I'm a future FitFreak--as soon as my LHD can find a Silver Sport Manual anytime in the near future. I intend on putting a hyphen in the name and calling it my F-It!

Anyway, when I drove the fit, I looked under the hood, and there appears to be a trough that goes along the hood and then in front of the windshiled. Perhaps designed to allow (warm?) air to blow onto the windshield. There is even a little plastic door that can be moved to open/close the flow.

Can anybody tell me the purpose of this? To help melt ice in the winter? Does it work? Silly gimmic?

Another Q: Has anybody put a sunroof in the it? Thats one of the biggest bummers for me.

 

Are you talking about the rubber vent that's attached on the driver's side of the hood? If I'm not mistaken that vent is for the intake since its located at the back of the engine bay now.

 

Yes, that vent on the driver's side appears to connect to another vent that goes along the engine compartment just in front of the windshdield. In the center, there appears to be a little sliding 'door' to let the air flow out onto the windshield.

If I remember correctly, there also appears to be an abnormally large area below the wipers--which looks like it would nicely hold snow that the wipers pushed down while driving.

The dealer had no clue what the vent was for.

 

OK, here is what I found:

1) According to the owner's manual "The outside air intakes for the heating and cooling system are at the base of the windshield. Keep this area clear of leaves and other debris." So, fresh air comes IN here and is routed (through the rubber vent attached to the hood) to the inside of the vehicle.

2) The sliding door I was referring to is actually used to protect the VIN on the engine bulkhead. You slide the door open to see the VIN and back to cover it up. I assume this is designed to protect it from getting so dirty that you can't read it?

RTFM, eh?

 

Reputedly, nervy car thieves would get a VIN from a target car and waltz in to a dealer demanding a replacement key for 'their' car. The advice elsewhere was to put a piece of electrical tape over your VIN if it could be read thru' the windshield.
There was a media flap over this, and I'd hope dealers are less likely to issue a key based just on a VIN number.
OTOH, the media have been known to talk out their derriere.
Moon