Ok yesterday a few friends and I went to a local track and we noticed that only the 06+ AP2's were smoking A LOT during hard turns (hairpin going right at 40mph and a right turn at 60mph)

car a) 05 with I/E/coilovers/starspecs - no smoke (lap times in 1.24 range)
car b) 06 with I/E/coilovers/starspecs with catch can - lots of oil in catch can and lots of smoke when catch can fills up (lap times in 1.21 range)
car c) 08 with I/coilovers/pilot sports - lots of smoke (lap times in 1.24-1.25 range)

car B has been smoking alot since last year and we all assumed it was because the car+driver was faster than us, but the 08 started smoking yesterday and it was the slowest of the 3.

Later on in the day the driver from B drove A and C, but only car C was smoking, so it definitely seems isolated to 06+ cars..


Any one else had this problem?

 

The issue is a catch can issue to me. Try replacing the PCV valves with newer ones and installing catch cans on cars that smoke that dont have them.

Ive driven two cars back to back with lap times within .5 sec and one car would smoke while the other would not.

 

I've found it largely depends on oil level, as well. I topped mine off before an auto-x, and the car smoked quite a bit. At my last auto-x, I was very careful to make sure the oil level was okay but not FUUUULLLL (slightly over full), no smoke during very similar conditions.

This time around (no smoke) I was also driving faster/putting down much more competitive times.

[Edit] I guess my comment is irrelevant; I drive an '01! :-X

 

On track, my car will smoke heavily if I get within one "x" of the completely full line.

 

There's a thread on it here https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/769...#entry20049741

I've experienced it quite a bit in my car. Right now I just check the catch can frequently and drain it. At the track, it was after every session. At autocrosses, I can usually go a couple runs before needing to drain it. I'm thinking about trying to drill holes in the valve cover like pictured in that thread and see if that helps drain the oil.

 

An easy fix is to put a big paper clip (the clamp type) on the PCV valve line while on track or running autox. Remove it for the drive home. The oil is pooling on top of the valve cover baffle around the PCV valve in sustained right hand turns. When you release the throttle to shift a vacuum spike behind the throttle plate sucks air/oil/fumes through the PCV line into the intake manifold. The large vent hose at the front of the valve cover is all you need while on track.

If you drill your valve cover baffle I'd just drill a few holes around the PCV valve and front large vent and make sure you get all the metal shavings flushed out.

 

yea like rob says PCV is the main cuplrit it does come thruh the front breather to but not so bad
mine doesn't stop doing it untill the oil is bellow the X's

if you have both lines to a can and are filling it blocking the PCV will solve that and the can should just pickup a bit from the breather, you don't have to keep filling it up with oil

 

What I find odd about all this is my 2001 never does this where my 2002 does A LOT. So, I guess my tiny off'ish topic to this thread is... It happens to even AP1's and it is not all of them.

 

Dave, the oil smoke cloud is normally caused by closing the throttle (or feathering it) during or just after a long right sweeping corner. If you drive two S2000s differently through the corner you may or may not get the oil cloud. For example if you have to feather the throttle after the apex for a bump in one car but not the other that could be the difference in smoke vs. no smoke. As stated above oil level seems to come into play also.

 

These guys are right. I have gone to a clamp on the pcv line, it is only there for emissions anyway when I go on the track I clamp it off and take if back off when done. I then ran the front valve cover to a catch can with a breather to catch anything else that might blow by and routed it back to the intake just in case. This is a custom catch can I had made with a sight glass on it by Saikou Michi Co