The saga of '01 #52 goes on.

To recap, on 4 January, at odometer mile 650, I got a tapping noise from the engine which turned out to be a scored #4 cylinder. The car needed a new "short block," a four day job requiring taking out the exhaust, transmission and engine and replacing the cylinders-pistons-crank etc with a brand new short block.

I got the car back "fixed" on 25 January, but the cooling system didn't work. I got four bars on the temp gauge after 2 miles at freezing temps, and steam from under the hood, as well as a bad smell.

The dealer replicated the problem and thought it was a "bad" new thermostat. I tested the thermostat and it was normal but I chose to order a Mugen 160-180 deg thermostat from King Motorsport. That came 26 January and I got the car back 27 January about 2 pm. The cooling system seems okay. The engine seems okay. I have a total of 30 miles on the new block and 690 miles on the vehicle odometer. I think the cooling problem was just too much air in the cooling system and the coolant couldn't circulate properly. The service manager acknowledged to me that there are some bleeding valves on some of the cooling system or heater system hoses and perhaps they were not used properly. And I still have that bad smell under the hood.

Now my steering wheel is loose! With the car parked or driving I can move the steering wheel clockwise or counter-clockwise about a half inch with no effect on the steering. It just feels loose, disconnected, free play!

Am I imaging problems? Is this normal and I just didn't notice it before? Is there a simple adjustment to fix this? As soon as I got home from my couple mile drive, I checked my '93 Prelude and '92 Accord and neither has this free play.

I'm planning to head back to the dealer at 7:30 am tomorrow. Anybody know what to expect or how I should nudge the dealer?

[Edited by Barry WY Silver/Black '01 on 01-28-2001 at 07:56 AM]

 

No free play in mine Barry. Sorry to hear about all your problems with the car, and I hope the dealer takes care of it. I've read a lot of posts here about poor service from Honda dealers, but my experience with my local dealer has been great. Of course, I have not had any problems with my S2000 or any of the other Hondas I have owned.

Good luck!

 

Barry, the dealer who worked on your engine should have thoroughly road tested your vehicle BEFORE you picked it up! The overheating of your engine may have caused serious engine damage, such as a warped cylinder head, or blown head gasket, or worse. As for the loose steering, the mechanic probably had to disconnect some of the steering linkage to remove the engine, and damaged it or failed to reinstall it properly. Most steering boxes have an adjustment for play, but there is no way at 650 miles the steering box would require any adjustment. Barry, I would scream so loud to Honda with such a shabby repair job on a new car. I would demand a new "Engine". You must be real close to lemon law legislation, which provides for another car.

 

wtromb, I agree with every thing you said. I'm a long time customer with this dealer (seven vehicles in 14 years) and they know they've not been stelar on this one.

As far as overheating, I've asked the service manager to contact Honda-tech about it. Specifically, I said, "Joe, I don't want you to have to replace the engine AGAIN if it is not necessary, BUT, if this was ruined by your not properly restoring the cooling system, then I DO want you to. You should know that no-one but me on the s2000online board has ever seen four bars, and that is about a thousand owners."

Joe doesn't know about the steering problem, but he will know at 7:30 am tomorrow when then open!

Thanks for explaining about the steering box. Does anyone know if they did have to attack the steering system to remove the engine? I know they took out the exhaust system and the transmission but I didn't know they had to mess with the steering.

Yes, I am wondering about a lemon law remedy. I'd much rather a new '01 S2000 than one with 690 miles on it that has had a new engine, an over-heat after the new engine, a steering problem, and what's next.

 

A review of the service manual would indicate that they did have to work on the stearing if they removed the engine from the car.

 

steering should not have play... any other dealers you can take it to? it should be fixed under warranty-

 

When I got my car from an engine fix; antifreeze, when disassembling the engine, gets into the exhaust system. It took me 2 hours of driving to "burn" it out of the system.

If it takes sigificantly longer than that, there still may be a problem.

 

I just got back from two hours of driving. The burnt antifreeze smell has gone. Thanks S2000 Owner.

The steering wheel play is not normal and not good for any car, let alone a sports car, but it didn't interfere with me loving driving along Wyoming's back roads, top down, sun glinting off the snow covered mountains. I just hope the dealer can easily and quickly fix the steering.

Also, I hope the subtle ticking I hear from the engine compartment is nothing. I've got 75 miles on the new short block, with the revs kept strictly between 2,500 and 4,000. You can cruise the interstate at 4,500 in 6th and still attract highway patrol officers.

The nearest dealer other than Valley Motor Honda is 130 miles away. Valley Motor Honda has been great in the past, and I know they'll make this right too. I won't change dealers, but I might change mechanics.



[Edited by Barry WY Silver/Black '01 on 01-28-2001 at 03:03 PM]

 

'01 #52 is fixed and as good as new--and 85 miles into breaking in the new short block.

The steering was fixed by tightening to spec one bolt on the steering box.

I'm completely pleased, and I don't think 25 days from first hearing the noise until returning the car to me fully perfect is so bad. I just got to participate in the trouble shooting phase perhaps more than I should have.

I think I'll order a hard top !

Barry in Wyoming.