I got my 2013 Fit Sport MT a few weeks ago and love it in most respects.

We've had a reasonably harsh winter so far -- lots of snow and some rather cold temperatures. The Fit has taken everything in its stride, and the winter tires have done well considering the amount of snow we've had and the really sloppy conditions that have been challenging even for AWD vehicles.

However, all is not well with the Fit. A couple of days ago I noticed an alarming rattle at idle. Then I noticed that the car was starting differently from usual; there was a pretty obvious thump when the starter motor engaged from cold. In the end, I decided that these various anomalies might be due to ice build-up in various parts of the undercarriage and engine etc., so I parked my car in a heated parkade last night and gave everything a good chance to defrost and dry out. Lo and behold, all of the weird sounds have disappeared and I'm happy again.

However, I've owned lots of cars, and they've all gone through Canadian winters without the dramas that my Fit just gave me. Okay, ice build-up (and associated rattles) underneath the car is more-or-less normal, but a "thumping" starter motor? I'm not convinced that Honda have done a good enough job of "winter proofing" the Fit. It seems to me that an engine undertray might be a good place to start.

Am I alone in these thoughts? Does anybody make an undertray for the 2013 Fit? Should we be pushing Honda to provide such a part?

 

You could be right! I think that is a good analysis. Try the CR-Z pan out. Some modifications need to be made, but it will fit, apparently. Down here it barely even gets cold, so I am not familiar with any anomalous little things that can cause vibrations in cold weather on some cars. Good luck!

 

You may be right. I love my Fit but in many ways I think Honda has cut corners on it. I know it's their least expensive car but it is lacking sound insulation and perhaps insulation from snowy winters.

 

I've never found Hondas to be particularly well designed for winter. There are just little things in the design that make you think that snow is not something the engineers are familiar with beyond the theoretical possibility it could occur.

As for me, I have found in the last few days that when it's below freezing, I need my AC on ALL the time in order to prevent window fogging. Any suggestions? It kills fuel economy and, of course, power.

I also noticed that when I was chipping ice away, the side windows were flexing in their mountings. VERY thin glass. This might be related to the above, actually - if the windshield doesn't provide enough insulation, it'll be cold enough that even small amounts of moisture will condense on the inside.

Other annoyances are the design of the wiper mounting points (difficult to clear), pockets behind the wheels to collect slush buildup that is difficult to dislodge, and thin door handles (I worry I'll snap them if they're ever frozen in ice).

This is the price you pay for something that feels closer to an old BMW than a Yaris. For great winter performance, Subarus are the best for my money. Luckily, around here winter isn't usually TOO bad :P

 

I've been happy with the FIT and it's winter capabilities. I haven't had any issues with the snow since the snow tires went on. I don't have much issue with Ice build-up either. I think the CR-Z under-pan would be a smart move for someone who might end up with a lot of snow under their vehicle but I haven't had those issues. At least not yet.

I've noticed the Same fogging issues over the last week and If I remember correctly, as it gets further into winter, that problem decreases. Not sure why but the air (overall) inside the car during these warmer winter months is more humid... in turn, the moisture build-up inside the car is greater and doesn't dissipate as quickly. In the cold months, the air is extremely dry and I would think that addresses some of the humidity issues.

~SB

 

Out of all my Honda's the Fit was the best. I had no problems except once driving on a S road when there was ice and another car bouncing off the guard rails and the Fit stopped before hitting the car but I slide a few feet be it stopped. I had the 40,000 miles on that car and it made it through 3 winter with not problems. The only thing I did not like was the rear window would always get salt build up and was hard to keep clean.

 

I've never been stuck in any of my Hondas.

Best solution for windows fogging up is driving with your windows down all the time

 

Whew! Glad we don't use salt on the roads here. Sand is the weapon of choice, but the cars all turn brown during break-up and you're forever cleaning windshields and lights.

I don't have any issues with the interior fogging at all. At most I will have one passenger if I go somewhere on the weekends and that will require a bit of ventilation. It sounds like there is snow from your feet being tracked into the car. If you use the floor vents this will obviously melt off your shoes and have to go somewhere. Keep the floors dry as possible, empty your all-weather mats if you have them, use the floor heat as little as possible and if you have the luxury (or safe neighborhood) leave the door or window open for a while after you get home to chill the interior and ventilate.

(You can also disable the automatic A/C with Defrost / Mix modes by pulling the wire off the back of the vent mode selector. You just remove the panel right under the big vent knob and look up inside. Use a screwdriver to slide the connector off.)

The thickness of the glass doesn't make any difference. Glass isn't an insulator when it's single pane.

This is my Fit's third winter and, just as last year, we're off to a bitter start. (Below 0ºF temps through big chunks of November and December.) With 0w oil in the engine I don't find that I need to let the car warm up, just idle down for a few seconds. When it's about 0ºF or below, it's beneficial to manually start out in 2nd gear in the automatic because the very first shift from 1st to 2nd causes a bad lurch as if you're hitting the brakes.

We regularly have quantities of snow in the streets that drags the bottom of the car. This has never caused any problems for me...in any car. The only annoyance...like any car, is when the snow gets stuck inside a wheel. This causes the entire wheel to be off balance.

The worst thing the cold does to my Fit is cause some rattles to appear and others to fade. It's the opposite of summer when even the windows rattle. All those parts shrink and expand.

Overall, I think the Fit does an excellent job in the winter. Given the appropriate tires for your area (or at least what's legally allowed, such as studs), the Fit can do just as well as an SUV.

 

I kid you not, the salt-spreading truck dumped a pile of salt two inches high at the end of our driveway. Guessing that isn't going to be good for the longevity of the car. But nothing can be done, hopefully Honda did a good rustproofing job!

 

Last week I installed the CR-Z undertray. $35 online. It was easy with only a few holes I drilled out as its not a perfect fit. It is a very satisfactory fit when done though. made a huge difference keeping splash and debris out.

 

I avoid driving in the snow if I can. But I did managed 30 miles drive from work in a blizzard to home in my Fit (with factory tires). It did take 3.5 hours of a normal 40 minutes drive. I wish it had a AWD option.

 

The Fit rocks in snow!

The last big snow storm had a bunch of cars in the ditch and everyone else had to slow way down due to slippery conditions. The Fit with General Alitmax Arctic had absolutely no problems and it barely slowed me down.

 

I may have to do this. The car really should come with one. My engine bay is always gunked up and filthier than it should be. It's dusty and/or muddy here a lot, so I guess that justifies it similarly to keeping snow out.

 

You definitely would like this mod. Splashing around in puddles here in the country always yielded a dirty engine bay repeat with muddy water on top of the engine. No more with the undertray. Go you your local automotive paint/body supply store and you can pick up the replacement Honda plastic 'pins' to make your install much cleaner. $1 each vs $4 from Honda.

 

My Fit does great in the winter. This is winter #4 with zero problems and zero repairs.

I always run winter tires on all cars as a rule.

 

lolwat?

There wasn't a single blizzard this year or last that was even near bad enough to require such a lack of pace.

 

@ein: AWD is nice but proper winter tires are really enough for the Fit. You can see the pics I posted in the "do you have winter tires thread". We've had an all time record blizzard in Montreal, Canada and me and my Fit have been doing just fine. You just need winter tires. They are not a frivolous expense if there is considerable snow and ice in your region. They make winter driving manageable instead of your situation of taking 3 hours to do a 40 min drive.

@Fujisawa: I don't think there is much of a way around blasting the A/C. Try holding your breath . Honestly, I think it has to do with sudden temperature changes. I've been getting better at managing it. When I park my fit, I turn the cold air on for a few secs to try and cool the inside air so as not to get so much fogging up. I use my remote starter to warm the car for 5-10 minutes before I get in. This kills two birds with one stone by getting the engine at operating temperature before I take off and heats up the inside cabin. When I first get in, I'll blast the defogger on near max to prevent the instant fog from the warm breath and once that's under control, I'll try to warm the car slowly, starting at about 2/3 heat instead of max heat, right from the get go. Best of luck! I'm finding this fog problem majorly sucks but it's about on par with my previous car so its' not all that terrible. The defogger does a great job so it's nice to have a completely clear windshield when attempting hand break turns

 

Did I say this year? If you were in the southeast part of Wisconsin about 2 years ago, you would have remembered. I don't know if the blizzard reached Madison that year.

Skeptics.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...-blizzard.html

Better check the meteorological record for the date of that post too.

 

I had a AWD Civics wagon for over 15 years. It was sad to get rid of it. It's much better than a 2WD in the snow. The winters here in Wisconsin is not as bad as the great white north. That was the only blizzard I had to drive in to get home. I'll never do that again. If i can avoided it.

 

Hi Dookoo. Can we have a couple of photos of your install? What part number did you order? I'll definitely do this mod.