OK soo..I just started noticing this ticking noise today......I have 10900 on my car and the oil has been fine. Now is this noise just the injectors? What other symptoms have gone along with the bad number 4 cylinder? Did the car give any other warrning's? Or am I just paranoid?

 

legrndr34,

Sorry to hear the bad news. I have to say that when my #4 went AHM was very quick at getting the car back on the road and took very good care of me. It was not fun driving the rental car but it sure beat the hell out of walking . As with Zoinks my MY2000 White/Red is running better than ever. I wish you the best with your repairs.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me or post and I am sure we all will give you our $.02.

 

You are not being paranoid.

My car developed a "tap tap tap" at 650 miles, about 2 pm Janury 4. I took it straight to the dealer. The head of the dealer's service department, my brother-in-law (an automotive engineer) and I all thought it sounded like a misadjusted valve. It was metallic and varied with rpm. One of the mechanics noticed that it was loudest over the #4 cylinder's exhaust manifold area.

I had no other symptoms than the noise. I only drove about 7 miles after it developed (back and forth to the dealer). When they looked inside it looked like the pictures in Jason Saini's thread:

http://www.s2000online.com/forums/showthre...p?threadid=2673

Take it to the dealer. Ask them to pull the plugs and see if the #4 cylinder's plug is fouled but the other three are not. If it is, ask them to contact Honda-tech line. Either they will be told to look inside the cylinders with a bore-o-scope or they will be told to get you a new short block.

DOCUMENT that you are not low on oil. I don't believe that low oil causes this, but AHM does and some of the #4 cylinder failures have had low oil at diagnosis. It could be that the #4 cylinder failure causes the low oil.

KEEP US POSTED!!!!
Barry

 

Curious, is the #4 cylinder closet to the rad or firewall?

 

firewall

 

Thanks Barry,

I thought that #4 was near the firewall. The reason why I questioned this was that there was some confusion in Jason Saini's thread you posted. The pic of the engine bay appears that the cylinder closest to the rad is scored.

John

Disregard, went back to the thread--The #1 piston is at the top of the cylinder which at the angle looks like the scored cylinder.

[Edited by John MI blk/blk '01 on 05-13-2001 at 06:07 PM]

 

I'm curious just how well Honda took care of you guys when you were having your motors replaced. Did they pay for a rental car?

 

Alight, the dealer called me today and told me my car is fine now. It was not the #4, but a burnt ignition coil? but anyhow, the ticking noise is gone and my car no longer backfires thanks guys for the help.

 

damn,

just took my car out and the car dies this time...and it boggles out in first, seems like the same problem again...getting it towed to the dealer tomorrow, and this time, i'm demanding something...maybe a new s2k? or hardtop, or something, but for sure. gonna yell the hell out of them and call honda's quality control.

 

Ask them to pull all four spark plugs and show you that all are gray from normal burning and none are black. If it is the number 4 cylinder, it will leak oil around the rings and the plug will be sooty.

CHECK THE OIL OFTEN. There is no too often. Remember, Honda thinks that careless owners let their oil get low and then the #4 cylinder fails. Barry believes a defect lets the #4 cylinder fail, thus letting oil past the rings and letting the oil get low.

My oil didn't get low because my car got diagnosed within a few miles of getting the ticking. I only had 650 miles on it when the problem developed.

Honda-Techline should be very experienced with this problem by now. I would be surprised if there isn't an internal memo.

Barry