I wanted to hear from others about clutch height.. I got my fit about 1 month ago, and noticed that the clutch seems low.. the engine would slip if the clutch is just slightly depressed (maybe 1/2" inch).. so unless I fully release the clutch pedal, the clutch would slip.. it becomes obvious when I shift into 2nd at high rpm under power.. it would take a split second becond 2nd gear fully engages and fully sync to 2nd gear, and I don't get a nice solid shift..


I've driven other cars, and they're not like this. can anyone confirm this is how it is? I plann on taking it into the dealer during the first oil change.. but that's months away..

 

Mmm, your description isn't the clearest, but from what I can make out I'd say if you're not fully releasing the clutch pedal when you shift that's more a problem with your driving style than the clutch -- you should always fully release the clutch when you shift and keep your foot off of it as well when you're not using it. Otherwise, you're just riding the clutch and that's like the most basic MT no-no there is. From my experience and from what I've read from others, the Fit's clutch engagement point is fairly high, and narrow as well -- for some it maybe doesn't slip enough even. Again, your description isn't the clearest, so I may be barking up the wrong tree, but the clutch generally engages fairly high, so if yours doesn't you may want to take it to the dealer sooner than later to avoid any possible serious damage/wear.

 

Sorry I'm not clear.. but you are right in your assumptions.. the clutch isn't fully engaged unless I completely take my foot off the pedal. I know this is bad.. but when going from first to 2nd.. you have to kind of ride the clutch to prevent the shock of the shift...

My main concern is when I power shift into 2nd, the clutch doesn't engage solidly.. it takes a split second for it to catch (engage) hence making me think it's not adjusted properly (if there are any adjustments)..

so it is common for FIT's to have high clutches? I've driven many other cars, and the clutch engagement point comes on much earlier...

 

Yeah, it's common for the Fit to have a high clutch. It's something I've seen a number of people mention, so I know it's not just mine.

That having been said, more than the clutch having problems, it's your shifting style that needs the real work I think. You're right, you do need to slip the clutch just a bit to make the shift smooth, but as soon as it engages you need your foot off that pedal, and overall you need to make your shift quick and not milk it out too much (I'm guilty of this sometimes, like when I'm tired or haven't driven for a while).

As for power shifting, if you're doing WOT, not dropping the revs full-on power shifting, then again I don't think there's an issue with the clutch because it simply wasn't designed for that kind of use. The Fit is sporty for sure, but it's not a sports car per se, so the clutch is a balance of power handling and ease of use (ie, a bit light). You're probably gonna have to find an aftermarket clutch that'll hold up to that kind of use if you plan on continuing that kind of driving, although there's none out yet for the USDM that I know (although you can mod a JDM one like the ATS Carbon to fit).

In any case, it still never hurts to have the dealer take a look at it and make sure it's right -- nothing's perfect so there could still be a problem.