Archives

Hello,

Haven't posted here in a long time, but sometimes life just gets in the way. Now I finally saved up enough money to trade my Civic for a Fit, but something I heard from an acquaintance made me nervous.

As you know the Fit has electric power steering. This acquaintance mentioned that another car (not even by Honda) with EPS had an engine problem so the engine sometimes would go dead in the middle of the road, and in doing so, the steering would lock (not just lose power steering, actually lock). Note that there's no keying to IG-I here, the key stays in IG-II all the time.

Now this makes no sense, EPS is electric as the name says and you don't lose the car's electric system when the engine dies. So I just wanted to check with you guys whether I can safely do a FAS in a Fit without locking the steering wheel. A FAS-less Fit would be hardpressed to improve on the economy of my Civic, so I might as well stick with the Civic...

Thanks

Décio

Hi, Décio! Good to see you back again. :)

We have plenty of Fit drivers here who FAS and they don't get locked steering wheels in the process.

Hi, Décio! Good to see you back again. :)

We have plenty of Fit drivers here who FAS and they don't get locked steering wheels in the process.

That's very reassuring to hear. I suppose this is some sort of poorly thought out safety system on the car in question.

Décio

That's very reassuring to hear. I suppose this is some sort of poorly thought out safety system on the car in question.

Décio

Probably only someone that did not have the competence to tell the difference between a very hard steering (whith severly underinflated tires that rode only on the tire shoulders - which would make it even worse) and lock.

Probably only someone that did not have the competence to tell the difference between a very hard steering (whith severly underinflated tires that rode only on the tire shoulders - which would make it even worse) and lock.

Back in my speeding days I have always been able to turn the wheel, and I am a pretty small guy. I can't imagine that someone would be unable to turn it to the point where they think it is locked.

My guess is they assumed it would lock since the engine isn't running. Much like AAA used to spout.

08 Fit Sport here. No problems with steering lock during FAS.

Back in my speeding days I have always been able to turn the wheel, and I am a pretty small guy...

I had an old '81 Impala with something wrong with the power steering. The pump and all the hoses had been replaced, but it still wouldn't work. I drove that thing for quite a while with no power steering and I was 5' 10" and 110# at the time. If I can do that, just about anyone can.

The '09 has EPS, I don't remember if the '08 did, haven't been in one in a long time (yesterday I was only a passenger), the one in the '09 if not the same system in the HCHII and HI2 is closely related. In a fas you have no power steering for 1.5 to 3 sec, but the wheel turns easily at speed.

From a stop (if your driveway is a big hill like mine) if the key is in the run position just like the HCHII, HI2, and Prius 2G (in neutral with the power button glowing amber) at about 7-9mph you gain power steering, (rather abruptly sometimes)

You can only lock the wheel in the HCHII if the key is in a position where you can remove it.

The 08 does have EPS, Kacey.

I had an old '81 Impala with something wrong with the power steering. The pump and all the hoses had been replaced, but it still wouldn't work. I drove that thing for quite a while with no power steering and I was 5' 10" and 110# at the time. If I can do that, just about anyone can.

I'm 5' 7" and up until a few years ago I never weighed over 120.