Im checking out an 02 tonight, and wanted tips.
I did a search but didnt get much back.

I know to:

Make sure lines, line up.

Check pedals for excessive wear vs. odometer.

Check for overspray.

?
The car has 27000 miles on it, what should have been done already matienece wise?

I know the convertable top has wear issues, what should i look for?

 

check on the inside of the top, just behine the door windows. There are usually "wear marks" here. Also check and make sure the adhesive is still good on the glass.

John

 

make sure there are treads left on the rear.
if it has a front lip, look for scratches and complain if there is..
also check the leather seat to see if it's wearing out.

 

every single body panel has a sticker on it with the VIN. It is green.

check every panel for it (fenders, quarter panels, bumpers, trunk, hood, doors. the rear quarter panel stickers are in each door jam on the chassis, the door stickers are on the door. I don't think you can remove these stickers and put them on another panel without it being obvious. As long as each panel has matching numbers, you can be certain it was not in an accident. The bumper stickers may be faded a little.

The pedals vs mileage thing...people drive differently. Besides, the S pedals don't wear like most others...they are metal. You can't tell excessive mileage from pedals anyway as you can replace them. The odometer on the S doesn't "roll back" like most others. It requires machines only the dealer has.

Maint-wise, since it is <30K I think it only needed to have inspections and oil changes. Under the "extreme" schedule the diff fluid should be changed every 15K, but under "normal" it is 30K I think.

Also, I was not aware the 02-04 top had wear issues. I know the 00-01 does as I owned one.

Other things:
-Make sure the gears don't grind. The tranny may be a little notchy when cold but after about 20min it is smooth. As long as there is no "CRUNCH" it is fine. Also, listen for clicks coming from the rear end.

-CARFAX! Though not 100% accurate, it is still should be done. Usually any salvage history is caught. Accidents are not always logged.

-Eary 2002s don't have the 4-jet oil sqirter bolts. In mid-2002, honda revised the old bolts to help lubrication of the block. It's a minor thing, and the bolts can be fitted for $40 plus ~2-3 hours labor.

 

How can i tell whether or not this was 2002 that had the bolts revised or not?

 

If the last 4 digits of the VIN on the ENGINE are >5386, then it has the bolts. Although, one guy had engine 5376 and had the new bolts.

The VIN on the chassis and engine should match, but in S2000s they are often a few digits off. This is due to the way the S2000 is made (small batches, on dollys vs a moving line, more human work, etc).

 

Check the rear subframe for damage (suffered from backing onto parking lot curbs). One 03 I looked at was pretty banged up on the tube subframe and one of the lower control arms had to be replaced as well. Also take it for a drive and make sure there is no vibration under acceleration from pitted CV joints. This car is at about the right age for it. Oh hell, I will just post the list I made when I was shopping. Keep in mind the S is a great car and these problems are few and far between, I am just paranoid and excessive. Let me know if you have any questions.

paint condition and body panel alignment
vin number decals on all body panels and engine
chin rash (from riding up on curbs)
strakes in place (small

 

drive or ride a few 02 s2000 in your area, try out some new ones too. get a reference. i would be concerned if the car was taken out to the track or run auto cross on a regular basis.

Verify the stuff works, especially the items you don’t like to work on:
-put the top up/down
-run the wipers, i hate to work on these
-look at the convertible top for wear, search this forum for where people found the wear spots
-can you live with the rear window as is?
-Verify vtec at ~6.5k rpm.

take some time, inspect the suspension, frame and tire wear.

make sure the owner has the following:
you want any extra key or pendant, they are expensive.
get the wheel lug nut lock too if any.
manual (s).
get the radio theft id number !!!!!!!

run a car fax, make sure the seller has a grip on the paper work, title transfer, billofsale, etc. make sure the seller signs his name exactly as printed on the document (s).

scheduled maintenance:
27k=dif fluid, valve clearance, air filter
36k=transmission fluid

you should be prepared to just change the dif and transmission fluids asp yourself.

 

Dude:

Where is this documented? I am excited as my last are 5456 and I always wonder about this.

Thanks.

 

do a search for "oil jet bolt VIN"

you'll find it.

I don't think Honda went out and told everyone. This has come from people attempting to replace theirs and finding them done. I would figure that once they start using the 4-jet bolts they don't go back.