newFitOwner

The user's manual for the 2013 Honda Fit is located at http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/p...3/K61313OM.pdf. Page 266 shows how to manually open the tailgate when the power lock isn't working. You need to use a slot screwdriver to remove the cover to the manual unlocking lever. I tried to do this using a 1/4" slot screwdriver, but the cover refused to budge. I was afraid that exerting any more effort would break something. There was already some plastic scraping (yes, I covered the screwdriver with a cloth). I'm pretty sure that I'm doing this right because cover for the towing hook (page 265) comes off the same way, and I had no problem with that. The temperature was about -10 Celsius (+14 Fahrenheit) -- it's hard to find a warm place this time of year.

How far do you have to shove the screwdriver in before trying to pry the lid off? Is it possible that the cold is making the plastic too inflexible for the lid to be pried off?

manxman

I live five miles from the Pacific Ocean in Central CA, so I obviously do not have your seasonal temperatures to deal with when working on my 2009 Fit. If I had your problem and your temperatures, I would use a space heater and an extension cord to heat up the car interior to the point that the rear hatch plastic is no longer cold to the touch. That should be enough heat to soften up the plastic clips that hold the hatch cover onto the steel frame of the hatch, enough to allow the clips to come loose with the screwdriver prying them off. Good luck! My suggestion should work with enoough patience on your part.

newFitOwner

My car has only power locks, so if that fails from some reason, there is no manual way to open the tailgate except using the unlocking lever. I am doing a dry run of using the lever so that I know exactly what to do when the need arises.

As for why do this when it is so cold...it's really a good idea to test the process in the conditions under which you expect to use it. It's winter, and that is the conditions under which I expect to use it. Especially if I have to get to the spare tire (and I haven't gathered the energy to go thru a dry run of changing the tire yet). Also, it's hard *not* to test the process in the cold because it's just darn cold everywhere right now. Also, I was at the hardware store purchasing the screwdriver for this process, and the store manager was kind enough to let me try it first. It was cold.

Sigh.

I'll try it on a warmer day to see if it is in fact the hardened plastic in cold weather. If it is, that doesn't bode well for the usefulness of the lever in cold weather.

lazlong

Use a panel popper:

newFitOwner

Hi, Lazlong,

Just wondering if you have personal experience with that Tekton 5873 on the Honda Fit tailgate lever cover? The head doesn't look like it would fit into the slot-like opening, so I'm not sure how it was intended to work.

Afternote: It must have been the cold temperature. Today, it was hovering just below freezing, and the cover popped off without much fuss. It looks like I should keep the cover off for the winter. For that matter, might as well just get rid of it.