Are TSB's something that has to be done while the car is still under the warranty? My car has the deceleration clutch buzz but its not under warranty anymore. Would honda still fix this since its a defect that came from factory?

 

Warranties are not guarantees in that there are time limits that have to be adhered to within those parameters. The way that the manufacturer's look at it is that if something goes wrong with the within the set time and mileage limit of a car it is considered not acceptable and that is why they will pay for the repair. If it happens out of those parameters it is considered normal wear for a vehicle. So even though it seems that it is a manufacturing defect and it should be covered forever because they were the ones that made the car, it is still a machine that is prone to defects over time and use. That is why for instance your radio is a covered component for only 3/36 and your engine is covered for much longer because it is unnaceptable for the most vitale part of the car to fail before that time frame. Anything after that is considered normal wear. That isn't to say that exceptions can't be made, nothing is ever set in stone and that is why certain dealerships will be able to goodwill warranty something. Be aware however that this is only a real consideration if you are a 'good customer' and spend money at the dealership.

 

it is called "goodwill". i used to work for a chain of dealers, and they would goodwill regular customers after the warranty expired.

 

so has anyone done this or do you guys think its too big of a job for honda to do out of good will?

 

TSB is a Technical Service Bulletin. It is how Honda tells it's dealers and technicals how to fix things. Sometimes the TSB is how to check an oil level, or what kind of oil to use.

They are not to be confused with a recall. Recalls are things that will be fixed regaurdless of mileage. To date, I know of 2 recalls in the US for the S2000. Spark plugs, Soft top cover. Everything else is a TSB.

In your case, you have a problem that was discovered back in 2001 and a TSB was issued. There is nothing wrong with the clutch from a functional stand point. There is just a noise (the buzz). So Honda identified what the issue was to help the dealers identify the issue and fix it quickly. Just think of the time that each dealer could have spent looking for the source of the problem. The TSB saved them and us (the owner) time.

Seeing the your car was built/sold back in 2001 and it is now 2008. You can see the the clutch is working just fine. Why should the dealer/honda replace it for free? It is a wear item after all.

 

Yeah, that buzz from the defective clutch disk sucks big time. However, if the noise is the only problem and there's no serious wear, it will cost you about $125, a couple of evenings and a weekend afternoon in the garage to fix it. Not too shabby for a 7-year old car.

 

Thanks for clearing it up stratocaster.

The noise does bother me but as long as it works its not a huge problem, im also suprised my stock clutch is still hanging on though (73,000 miles)