2016 HONDA FIT stop start

uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
310
Driving
3. Turn the ignition switch to START (e
without depressing the accelerator pedal.
1. Keeping your right foot on the brake peda l, release the parking brake. Check that
the parking brake indicator has gone off.
2 Parking Brake P. 338
2.Put the shift lever in (D. Select (R when reversing.
3. Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal to pull
away.
■Hill start assist system
Hill start assist keeps the brake engaged br iefly to help prevent the vehicle from
rolling on inclines as you move your fo ot from the brake pedal to the accelerator.
Depress the clutch pedal, and shift to on e of the forward gears when facing uphill,
or
(R when facing downhill, then release the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever to
(D, (S, or (L when facing uphill, or (R when facing
downhill, then release the brake pedal.
1 Starting the Engine
Do not hold the key in START
(e for more than 15
seconds.
•If the engine does not sta rt right away, wait for at
least 10 seconds before trying again.
•If the engine starts, but then immediately stops,
wait at least 10 seconds before repeating step 3
while gently depressing the accelerator pedal.
Release the accelerator pedal once the engine
starts.
The immobilizer system pr otects your vehicle from
theft. If an improperly c oded device is used, the
engine’s fuel system is disabled. 2 Immobilizer System P. 110
■Starting to Drive
Continuously variable transmission models
Manual transmission models
Continuously variable transmission models
1Hill start assist system
Hill start assist may not prevent the vehicle from
rolling downhill on a very steep or slippe ry slope, and
does not operate on small inclines.
Hill start assist is not a replacement for the parking
brake.

uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
312
Driving
3. Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
without depressing the accelerator pedal.1 Starting the Engine
Bring the smart entry remote close to the ENGINE
START/STOP button if the battery in the smart entry
remote is weak. 2 If the Smart Entry Remote Battery is Weak
P. 410
The engine may not start if the smart entry remote is
subjected to strong radio waves.
Do not hold the ENGINE START/STOP button to
start the engine.
If the engine does not start, wait at least 10 seconds
before trying again.
ENGINE START
STOP

313
uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
Continued
Driving
You can turn the engine off when the vehicle is completely stopped.
1. Shift to
(P.
2. Press the ENGINE START/STOP button.
• If the shift lever is in
(N, press the ENGINE START/STOP button.
• If the shift lever is in any gear other than
(N, depress the clutch pedal, then press
the ENGINE START/STOP button.
1. Keeping your right foot on the brake pedal, release the parking brake. Check that
the parking brake indicator has gone off.
2 Parking Brake P. 338
2.Put the shift lever in (D. Select (R when reversing.
3. Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal to pull
away.
■Stopping the Engine
■Starting to Drive
Continuously variable transmission models
Manual transmission models
Continuously variable transmission models

315
uuWhen Driving uPrecautions While Driving
Continued
Driving
Precautions While Driving
Avoid driving in deep water and on flooded roads. This can damage the engine or
driveline, or cause electrical component failure.
■In Rain1Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Do not operate the shift lever while pressing the
accelerator pedal. You could damage the
transmission.
NOTICE
If you repeatedly turn the steering wheel at an
extremely low speed, or hold the steering wheel on
the full left or right position for a while, the electric
power steering (EPS) system heats up. The system
goes into a protective mode, and limits its
performance. The steering wheel becomes harder
and harder to operate. Once the system cools down,
the EPS system is restored. Repeated operation under
these conditions can eventually damage the system.
If the ignition switch is turned to ACCESSORY
( q or
LOCK ( 0*1 while driving, the e ngine will shut down
and all steering and brake pow er assist functions will
stop, making it difficult to control the vehicle.
Do not put the shift lever in
( N, as you will lose
engine braking (and acce leration) performance.
During the first 600 miles (1,000 km) of operation,
avoid sudden acceleration or full throttle operation so
as to not damage the engine or powertrain.
Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles (300 km).
You should also follow this when the brake pads are
replaced.
*1: Models with the sma rt entry system have an ENGINE
START/STOP button instead of an ignition switch.

317
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.
Continuously variable transmission models without 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
Drive (S)
Used:
●For better acceleration●To increase engine braking●When going up or down hills
Release Button
Low
●Used to further increase engine braking●Used when going up or down hills

319
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.
Continuously variable transmission 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

325
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

331
uuWhen Driving uVehicle Stability Assist (VSA ®), aka Electronic Stability Control (ESC), System
Driving
This button is on the driver side control panel.
To partically turn the VSA features on and off,
press and hold it until you hear a beep.
The traction control stop s fully functioning,
allows the wheels to sp in more freely at low
speed. The VSA ® OFF indicator will also come
on.
To turn it on again, press the (VSA ® OFF )
button until you hear a beep.
VSA ® is turned on every time you start the
engine, even if you turned it off the last time
you drove the vehicle.
■VSA ® OFF Button1 Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA ®), aka Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), System
With the button pressed, your vehicle will have
normal braking and corn ering ability, but VSA®
traction and stability enhancement becomes less
effective.
In certain unusual conditions when your vehicle gets
stuck in shallow mud or fr esh snow, it may be easier
to free it with the VSA ® temporarily switched off.
When the button is pressed, the traction control
function becomes less effective. This allows for the
wheels to spin more freely at low speed. You should
only attempt to free your vehicle with the VSA ® off if
you are not able to free it when the VSA ® is on.
Immediately after freeing your vehicle, be sure to
switch VSA ® on again. We do not recommend driving
your vehicle with the VSA ® system switched off.
You may hear a motor sound coming from the
engine compartment while system checks are being
performed immediately after starting the engine or
while driving. This is normal.
VSA ® OFF Indicator