My 1989 4th 2dr Gen Civic hatchback with TBI did the same thing.
Ugly little booger on the outside.
Plus it was more than three times as solid, held more in the trunk, and far more comfortable to drive. IMHO it was almost perfect.
(and had a universal tape player cutout in the dash. no proprietary dealer replacement required.)

The 2009 Fit is a saucy little auto-crosser though.
It needs a 6th gear: 4k rpm at 80mph is too much buzz on a long trip. V-Tech drains mileage quick.
1st, and especially 2nd gear, are far too short and not a band aid for the lack of torque.

I'm not complaining though. Just an observation.

^^^ The only complaint I have on my 2010 Fit...at 75mph or over...the gas mileage suffers.
I can get 40 mpg all day long...until going over 75 mph.

I've read V-Tech kicks in at 3500rpm but idk.

An RPM "shift light" with different colors would be a viable upgrade, providing it could be installed without surgery.

5500-6000 on my Prelude. The Fit has variable v-tec. It kicks in whenever needed....but the Prelude has a stronger 'kick in'
As far as a shift light....lol..no thanks.

The drive-by-wire system (A completely wrong technical name btw) completely messes with my driving.

Sometimes it's too much.
Sometimes it's not enough. I've even stalled a few times like a newbie beginner. Like it's messing with me.
Completely unreliable and variable.

I can't feel the engine vibrations in my right foot...

The only good thing is a mechanical manual shift into neutral with key switch and separate brake systems for emergencies.
Otherwise, those dang computers can just go to hell for all I care.

^^^ The auto tranny is not worth the diff.
Gas mileage is worse, and it's not nearly as fun.

My Sprint throttle controller made a big difference in the 'fun to drive'...it's great.

Also...I installed a pull-back spring on the gas pedal...it makes the foot pressure more like a cable operated throttle....way easier to drive.

All right, Steve. I just noticed that I have that moving streak under a certain angle of the sun. I have seen it many times before, so its a squirt of the old wiper fluid and it goes away. Mine is really dirty.

if you stop the car at the same angle and get outside
do you still see the streak from the side or front ?
if you block the headlite from the sun do you see it ?

I'm sorry but you lost me on this.
If stopping the car at the same angle? What angle?

The streak is only seen from inside the car when facing the sun.
I tried covering the dash and it didn't make any difference.
The angle doesn't change the image...except that it moves across the windshield.

Hope that helps explain.

Makes no difference with mine. I have spent hours getting it super clean.

Which seems to indicate the entire windshield is producing the same effect.
The entire windshield..

So if cleaning inside and outside doesn't produce any change, this magnification effect likely must originate from inside the windshield itself.

(to fix: replace windshield, or use better sunglasses, or change commute times, or just deal with it?)

That's where I'm at right now.
Replacing windshield is my next option....if I can't live with it.
I have no commute times...so I'll prob live with it. With the age and miles of the Fit...not worth putting a new windshield in.

It moves just like you described. I did not take an after pic but its gone. I found sometimes an oily substance will cost that.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1598935629.jpg

A couple more that I took this spring. Lots of reflections off the dash.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1598956378.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1598956432.jpg

I'm sticking with micro scratches. I'd give this stuff a try. It took scratches out of the windshield on my daughters car.

https://www.amazon.com/GP21005-Windshield-Polishing-Removes-Surface/dp/B001RAQGXC?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

^^^ I'll prob get some of that to try it....I can surely use it on my SC also. That windshield is sand pitted bad. I'll report back on if it works on the Fit.

I'll go out and make sure that's the kit I bought but I think it is. You basically use to different sanding pads and wet sand the windshield. Then you put the compound on the buffing pad and buff the windshield. I did it to two cars and it really helped. The first one looked like someone took a red scotchbrite pad to the windshield and it has some windshield wiper scratches from wipers being run with bad blades in them. I was really impressed with how well it worked.

Revived this thread because of a new discovery....

The Fit is long gone with the windshield problem.
The new Civic SI has the same problem...just not quite as bad yet.

So...that tells me that it is a windshield curvature problem.
If I still had the Fit, I would compare windshield numbers....

Are you seeing distortion in a particular area? Focus on a point in the horizon and move your head side to side. Not uncommon to have some distortion due to the manufacturing of the glass, although there are specifications for how much is acceptable. Windshield are what we call sag bent which is heated on a ring supporting the perimeter of the glass and allowed to sag to a defined shape. Its basically an art form. It’s more cost effective and is widely used in the auto glass industry. Press bend is the other method usually used for a single layer glass like the doors or the rear glass. Generally speaking its more accurate since its pressed into a tool on both inner and outer surfaces. Hope this helps.

I feel like some sort of film or coating of oil or something has caused this. I'd say "scratches" but since the civic is new, that seems less likely. So oil/gunk from the road seems likely. It could be something on the inside of the window. I know that all of the cars that I've had eventually get a film on the inside of the windows/dash even thought I've got the windows up 99.9% of the time with the AC running. I don't smoke, so that's got nothing to do with it.

I suppose it could be from the window (glass or safety film inside the glass) itself.

The plastic materials used in car interiors outgas over time and that collects on the inside of the windows. They can be hard to clean, what you’re seeing is the light interacting with this film on the window. The same problem exists with minor scratches in the glass, you only see those that are in line with a certain angle relative to the light source.

The image (light cable) moves across the windshield as I slide across the seats.

I call it a windshield problem, but it's just an effect that I only see when driving into the sunrise. If I'm headed south...it doesn't show.
I can easily live with it...just wonder why it happens.

It’s not a defect in the way the windshield is made, it is light interacting with the surface of the windshield, either the outside or inside surfaces of the glass. If both glass surfaces were perfect with no scratches or deposits, you would not see that

Those defects, if you want to call them that, are all over the windshield. You only see them when they’re in a certain line with your eye and the sun. That’s why they appear to move, when you move your head.

It’s physics…

^^^ Ahh....the inventor of the 'puffy shirt'..:D

Windshield replacement insurance? Ball peen hammer?

I'm afraid the replacement will do the same.



As far as cleaning goes...read post #3
The glass is not dirty.

It’s not a windscreen curvature problem. The sun is highlighting very small defects on the surface. Scratches, some kind of film, etc.

^^^ Ok..I get that.
In the month of Sept...I drove my Civic 0 times. I wanted to work the Prelude and the 911's out because they have sat most of the summer.
Driving them, with windshields that are twice or more dirty than my Civic....no shimmering cable seen while driving them in the mornings...none.

Why is that?

Cleaner, not as many scratches, different windshield slope relative to the sun at any given moment of the day, I don’t know.

Being that my Fit and the Civic show the same thing...even with clean glass, I have to think that it is something to do with that windshield.
I would like to talk to a Honda rep and ask...but that's almost impossible.
I asked at my dealership and they didn't know.

Ask them when the Honda service rep is scheduled to make a visit and show up that day and meet with him or her.

Or visit a couple auto glass shops and see what they have to say.

Or, do that Google thing, I’m sure that this question has been asked before.

^^^ The auto glass shop might be the best for me.
Thanks...I'll report back.