Hi, I'm a new member here and in the market for getting a car. It'll be my first very own car and I'm stuck between the 2015 Fit or the 2014 Civic. But this won't be a Fit vs. Civic thread, as the title suggests.

I'm sorry that this is a long post, and I sincerely request that you hear me out on this.

I've already done a whole day's worth of research regarding direct injection engines, which the 2015 Fit is supposed to come with. This is the only thing that's keeping me from considering this car outright and overriding the Civic.

Carbon build up and the higher pressures needed in the engine are the major problems with DI engines, but the large amount of research I've done about these is not getting me anywhere in terms of whether or not these will be sources of concern in the Fit or what exactly Honda has done to their DI engines to mitigate the problems.

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome. Thanks!

 

It's a Honda...relax...been out for a while...just not here.

 

What he said

 

i have the same concerns, and have found quite a few 2013 honda accords with 56,000 to (no longer listed) 70,000 miles on them. somebody please correct me if im wrong, but i believe these cars also have an Earth Dreams DI engine. this makes me think that we would have heard some buzz about carbon build up on the web, considering many VWs and Audis required carbon cleaning of the intake valves every 15,000 to 30,000 miles from what i understand. i know its not much to go on, but its something!

 

I've also read lots of conflicting information about the effect of top tiered vs non top tiered fuel on carbon build up. Some say that it doesn't matter, while others say that non top tiered fuel can contribute to build up. What is the real answer to this discrepancy?

If I do get the 2015 Fit, I will be driving it mainly in an area where there is no top tier gas station available. In that area, there is a Gulf/Valero and a convenience store station called Sheetz. I wonder how fuel from these gas stations will affect the engine of this car.

In case you're suggesting that I not get this car if I'm so concerned about the DI engine, I don't want to just forget about the Fit just because of that; there are so many more features you can get for less money than a Civic and I really dig that; you can get an EX trim level (with CVT) on the Fit for about the same price as a Civic LX with CVT!

 

Early DI car had problems but they are much better nowadays. Just make sure you use high quality oil, fuel, and filters and youll be fine.

I will be keeping an eye out once i get mine.

 

Okay, carbon build up huh? Okay, there is significantly more deposit from a DI engine, but the real thing that causes deposit and build-up in the first place is crappy gas. Use Chevron, Shell, or Texaco. It'll help prolong the life, performance, and mitigate some wear from any engine, DI or not.

 

DI is probably a big factor in how they got more horsepower and torque and MPG out of the 1.5 L engine. Fuel burns more effectively, reliability of the parts at the higher pressures will be an interesting experiment but I think Honda has their finger on the pulse of it all. I am not concerned.

 

My problem is the lack of said gas stations in the area where I'll be mainly driving this car. I took a look at the top tier gas station list and none of the gas stations in that area were on the list.

What happens when you use gas from Valero or a convenience store on this car? Is the gas from these places any good for a DI engine?

 

You guys realize that all the gas in the USA only comes from a few refineries ... and they even swap production when needed ... marketing at its finest.

 

I have read that top tier gas is just marketing hype, but I've also read that top tier gas also puts in detergents and more additives to keep the engine running clean.

 

Well one thing we can be sure of, We would NEVER be lied to for the sake of profit! :eyesrolling:

 

Please post a link to where you read that... I heard/read just the opposite

 

I meant to say that all gas has additives to help the engine, but top tier gas has more of them. What is 'Top Tier' Gas And Why Should You Use It? | AskPatty.com and http://motorreview.com/2013/08/05/ho...-your-vehicle/

 

Unfortunately, those cleaners will do nothing for your DI engine, because the fuel doesn't even hit the valves to clean them. It's not the fuel that causes the buildup, it's the oil that gets put back in the combustion chamber from the PCV system.

I have a feeling Honda designed a pretty good PCV system to avoid this buildup and why we haven't seen any issues from the Accords.

I hear lots of people are putting catch cans on their older designed DI engines to help with this problem.

 

Thanks dlee for the link

I'll use the top tier gas as honda recommends this in the manual, and if one does not, I can only bet if one as a warranty issue honda may not be so kind if they know we used other than top tier. I use Shell all the time just for some deluded peace of mind

 

That's actually great to hear how gas quality (top tier vs non top tier) doesn't affect carbon build up. Makes buying gas that much less worrisome.

The jury is almost out on whether or not to get the Fit instead of the Civic. So far, it's 90 Fit 10 Civic. That is unless something comes up that prevents me from getting one or the other.

 

Not saying top tier gas doesn't help the motor run better, but detergents won't solve the DI issue (if there even is one).

I only run top tier. People can say what they want about refinery delivery or whatever, but my car runs like crap on Arco or Valero repeatably. I know this for sure, indisputably for my car anyway. Trust me i'd rather save 10c a gallon but it's not worth it for the crap idle and stumbly performance. It's done that since new with cheap gas. Put non-cheap gas in, problem solved, every time.

 

This is a FIT forum. The resulting skewed advise is normal on these shores. Its now 91 Fit, including me!!!

My brother-in-law has had 3 Civics and he swears by them. Currently with a '10. Was actually contemplating a '14 to replace my GD last year until Honda decided to unveil the '15 GK in Detroit. Once I saw that, I was sold!!!

 

The more I think of it, the more I want the Fit.