Hello! I am finally about to fulfill a longstanding dream of owning an S2K. What specific repair items should I be concerned about with this year/ mileage? Thank you for your time and expertise! I can't wait to be one of you!!! ~Alison

 

Depends who you're buying from, if properly maintained could just need regular maintenance. I got my 02 with 113k miles I'm at 162k now in almost 4 years of ownership. My advice, whatever oil and fluids the engine/trans/diff has used for most of it's life, stick to that, don't go experimenting with other stuff. In my case going from Castrol Edge to Amsoil then to Pennzoil caused my engine to start leaking, and it got even worse when I switched to high mileage. Other than that, common wear items being the clutch, the top, differential and transmission mounts if the PO wasn't a fan of heel and toe. If the diff and trans were taken care of and fluids changed on a regular basis and not abused those parts can last a really really long time 300k+ miles. The O2 sensor usually starts going south around 110k miles, valve stem seals around 150k but depending on how much oil experimentation you did or didn't do they can last longer. Valve adjustment on these cars are a must, read the sticky at the top of the page, I like to go towards the loose end, living with the little valve train noise it makes (once it's quiet it's time to do it again). Valve cover gasket, and a few other gaskets can leak over time, but they're easily replaced and cheap. The clutch hydraulics is another area that needs regular maintenance but not something most casual owners pay mind to. Also around this time if it's still on original coolant it may be a good idea to do a drain and fill with Honda Type 2 coolant, service manual says 10 year or 100,000 miles whichever comes first then 5 years 60,000 miles whichever comes first.

Spark plugs should be regular maintenance, and coil packs also start going bad around 120k miles, although they might last longer. Then there's wheel bearings, usually the rears, and if the axle nut TSB has been performed it should be fine. Plenty of DIY's here for common issues and maintenance stuff so you're well covered. The only downside is the cars will no longer be supported in two years. But they're very reliable cars as long as they're well maintained and not abused or driven improperly.

 

These cars hold up way better than expected. Better than most any other sportscar, certainly better than anything that puts out this much power per liter.

 

Nothing if it's been maintained well and has records.

 

safe side, change all fluids as a good test to see if previous owners have been honest. then a valve adjustment, check the retainers, all checks out. nothing.

 

I have had an '03 for 10 years. It is my daily drive. Presently I am at 183k and it runs as good as the day I first took it out for a drive.

 

It really depends on the service history of the car. I bought my MY00 with 113k miles on it. I had to change the clutch and radiator at 135k. I just bought a MY04 with 168K from the original owner with every single service history record. It's still on the original clutch and just routine service. Runs like new. So it all depends.

 

This is an incredible testament to the reliability of these cars. What is your maintenance routine? I'd like to take a page out of your book.