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Hatchbacks Honda Fit Honda Fit Real World MPG
2438 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 1:51 PM
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Replying to: stephen987 (Jul 22, 2009 11:11 am) Some of the disparity across reporters may be CPU versus real mileage--although I also noted before that I actually got 47.5 mpg over 280 miles on an interstate tank that involved a lot of drafting behind 18-wheelers doing 65 mile per hour. |
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A "Scan Gauge"can be corrected for errors. It takes a couple of tanks to get it "Tuned" to the car. When doing a fillup it will say how many gallons it thinks were used. The driver can input the correct amount according to the gas pump. It will also say how many miles were driven. The driver can can calibrate the Scan Gauge to the car's odometer by adjusting the indicated speed. For example the car is driven 100 miles according to the odometer. But the scan gauge says the car traveled 98 miles. That is a 2% difference and the gauge can be adjusted to reflect "+2" . Then the next time the car is driven a given distance, the gauge will agree with the odometer. Or pretty close as it also measures the fuel used when in reverse. Problem is, that odometers are not the most accurate of devices. So we really don't know if the odometer is more accurate, or the gauge. If we don't believe that, Next time on an X-way, reset the tripometer at a given mile marker. Drive a hundred miles and see how far off the odometer really is. Another, and even more accurate way, is to set a GPS for trip. It will tell us how far we have traveled as well as how fast we are going. That can be compared to the odometer and other devices. The differences folks are seeing may actually be the cars odometer, the cars trip computer or a combination of the two. The key for super accurate results, the fill ups must be done exactly the same way every time. Same nozzle setting, same pump, same car position, etc..And know how accurate the measuring devices actually are.  Kip
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Replying to: kipk (Jul 24, 2009 12:52 pm) So far, I've done 300.6 miles/9.06 gallons for a calculated 33.2 mpg on my very first tank, mostly in stop-and-go suburban driving on no-name gasoline. The gauge reading was 35.3. I'm looking forward to seeing how it does as it gets broken in more thoroughly. It's already significantly better than the '99 Civic it mostly replaces.
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Replying to: madams1 (Jul 11, 2009 3:24 pm) My almost new 09 Fit with manual trans gets in the low to mid 40's actual MPG corrected (thanks to my wife's careful driving), so you should not have to wait for it to break-in further. Assuming you: -have correct tire pressure (try at least 36 - 38 psi), -are not using ethanol gas (this could cause a 20 to 30% hit on MPG), -are not driving in a aggressive fashion (this could cut your MPG in half easily), -are not doing all stop and go traffic (heavy traffic is where the diesels and hybrids do well), -are staying under 70 mph most of the time, -are keeping the engine below 3,000 rpm as much as possible -are letting the car warm up completely (driving 10 minutes at a time will not warm up the engine/transmission and your MPG will be 15 to 20% or more low - Open-Loop in the computer) -don't have a leak or someone stealing your gas, -are getting into top gear with your automatic transmission (RPM at 60 mph?) -are driving in the "Drive" position (letting the automatic shift itself) and not the "Sport" position on the auto trans (and shifting with the paddle shifters at high rpm) -don't let the car idle for long periods (its OK to shut down at long lights) -don't get any error codes - I'm not sure if they would show a bad spark plug - but this would show as loss of power or rough idle. -have done the Idle Learn Procedure suggested earlier. -are sure that your hand brake (parking brake) is releasing completely -have tried driving 5 to 10 miles at 50 mph or more without using your brakes at all and then coasting to a stop (going up a hill helps), then feel your brake discs and drums (the discs and drums should be barely warm - if you can't touch all four of them without burning your hand - then that's the problem) -have checked your odometer against known accurate highway mileposts. -are calculating your MPG by Miles Driven/Gallons Used and not using the MPG gage numbers which are known not to be very accurate. Then I would try the following: See if you can buy or borrow a ScanGage II for your Fit. This is a digital readout unit that plugs into the cars computer system. The same unit works on most cars made after 1996 (with the OBD II computer system) One costs about $140 new, but if it fixes your problem it will quickly pay for itself in gas saved. The same Scan Gage will work on most modern cars so you can think of it as a tool investment and move it from car to car as needed. Or you can put it back in the box and sell it on eBay for $100 after you are finished with it. The ScanGage II will give you an instantaneous readout in gallons per hour for all conditions: idle, coast, cruise, full-throttle, etc. It will read water temperature (low temp equals low MPG). It can be adjusted to read instantaneous and average MPG within a few percent by entering a correction after each fill-up. This is the best way for the average driver to monitor MPG and fuel consumption plus it gives you a lot more information about the engine. It will indicate if you have correct Spark Advance (in general more advance will improve MPG until the engine starts to "ping"). It will confirm that the engine computer has switched to Closed-Loop operation as soon as it warms up (always in Open-Loop will hurt MPG). It will measure Intake Air Temperature (warm is good for mileage). It will show Battery Voltage (always high - above 15 volts - might indicate an alternator overcharging the battery, which might hurt your MPG). It scans the engine for any trouble codes and stores and reads out any found. This would allow you to confirm the dealer's analysis or discover any code problems that he may have missed. It has many other features but these are the ones that would be important for good MPG. See their web site for more information. Once you get it calibrated and working (it will take a few days to appreciate all the features) you will be able to determine and compare your results with other folks. I'll be glad to move my ScanGage from my Acura to my 09 Fit with manual transmission to give you some readings for comparison. If your ScanGage numbers don't make sense, then it may indicate computer problems as well, but I would expect the code readout to have shown a problem here. Good Luck! |
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| 09 Fit after 2 months and 3,000 miles: 40.7 mpg | |
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Replying to: tiff_c (Dec 07, 2007 1:11 pm) I do not have a lead foot. I have had the car tested 2x by the dealer, including checking pressure. The Fit Sport has alloy wheels. I have a regional managers phone number and this week, I will be calling and following up with a letter. I get 18-22 mpg with mixed driving, but little sitting at lights. I rarely use the a.c. I hypermile on downhill grades and at longer red lights. I weigh under 150. I don't carry bricks. Something is wrong with the car and that has nothing to do with the EPA and whatever vehicles they tested. The dealer says everything in the car is computerized and it reads out fine. I was told to change my oil (did) , I was told to "wait a while as the car breaks in." Now, am I supposed to wait until the warrantee runs out? I think not. I want to know what satisfaction anyone has received from Honda. Thank you all. |
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Replying to: fitfight (Oct 04, 2009 7:37 pm) I've seen that since then a few people have been quite detailed and helpful and I appreciate that. Fitfight, I'd like to know the name of that lawyer please. I will probably be in that class action lawsuit. So far I've called Honda customer service, they opened up a case for me, and they've told me I need to get a "fuel consumption" test from my local Honda shop. I tried twice to do this, and both times they rescheduled, or I drove all the way down there and they said they couldn't fit it in. I haven't been able to get it tested since I work and I can't afford to rent a car right now while they have some teenager drive my car around to test the mileage. I will probably take it to another dealer but that one is an hour away and so I'll have to take a day off work to take it there. I'll let you guys know the results of the test, and then what Honda said to me after I call them back with the results.
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Replying to: fitfight (Oct 04, 2009 7:37 pm) It could be something as simple as the fuel enrichment programming--when the engine is cold it's programmed to run rich. A faulty thermostat could be telling the ECU to dump extra fuel in all the time, which would (a) ruin your fuel economy and (b) eventually ruin your catalytic converter. On the '09 model there's a blue light that tells you when the engine is in "cold mode"--is the same light present on the '08? |
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Replying to: fitfight (Oct 04, 2009 7:37 pm) Since new I've kept track of mileage on my iphone and have a high of 34 mpg and a low of 22 mpg with an overall average of 30.5 after 12,594 miles driven. I wish it was better and would happily give up the potential power this engine has for increased fuel economy. Good luck with your troubles. |
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Replying to: bilbofett (Oct 04, 2009 8:21 pm) I bought a 2009 Fit and was at first happy to have the average MPG indicator. The trip counter was reset when I drove off the dealer lot (car had 70 miles on it), and I watched as my average climbed up from the low 20s to 37 mpg. On my first tank, with 60-70% of driving on the highway in dry conditions, no weight but myself, I ended up discovering that I actually went 235 miles using 9.3 gallons of gas. So, while the computer said 37, I actually got 25.2 mpg. Even crazier -- I reset the trip counter when refueling (I'm keeping all receipts to prove actual mileage), the average MPG indicator reset, but this time, driving *entirely* stop-and-go in the city in my work commute, within the first 20 miles, the average MPG indicator had climbed to 45 mpg. In fact, in going forward and backward to get into a parking space, I watched as it went up from 44.2 to 44.5. Problem #1: 25 mpg is not what I paid for. Assuming typical 15000 miles per year, that's 600 gallons of fuel as opposed to 483 gallons at the advertised 31 mpg. A difference of 117 at current pricing of $2.50/gallon is an additional $292/year. Problem #2: The computer is inflating my mileage by at least 40%. On the second tank, unless the mileage in the city has dramatically improved over the first tank on the highway, the computer is inflating the mileage by 80%. The difference between 25 mpg and the reported 45 mpg adds up to $666/year, again assuming $2.50/gallon. In reality gas prices are almost certainly going to rise much faster than inflation over the lifetime of the car, so this could mean costs in the several thousands. The problem with problem #2 is that it is consumer fraud. At a time when fuel economy is both an economic and environmental issue globally, well, Honda could be looking at a pretty serious liability depending on how many vehicles have this problem. Under the Lemon Law, I'd have 30 days to return the car for a full refund if it was defective (I actually received the car on Oct 2, however this is a case where I'd expect the dealer to give me a bunch of crap about how actual mileage may vary, the car needs to be broken in, etc., and if as it appears this is a problem with the Fit line, there's not too much the dealer can do about it. They could offer to "fix" the computer (in theory) so that it correctly reflects the 25 mpg the vehicle is actually getting. What's particularly bizarre is that the computer *knows* how many gallons are in the tank and how many miles I've gone. I'm calculating mpg using the miles from the same computer. Gallons could be arguably slightly off as reported by the gas pump vs. the computer, but for the math to work out, the computer would have to be misreading 9.3 gallons as reported at the pump to be 6.3 gallons. Is anyone aware of pending or prior class action suits against Honda?
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