This was a classic problem with the first generation Civic. We would change the syncro and hub assembly and the transmision would still grind on upshift 1-2 and downshift 3-2. Yes times have changed and this is a much more precise trans but the principles are the same. The cure was to lap the syncro to the hub with fine lapping compound. Sounds crude but it worked. The ones our dealership have done have all been fine. Westwood Honda Greg

 

I am in a lemon lawsuit right now with Honda over an S2000. The best advice I can give for the rest of you that are having this problem is to do the same, or sell your car. I hate to say that, but I felt that my problems were never going to get any better. When I bought the car and drove it off the lot, it ground. I turned around and went back to the dealer, they said to let it break in to around 10K miles, then it will quit. I see that someone else here in TX was given that same BS line. That is not how to handle the problem, driving to 10K only makes it worse - I know. Recently, I had the transmission replaced, drove away, same problem. Honda tried that driver abuse BS with me, that's when I got a lawyer. Apparently, Honda thinks that they can just claim that and avoid responsibility, they are wrong. Four months into the lawsuit, no resolve yet, but I won't let go - never. I have completed weeks of research on this issue, and can tell you, IT IS NOT THE DRIVER.

If you have this problem, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't let it go. You paid $33,xxx USD out the door or more for your S2000 - you deserve a quality car that provides years of driving pleasure - not aggravation.

Why does Honda not address this issue better? Because enough people aren't getting mad enough and costing them money. Get a lawyer, build the lawsuit, if they won't settle out of court, take it to trial. Stand at the trial, testify against Honda. I have not gone to trial yet, but I will if I have to. I have a mechanic that has also agreed to go to trial for me as a expert witness. I may be wrong, but I don't think Honda will let this go to trial. Trials create a lot of bad publicity.

I have nothing to loose at this point. I give 1/3 of my paycheck each month for a car that sits in the garage that I am afraid to drive. My wife and I wanted this car so much, but now wish we had never bought it. If you are considering the S2000, look around a lot. Talk to a lot of people. The engine is tops, the handling is tops, the ride is tops, but the drivetrain lacks - and that is one of the most important parts.

With the experiences I have had with this car, I am indifferent towards Honda. I won't say Honda builds bad cars, because that is not true. I believe Honda builds some of the best cars in the world, but I feel the engineering fell a little short on the S2000. I had a 99 Prelude and never had a problem with it. I drove it no differently than the S2000 - and I drove the Prelude every day. My wife and I drove the S2000 only on weekends, and far from every weekend.

SHOP AROUND.

 

I recently had the problem on my '02... I ended up calling the executive offices of American Honda and the very next day the rep's attitude and the attitude of everybody at the Honda dealership changed. They said, "Bring it in and show us the grind and we'll fix it for you."

I made sure that the tranny would be heated up on the 20-mile drive to the dealership and on the 2nd shift out of their driveway, it ground. I then showed the service manager just how fast I could shift without a problem and slammed 3rd gear so hard you could feel it in your butt with no grind and no problems. I told him, it's not me and my timing -- it is 2nd gear on this car.

After that, they special-ordered the parts, set me up with a loaner car, and fixed the problem. I have had MANY high RPM shifts since then without any problems. I'm satisfied now, but it was a huge battle to get the work done.

 

I live in Toronto, Canada, and have owned my S since Sept. 99 and I have had the TSB done twice as well, thankfully the grinding has ceased but one thing I have noticed is that the syncros seem to be coming loose again. When I shift into reverse, 1st, or 2nd gear the shift doesn't seem to be as solid, it actually pops out of gear on occasions. I've informed my dealership and awaiting the DSM's response

 

I live in Montreal, Canada. I had the TSB done for the 2nd gear grind on MY '00 earlier this year and since I've had the problem only once. But the 1st gear and Reverse sometimes are difficult to push in. I'm taking my car in this week to have it checked.

I just can't beleive the answers some of us are getting from dealerships. I am one of the lucky few who did not have to argue about this gearbox problem. It is definitely not a driver error or abuse. Keep fighting this.

 

Looks like a lot of people have had the same problems with the gears. Even if you have had the TSB done, keep an eye open for more problems. After I had the TSB work performed, my gears shifted better for a little while, but they eventually went back to the way they had been before. I have heard that there were different revision levels to the TSB itself, so some people may have received newer parts when they had the TSB work performed. I have also heard of dealers not replacing all of the parts they were supposed to for the TSB. I know that happened to me, when I went to another dealer after the initial TSB fix, the second dealer looked at the recept from the first and noticed that parts were not listed that should have been. Upon inspection, not everything had been replaced according to the TSB. A lot of dealers are very careless, for example, after the first dealer worked on my transmission, when they reassembled the car they broke the tabs on the shifter boot retaining ring. Rather than replace a $2 part, they left the retaining ring for the shifter boot lay loose. I couldn't figure out why all of this hot air kept coming out of my drink holder??? Then I pulled the console plastic up from around the shifter and saw the retaining ring just laying there and the shift boot was flopping around. It's the little things like this that show a services departments attention or lack of to details.

 

what is a tsb?

 

Technical
Service
Bulletin

It's kind of like a recall, but not as bad. It is the manufactures way of acknowledging they have a problem, and it tells people they can come in for a free fix for the problem listed in the TSB. I think the main difference between a recall and a TSB is that a recall is made when injury is possible from the defect. When a recall is issued, a letter is sent by the manufacturer to the auto owner to tell them of the defect. When a TSB is issued, the owner is told nothing, and they basically have to find about the TSB from someone else or by asking.

 

I have only about 300ish miles on my MY04 but I am afraid my car has this same problem... So far, it looks like I have a classic grind on the 1=>2 shift if you shift rapidly. It doesn't do it on any other shift, no matter how quickly you shift.

How could a brand new transmission POSSIBLY have this problem?

ACK! I will give it more miles to see for sure.

Fingers crossed for good luck!

Mark

 

When this thread was new I'd had a couple attempts to fix the grind and they failed. AHM eventually authorized replacement of the entire tranny with an '02 spec unit (probably remanufactured if the serial number means anything). The new tranny is much better but it will still grind occasionally in very hot weather going from 1st to 2nd gear. In cooler weather the shift into 1st can be a little stiff unless you pop the gear shift in and out of 2nd before selecting 1st. Depending on how bad the problem was enough metal fragments can lead to bearing failure throughout the tranny in addition to the synchro issues. Honda rationalized it would be cheaper to replace the tranny than a complete overhaul after several bearings showed accelerated wear stemming from metal contamination in the case. A "botched" TSB repair may have contributed to the severity of the grind as the problem was only made worse by attempts to fix it.