Hey thanks man! Just glad I'm in good company

 

I called and scheduled an appointment to get my 2013 Honda Fit Undercoated with Wool Wax this Wednesday! I was gonna wait until it got to spring but decided to just get it down now since I got my Federal Taxes back and will also be ordering some Falken Ziex ZE950 175/65R15 Tires for mine when I come back from my trip to Maine this Saturday!

 

After reading numerous reviews, I replaced my OEM Dunlops with Yokohama AVID Ascend GT's. Got a "match lower price" from Discount Tires and saved $100+ dollars on the set! NOW, I've got a TPMS system light illuminated, LOL!

 

Hi there
please explain to us newbie car guys about wool wax and why
Is it a noise dampener or anti corrosion treatment??

 

it keeps rust from spreading and it stops rust from forming. It is better then the other types because it is lanolin based and completely environmentally friendly and it will work better than plain Oil, tar, or Rubberized ones do, specifically the tar and Rubberized ones will actually seal in the moisture and not let it out, also they will make the vehicle rust a lot quicker because it doesn't let air and oxygen out. There is 2 different brands of the Lanolin which is Fluid Film, Wool Wax and I do believe the krown is also lanolin based too. I chose the wool wax one because it is the thickest after it has been applied and is less likely to get striped off while driving during the elements spraying up off the road like Rocks/snow/water/etc. Here is a video of what will happen if you use rubberized or tar based undercoating and why I will not use it: These are not my video's , and another one: I like these both they show pretty well what will happen if you use rubberized or tar based undercoating.

 

Just installed back up camera the other day










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I got those same tires a couple months ago. The grip is amazing. Just last night in the rain I finally had some empty roads and tested an emergency stop. The car just STOPPED! No ABS, because the tires were not slipping. In the rain!

Gas mileage is lower though.

 

Put a set of 195-60-R15 on mine. Grip is tremendous, did take a mileage hit but with new plugs and much lighter wheels its about even with what I got new, round 32

 

Same size as I did, on bronze Konig Helium rims.

 

Noticed a few weeks ago that my rear wiper was moving slower than normal. Then it stopped completely.
Ordered a new motor off ebay. $60 delivered.
Took about a half hour to switch it out. Hardest part was getting the wiper arm off of the old motor shaft.
Works perfect now.

 

^^^ Had some extra time today...decided to open-up the wiper motor box that I replaced. It was easy to see that corrosion on the shaft was the culprit. I probably could have saved some money by sanding and cleaning the output shaft to get it to turn easily. Oh well..I'll chalk it up to a learning experience. Cleaning the old one would prob have not lasted long here in the rust belt.

 

Simple wash for the beginning of spring. Roads are extra dusty this time of year.
Even my poor little super cheap winter wheels are taking a hit heh.
(That's my Dad's Corolla XRS)




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This weekend I decided to do some preventative maintenance on my '09 Sport. I flushed the trans (x2 to get as much of the old out as possible), changed the oil, replaced the oil/air/trans filters. and replaced the spark plugs. Also put new front pads on the brakes (new rotors last time). Earlier this month I got new tires (Conti Extreme Contact DWS) and new TPMS monitors. I also just ordered a Redline leather replacement cover for the center console/armrest. Can anyone think of anything else I should do? It just hit around 150k miles. No mechanicals of the engine have ever been replaced as near as I can remember and it's running smoothly. I'm guessing brake fluid and maybe shocks/struts. Neither of those have every been done. Also, My oil maintenance minder was at 10%, so I reset after doing all of these things. Ho does the maintenance minder work in terms of trans fluid and such? Does it actually use a sensor, or do I need to somehow reset it in a different way (or does the normal oil change reset also reset trans fluid)?

 

The maintenance minder works off how you drive, not actually sampling the condition of fluid. So if you drive hard, shorter commutes and maintain higher engine load it'll recommend service faster than if most of your miles are steady state highway driving. The whole system is meant to be a means to simplify maintenance; dealer knows what to do based on how you drive, not based strictly on how many miles you have.

If you have never had the valve lash tolerance checked that needs to happen. Should have been done at 100k. Serpentine belt as well. Brake fluid should be flushed every three years with DOT3 or DOT4. Shocks and struts again are based on how hard you drive and where you drive. My brother's girlfriend has an '09 sport build just a week or so before mine and hers needs struts in the front having spent most of its life in Louisiana. Mine has lived in Alabama, our roads usually are better. Remember your cabin air filter as well. That's behind the lower glovebox. Make sure your battery can still hold a charge. If it's over 5 years old start considering a new one. I went 7 years on an Advance auto "Gold" battery, some go farther, some go less. Alternator should still be good. around 250k they'll start to get weak/fail.

at 150k the timing chain tensioner needs inspecting, but shouldn't need service. The water pump is good for easily over 250k. Julianacho went I think 400k on his before replacing. Other than what I've listed take a ride down a crap road with the stereo off and see if you hear any metal to metal banging over pot holes, or go over a speedbump around 10mph. Suspension bushings only last so long, Mine is still tight as a drum at 90k nearly 11 years after being built, but again that's just one example.

 

Good to know. I thought this might be the case, but wasn't sure.

Yeah, I'm way overdue on brake fluid. What is the downside of not doing it? I'm assuming sediments that can damage the system, but just curious. My brakes have never had problems beyond rotors/pads (and I've never replaced the drums in back). Will get the belt and valves checked. I have been kinda thinking the car felt a bit rough over bumps, is that more likely to be struts or the bushings?

I was going to replace the cabin filter, but Autozone was sold out. Next trip... Is there anything preventative on the AC system?
Thanks for the detailed feedback.

 

Yeah no worries! Try ordering on Amazon for filters. Most brick and mortar stores want about $30 for an air filter, its $6-8 dollars new online. Cabin air filters are also comparatively cheap.

Brake fluid attracts water, and the more moisture in the lines the easier it is to boil your brake fluid. Not to mention moisture corrodes. Mine comes out a darker honey every few years. I switched to DOT4 when i went with bigger brakes up front and disc brakes in the rear. Only benefit is a higher boiling point. As far as the car feeling rough it's kind of a toss-up. Without my ass in the seat I couldn't accurately tell you one over the other. Rough might mean bushings but if by rough you mean bouncy that's struts. Pulling a wheel off and looking at the strut and seeing if its moist with oil would help determine if you need struts.

AC maintenance is a bit beyond me. I had a relay die in May last year, controlling the electric clutch on the compressor. I don't really know how all that works, so I am a big proponent of DIY, I just don't know how all that works. $112 later I had a new relay, vacuum pulled and recharged. That's the only maintenance I've had done in 11 years on the AC. It's still weak like factory, but it still works.

Speaking of which If you ever want it to stop harder throw the front caliper and pads from a 2000 Integra Type R and 280mm rotors from an '06 Mini Cooper. All of it bolts in with to give you 11 inch brakes. Only change is needing to bend the dust shield slightly. Not a huge increase in diameter over the 10.3 stock brakes but there's a ton more meat on the pads. Stops much harder than it ever will on the original brakes.

 

My 07 Fit was stumbling and sometimes stalling. Thought I smelled gas, so checked tightness of all spark plugs, as recommended here. All plugs very tight. However, when I put the coils back on and reconnected everything, the stumbling and stalling stopped. Runs like new. Must have been some bad connections. Did not replace plugs.

 

The passenger side CV shaft broke. The shaft cracked underneath the boot on the prop shaft where they always seem to corrode away and break. Was close to home. Girlfriend bailed me out. Missed a day of work.

 

Dirty mass of rust on the other side.

 

I recently installed a backordered Progress RSB. Man is that thing nice to have. Stability is enhanced in all driving conditions. The downsides are a little harshness on uneven bumps and a little extra cabin rattle going over rough surfaces, but it's not obtrusive. The car is also far less prone to igniting in single tire fires when exiting hard off sharp low speed corners. The days of constant steering corrections over every little thing are over. This is a must have for anyone with a non Sport Fit.