i doubt an over-rev would seize the motor.

 

i am not sure about warranty of s2000 in the states... but do check that..
i am sure local laws would have you protected from getting a lemon car from the dealer.

for 06+ s2k with dbw, i am sure they ecu has log of the what happen to the engine.

a friend here in toronto works in honda dealer. when ever they claim warranty with s2000, they would have to connect it to Honda's computer and let the head office or some sort do some readouts.

 

Like others have said, if they want to blame it on a mis-shift, tell them to show you a readout of the ECU which indicates the mis-shift (since it would be recorded if it really happend).

 

Used, "as is" can be the determining factor here. I don't think you'll have too much legal help. On the other hand, it seems like they were intent on deceiving you. I bought a car "as is" once, but there was full disclosure of its issues. On the other hand, the blown headgasket doesn't speak well for the condition of the rest of the drivetrain. You may want to work toward getting a refund as opposed to having the car repaired.

 

3 days into your ownership, that's got to hurt. It definitely sounds like you were sold a lemon. An Acura dealer selling a 2-3 year old car "as is," very suspicious.

 

So during your 3 days of ownership the car was blowing lots of white smoke at startup and this didn't throw up any caution flags for you?

 

I figured it was water vapor so i ignored it. I need help with this one question. I have to know what can seize a motor and if a mis shift or anything can cause a motor to seize. I need to know if i am in a position to be blamed for the seized motor or if pre-existing conditions could be pursued. Thanks for the input everyone..

 

Neglect

From your description it sounds like for 3 days you drove a motor that was smoking and knocking. That will probably do it....

 

Not sure what to say here, but it sounds an awful lot like the car was sold with a blown headgasket. I've seen many a car with blown headgaskets, and I'd be VERY surprised if they only ran 100 miles with a blown headgasket. I mean, if the crank is literally SEIZED, that means that there was likely problems well before this person bought the car.

Yes, if the oil is milky looking, it's a clear sign of a blown headgasket. I'm not sure what the circumstances are of the sale, but something definitely doesn't seem right. Why the car wasn't sold as a certified used vehicle vs. "as-is" smells fishy. Whether the buyer should have been more suspicious is another question, but a car dying in 100 miles and 3 days tells me something was clearly wrong when he bought it.

Also, depending on the EXACT circumstances, it's hard to say whether there was truly "neglect." The guy bought a car, and was given the impression that everything was fine. You can't expect every person who buys a car to be an expert. Perhaps the "as-is" should've been a big red flag, but that's water under the bridge at this point. The reality is, smoking at startup is normal to some extent. We don't know how bad it truly is/was. Also, tapping/knocking is relative as well. The valvetrain "taps" on my prelude, and frankly light rod knock and valves tapping can sound similar..

 

good luck.

let us know what happened.

but the main issue isn't who is at fault...the main issue is that you bought the car "as-is", which is in itself a legally binding contractual agreement.