Fit or Jazz: why the badge matters
Honda sells this car as the Jazz in New Zealand and the rest of Oceania, and as the Fit in Japan and a few other markets. So a Fit on our roads was most likely built for the Japanese market and imported second-hand, which is where most of New Zealand's used imports come from.
That has practical effects. The owner's manual is likely to be in Japanese, the service history may be thin, and some versions were never sold new here at all. The third-generation Fit Hybrid, for one, was only marketed in Japan and Malaysia.
Which Fit Hybrid do you have?
| Hybrid system | Battery notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Fit Hybrid, 2010 to 2014 | Integrated Motor Assist (IMA): an electric motor helping the petrol engine | A high-voltage hybrid battery, plus a 12-volt battery for the accessories |
| Third generation hybrid (GP5), built 2013 to 2022 | i-DCD, with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox | Lithium-ion high-voltage battery in the Intelligent Power Unit |
| Fourth generation e:HEV, from 2020 | e:HEV, one fixed gear ratio and a lock-up clutch | Sold new here as the Jazz e:HEV from May 2021 |
Before anyone replaces a Fit hybrid battery
Rule out the 12-volt
A hybrid still has a 12-volt battery that runs the lights, radio and door locks. If it's flat, the car can refuse to start even with a healthy hybrid pack.
Read the codes and test the pack
The mechanic plugs in a scan tool that can talk to a Japanese-market car (JOBD is Japan's version of OBD-II) and tests the high-voltage battery, with the result in writing.
Check the battery cooling
AA New Zealand says dirty cooling filters on hybrids are a common cause of battery failure. A blocked fan or filter is a much smaller job than a new pack.
Compare the options
If the pack really is done, the quote should say whether it's new, used or reconditioned, what warranty comes with it, and what gets tested once it's fitted.
Honda Fit battery replacement: the 12-volt
On a petrol Fit, or the small battery in a hybrid, AA New Zealand expects 3 to 5 years if the battery stays charged and was fitted correctly. A Fit that only does short trips may never fully recharge, and a slow crank on a frosty morning is the usual first sign.
If your Fit turns its engine off at the lights, it has start-stop, and AA New Zealand says those cars need an AGM battery. Ask for a load test and a charging check before you pay for anything, and for the battery type to be written on the invoice.
Yours to do, and the mechanic's
You can
- Photograph any warning light or hybrid message before you switch off.
- Note when the trouble started and what the trip was like.
- Photograph the maintenance pages of a Japanese manual and bring them along.
- Check tyre pressures on cold tyres.
Leave to the mechanic
- Anything on the high-voltage battery or its orange cables.
- Testing the hybrid pack and reading fault codes.
- Cleaning or replacing the battery cooling fan and filter.
- Jump starting or swapping a hybrid's 12-volt if you're not sure how.
Where we'd start with a Fit
We'd test the 12-volt battery first, because it's the simple, common answer and it often gets skipped. If it's the hybrid pack, we'd want the health test and a look at the cooling filter in writing before deciding anything. Tell us it's a Fit, the year and whether it's a hybrid. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.