I brought my s2k down to a local dealer, and he determined that the car had been "abused" somehow. I doubt it's from me, I just got it, probably from the previous owner. He claims that I'll have to pay for the parts and labor, PLUS $80 just for them looking at it. Does this sound right? Is it worth all that trouble since I've read here that the rattle comes back after a while?

On another note, he also informed me that my car had been in an accident because there was paint work (which I never saw even after I washed it completely). It wasn't on the car fax so I feel like I got a bum deal. Oh well.

Rob

 

They can tell if the clutch has been abused by the hot spots on the flywheel. These are tell tale signs that the clutch has been dropped and it is common for the dealers to use this as an excuse to not pay for the TSB.

Personally if my dealer told me that Id be paying for it then Id have it towed and put in an aftermarket that is going to be stronger and wont have the buzz.

As for the part No 55 clutch it doesn't buzz anything like the original. I had mine done around 4K kms ago and mine sound sweet but I dont drop it.

Did they tell you before they took it apart that if it was abused then you would be paying for it? If not then they have backed you into a corner and are forcing you to have them do the work. Tell them that either they fix it at their cost or you will be having it towed and they can see you in court of they want payment for the inspection.

Dont get me wrong if it has been abused then they have a right to reject the TSB but they have to give you warning before they do any work so that you are aware of the risk. Mine told me before hand and I took the risk knowing that the clutch was in good condition for the amount of K's

As for the accident that shouldn't really worry you unless you unless the panels weren't aligned right or the chassis was bent and straightened. Repairing the chassis would make it look fine but it will never be as strong due to fatigue.

Good luck I went through this a while back and it wasnt fun. Mine made me aware up front but said if it wasnt abused then they would cover it 100%. When they pulled it out they found that it wasn't abused but then turned around and said they would only pay 50%. If it had of gone to court then they knew they would have lost so they changed their minds and carried out the work as promised.

 

Wow! So much troubles from dealerships in your areas. At a local dealership, they would do anything I'd ask them to. From fixing stuff to replacing the leather seats, anything I'd ask. Then again, it's hard to turn me down. I'd turn hell upside down to get what I ask, from talking to the service manager, to talking to the dealership manager, and even to talking to the owner himself/herself. I let hell loose and they'd feel my fury...haha...but seriously, I would. But then again, I'm friends with the service manager, so I didn't have to let hell loose.

My advice is taking your car to another dealership and hopefully, they'll do it for free. Since the TSB, no rattle on my car whatsoever, and it doesn't seem to be coming back.

 

I got mine done @ 30k and the buzz has just recently come back @ 60k. Did you explain that you just purchased the car? Sometimes the dealer will do a "goodwill" fix if you explain that you were'nt the one who abused the car. Personally I'd try another dealer.

 

sorry for asking this...I'm new. what's TSB?

 

Actually hot spots really just indicate slipping.. not necessarily clutch drops or abuse . It is just another way for them to duck warranty work.

 

Technical Service bulletin check the library on this site for a list.

1FastS2k, when I mentioned that I wasn't the first owner my dealer tried to use this as an excuse to say how did I know the first owner didnt cause the problem. Also did you get your tsb done when the first bulletin was released or the 2nd. The first tsb didnt put in the new part number which is why the buzz returned for the first lot of people.

Taking it to another dealer will not always work because they can note down on the car history that it was rejected. I know in Aust that the dealer isnt the one that approves the work it is Honda Australia. That is the dealer is the middle man and they report their findings to Honda Australia who give them a nod or not. Tell them that you'd like to talk to the service rep for the area and get them to explain to you why there is a TSB out for the problem if it doesn't exist.

 

i got my 01 back today with the new clutch disk...feels nice!

mine didn't really buzz, but i mentioned it to my service guy and he said, "oh yey, we've done lots of those. it's no problem. When would you like to drop it off?"

so i figured what the hell....free clutch plate

 

I may be mistaken but in Europe at least all work related to a TSB is paid for by Honda Motors and not the dealer himself , so if the dealer doesn't want to do the TSB he must have some other reasons.

 

I think that the regional Honda company (Honda Europe, AHM, etc.) always reimburses the dealer a standard rate for TSB and Warranty work. That's why these decisions are often made by AHM 'district service managers' here in the States.

There are also comments that suggest the dealers are monitored to keep their warranty activity at a nominal level. So if a dealer refuses TSB work he may feel he cannot justify it, or is under pressure for having a high level of warranty repairs.

I have no knowledge regarding the relationship between the manufacturing company (HMC of Japan) and the regional companies when it comes to financing operations. In fact it may be that the structure and status of these entities varies around the world.