I too have problems with my 2017 Honda Fit skid plate continually coming unfastened. I have a brother who is an expert on cars, and he says I should simply remove it, that it will cool better without it. Now I just need to figure out how to do that. I will say first, I do like my Honda fit, but it has a lot of little quirks. Interior fogs up very easily, about 90 percent of the time, I must keep my defroster on, whether, winter or summer. It’s very annoying. Seat warmer buttons are on the consul in the middle of the seat, and anything you place next to it, will eventually bump it, turn it on. Not so nice if it’s near a 100 degrees outside. The build up of condensation is my biggest complaint, because this can be dangerous when you are driving. Too much road noise, and not much you can do about it. I had to replace my tires for much better ones, hoping to make it more of a comfortable ride, but because of the sizing, you can’t get much air cushioning. I have been use to luxury cars most of my life, so therefore the Honda Fit has most certainly been a comfort shock. It’s a cheaper car, so I didn’t really expect luxury, but a little less road noise would have been appreciated.
the fogging inside can be coming from a water leak coming inside the vehicle. any carpets wet?
That is not a skid plate . That is a lower engine cover to help increase your fuel mileage . Why doesn’t this car expert brother remove it for you or at least tell you how to do it.
He would probably take care of it for me, if he wasn’t 3 hours away. I should have asked how, but I think he got the impression I would take it to a service center. I do have an extended warranty on my Honda, but I’m not sure the dealership would remove it, they would most likely replace it, and then I would have the same issue all over again. And before anyone “ask”, my brother knew that it was the skid plate, because when I was traveling it came off, and when I got where I was going, I stopped at a walmart auto, and they were kind enough to place it back, which is not a provided service at walmart, and without charge. At that time, I did not know it was going to come off again.
As far as the interior, is your AC drain clogged? Wet carpet on passenger side is a telltale.
You might get by driving with the AC on recirculate, and adjust temperature setting if too cold.
No wet carpet. My car is like-new condition. It has done this since the time I bought it (New).
In the past 4 to5 years since it was new have you ever asked the dealer about it under warranty?
good way to eliminate moisture as a possible cause, do you have a dehumidifier? you could run the dehumidifier inside of the interior to suck the moisture from the carpets. Carpets can get very wet underneath without showing excessive moisture above…
The “skid plate” tends to get knocked off if you park over parking blocks at stores. If you park that way, stop pulling so far forward and it will likely stop coming off.
It also tends to get re-installed poorly by oil change technicians (monkeys) at quicky oil change places because they must remove it to do the oil change. They lose screws, re-install them poorly because they are in a hurry and just don’t care.
First off, please stay away from those places as they tend to destroy engines with shoddy service. Look for a well rated independent full-service repair shop to form a relationship with. Have you regular maintenance done there. It will likely cost only a little more, but the work will be a lot better and they will get to know your car and its service needs.
Second, stop by the dealer and have them inspect the screws and replace any that are lost. Properly fastened, the panel will NOT come loose… key word being properly
While you are at the dealership ask about the moisture in the cabin, not normal in any car.
probably worth more then you paid for it. id move on. try a different car.
He’s wrong. It may improve cooling by managing air flow.
+1
If it didn’t have a purpose, why would the vehicle manufacturer have spent the money to install it in the first place?
Yes, that is also a possibility.
+1
Many vehicles nowadays have one of these removable panels beneath the engine, and while they may be somewhat of a nuisance when changing oil or doing other servicing from underneath the car, if they are properly re-attached, they don’t come loose.
With a vehicle this new, the most likely cause of condensation is running the HVAC system in recirculation mode.
+1
During the winter, I am always amazed at how many relatively-new vehicles I see with fogged-up windows. They almost always have several passengers, and the driver–somehow–doesn’t seem to understand that his/her passengers’ breath is the source of the problem. Excess moisture from snow that is tracked into the car is another source, but–once again–not running the HVAC on “recirculate” will resolve the problem.
Yes. “Recirculate” should be used rarely, if at all. Maybe when driving on a dusty road close behind another vehicle.
My Honda will stay on Recirc if I set it there. My newer Chrysler van will cancel Recirc if I move the heater controls to Defrost; also when the engine is turned off and back on.
+1
Additionally, if I see road construction ahead, I switch–temporarily–to recirculate.
Also, if I have to drive in back of a black-smoke-belching diesel, I activate it.
It’s also possible that the AC refrigerant charge could be a bit low as the car is in the 5 or 6 years of age range; all depending upon in service date.
As for the lower cover coming loose problem that should not be difficult to rectify.
I don’t know if the AC refrigerant charge is low. However, the car has always fogged up since I bought it. I bought it new December of 2017. So in reality, it’s only a little more than 3 years old as far as usage. I didn’t know if the problem was with the car, or if it was something I was doing, at the time. After I did everything I was told, to help remedy the problem, it still continued to fog up. I concluded it must be caused by some sort of design flaw.
I have thought about the skid plate, and thought if I were able to remove it, because it sits so low on the ground, that could make it easier for squirrels, and other rodents to get into it. I had a serious problem with squirrels chewing the wiring up in my Jaguar, and ruined it. I am wondering if anyone else, has had an issue with this, especially 2017 owners.
Judith , it is not a skid plate and your extended warranty will not cover the repair of it . Any decent shop can solve this bu they may have to get the proper fasteners from a dealer.