This is a summary of a discussion from an earlier thread. I want to be sure everyone has a chance to read it.

Per Sandra S2k, August 21, 2001:
I was told by the DSM here in Texas that hard cornering to the right with even a .5 quart deficiency of oil can starve the #4 cylinder. He said that aside from that, they have had some problems with machining on a few engines and that has resulted in the #4 failure as well.

dlq04 asked for clarification via personal message:
Does DSM (?) have any credible evidence of this? Or, is this an assumption? I've heard speculation but then it was just that. It seems inconceivable to me that being down a quart would trash an engine except under the MOST trying of circumstances -- i.e., at a race track. Most people do not add oil until it's a quart low

Sandra S2k

 

Who's Sandra S2K, don't you mean Sondra. Just giving you a hard time.

Guess I better go check my oil and make sure it's full.

By the way, how do you know the oil is half a quart low. Whenever I check my oil, it's always half way between the full and empty. It's been that way since day one. I've never seen the oil all the way at the top of the full mark. It's also like that in my Prelude. I always thought you weren't suppose to fill it all the way up, in case of an overfill situation.

 

1/2 Quart low is 1/2 Quart off the bottom marker. My Pantera has the same problem. You have to remember that this car and tire stick combo can allow an experienced (or inexperienced driver) really push the limit. I believe Spoon or Muegon has introduced a baffled pan, much like Hall Pantera did for the big cat.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MarkS2K
[B]Who's Sandra S2K, don't you mean Sondra. Just giving you a hard time.

 

Just thinking out loud. If the solution was as simple as a baffled oil pan, wouldn't Honda switch to it? Secondly, given the sole purpose of this car is to navigate turns quickly, wouldn't Honda either initiate a fix given the very small number of cars manufactured or at the very least initate some form of communication that a solution is available? To me, that's a lot more important than the card I got about the new hardtop.

 

dlq04, my engine failed after having never been even 1/2 quart low (650 miles on the odometer, oil at the very top of the dipstick at failure) and after experiencing no right turns harder than what I-90 near Sheridan could provide. I doubt the interstate highway system engineers design any right turns to challenge a Winnebego, let alone a sports car.

Maybe the DSM's theory accounts for some #4 cylinder failures, but I doubt it.

Further, if that were the answer, I'd expect we'd hear it from multiple sources.

I'm not saying that I know he's wrong. I'm just saying that I'm not sure he's as informed as he let you think.

Having said that, there's no harm in being sure your oil never drops even a half quart below full.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dlq04
[B] If the solution was as simple as a baffled oil pan, wouldn't Honda switch to it?

 

All:

I spoke to this DSM about 3 months ago at length, probably 2 hours chatting about the S2000 in the service manager's office. The manner in which [censored]spoke of this car makes me believe that he truly knows his stuff. He's worked for Honda for 20+ years (worked in the motorcycle division during the 3 wheeler mess back in the 80's), and his confidence and ability to explain things in detail I didn't understand were reassuring.

Barry, please note that he said that some #4 problems were due to machining issues rather than low oil. Perhaps this was the issue with yours?

This is what he told me, and you guys can pooh-pooh it if you like, but given the manner in which he spoke to me, I find it to be credible.

S.

P.S. I should clarify that the problem potentially occurs as much as a half quart BELOW LOW, not below full!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sondra S2K
[B]Barry, please note that he said that some #4 problems were due to machining issues rather than low oil.

 

One can only hope the DSM was exaggerating. To error on the side of caution so to speak. But, who knows. As much as I dislike trying to gage putting in some percentage of a quart of oil to always keep it topped up, I'll follow his advice unless Woodwork or another credible source can dispel it.