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Coupes & Convertibles Honda S2000 Honda S2000
604 messages, Last post on Mar 24, 2009 at 3:21 PM
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Replying to: midnightcowboy (Oct 03, 2006 7:40 am) I just bought my 2007 s2k about two and a half weeks ago, and it's my very first sports car. Since it's my very first, I'm interest in maintaining it properly, so it's good to know that the maintenance factors are low except for the replacement tires. You've recommended replacing it with OEM or better. Since I'm truly new at this, would you mind explaining what "OEM" means? Thanks. s2k_07 |
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Hello, I'm from the Silicon Valley Bay Area in California, and I just bought my 2007 s2k about two and a half weeks ago. I absolutely love the way it feels when I drive it, as many of you had also mentioned through this forum. Asides from the financial factor, this was also the determining factor for me. It's my very first sports car so I'm absolutely new at this. I would like to get some advice in regards to its proper maintenance and where to bring it for services and repairs. Does anyone have any recommendations and advices as to where I should be bringing my car in when that time comes, dealerships versus independent shops, etc.? What are some of your experiences? Asides from the cost differences, I've heard that dealerships costs more, I'm interested in knowing which repair shops are good. Does anyone know of or can recommend a good one in the Silicon Valley area? Thanks! s2k_07 |
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Replying to: s2k_07 (Jul 02, 2007 11:30 pm)  What color did you get? You will not believe how little maintenance there is to this car. There is an S2K guru at my local Honda shop and for our part of the country, oil change isn't recommended until around 7500 miles. At that point, I'll probably switch to Syntehtic but I haven't done any research on that yet so don't hold me to it. To answer your other question, OEM simply means "Original Equipment Manufacturer" and pertains to anything that came on the car from the manufacturer. The part does not have to be Honda branded (such as the tires for example). If you replace your tires with Bridgestone Potenza 05s, then that would be replacing tires with OEM tires. If you went with another brand or style, then that would be considered NON-OEM tires. Hope that helps. If you don't get any responses here for Silicon Valley dealerships, you can interview your local dealers. You can also check online for car forums for your area. There is a forum devoted to the S2K (www.s2ki.com/forums). My local chapter is very active and I'm sure with your climate, your chapter would also be active. Welcome to the club!
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Replying to: s2k_07 (Jul 02, 2007 11:30 pm) I see you're wondering about problem areas. I have been a member of s2ki.com for many many years and I feel I'm got a good grasp on the car. I should preempt my advice with a disclaimer, my S is supercharged, so I need higher performance parts than you might need. Also, problems I have may not apply to you. Obviously, the biggest expense is going to be tires. Right now, I've got Falken Ziex 512 tires. They are fantastic and I highly recommend them. The treadwear rating is high and the grip is phenomenal. I used to have serious fishtail issues until I got these tires. Also, the longevity is very good. Another good set of tires are those Fuzions. They're super cheap and they last a long time. Grip isn't the best, but they're more than adequate for spirited driving. Next problem you might have is your clutch. I use an ACT Stage 3. The stock clutch is adequate, but when your warranty runs out, I recommend an ACT Stage 1 or 2. Finally, there's the rear end. The pumpkin (rear diff) has been known to break. Usually, it only applies to high end applications, but nonetheless it's good to be aware of it. If you ever have questions or want to know about any strange noises, just let me know! I've been working on my car for years and can [hopefully] provide useful guidance.
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Estreka, I notice occasional "low whine" from rear end. This seems to be more common in colder weather, when car isn't warmed up and when going down hill, or coasting to a stop. More noticeable with top up ( as are most noises in the S ). Mine is a '01 S2K with 33K miles. Bought used in '04 with 20K miles at that time. Had all routine maintenance documented. I don't drive it that aggressively. It gets driven above 6K rpm for short bursts twice per week, but only when engine has warmed up. From the appearance of the car when I bought it, I believe the prior owner used it only as a summer car and didn't race it or abuse it. It has not had the rear differential fluid changed. Is this a "normal" noise? When would you change the diff. fluid, or is it necessary to do this if I drive it as indicated ?
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Replying to: toydriver (Jul 03, 2007 8:19 pm) Has the noise only occurred recently? Is it matter of you noticing it now? There should indeed be a small mechanical spinning sound coming from the rear. It would sound like a low whine. Try this, coast down a hill with the clutch engaged in gear (ie, the engine slows you down) and then try it without a gear selected. If there's a difference, you're probably hearing your clutch. Clutches can be finiky with various weather. I see you're from MN, so you do indeed have cold winters. If it turns out to be the clutch, exercise it a few times before you drive on it. To be quite honest, I drive my truck in winter (Montana gets well below 0 in winter). The S block is made of aluminum and could suffer substantial problems. Let me know if any of this helps! |
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Thanks for replying. The noise occurs with clutch engaged when slowing down or going down hill; but more noticeable when first driving without warming up the drive train. No noise when clutch not engaged (coasting). It is also more noticeable when ambient temps below 50deg. I don't notice it now that it's summer. Re: the clutch, I've never felt it slip and I don't "ride" the clutch or pop it, so I don't think it should have excessive wear. Also, I did look up the rec. service on Honda.com. They rec. rear diff. fluid change at 30K on the S2K, even for normal driving conditions. I have heard other people echo what you said about not needing to replace the fluid under "normal" driving conditions. Some have suggested that replacing the fluid can be "tricky" if done by an inexperienced technician, and could lead to more problems if not done right. Not many S2Ks up here in MN, so I don't know how many rear diffs. are seen by the usual Honda technician.
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Replying to: toydriver (Jul 04, 2007 6:11 am) Ok, I just perused s2ki and found some owners calling for it as often as annually (I don't recommend that). I also found a link here on how to change it out. It's got some useful info too. As far as clutch v. rear diff, it is possible that it still might be the pumpkin. There are some parts in there that only operate when driven. The general rule of thumb is you're probably ok unless you smell something. Your clutch will give you many months of notice before it burns out completely. The rear diff, well, that's never happened to me (I did snap an axle in half though *grin*). Rear diffs typically break down after a series of hard acceleration (ie, racing every red light). With such low mileage, I would have to say your low whine is normal. If it gets worse, I might consider having a tech ride along with you (they love rides, it gets them out of the garage, and thus, work). I'd have a bottle of fluid handy, though. |
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Thanks again. Very useful info.
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Replying to: accelerator (Jul 03, 2007 5:10 am) I got a black on black, realizing that I would have to keep it cleaned and waxed enough to use it like a mirror. But what to do, I love that look. Kind of felt like Batman in his bat mobile except a little more stylish, (nothing wrong with Batman or his bat mobile, I love them!), but instead of chasing villains, I'm avoiding them, i.e. where I go, where I park, etc. I test drove a very bright yellow one and I have to admit that it does make me feel like I'm sending a signal of "get out of my way or you'll eat my dust..." kind of feeling but I can't see myself looking at it every single day for who knows how long I'm going to have this car. Hopefully years. It's also good to know about the oil change schedule. What brand of oil do you use? And I understand that tire threads doesn't always wear down evenly but about how thin should it be before I absolutely have to change them? I've heard testing it with the depth of a penny? Thanks again for your help and informations. s2k_07
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