, we
recommend that you visually check
your tires every day. If you think a
tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure in each tire at least once a
month. Even tires that are in good
condition may lose 1 to 2 psi (10 to
20 kPa, 0.1 to 0.2 kgf/cm
2) per
month. Remember to check the
spare tire (if equipped) at the sametime.
Check the air pressures when the
tires are cold. This means the vehicle
has been parked for at least 3 hours,
or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tirepressures.
CONTINUED
Tires
275
Maintenance
Main MenuTable of Contents