going to see a honda s2000 on saturday.

year 2001 with 57000 miles.

ive been researching alot, and it seems like the biggest problems i catch with s2000's is leaking tops and transmission problems.

i was planning on putting the top up, and pouring water from like a gallon jug to see if any water leaks in. would that be considered reasonable or would the seller have a right to deny such a test? haha

also any other problems i should be looking for (besides the plastic window, i know that one)

what about the transmission problem?

i seem to have a tendency to buy a car, test drive seems fine, then when it gets home something breaks -_-.

luckily they were cheap cars, this will be my first big automotive purchase, so i would hate to have a repeat. Trying to be most prepared as possible.

Anyway to test the tranny besides normal test drive?

what should the compression be for each cylinder? planning on doing a compression test...

or am i paranoid?

 

drive it on a cold start and after its warm. See if you notice any difference in the transmission feel. Also check for any knocking noise for any possible motor damage as I believe the earlier S2k's burn a little more oil than usual. As for the top also make sure it aligns correctly when you drop it and raise it.

 

A slight difference in tranny feel between cold and warm can be normal. It should never be difficult to engage 2nd and 3rd unless its below freezing, but it could have a very slight notchy feeling when the tranny fluid is cold, which should disappear when warmed up. I wouldn't worry about that if it happens. 1, 4, 5, 6 should all be easy to engage at all times. A grind when upshifting from 5 to 6, or downshifting from 6 to 5 is very bad news.

Make sure you do a near redline shift (once the car is fully warmed up, 5+ miles driving, 3 bars on the temp gauge) from 1st to 2nd a couple times. Make the shift pretty deliberately and ensure there is no grind. Thats one big issue.. 2nd gear grind on high rpm shifts. Tell the owner you need to redline it a few times to make sure it pulls all the way through.. if he is hesitant or doesn't let you, you don't want to buy the car.

Do a search on clutch buzz too, as that car could be affected. When you decel with foot off the gas between about 4200 rpm down to 2500 rpm, you might hear a very loud buzzing sound from the front of the tranny. This is normal, and it's an issue with springs on the clutch disc vibrating. It's not a 'problem', just an annoyance. Nothing is going to break, and the clutch still functions fine.. it's just noisy.

Other than that, I don't know what else to check for on a test drive. The tranny is going to make noise.. probably more noise than you're used to. It's going to whirl and clunk and all sorts of strange things, but this is pretty normal. It's right below you, and there is basically nothing to block the noise.

If you're going to get a compression test, the most important thing is that the compression is pretty uniform across all cylinders. Because it's based on the individual gauge used, no one can really give you a range. As long as the #s are all pretty close, you should be ok.

The engine is going to be noisy. A knock is bad, but clicking is normal. The injectors on this car are noisy as ****, and the sound is often mistaken for valve clatter, or worse. If you hear something that sounds like a baseball card in the spokes of a bicycle wheel, thats the timing chain tensioner.. an easy replacement job, but a problem nonetheless, and potentially disastrous if left alone too long.

 

Do a fast 1-2 shift at high RPMs to see if the synchros grind.

 

I'm not sure why you don't have a potential car inspected by a mechanic then. One should be able to spot potential and hidden problems for you.

 

Some owners are hesitant to let someone rag on their car and turn it into a joyride with no purchase.

At least make the owner do it.

 

well i just talked to the guy confirming our appointment for tomorrow...

(5 minutes into the conversation)

me - oh by the way, the soft top doesnt leak right?

him - oh um... no, i think...

....

im filling up my gallon bottle full of water to dump on the soft top tomorrow
see if it leaks...

 

I'd hardly consider running a car up to red line ragging on it. If you're clear with your intent and state I want to run it to red line to ensure it pulls all the way through the power band, he shouldn't have a problem. If the owner offers to do it himself, that's just as good. If he won't do it period, look elsewhere.

 

I'm amazed: concern about running the engine to redline, but no thoughts whatsoever about letting someone who doesn't know the compression specs remove and reinstall spark plugs?

 

I assume private sale. If so, do the logical stuff.

Pay for a title search (Carfax, etc) if not free (you need the vehicle VIN number for this). This MUST be done. Best is one owner and the original dealer.
More than 2 title changes after the dealer start to be a little concerned. If there are several (2 or more) changes within 3-6 months of one another RUN LIKE H! (in the other direction) It likely means major accident, insurance buys it, car bought and repaired by another dealer/seller then resold. Carfax is good at giving advice on the search results.

Find out about service, and the dealer that was used. If possible go and talk to the dealer about the cars history. He might tell you something unusual.

Check the paint, body panel alignment etc, etc. I am sure you know. Its great if you know someone who already owns an S2K, and he will go with you to look at the car.

Already said, go to dealer with the car and pay for an inspection.

Look at tires if mismatched or cheapo's that may mean the guy couldn't maintain it properly.

Good luck with the purchase. I have an '01 with 54K. No leaks, no tranny issues, small amount of oil consumption especially when running high rpm's, great car.