UTH changes on the 06 S2000, what makes it different from 00-05's

I got my 1st look/drive at the 06. There are many changes UTH and in other systems that make the 06 stand out from the previous AP1-AP2's.

1. DBW (drive by wire) No throttle cable between the pedal to the throttle body. It's all electronic. this has allowed for several other changes. The cruise control actuator, control unit, Idle air control motor have all been eliminated.

2. Returnless fuel system. There is no longer a regulator on the fuel rail, it is built into the fuel pump module in the tank. The injectors, fuel rail, fuel feed lines have all changed.

This will make ALL the Supercharger kits for the 00-05 cars not compatible

3. No air injection system. There is no longer an air pump mounted under the drivers headlight. The rest of the system has been removed, including the control valve on the intake manifold.
The cylinder head doesn't have injection ports machined. The cylinder head will not swap on the 00-05 cars. (with a stock PCM)

4. New intake manifold casting. There are no additional vacuum ports on the manifold. The intake air temp sensor has been relocated to the air inlet tube.

5. SRS system. Several new components, front impact sensors have been added, as well as a passengers seat weight sensor. The Passenger airbag now is shut off when someone under a safe weight is in the seat.There is also a driver seat position sensor, which changes bag deployment forcebased on seat position. The passengers bag shut off indicator is above the radio door.

00-05 passenger seats will not function with the system. The weight sensor is built into the seat rails.

6. The hemholtz resonator on the exhaust system has changed shape/dimension. they are no oval, instead of being round.

7. ECM logic/SSD mode. The ECM/PCM performs several functions after the key is turned off and removed. You must wait at least 15minutes after the key is turned off before unplugging the PCM. If you unplug the PCM while it's performing the SSD (self shut down) tests you can permanently damage the PCM

8. Maintenance minder system. The previous Maintenance Req'd light has been replaced with a new system. Oil life is calculated based on RPM's and operation conditions to determine oil change intervals.

9. Air filter mounting stud has changed, the air filter from a 00-05 will not fit properly in the 06 airbox.

This post has been edited by Slows2k on Dec 10 2005, 12:06 PM

I was fortunate enough to also get a drive/look at the 06. Quite possibly the most comfortable one yet. I'm not sure why, but to me it just seemed more comfortable than my 02. Then again I may be on crack.

I can say that the throttle is much smoother though. Not to mention the added "cubby hole" on the passenger side lower panel that is perfect for cd cases. Pretty hard to make the cd case(s) fall out too.

thanks for the info chris. this is exactly the kind of info we need.

My test drive was about 3 miles, with only a few corners. Handling was the same as the 04-05 cars.The trans in the car I drive shifted smooth, even cold. Some of the 04's are pretty crunchy cold.

I will say the DBW was pretty seamless, with no delay to rev match on a downshift. (I can't say the same about the DBW on the 6 speed TL)

The 2.2L seems just as good as the previous models. I wouldn't hesitate buying a 06. I will say it the nicest stock S2k that has been built so far.

I didn't check the weight difference between the previous model, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was the same weight, or a bit lighter due to the removed components from the earlier cars.

New info added

The Honda site states it has 237bhp (down by 3) and weighs in at 2855 lbs. I can't remember if earlier models had the LEV II certification, but this model does. A few of the pictures appear to show a different wheel design (a few showed '04/'05 wheels).

The horsepower technically isn't really down by 3. The SAE calculation of horsepower has changed and thus a lower reading numerically. If the same calculation was done on the 00-05 models, it will also read 237 hp.

Other changes I noticed over '05:

Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSAR) with Traction Control
Including 4 Integrated Roll Bar Speakers
Exterior Temperature Indicator

more and more comfy and suited as a grand touring car, less and less as a driver's car.

thanks for the info Chris!

i am a bit disappointed that our little roadster is losing it's previously hyper concept.

This post has been edited by PJK3 on Dec 6 2005, 06:48 PM

The soul is still the same PJK3, they gotta change a few things to make Motortrend and Car&Driver happy.

true... i guess they haven't changed the soul. i do wish i had the option of a 9.3k rev in a 2004/5 though... i test drove a 2004 and that thing was easy to handle and quite stable compared to my twitchy little 2001. poor salesman was freaking his beans as i was hanging the tail out... still, i kept tapping the rev limiter, i'm sure unconsiously expecting another 1,000 rpm. all in all, there are things i love about the early models and things i love about the late. (i'd love the airbag feature on mine...)
still - traction control and drive by wire... sigh. *shrug* i dunno.

i'll just keep driving mine to work everyday and smiling there and back.

It is my understanding that the '06 is some twenty pounds heavier.

Indeed. It seems that it is Honda's desire to make the S a more (gag!) commuter-freindly car and thereby broaden its appeal.

Re: Exterior Temperature Indicator

That's it, I'm going to purchase an '06 this very day. God knows I can't live without an Exterior Temperature Indicator.
What's next, a DVD player?

This really sucks, I've been htinking about an 06 but wanted to trade seats with someone with an older car. On the new seats!

I am reminded of the words of a writer for a car mag when writing about the evolution of a sports car (as directed by the manufacturer) as being somewhat like what happens to a bar of soap in the shower. Gradually, its shape, character, and very being gets lost --- he said. What was he writing about? The evolution of the original Datsun 240Z, to the 260Z to the 280Z, and so on. Why can't a car maker produce a true sports car, and then not dick around with it?

Thanks,
Richard

why?

well, the more i thought about it... simply because the hard core sports car fans generally buy in early. then, the manufacturer is left with a gradually declining market. so, you broaden the appeal of the car to keep sales up. it really is quite logical once you put it into a sales perspective.
just look at how Mazda originally released the RX-7 w/ the R1 and R2 options, which were phased out after a couple years.

*shrug*

i saw and sat in (didn't push for a drive) an '06. lots of little differences... not all bad, not all good. again, i do wish they would have put the airbag defeat/sensor in from the start however. also, the new '06 wheels are

This post has been edited by PJK3 on Dec 17 2005, 09:41 PM

Perhaps, but the old ported intake might have had a bit to do with it. The S2000 always was tweaked to the max - not sure if this new change was part of what was lost when Tpchigi fabrication moved to Suzuka or wherever. ??

so does this mean if you get, let's say a BRIDE seat, the air bags won't function at all?

can somebody explain what this means? I dont' understand the significance.

The airbags won't function properly without the OEM seat rails.

As far as the PCM's SSD mode goes, don't unplug the car's computer untill at least 15 minutes has passed since you turned the ignition off.

Glad to see that you're still posting here.

Haven't seen your name in awhile.

from a daily driver's point of view i wouldn't mind some of the new gadgets they put on the new car. not everyone that drives these cars autocrosses them on the weekends and/or cares about having the minimalist mindset of less = more. nearly everyone on even the s2ki forums complains about the terrible stereo...i'm glad they are getting the hint!