2015 HONDA FIT Owners Manual

uuWhen Driving uShifting
320
Driving
■Shift Lever Operation1Shift Lever Operation
NOTICE
When you change the shift lever from (D to (R and
vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the
brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift lever be fore the vehicle has come
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.
Use the shift lever positi on indicator to check the
lever position befo re pulling away.
If the transmission indicator blinks when driving, in
any shift position, there is a problem with the
transmission.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut of f if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the ta chometer red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happe ns, you may experience a
slight jolt.
It may not be possible to operate the shift lever if the
brake pedal is applied while the shift lever release
button is pressed.
Depress the brake pedal first.
Shift Lever Position Indicator Tachometer’s red zone
Depress the brake pedal and press
the shift lever release button to shift.
Shift without pressing the shift lever
release button.
Press the shift lever release button
and shift.
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321
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift position in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift lever positions
*1 : Models with the smart entry system have an ENGINE START/STOP button instead of an ignition switch.
Automatic transmission (CVT) models with paddle shifters
1Shifting
You cannot turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0*1
and remove the key unless the shift lever is in ( P.
The vehicle may move forward very slightly even in
(N while the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pe dal firmly and, when necessary,
apply the parking brake.
When shifting positions in extremely low
temperatures (-22°F/-30°C), there may be a short
delay before the shift posit ion is displayed. Always
confirm you are in the corr ect shift position before
driving.Park
Used when parking or starting the engine
Reverse
Used when reversing
Neutral
Used when idling
Drive
Used:
●For normal driving●When temporarily driving in the
7-speed manual shift mode
Release Button Drive (S)
Used for:
●For better acceleration●To increase engine braking●When going up or down hills●When driving in the 7-speed manual
shift mode
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
322
Driving
■Shift Lever Operation1Shift Lever Operation
NOTICE
When you change the shift lever from (D to (R and
vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the
brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift lever be fore the vehicle has come
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.
Use the shift lever positi on indicator to check the
lever position befo re pulling away.
If the transmission indicator blinks when driving, in
any shift position, there is a problem with the
transmission.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut of f if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the ta chometer red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happe ns, you may experience a
slight jolt.
It may not be possible to operate the shift lever if the
brake pedal is applied while the shift lever release
button is pressed.
Depress the brake pedal first.
M (7-Speed Manual Shift Mode)
Indicator/Shift Indicator Tachometer’s red zone
Depress the brake pedal and press
the shift lever rele ase button to shift.
Shift without pressing the shift lever
release button.
Press the shift lever release button
and shift. Shift Lever Position Indicator
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Continued323
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Use the paddle shifters to change betw een 1st and 7th speeds without removing
your hands from the steering wheel. The transmission switches to the 7-speed
manual shift mode when you pull a paddle shifter while driving. This mode is useful
when engine braking is needed.
■When the shift lever is in (D:
The shift mode goes into the 7-speed ma nual shift mode temporarily, and the
number is displayed in the shift indicator.
The 7-speed manual shift mode is canceled automatically if you drive at constant
speed or accelerate, and the number in the shift indicator goes off.
You can cancel this mode by pulling the paddle shifter for a few seconds.
The 7-speed manual shift mode is especially useful when reducing the vehicle speed
temporarily before making a turn.
■When the shift lever is in (S:
The shift mode goes into the 7-speed manual shift mode. The M indicator and the
speed number are displayed in the shift indicator. As the vehicle speed slows down,
the transmission automatically shifts down accordingly. When the vehicle comes to
a stop, it automatically shifts down into 1st.
If the vehicle speed increases and the engi ne speed reaches near the tachometer’s
red zone, the transmission automatically shifts up.
You can only pull away in 1st speed.
When canceling the 7-speed manual shift mode, move the shift lever from
(S to
(D. When the 7-speed manual sh ift mode is canceled, the M indicator and shift
indicator go off.
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode1 7-Speed Manual Shift Mode
To improve fuel economy, the transmission may shift
up to a higher speed than the seventh under certain
circumstances. In this case, the number in the shift
indicator remains as 7.
In the 7-speed manual shif t mode, the transmission
shifts up or down by operating either paddle shifter
under the following conditions:
Shift Up: The engine sp eed reaches the lowest
threshold of the hi gher speed position.
Shift Down: The engine sp eed reaches the highest
threshold of the lower speed position.
When the engine speed reaches near the
tachometer’s red zone, the transmission shifts up
automatically.
When the engine speed reaches the lowest threshold
of the selected speed positi on, the transmission shifts
down automatically.
Operating the paddle shifte rs on slippery surfaces
may cause the tires to lock up. In this case, the 7-
speed manual shift mode is canceled and goes back
to the normal D driving mode.
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324
Driving
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode Operation17-Speed Manual Shift Mode Operation
Each paddle shift operati on makes a single speed
change.
To change continuously, re lease the paddle shifter
before pulling it agai n for the next speed.
Recommended Shift Points
Use this table as a guideline for efficient fuel
economy and effectiv e emission control.
The shift indicator blinks when you cannot shift up or
down. It indicates that your vehicle speed is not in its
allowable shifting range.
Slightly accelerate to shift up and decelerate to shift
down while the indi cator is blinking.
The shift indicator may also blink when you cannot
shift down while driving in low speed. This prevents
the transmission from being damaged. Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1 to 215 mph (24 km/h)
2 to 3 25 mph (40 km/h)
3 to 440 mph (64 km/h)
4 to 5 45 mph (72 km/h)
5 to 650 mph (80 km/h)
6 to 7 55 mph (89 km/h)
Upshifting when pulling
the paddle shifter
(Changes to higher speed
number)Downshifting when pulling
the paddle shifter (Changes
to lower speed number)
Paddle Shifter
(Shift down) Paddle Shifter
(Shift up)
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Shifting
Fully depress the clutch pedal to operate the shift lever and change gears, then
slowly release the pedal.
Depress the clutch pedal, and pause fo r a few seconds before shifting into
(R, or
shift into one of the forward gears for a mo ment. This stops the gears so they do not
“grind.”
■Shift Lever Operation
Manual transmission models
1 Shifting
NOTICE
Do not shift to (R before the vehicle comes to a
complete stop.
Shifting to
( R before stopping can damage the
transmission.
NOTICE
Before downshifting, make su re the engine will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone. Should this occur,
it can severely da mage your engine.
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Driving
When you are not shifting, do not rest your
foot on the clutch pedal. This can cause your
clutch to wear out faster. 1Shifting
Recommended Shift Points
Driving in the highest gear that allows the engine to
run and accelerate smoothly helps to optimize fuel
economy and effective emissions control. The
following shift points are recommended:
If you exceed the maximum speed for the gear you
are in, the engine speed will enter into the
tachometer’s red zone. When this happens, you may
experience a slight jolt. Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1st to 2nd16 mph (26 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 26 mph (42 km/h)
3rd to 4th35 mph (56 km/h)
4th to 5th 41 mph (66 km/h)
5th to 6th43 mph (69 km/h)
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327
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
The manual transmission has a lockout mechanism that stops you from accidentally
shifting into
(R from a forward gear while the ve hicle is moving above a certain
speed.
If you cannot shift to
(R when the vehicle is stopped, do the following: 1.Depress the clutch pedal, move the shift
lever all the way to the left, and shift to
(R.
2. If you still cannot shift into
(R, apply the
parking brake, and turn the ignition switch
to ACCESSORY
(q or LOCK (0*1.
3. Depress the clutch pedal and shift into
(R.
4. Keep depressing the clutch pedal and start
the engine.
Have your vehicle checked by a dealer if you
have to go through this procedure repeatedly.
*1 : Models with the smart entry system have an ENGINE START/STOP button instead of an ignition switch.
■Reverse Lockout
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