After reading the posts of differential problems with the S2000, I am worried that "spirited driving" isn't an option on the car.

The 70's american muscle cars had great beefy differentials that could withstand many a clutch dump/posi burnout/launch ... I don't think I can treat my s2000 this way and get away with it ...

... can somebody make me feel better so I can track my car

 

Why don't you drive the crap out of it while under warranty and see if it breaks. I don't think you'll have a problem.

 

I was under the impression that the differential only has problems with high clutch drops with a supercharger.

 

I am guessing that if you grenade the diff then the dealership is gonna hassle you even if you are under warranty. They may replace it they may not.

 

First of all let me say that I've taken my car to the track numerous times and haven't had any problems. I think the differential problem is overhyped. As has been said many times on this board you hear the negative alot more than you hear the positive. Not too many of us wake up in the morning and decide to post on here about how our differential is working fine. That's why every once in a while some of us feel obliged to start a thread simply about the fact that the car starts every morning. They help offset the "differential broke" and "#4 cylinder broke" threads.
Secondly, I don't think the dealership can deny your warranty claim unless they can prove you've been abusing the car. Some dealerships may TRY to deny your claim. Either go to another dealer, deal with Honda national as some people have, or sue the dealership denying the claim. They have to PROVE that you did something wrong to deny your claim. They can't just ASSUME that you've abused the car.

My .02 cents....

 

Cheers Strike ... thanks for the realistic checkpoint. I feel better!

 

Just to weigh in with some anecdotal evidence, I got the diff fluid changed to synthetic last week, and the guy that does it (a friend of mine), noticed something. First off, the car was only at 13K, and the diff fluid was black, not regular color, but black. Second, the fluid was a bit gritty, which is not normal. So, the diff may not be gone, but it might well be going. The car was autoxed for about a season and a half, but I rarely even VTEC on the street. No track days, no drag strips. A few clutch dumps at high revs here and there, but nothing that deadly.

Other people I know have experienced this as well. The diffs may not be made of glass, but they aren't as reliable as others I've seen. My recommendation (backed up by my mechanic friend): Change the diff fluid to synthetic around 7500 or so if you plan to drive it like it should be driven, and keep changing it fairly often. I don't have my owner's manual in front of me, but I *think* we're supposed to change the fluid at 15k miles, which is pretty low for cars in general.

This is my story, and no names have been changed to protect the innocent. The phrase "I *think*" means I am not certain, thereby making the statement following said phrase flameproof and out-of-context resistant.

 

I don't think it was designed to handle drag racing, esp. w/ significantly higher power levels. If they beefed up the powertrain, people would probably then complain that it was too heavy. The diff. should hold up fine on a road course.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chris S
[B]I don't think it was designed to handle drag racing, esp. w/ significantly higher power levels.

 

Great post Jason. With 500+ launches on your record I think my car should be able to handle 4 autox launches a month. Its good to see some hard data on this in a positive way.