Honda Fit A/C problems

Replying to: hungarian83 (Sep 29, 2006 10:30 am)

Replying to: hungarian83 (Sep 29, 2006 10:30 am)

Replies to this message:
• hungarian83 (Sep 30, 2006 11:05 am)
  • kagedude (Sep 30, 2006 8:31 pm)
    • hungarian83 (Oct 01, 2006 10:42 am) and 1 more...
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Replying to: kagedude (Sep 30, 2006 5:18 am)

Now that I looked from a different angle on my car, I notice the gap better, but it still only looks like the picture you have when you are pressing it down. I have to press down very strongly to notice even the slightest movement, and even then it is practically nothing. Yours looks like an error on the part of the dealership.
 
It's really too bad about those scratches. It looks like the dealer did exactly what they are not supposed to do and use a screwdriver or other prying instrument...not to mention being careless about it.
No wonder you were furious about it!
 
Airflow
When the knob is in the footwell-only position, the air on the driver side vent (left of steering wheel) and the same one on the passenger side slows considerably (even in speed 4 it feels like a draft). The two center vents above the radio shut off completely, and there is air coming out of the defogger vent. And of course the strongest flow goes into the footwell.
When the knob is in the position to the left (footwell/face), the air going to the footwell is not quite as strong, and the two center vents (above radio) still have a draft coming from them.
So in other words, numbers 1, 2, and 3 all apply when putting the airflow in the footwell-only position compared to the other two to the left.
 
At least the dealer didn't mess that up.

Replies to this message:
• kagedude (Sep 30, 2006 8:31 pm)
  • hungarian83 (Oct 01, 2006 10:42 am)
    • kagedude (Oct 01, 2006 12:10 pm)
  • kagedude (Oct 17, 2006 6:45 am)
    • hungarian83 (Oct 17, 2006 10:09 am) and 17 more...

Replying to: hungarian83 (Sep 30, 2006 11:05 am)

Whew.... once again, thanks! I hope Honda customer service can correct this without adding anymore issues.
 
This made me paranoid that after checking that area to make sure they didn't damage anything else, I noticed my center console/cupholder has a "bit" of movement on it (it can tilt left and right), I'll try and tighten the screws tomorrow to see if that fixes it. Do let me know if yours has a little play too, then I'll just consider it a-okay.

Replies to this message:
• hungarian83 (Oct 01, 2006 10:42 am)
  • kagedude (Oct 01, 2006 12:10 pm)
• kagedude (Oct 17, 2006 6:45 am)
  • hungarian83 (Oct 17, 2006 10:09 am)
    • kagedude (Oct 17, 2006 12:14 pm) and 16 more...

Replying to: kagedude (Sep 30, 2006 8:31 pm)

"I noticed my center console/cupholder has a "bit" of movement on it (it can tilt left and right)"
 
What did the dealership do to your car!
No, mine does not have any movement and definitely no tilting...it's as solid as a rock. Try tightening the screws.
 
I can however sympathize with your dealership problems. We just took another one of our Hondas (not the Fit) in for a scheduled maintenance and have noticed no less than 4 dealer-related issues since the return, one of which was relatively serious. Needless to say I will be making some complaints as soon as they open tomorrow.

Replies to this message:
• kagedude (Oct 01, 2006 12:10 pm)

Replying to: hungarian83 (Oct 01, 2006 10:42 am)

Oh boy. I read your email and I definitely feel your pain. Hopefully, its just a specific tech instead of being a whole dealership practice. I've been very happy with my dealership with normal maintenance stuff so hopefully, once my issues has been resolved, I can still go to them for the normal stuff.
 
I guess a lot of my issues now are adjustment issues so I'll wait to hear from Honda Customer service to let me know the recourse I can take. Gulp.
 
Good luck with your issue. Let us know how it turns out. Thanks again!
 
On a happy note, took the car to upstate NY yesterday for some apple picking. The car is fun driving through the grass fields. It got a lot of looks too and people stopping by to ask about the Happy Fit!

Replying to: kagedude (Sep 30, 2006 8:31 pm)

Ok. 2nd visit to the dealership last week since Honda customer service coordinated for me to see the Honda service manager to go over/correct the misaligned/loose dashboard center panel. Spoke to the service manager and made an appt. On the day I came in at the time she said I could come in to see her - she made me wait. In fact, I waited for 2 hours before I asked what is the status of my car. It turns out she was at a meeting and they told me to wait some more. This was ridiculous since when I came in, she was right there and could have taken 5 min of whatever she does to go over the issue. Nice service huh? And Honda has the audacity to send me multiple surveys a few days after.
 
Anyway, since I was getting aggravated and needed to get out of there, the service tech that wrote me up was really nice enough to walk me inside the Honda service bay to go over the issue with the tech working on my car. After I explained to the tech what needs to be done thinking he knew what needs to be done, he started by unscrewing the LED lights under the HVAC knobs. I had to scream at him and say "no, no, thats the lights!". Once he finally got that panel open, he didn't know about the 2 bolts and he told me to the effect of "To be honest with you, this is the first time I'm working on this car and am supposed to go to training". Its funny the first guy that worked on my car that created this problem said the same exact thing. So Hungarian83, thank you so much for the diagram! I should have printed it out and given it to the Honda techs. Anyway, he tightened the bolts and he did note one side was loose. However, after driving off it was still the same. From the diagram, it looks like the 2 bolts are the only thing holding the panel up so maybe it needs to be unscrewed, aligned and retightened?
 
I compared with my first pics of my Fit and from Honda's website and you can clearly see that the dashboard center panel is misaligned right now. I think I will wait at least half a year for the techs to familiarize themselves with the Fit before bringing it back in.

Replies to this message:
• hungarian83 (Oct 17, 2006 10:09 am)
  • kagedude (Oct 17, 2006 12:14 pm)
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Replying to: kagedude (Oct 17, 2006 6:45 am)

Wow! I'm really sorry to hear that this situation has not improved. While I know the Fit is a new product to the United States, I don't think training (or lack of) on the technician's part is an excuse for this sort of poor workmanship in such a simple area. It only takes a few minutes and some common sense to understand the entire page on removal of the center panel.
 
I would suggest that you try and re-install the lower panel yourself being that there is only one screw and two clips, but I think the problem might be greater than that. The three HVAC knobs are part of the large single center panel unit. So if that center panel is misaligned in anyway, it might not allow the lower cover to sit properly.
 
I checked my US-market book again as well as the online manual (there are only two differences that I mentioned earlier) and both have the two bolts and 7 clips holding the center panel up, so it's not just the two bolts.
I am wondering if one of the 7 clips (probably one of the two closer to the glove compartment) was damaged or broken. That might be what is causing the gap between the panel and the rest of the dashboard.
 
As for the dealership issue I experienced with our other Honda, all of it was quickly resolved and it was the case of a sloppy technician and not generally poor dealership service. I spoke directly to the lead service manager and made sure to include a print-out of two pictures showing the oil leak. He said he didn't tolerate that kind of work and then proceeded to offer us a free oil change and didn't charge labor on the diagnosis of the headlight issue. Which incidentally was the fault of a bad headlight switch.
 
I am thinking you might want to consult with a different dealership.
Best of luck, and keep us informed of how it goes!

Replies to this message:
• kagedude (Oct 17, 2006 12:14 pm)
  • kagedude (Oct 26, 2006 5:56 am)
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Replying to: hungarian83 (Oct 17, 2006 10:09 am)

Now that I've seen how the tech removed the initial panel, I'll definitely try and fix this myself. Loosen the bolts to see if there is movement to align and then retighten. I might still have to take it back in though since the TEMP GAUGE KNOB now has diminished backlight (or no light) at the 1 o'clock position. One right after another in the same area.

Replies to this message:
• kagedude (Oct 26, 2006 5:56 am)
  • hungarian83 (Oct 26, 2006 10:19 am)
    • kagedude (Oct 27, 2006 4:32 pm) and 13 more...

Replying to: kagedude (Oct 17, 2006 12:14 pm)

Honda service is such a joke. The service manager called me last week to bring the car back in since Honda called them (after I told Honda to refer me to someone else) so you know what, I did to amuse myself. After the tech that worked on it last time looked at the center panel alignment issue and temp knob dim light, he ordered the display light replacement as a start. The service manager however told me that the alignment issue was "commercially acceptable". I then asked if they have the legal print for this, of course no response. She then continued on to say that the dim display issue is also "commercially acceptable" and implied they were doing me a favor by ordering the part.
 
Anyway, I actually bypassed her and spoke to the tech working on my car and we went over what is wrong and went over the diagrams I brought and printed out (Thanks again Hungarian83!) and I'm comfortable he understands what needs to be done so I'll wait once they get the display replacement. They will need to remove the center panel again anyway and hopefully the 2nd reseat will be better.
 
I should have made the service manager eat her "commercially acceptable" words. When I got the car back and ran my fingers through the problem area, I did find that the panel under the hvac dials have the teeth outside. I know this is so because there is a gap between the center panel and dashboard that if you install it normally with the 3 teeth in its groove, there will be a lot of play. Yup, IMHO on a technicality, this is not "commercially acceptable".

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• hungarian83 (Oct 26, 2006 10:19 am)
  • kagedude (Oct 27, 2006 4:32 pm)
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