We all have it, but some of us don’t know of its existence. It hides in plain sight camouflaged by all that surrounds it. It is associated with mystery and intrigue, although we are pretty sure that, nine times out of ten, it is discovered serendipitously and without subjecting one’s mind and body to the rigors of intrigue. We speak of that which is described as the “Upper Console Compartment” in that often-unread work of literature, the Honda S2000 Owner’s Manual. If you find yourself scratching your head wondering what the VTAK we are talking about, click through to find out.
It doesn’t help that the description for the object of which we speak is thrown into a large section titled “Instruments and Controls” in the Owner’s Manual with a rather misleading description that says “Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.” Upon reading that, one would not be amiss to think that what you see is what you get with regards to storage spaces in the S2000 and that there is no more storage beyond what is visible at a casual glance. However, if you belong among those who believe in reading the entire manual or if you were gifted with a natural inquisitiveness for exploration, you would have easily located what is called the “Upper Console Compartment” or what is more popularly referred to as THE SECRET COMPARTMENT on these here shores.
Page 79 of the 2007 Honda S2000 Owner’s Manual contains a brief description of the Console Compartments under the Interior Convenience Items sub-heading. Why this sub-heading did not form a separate chapter header for ease of location is debatable. Perhaps the technical writers hired by Honda to write the manual were clueless like your news editors (or maybe they are one and the same) OR perhaps it was Honda’s intent to foster some mystery and intrigue about the car and give its owner a renewed feeling of joy upon discovering that their car came custom built with another storage compartment. Whatever the reason may be, the secret compartment has established itself firmly amidst the folklore about the S2000.
Several dealers are clueless about its existence as well. Often times the radio code card is placed in the secret compartment and gets lost there when the car changes hands to a new owner who, when the time comes, will search all over and under and possibly bang his or her head on the roll hoops in frustration. It is also one of those locations where people place things only to forget. If you haven’t checked the contents of your secret compartment in a while, perhaps now would be a good time to do it. A random inventory audit of the secret compartment performed by one of our News Team members researching this post revealed sunscreen, hat, hair comb (for the ladies), one reusable shopping bag (slightly soiled) and a “pocket” umbrella with room for more.
Time and again, we see owners posting up their discovery on S2000 Talk and it makes for some good-natured ribbing. This begs the question, how long until you discovered this secret and how did you find it? Was there a surprise waiting for you inside? May we also request a show of hands from all those who found the secret compartment after reading this article?
Images courtesy of ruexp67 and Honda
Related Links:
S2000 Interiors: The Secret Compartment Really Does Exist
No related posts.
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 5:26 pm
Man, I was convinced there was some other secret compartment!
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I knew about the secret compartment from reading the forums and from an owner’s manual that I downloaded, prior to my recent purchase of a MY02. The previous owner told me that he had never been given the owner’s manual. Of course it was found in the compartment along with the original window sticker and some other paperwork. He owned it for 2 years, lol!
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 5:52 pm
“Man, I was convinced there was some other secret compartment!”
^^ There is another secret compartment, trust me.
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 5:56 pm
I found this a few days after owning the car, no manual needed. Looked like there was an empty space there, so I reached in felt a lever and pulled up! Found all my grandfathers paperwork on the car in there. Good hiding spot if you ask me.
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 6:12 pm
Good hiding spot until now
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 7:20 pm
haha I found my taking apart my interior replacing my top. It fell open, and I was like WHAT?!?! ANOTHER PLACE TO PUT STUFF!!!??? lol
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 8:08 pm
wow didnt know abt it thanks have the car for like 3 years and lol i didnt know
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 9:05 pm
It took me over three months before I found that thing. And when I finally did I found the owner’s manual AND my radio code card! It was a very pleasing day in the S.
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 11:11 pm
NICE! I bought my first s2000 6 days ago and didn’t know about this! I had to run down and check what was in there! Inventory:
-Tein coilover ride height adjusting wrenches…SCORE! thought I was gonna have to ebay those.
-”tuner” style lug nut socket…always nice to have an extra
-Pioneer face plate case and removal keys
-a bunch of mystery hardware
unfortunately no owners manual or drug money stash…but I’m stoked!
on Jun 1st, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Why is that a “secret” compartment? I found out about it on the very first day! Not to mention, it’s actually quite easy to know that there’s a latch there that opens another compartment. Why is this such a secret? To me, it’s never a secret at all!!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 12:36 am
A friend of mine after 3 years of owning the car he watch me opening it and told me with his eyes wide open:”is this place also in my car?!”hahaha!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 2:07 am
Thanks for reminding me how handy the compartment I don’t have anymore is…
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 3:32 am
SHUT UP! Its supposed to be secret!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 4:46 am
HAHAHAHAHA This is too funny, i almost pooped my pants of exitment when i first bought my S 2 years ago and i can still remember when i got home going through every little inch of the car to get to know it better…. and then i foung the secret compartment and i was like WTF!? this is awesome it has a sunglass holder so my glasses dont get scratch! lol
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 5:13 am
Yea Im one of those guys who wont raise there hand even if I have a question, hoping someone else will raise there hand and ask the same Question Im affraid to ask for fear of looking stupid. I ve heard about the compartment and even though Ive gone to car show and or Honda meets, I never ask were is the dreded Secret comparment, My guess was well thts the secret, anyway one day My nephew and I was cleaning the car and lo-an- behold he run across the dum thing and opens it up and wht do we find about ten dollars in quarter, and change, I of Course immediatley played it of and said hay close that thats my back up change hense fourth I found my secret campoartment.
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 5:22 am
Salesman told me at the dealer even before I bought it
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 5:42 am
yea no kidding
this is supposed to be a secret!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 5:44 am
What about the other secret compartment? No mention of that (apart from RC).
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 5:54 am
Blasphemy sharing this in public!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 6:20 am
@ RC and Petron – what other secret compartment….please elaborate!!!!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 6:26 am
Found my Owner’s Manual in there, among other documents.
What a Catch-22—the very document needed to find the secret compartment was hidden in said space.
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 7:23 am
I had mine for 6 months before I found it. It was only after I had the dealer reset the radio code for me, and I decided to read the manual cover to cover to see if the code was hidden within.
Imagine my surprise when I opened it and the card was right there in plain sight!
I too am curious as to the exist of yet another if it actually exists.
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 7:37 am
wow didnt know since 2002 LOL!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 8:28 am
The authors of this article should be shot on sight. What good is a secret compartment if you tell everyone about it? The first rule of the secret compartment is that we don’t reveal the location of the secret compartment.
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 9:27 am
I think the only reason Honda has an online PDF version of the Owners Manual is so that people will hopefully read it and then be able to find where the owners manual is hidden on the car.
@SheDriveIt – Nice ideea. start a lynch mob to get those authors.
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 9:33 am
UNBELIEVEABLE!!! This was probably the most enjoying “secret compartment” to talk about. I can see it being explained on where it is, but to show illustration of it is just too much. You should delete this topic. There are still a few people unaware of it.
Anyways, I did find my owners manual in there after a month of ownership when I saw a post about the compartment.
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 10:59 am
when I bought my 04 ap2 last november its had a traaashed 05 owners manual carelessly shoved into the passengers side tunnel net. as soon as i got home i began reading the manual (upset about its condition because i have a collection of honda owners manuals and warrentee books) and found the secret compartment. when i went outside and opened the compartment i found a minty 04 owners manual and the original warrentee card.
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Found it the secret compartment because of my nephew!!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 1:45 pm
aw what….! one of the fun things being an s2k owner was discovering the secret compartment for yourself, i guess this no longer is a “SECRET” compartment. cmon now, lol s2ki YOU should know that!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Haha, this is GREAT! Thanks. I own my car for a 1.5 year and never knew it was there LOL!
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 3:43 pm
RC and Petron- Glad to see others have been “in the car” and found the undocumented secret compartment as well.
Utah
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 4:33 pm
hehe, I found out about this storage spot about three weeks ago, after reading another article about the S2000′s often overlooked interior design. I’ve owned my 2003 ‘S’ since last August…very happy to find another storage spot since room is sparce otherwise…
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 7:23 pm
I think I discovered the secret compartment two to three months after owning the S2000, being a young driver I have been through numorous searches by countless sherifs and state troopers…I always chuckle to myself because they look in such ridiculious places and come out empty handed…but have never found the secret compartment..not that I was hideing anything suspicious in the first place :p
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 7:35 pm
plz use avatar name tx u
on Jun 2nd, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Disconnected the radio in my ap1 …needed an input code to get it back. Could not find the code ANYWHERE. Ended up spending $200 on a new radio. 2 weeks later I happen to bend down and clean the carpets and notice the little black handle.
GUess what was in there
Sticker code
Window sticker
And owners manual.
on Jun 3rd, 2011 at 10:52 pm
The people who write these articles try too hard to incorporate colorful vocabulary. It reads like a paper some kid in high school would write. “it is discovered serendipitously and without subjecting one’s mind and body to the rigors of intrigue.” Really? Rigors of intrigue? Isn’t that a little much? These articles make me cringe.
on Jun 4th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
——–
RC and Petron- Glad to see others have been “in the car” and found the undocumented secret compartment as well.
——–
where is this one?! .. found the “secret compartment” before i even bought the car.. just having a good poke around.. the fuel catch evaded me a bit more.. took me a couple mins parked up at the petrol station before i found that one!
on Jun 6th, 2011 at 3:30 am
I always read my manual front to back. My 08 S came without a manual when I picked it up earlier in May. I read the manual that night which of course covered the upper compartment. I wasn’t until later reading these forums that ii discovered it was a mystery. I thought all enthusiast read their manuals front to back. Last February I picked up a new S4. I took my boys skiing and read the manual front to back. You miss a lot by not reading your manual. Anyway, my kids were not surprised as they know their dad is a car nut. It’s my friends that can’t believe how passionate I am. Reading the manual rather than skiing? Now That’s car crazy!
on Jun 6th, 2011 at 11:14 am
haha I knew mine was there about a week after I got my first S, one of the fun things is telling my new s2k owning friends to look for it and playing the warm or cold game : )
The funny thing about this is I just went and looked in my forgotten “no so” secrete compartment and was shocked to find a pair of Oakley’s a bunch of old mail and my Springfield XD .40 cal….. oops I wondered were the hell that one went lol
on Jun 7th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
So how do I put gas in this thing?
on Jun 12th, 2011 at 6:47 am
This is great! I thought I was the only one, had the car for two weeks and while reading the owners manual found the secret compartment. I got my wife to come out to the garage to look at it and she just looked at me like I was an idiot. Most women just don’t understand these thing’s.
on Jun 23rd, 2011 at 4:24 pm
I think I had mine for two years… I never used the lower one, so I never looked for the upper.
on Jun 26th, 2011 at 10:25 am
I just found mine… =)
8 months into ownership… not bad!!
on Jul 3rd, 2011 at 8:10 am
Oooooo……koo……….aaahhh i can now fit a purse in there so i can speed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
on Jul 3rd, 2011 at 8:11 am
No more purse bouncing everywhere!
on Jul 3rd, 2011 at 11:06 am
Bought the S in Feb. 02 and thanks to you I am celebrating the fourth of July with my new secret compartment!
on Aug 15th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
thanks, was bouncing around the site and found this article. Found the compartment after 4 years of owning my S2000
on Jan 31st, 2012 at 9:57 am
Hi! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!