Warranty issues and how they are handled vary greatly by the dealer and even by the tech working on the car.

For example - My car had 700 miles on it and I took it to a "touring" session at some historic races. Well, this track is hard on brakes and I was stock at the time. I boiled the crap out of my fluid and glazed my pads. So at 900 miles I drive to the dealer and tell him (the tech) my fluid boiled and my pedal is a marshmellow. He asked if I was at the track and I said yes. I give him Motul fluid to flush the system with and he does the work and doesn't charge me a dime - covered under warranty! i was a happy camper.

Does it help to have a good relationship with your dealer - you bet.

I sure will be glad when 3 years/36000 miles is up so the warranty issue will go away. Although, I will be buying the extended warranty for our problem areas.

 

Hi Gregg

Nice avatar you have there, but his pants are down around his ankles.

Thanks for the link to the discussion about the Mugen ECU being only for off road use. I read the thread and the King MS link but couldn't find it. I notice that thread is from last month. I've been thinking about the Mugen ECU for almost a year now because of the posts on our site. In that year the only reference to the non-suitability of the ECU was posted in June 2001.

I suppose I'd like to know if the reason the Mugen ECU is not recommended for road use is emissions compliance or whether there are issues relating to engine stress or wear in particular whether the Mugen ECU has any bearing on the #4 cylinder issue.

2x6spds

 

Well, first of all Bieg you've got a good point regarding the ECU. It does void the warranty. Racing the car does also. It's totally this choice of the dealer if he warranties it or not. I asked the my dealer if this was a problem.

He said,

"Although we are aware of certain modifications that allow the engine to rev past their designed specifications, it is our choice to repair or not to repair under warranty. If you utilize an aftermarket ECU ie, Mugen, Spoon, etc., IT WILLl void your warranty, due to surpassing factory set maximums. Honda does require proof of catastrophic failure. If you intend to race the vehicle in sanctioned venues you do so at the risk of voiding the warranty. We have repaired several customers vehicles as a sign of courtesy and support. But, if these parts are detected or known to have been in use in the automobile you will be required to encure all expenses. As owner of this dealership I rely on our customers for a great deal of publicity in the local community. We will generally repair the customers vehicle once. After this point, if there is a reoccurance of a catastrophic failure, all parts will be sent to Honda for examination and approval for warranty repair."

I also verified this with my brother-in-law who works for Honda Marysville. He agrees and recants everything except for the dealers choice. The installation of headers, throttlebodies, AirBox Filters is at the dicreation of the dealer solely. He did say that installation of aftermarket CAI's and modified aftermarket filtration systems are grounds for voided warranty.

I'd talk to your dealer first before installing anything and get his ok first! My dealer is pretty good about these things but some are downright A.....holes.

Mugen by the way is based in Japan and is in no way connected to auto's sent to the US sales market. Nor do they supply AUTHORIZED FACTORY REPLACEMENTS PARTS. If you really want to be allowed to modify your S2000, I'd be talking to Comptech. Most dealers recognize their expertise and allow installation of their products.

Bieg, in my mind this supports your statement. I agree. As I seeit, it is solely at the discreation of the dealer. Even though some have said that they have had ACT clutches installed by the dealer during warranty repairs, it was at their dicreation. It is an aftermarket part not designed by Honda and technically voids the warranty. Also if that part would be the cause of failure then you would be held liable for the repairs. You can scoff at this all you want, but when it comes down to the bottom line, anything that isn't a genuine Honda part can be questioned.

I know if it were me, catastrophic failures would surely bring up a sign of abuse after all other areas were considered. Can they prove it? Doesn't matter, if push comes to shove and you got a A#@hole dealer it's sure going to make matters worst. That's just common sense!

 

Hahaha. Some people never give up...

I visited the car several times during its stay at Schaumburg Honda, the dealer I bought my S2000 (and my '93 Honda Prelude VTEC that I got rid of in '94) after I had the problem with the motor. I wasn't sure what the problem was, but my Honda technican went through the car diagnosis with the Honda Techline personnel over a period of a week or so, resulting in the removal of the head and oilpan to verify that the shortblock had failed. For the record, the crank bearings and crank end rod bearings were fine. From what I understand, the block is still at Schaumburg Honda and it will be sent back to Honda in the near future.

The Mugen ECU, body kit, header, exhaust, Hawk Blue pads, Mugen clutch pressure plate (installed during my 2nd gear TSB at Schaumburg Honda), thermostat, radiator cap, Motul brake fluid, Mugen seats, Mugen wing, brake ducts, Mugen intake and many other parts that I may have left out were on the car during this warrantee repair. I had reservations on Schaumburg Honda's lifts, so the stock suspension was reinstalled for their use, and I didn't want anything to happen to my bling-bling wheels, so the stock wheels (and corded OEM S-02PP tires, significantly more used than the S-03PP on the Mugen wheels) were also mounted. And nobody said anything about my Rick's windscreen (I would think that probably voided the windscreen warrantee ).

The reason I didn't bring this up earlier, is primarily because I didn't know if the warrantee would cover the engine damage in my particular situation. It did, and I had no problems with the process. I'm the type that likes to see the conclusion of a situation before the creating problems for others in the internet realm... AHM stood behind their warrantee for me. This is my experience. I can't speak for anyone else (except Jason Saini's Mistress who had the exact same failure and warrantee repair performed at another Honda dealership too). I don't see why Honda would not warrantee a raced car that they promote as a raceable car in the included owner literature with an SCCA borchure. What is the problem here?

The fact is, some people here are pretty predictable (myself included). I've purposely steered clear of some threads (and posts by some less-than-intelligent people) but every now and then some of them make some pretty stupid remarks and continuously jump to false conclusions. If these people recognise that I (unlike them) don't purposely search out threads to flame, then this would be a happier place. In any case, the fact that my motor (along with many others) gave out is a public knowledge. Just because it's not here doesn't mean nobody knows about it, and just because this is a S2000 board it doesn't mean that only the correct knowledge of the S2000 would be here too. There's plenty of misinformation here on top of the good stuff- and most of the intelligent people here can sift through the baloney and see the good stuff.

I've said this before, and I'll say this again- if you don't like what's going on here, start your own board.

As for you, Bieg,

If you really, REALLY want to start a public flame war, I can be baited into it. You had better be prepared for the Hell I will put you through if you do, though, and you had better not go running to the Moderators or anyone else every time I flame something that you can't respond to. For starters, why don't you go to your corner and figure out why there's bumpsteer first, and besides, why you did the synchro TSB when the car is so (what's the word...) "perfect."

Besides, we didn't blow up the Buick Regal at One Lap- but that doesn't make me want to go buy one either, even with it's supercharger, leather seats, and comfortable highway cruising ability. You may actually learn from people who go to the limit (and sometimes beyond it) if you actually listened every now and then. If the reputation of the S2000 rests on the motor being reliable, then Honda's engineering Gods (as you loftily like to place them up with) already screwed the pooch on that one (demonstrated with the multiple engine failures from owners on this board alone)- something that I had nothing to do with.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by GTRPower
[B]If you really, REALLY want to start a public flame war, I can be baited into it.

 

agreed SF. I dont agree with either personal attack either way, but usually when attacked, the person has the right to choose how to respond. I expected a little less rattled response, but thanks for the information anyways. Glad to know that some dealerships out there will grant warranty work on raced and mod'ed cars out there.

 

Ah, yes. Written by someone with obviously no axe to grind.

If you haven't inferred from the prior comments, I do believe that Bieg has baited me several times in not only this thread, but the prior related thread. And as usual it sure seems like you're baiting me too, unless you want to prove otherwise.

Stay on topic...

Did anyone read the article on the Jeep Liberty? I don't recall the towing capacity...

 

Jeep Liberty? you mean the same vehicle that is in the commercial that says "only one" and you think *whew* thank gawd you only build one of them, cause its fugly.

btw, finally checked out an avalanche today -with the sport trak type of cab - ack, funny its chevy and it looks very similar to the newer mustangs, which one was parked right next door to it.

and p.s. - again I'll state, just cause someone flames you, doesn't mean you have to meet them at their level and flame them back.

 

Hey Schatten-

Yeah, that thing isn't that great looking. The problem with dominant industrial designs is that form dictates function...

Take for example, my pet peeve, the radio cover in the S2000. It covers the radio, takes away the center console clutter, but it's a poor design, especially compared to the retactable cover the Audi TT has (I recently discovered this in Juliann's car, sorry for being late to the party).

Although cover cleans up the look when up, when down it digs into my leg with that corner, and lays there in plain view, and in fact clutters up the look.

 

I prefer the radio cover, but when driving around other people, namely guys (not gals) I usually get stuck working the controls on the left for fear that their left knee will break it off. ugh!

I'll check out the one on the TT for grins.