My car is in the shop right now for a host of things: 7.5K inspection, window staying up w/top down, seat belt recall, and lastly a noise very similar to clutch rattle. My noise only appeared after the 1-2 grind fix. It appears to only happen for even gears (2,4, and I imagine 6th - 4-5K in 6th is a little too fast to test though) and is most noticeable in 4th gear between 4 and 6K on deceleration. It mostly parallels the clutch resonance problem others have describe... Except durring acceleration through 4-5K rpm in 4th I get a whistle. Almost bad differential noise like, but sounds for all the world like it is coming from the shift knob/front of engine area.

Of course when the tech rides with me I get the usual bullshit "I'll have to drive another one and see if it makes this sound first." Yeah buddy, every S2K whistles and grrrs like a bad differential, but I'm the only one that complains Then he tells me how he hates to work on the S2K because the engine/tranny is so hard to pull and Honda short changes him on the hours. Viable complaints, BUT NOT ONES FOR THE CUSTOMER! Did he think I could do something about it? I also made my appointment more than a week in advance and when I drooped the car off Tuesday they told me they "probably wouldn't be able to get to it this week." They were short staffed. No offer for a loaner over the extended visit. I told them" oh well, I have a second car, keep it till you fix it RIGHT. Think you could give me a ride to that second car via your shuttle?" No, we can't. Shuttle guys at lunch (at 10:50 AM). Oh, didn't know he was the only employee who had a DRIVERS FREAKING LICENSE. So there I am, late, NO RIDE OFF THE DAMN LOT, not even an offer. Just a blank stare. I also now know a technician who dislikes working on my car IS WORKING ON MY CAR! And that he appears to give a rats ass about my problem.

I'm reserving final judgement for when I get my car back. But $%^& Honda service, and #$%^& Honda; if this does not get any better this is my last Honda.

 

Silver S2k, which dealership in NC? Is there another one that you could go to? Sometimes it's worth the extra drive.

Make sure you call Honda Regional Customer Service and let them know your problem (I have the number if you need it).

Honda dealers do not seem to get their butt in gear until you start complaining to their regional offices... then all of a sudden you have the Service Manager calling you asking if there is anything else they can do.

As for a loaner, I know dealers are getting more and more stingy with loaner vehicles. One dealer actually rented a car from Avis for me (it was a POS Dodge). In your case, I can understand it from their point of view since it is not clear that there is really something wrong with the car.

 

The next closest Honda dealer would rape me service wise since I didn't buy the car there (I know this). After that the dealerships are 1+ hours away.

As for the loaner, the car was in for a host of known problems like the seatbelt recall. I had scheduled the appointment more than a week in advance and when I dropped off the car they knew and told me that it would take more than a week regardless of my strange noises. At that point, I would expect a loaner, but I didn't need one nor request one. What I did expect, and cannot believe I didn't get, was a ride to my other car. All their literature that they mail to me brags about their shuttle (an Odyssey that will take you places locally). But the one time I need it, I can't use it because one person is at lunch at 10:50 AM, WTF? And no one else of the 50+ people employed there can drive the damn van 5 miles down the damn road to drop me off? I could have, and would have, set up a ride from a friend but I specifically didn't because of this courtesy shuttle service I guess it's their way of claiming to offer the service, but not have anyone willing to take them up on it

I will only call the regional number if things do not improve (though I did have to call to get my 1-2 grind fix). I'm holding out till all other avenues have been exhausted. I have to believe that bypassing the management of the dealership and going right to the regional office creates some negativity for me at the dealership. I don't want to have to do this every time I want something done with may car.

[Edited by Silver S2K on 01-28-2001 at 05:21 PM]

 

When (or if) they ever fix your car, and afterward ask you to fill out the survey, shred it and mail it back in their little postage-paid envelope and then go somewhere else.

[Edited by lvs2k on 02-01-2001 at 02:54 PM]

 

So, the saga continues... Well, they thought they would be finished w/my car Wed. Guess who I haven't heard from since Tuesday, when I called them On Tuesday, I asked if they had looked into my whistle, grrrrr noise and the Service Rep said not really. Rep gave me the same sad bullshit story about the tech wanting to drive another S2K on the lot w/similar miles to see if they "..all make that noise." Uh, yeah, FU2. How many of you guys have a S2K that makes a pronounced f'ing whistle from the gear shift/clutch area at 4K to 5K rpm when accelerating. What, lets see, I see ZERO hands in the air Now I ask you, if you did, would you consider it normal I so hate that BS dealer cop out. I hate, hate, hate it. I sold a Vette w/6K miles on it and vowed that my family will never buy another GM product because that is all the GM dealers ever did (cop out).

So then I ask, did you look into TSB 00-054 as I suggested. The Rep replies, yeah the tech could not find the TSB, it must not exist. Oh really, I said. What's your fax number? Why? So I can fax you the TSB MYSELF. So I did, w/the Reps assurance that they will look into.

Oh, I hope this turns out better that I think it's going to

 

Hi SilverS2K

I brought my car to Weseloh Honda, in Southern California, for all TSB work (clutch, transmission, seat belt). I didn't buy my car there. They were terrific. Fixed everything, first try, gave me a loaner car. First class operation. Of course I asked my regional rep for a recommendation to the best service department in the area, and they contacted the svc manager before I did. You may want to try this tact. Worked for me.

Good luck.

2x6spds

 

Thanks for the suggestion, 2x6spds. I'm going to ride this one out and make future decisions like that based on the final outcome.

 

SILVER S2K, Would you please post dealer's name so we will not go to them? Thanks and good luck.

 

Ditto here too. Please post which dealer you are referring to. If you don't want to post the name, please email it to me.

thanks

 

Pizzazz, silverbullet,

I will post the dealers information here as soon as this experience is over. I want to wait so that anyone who reads this post will get the full story about this experience. It may turn out well in the end (and monkeys may fly out of my...) and I don't want people reading about 1/2 the experience, and leaving w/a negative perspective on the dealer if they really come through for me in the end. Also, you guys are in no immediate danger, I live in the RDU area

On a sad note, the dealer has yet to call me with any information about my car since I initiated contact with them on Tuesday Last estimate on when the car would be fixed Wed of this week (2 days ago). Total days in shop so far: 11.