I very recently bought a 2007 Honda Fit, and I mostly love it. The only problem is, the brake and gas pedals are pretty soft, which means that i have to keep my foot carefully on the gas to micromanage it, and and so make my knee hurt like a bitch when I get out wherever I’m going. Does this sound like a pretty easy fix or am I screwed?
You could try adjusting the seat maybe, so that the knee isn’t in quite the same position? Might work.
Assuming a new knee isn’t possible, you can probably get the pedal ‘stiffened’ by having a different spring installed but if the car is still new to you give yourself a little time to adjust to the softer pedals. In a short time you will probably be able to keep an even speed without ‘micromanaging’ the pedal once you adjust to it.
I am not familiar with the setup on your exact vehicle. In the old days it was a strictly mechanical linkage. Now it can be a pedal with cable and sensors. As you know, sticking accelerators have been the subject of much publicity and litigation. The vehicle manufacturers make an effort to be sure that pedal returns to the normal position. They often error in the direction of making the pedal ‘feel’ too stiff.
Having said all that, I would explore the possibility that a spring is broken or weak on the pedal linkage somewhere. There have even been times where they use two springs to be certain in case one breaks.
On the brake side I’m not as concerned because you don’t ride the brake. If it stops with easy foot pressure on the brakes, all is well.
In my experience knee discomfort while driving is usually seat position. If you have power seats, try adjusting the angle and height of the lower seat cushion until you find something that suits you better.
No, no power seats. I think it may be the setup-the way the pedals are placed. It’s very easy to relax my foot and whammo I’m doing sixty without meaning to. The spring idea might work, and I have cruise control, so I’ll try that out.
Use the cruse control, yes I know the arguments, it gives you less control, but it also gives you more knowledge over the speed of the car meaning less time looking at the speedometer and more time watching the road conditions.
My car is causing knee problems? Suggestions?
heh, I read that as if said by Fred Flinstone. 
I don’t understand your foot position. Your heel should be resting on the floor and your toes resting on the accelerator. The accelerator controlled by extending your ankle. The knee shouldn’t be involved. I find that I do the fine adjustments with my toes pressing on the inside of the shoes.
I just checked and only toes are on the accelerator. I noticed that I actually have my leg rotated out a little, so my knee is resting on the center console.
There is a discussion on this issue in the fit forums.
http://www.fitfreak.net/forums/general-fit-talk/42256-gas-pedal-issue.html
Hmm, I’ll look at my foot position. I agree with what was mentioned there about pedal resistance.
Where does your knee hurt? On the side of the knee on the outside?
For the actual knee pain relief I suggest icing it at night and stretching your quad muscles (grab your right foot with your right hand so that your heel almost touches your butt) in 3 sets of 20-30 seconds. IANAD, of course, just a person who has gone through physical therapy for their knee.
When I was driving in traffic, I paid attention and I realized I don’t even lift my foot when I go from the accelerator to the brake. I lift my toe and rotate on my heel. The heel stays planted in the same spot. If seem pretty efficient, but I don’t remember learning it. Is this a common driving technique?
Almost all cars today, including your Fit, are fitted with drive by wire systems. There is no longer a cable going from the pedal to the throttle body. There is a very sensitive sensor in the pedal assembly itself which reads your intentions to make the car do what you want it to do. On the throttle body there is an electric motor which opens and closes the throttle body. Many manufactures “tweek” this sensor to make the throttle body, in your engine, open more than the amount your pressing the pedal. They do this to make a car seem faster than it actually is. This makes the pedal very sensitive when you are pressing the pedal less than half way, which is why you have to micromanage the pedal.
I would not try to change any springs or modify the pedal in anyway. More than likely the pedal is working as it is supposed to be and you need to get adjusted to it.
Many others have suggested using various seat positions so your knee is not in one position. I think that is your best bet.
I just started using the cruise control today and that seems to help out quite a bit. My former car also had a telescoping steering wheel that was a big help. Cruise control will taker some getting used to, though.