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Topic: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter (Read 247 times) previous topic - next topic
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2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Hi,

Our 2010 Honda Fit has been a reliable toad, but it's time for a new starter. A Honda dealership in the Idaho panhandle diagnosed it, but they can't get a new starter for a few weeks. I'll be in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2 weeks so I contacted dealer there and scheduled the appointment.

Before towing the car, we go through the steps in the owner's manual which are, go through all the gears and then let the car idle for 3 minutes while it's in neutral which I'm assuming is to warm up the transmission fluid. It's an automatic transmission.

The question is, can I skip the 3 minute warm-up step if the car won't start and then tow it to Sioux Falls or will that cause me to be buying a starter and a transmission ?

As always, thanks in advance for your help.

Bill Moss


2019 MB and 2010 Honda Fit
Re: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Reply #2 –
"can I skip the 3 minute warm-up step if the car won't start and then tow it to Sioux Falls or will that cause me to be buying a starter and a transmission ?"

That sounds like a recipe for transmission damage, Bill. If it were me, I'd rent a dolly, put the front wheels up on it and tow it that way. Yes, it's a pain, but it beats buying a new transmission. I'd hate to see your Fit crippled. (I used to own a 2009 Fit, and I still miss it.)
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Reply #3 –
Bill-

I owned a 2009 Honda Fit Sport automatic for thirteen years and 130,000 odometer miles, plus another 30,000 towing four-down. I experienced no transmission problems. I followed the four-down tow prep procedure listed in the owner's manual to the letter. My car's manual (link here) had this to say about the procedure:

Quote
Perform the following procedure every day immediately before you begin towing. Otherwise severe automatic transmission damage will occur.

In the section for emergency towing, the manual says this:

Quote
If you cannot shift the transmission or start the engine (automatic transmission), your vehicle must be transported with the front wheels off the ground.

I'd check your car's manual. If it reads the same as above, then to avoid damage you must dolly-tow your Fit to your next destination, per Andy's recommendation. Or, get the starter replaced where you are now.

Mark H.

Former owner, 31-foot gas Class A
Former owner, 1997-8 mid-bath
Re: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Reply #4 –
As an unelightened non-expert tossing in my 2 cents worth:
My rig had just under 60K on it.  All but about 1K has been towing a 2011 Honda CRV.  I always do the warm-up if I haven't driven the car around just before hooking up.  My limited understanding is this is to lubricate the trans and other parts.  The manual says to repeat the process every 200 miles,  which I don't usually do as I try to keep the day's distance under 200 or so.  I personally would not tow it 4-down without running the lubrication protocol.
Good luck.
Joel & Terry Wiley
dog Zeke
2013  31 IB   Orwan   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Reply #5 –
I can't add much, but I've towed my Acura (with an automatic Honda transmission) four-down for more than ten years behind the LD, but always started it and went through the (for me) 2 minutes 30 seconds warm up after going through all the gears and then reverse before putting it in neutral.  Once, after that it lost brakes and nearly hit the LD... then I did tow it without brakes all the way into mainland Mexico before getting the master brake cylinder replaced.  It's certainly not worth ruining the transmission!  But my roadside service works all over the U.S., and towing is free.  Any towing is cheaper than paying for a transmission, that's for sure.
Kristin
1997 MB
Re: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Reply #6 –
I would like to thank everyone for their helpful replies. I have an appointment with a Honda dealer in Sioux Falls, SD in 2 weeks, and since the car still starts, I think I can make it there. If not, I'll go with the u-haul towbar suggestion. One of those two weeks we will be spending at signal mountain campground in Grand Teton. If I'm going to have car trouble, I can't think of a better place to be and there is a U-Haul dealership in Jackson, Wyoming.

I'll post again in 2 weeks and let everyone know how things turned out.

Thanks again,

Bill Moss
2019 MB and 2010 Honda Fit
Re: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Reply #7 –
 If not, I'll go with the u-haul towbar suggestion."

Bill, I don't think anybody here is suggesting a U-Haul towbar. If you can't start the car and run through the recommended startup sequence, towing your Fit with all four wheels on the ground is likely to damage the transmission.

What we recommend is a dolly, which will get the front wheels off the ground and thus prevent wear and possible damage to the front-drive transmission.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Reply #8 –
Hi Bill;  The tow dolly gets the front wheels off the ground, for a front wheel drive car. The rear wheels (axle) just trail along behind and have no impact on the transmission unless you have AWD (all wheel drive). I don't think the Fit comes with that option.   If the starter is just having trouble engaging sometimes, bad brushes or spur gear engagement issues, but can be started mostly with repeated attempts, then you could probably get by all the way to where you are going just towing 'four down' as you usually do. If you think that you suddenly won't be able to start it to run the transmission through it's normal set up procedure, then get the dolly.  U-haul has a video on loading it. The Fit needs to be running to do that.  How to load your car on a U-Haul car dolly | U-Haul     RonB 
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Reply #9 –
My mistake, l meant to say dolly instead of towbar. Must have been the heat. Thanks for the concern and follow up posts.
2019 MB and 2010 Honda Fit
Re: 2010 Honda Fit needs a new starter
Reply #10 –
Quote from: Bill M  - 
... dolly instead of towbar....
Autocorrupt seems to be getting more creative.  Competing with ChatGPT now?  ;)
Joel & Terry Wiley
dog Zeke
2013  31 IB   Orwan   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE