Last night I sat in my S ready for a spin turned the key and pressed the button and The car was reluctant to start, then it started but idled like dog (as if it was running on less than all 4 cylinders) and then the check engine warning light started flashing I repeated the steps above, even after disconnecting the battery (to reflash the car's memory) but the result is the same I consulted a fellow owner and my mechanic and they (both!!!) said I could drive the car slowly to the garage; what they (both!!!) suspect is a clogged or otherwise gone static injector which they believe it will disclogg after some time of operation Has it happened to anyone else??? Any oppinions on the safety of driving the car slowly (which by the way is the suggestion in the owner's manual too)?????.

Help!!

VAG

PS The car is a 8/2002 f/l model with 10,000 miles on it, fully serviced, running on 100 octane unleaded fuel.

 

sounds like a clogged injector or bad spark wire/plug. It's pretty new so the plug wire thing doesn't seem right, but it could be a fluke. I don't know about driving it though. That's ok with some other small engine car, but I wouldn't risk it with the S. I think the manual put it in their for emergency situation only. If you're handy, take a look at the injectors yourself and see if they're clogged.

BTW, have you tried the map whack? https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=209708

 

Some owners have had problems with spark plugs coming loose because they were not* properly torqued. Maybe you could see if you have the same problem?

 

Encountered similar problem in my 01, took it to mechanic who is my friend and it was a loose spark plug which in turn blew a coil pack as well. Actually I believe my encounter was a TSB as well correct me if I'm wrong.

 

When I 1st saw the title to the thread I was thinking he was going to say his car ran like a greyhound.

 

Why is the car running on 100 octane? Higher octane fuels like that don't start as well on cold days, and likely won't idle as well either when cold. If the timing/fuel maps in your car aren't tuned for the octane then it's not going to take advantage of the fuel's resistance to detonation.and cause more problems than it helps.

 

Anything over 91 does no good.

 

Where do you get the 100 octane fuel? I might want some some time if it's in the local area.

If it's a nonstandard fuel, it may not have any detergent, which could account for injector clogging.

Regarding whether higher octane does any good beyond premium, I know that owner's manuals and common wisdom say it does not. However, I once ran a previous high compression (11:1, much like the S2000) car on 100 octane for half of a track day, and it definitely made a difference - in that particular car, I could run all the way up through the "tunnel" at Watkins Glen at full throttle with 93 octane, but I had to let off on the accelerator with 100 octane, so the latter was obviously giving me some acceleration benefit.

 

Thanx for the replies guys!!! Well this morning I get down to my garage to drive the car to the mechanic and guess what: the car starts and runs faultlessly That's right no running on less cylinders, no check engine warning flashing no nothing Nevertheless I drive the car to the service to plug it in the diagnostic and (of course) no failure code shows up Bottom line: they presume it was a clogged injector which somehow decided to unclog, a failure which they tell me can happen if you don't move the car for some time (mine was stationed only for 5 days!!!) and which usually cures after some time or km of use!!! Very unsophisticated if you ask me for such sophisticated engine!!!

Any ways you touched up on a couple of issues that merit some discussion:

on the sparks/spark plugs topic first there is no visible sight of them in the engine bay. After conducting some more knowledgable fellow owners I found out that they are hidden below the black v-tec cover on the engine itself. In order to remove this U need to unscrew 4 allen screws which are super tight, and even after undoing them and lifting the cover there is no much U can do since the spark plugs are literally packed and sealed!! The whole process and the sight of the spark plugs was a clear sign from HONDA reading "DON'T TOUCH"

on the 100 octane fuel, here in Greece U can get regular unleaded 95 octanes, unleaded with some detergents (like Shell's V-Power) still at 95+, and super plus unleaded 99+ octane (which is suppled by all major firms such as Shell, BP etc). The owners manual reads that you should consult your engine's type on a label in the engine bay and use the corresponding type of fuel, in my case the higher type. Fellow Greek owners have mistakenly or on purpose used lower rating fuel such as 95 octane and they have all reported a serious loss in terms of performance (one even reported misfiring) but no pinging or other detonation. I know the discussion about how the octane fuel is more difficult to burn but a) in Greece we don't get that low temperatures and b) it is a high compression engine 11:1 or more and I would not risk anything less than premium. If you have a look on the label in the engine bay maybe you will find that your US spec is different.

VAG

 

He's from greece

There was some mis-communication. The United States uses a different method for measuring octane. S2000's are spec't the same in terms of octane requirement. Our 91 is simular to his 99 octane.

Try using a small bit of anti-seize on the spark plug cover bolts. The parts that are bolted onto the valve cover are coil packs. Thats right, each spark plug has it's own coil that is controlled by the ECU.

Removing the plugs in the S2k is a cake walk compared to some really old cars that I have worked on in the past. Anyone who removes, then re-installs the plugs on their S2000, or any car with an aluminum head, DON"T overtighten them as you will strip the spark plug threads. A good torque wrench is recommended for doing this. As a matter of fact, it is a good idea to read the Helm service manual before attempting ANYTHING on this car.

The basic functions on this car are not really that complicated.