So I just bought a used 2007 Honda Fit Sport a couple of months ago. I use it to drive to work and back (6 miles one way) plus getting groceries and other errands. It’s my only means of transportation so if something goes wrong, I’m in trouble. I noticed about a month ago that the coolant light would occasionally come on. I checked the fluid levels and it was fine. I’ve just ignored it for the most part. Then a couple of nights ago my headlights and dash lights started flickering. It would only last maybe a minute and then work normally. This morning the battery light came on. I was on my way to work so I couldn’t stop to get it checked. When I got off of work and headed home, about a block from my house the dashboard went nuts. The passenger airbag and seat belt lights started flashing and there’s that little ding that sounds off if a seatbelt isn’t engaged that the car thinks should be, then the fuel gauge started waving back and forth. After that the ABS light started flashing along with whatever that little steering wheel icon with an exclamation point is and it felt like my brakes were being tapped. When I tried to turn off of the main road onto my street, I had to fight the steering wheel just to turn it. I barely made it home. I have a warranty with the dealer I bought it from, but they’re closed for the holiday weekend. I really need my car. Can someone help me?
Bad batteries can do a lot of weird things, start there, is there a date sticker on the battery? Free check at any auto store, jump it and see if it goes.
The battery light can mean the alternator has failed and it no longer charges the battery. The car will shut stuff down as the battery drains because the alternator isn’t charging it and the car is using up all its power… Have both the battery and the alternator checked as well as the main fan-belt. If this car has electric power steering (I think it does), you would lose steering as the battery failed. If the belt slipped to the point where it fell off, hydraulic steering would stop. Either way, you will lose power steering.
All of these things will need to be serviced by someone who know what they are doing. Sorry about your car failing before a holiday weekend but it happens.
Exact same thing happened with me just now on my 2008 Honda Fit! I started panicking when the dashboard lights started coming on and the power steering locked up.
I had the battery light come on a few days ago, then it went out so I thought the battery just needed charging by driving around (not driving much lately). Today battery light on and off intermittently then seatbelt lights, etc. Scary with the power steering going out, and I realized it was an electrical system shutdown.
Car gave me fair warning… I chose to ignore it. The alternator needed replacing.
This is frequently the case. With any luck you learned from the experience.