SilverStreak, you can bet your booties that if it were certain that synthetic oil would save our engines, Father Honda would be sending out cases to each of us. We have 20 short block replacements but they have $200,000 in warranty repairs. ... that we know of. Okay, so maybe the wholesale price of those warranty repairs is only $100,000 so far, I think Honda would love to put this engine failure behind them.

What do you think? The dinosaur lobby is paying them off for not recommending synthetic oil?

This is an engineering problem and they are an engine engineering company. They will fix it. I'd love to find out that switching oil is all you need to do, but I wouldn't count on it yet.

 

If you don't have adequate oil, the oil pressure light will come on and eventually also the temp light when it starts to over heat. Right?

I would think that one can tell by the damage what went wrong. Lack of oil and the engine will sieze. The dealer can't say no oil if it's not true. The engine will tell all.

Bill

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bill L
[B]If you don't have adequate oil, the oil pressure light will come on and eventually also the temp light when it starts to over heat.

 

I think this is a good example of how working through the appropriate channels can turn a lose-lose proposition to a win-win situation. Initially I believe there was some misunderstanding and poor communication due to the lack of customer familiarity despite the best efforts of friends in Atlanta (first encounter with Gwinnett is a failed engine). Had the failure occurred in Orlando, I believe things might have progressed differently. All this is water under the bridge. AHM has now demonstrated its support of loyal customers like Deborah and Vince (who are on Honda #5 and have owned only Honda/Acura products) and made friends of those who support Deb and Vince (probably 50 loyal Honda owners, myself included, who own probably 100+ Hondas from lawn mowers and generators to minivans). Everybody wins, and the biggest winner is AHM and the people who make AHM what it is. Again thanks to all who had a hand in helping...and YOU know who YOU are.

Wei-Shen
01 Spa Yellow (full of oil at 8.5K miles)

 

Wchin,

I could not have put it any better. Thanks again to all the unknown names and faces in AHM.

Vhoward
(Finally have my NSX back and wchin has his stook back)
Thanks agian for letting Deb drive it during the last few weeks.

 

Vince - I had lost sight the thread until today. Glad to see you guys are back in the saddle (stook and NSX resprectively).


Let's hope we can bang some fenders at Sebring -

J. Ippolito

 

Man:
I don't know how I managed to miss this post but extremely happy to scroll down to find problem is fixed!

Many of us have felt your pain!

I'ts great to be back in the saddle again, isn't it ?

Best wishes for many happy driving years to come


s2klisa

 

Glad to hear all is well...I was without my ride for a mere 10 days but it felt like a month.

Happy motoring!

 

I just got my S three weeks ago and was calling AHM about the great rear window. I also asked them, because of some the engine problems, if she knew of anything. She did some search on her computer and came up empty handed. I was real curious about that seeings how the majority of the problems are almost identical. She had no answer but told me that the more people that call them with concerns or complaints, the more likely hood it will get attention. Every call gets tallied basically and some red light with a siren goes off in coprorate after a certain number. (Yeah right)

 

I'm sure there are multiple reasons why AHM doesn't want to discuss the engine failures on the phone with new purchasers. I think the importance of this list is to help inform S2K owners of the possibility of this type of problem so that IF it does happen to you, you can approach the dealer with some knowledge. When we dropped the car off at Gwinnet Place Honda, we did not know of the #4 cylinder failure issue. We joined the list that evening and started this thread. Even though we got off to a bad start with the dealership, someone in AHM went to bat for us and ended up replacing the engine under warranty. The steps we took, which may not be correct, may be helpful to others. First and foremost, you should have a good relationship with your dealership. As stated in an earlier post, the car was in GA, we live in FL, they didn't know us (strike 1). Document your case. We had copies of the tech log done two days prior to the failure showing full fluids. Explain you are aware of the #4 failure and that the symptoms are similiar. Agree to an authorized disassembly if there is any question. If you are a loyal Honda owner, they will probably do this at their cost or minimal cost to you. AHM also wants to find out why these engines are failing and I'm sure without a mass panic. If no satisfaction, take it to the service manager, then to your regions AHM representative, then to public relations AHM (Ken Ogawa). While they may stonewall you on the phone, I believe they are at least reviewing the symptons to determine if it could be the #4 failure or some form of oil loss. AHM is monitoring this list, technical division of AHM definitely wants to find a cure or cause. Be persistent but not threatening (strike 2 for us - we jumped the gun - never having had to deal with this problem). The wheels do not turn quickly, but they do turn. Make sure you have contacted the right people, continue to go upward. The important note here is that AHM has fixed almost all of these documented failures, if not all.

When we contacted Ken Ogawa, I will have to say we did not find him to be very helpful at first. However, I do beleive that he was the one to help get the ball rolling for AHM techical to get the engine replaced. As a side note, we were going to ask for the disassembly on Thursday. We got a call from the dealership on Friday that our car was back together. It takes 30 hours to put a new engine in, they had to have started on late Tuesday or earlyWednesday. This was about the time of our contact with Ken Ogawa and technical division of AHM. They started disassembling our car before we even knew what was happening. Looking back, while I was unhappy with the foot we started on, AHM and the dealership came through like champs.

The people I want to thank for helping in my case are techical division AHM (you know who you are) , Gary Milgrom, Ken Ogawa-AHM Public Relations, Gwinnet Place Honda (they did repair the car afterall), Wei-Shen Chin (thanks for the use of your Stook and everything else), Don Mealey Acura (Steve, Howard - great guidance), Tom Rasche (Bloomington Acura), and last but not least - the S2K web board. Without you guys, we would not have known what direction to take.

Best regards,

Vincent & Deborah Howard
01 Yum Yum Yellow Stook
99 Z-NSX #17 (older Kung Fu brother to the S2K)