trixonik

Hi - I'm new to these forums. I just bought a 2002 Honda s2000 about two months ago. The car has been great and I love it. Unfortunately I just had a major problem occur this past Saturday and I really need some help / pointed in the right direction. I had noticed the car making a rattling sound coming from the engine compartment for about a week but it didn't sound bad and I though it was just the fan or something. This past Saturday I was driving back home on the highway and heard the rattling noise but it sounded more pronounced like a knocking. I was pulling of the highway to check it out and the car just died. I didn't see anything funny under the hood, but when I checked the oil it wasn't even registering on the dipstick. I had to put 3 quarts of oil in and then it showed a normal amount on the stick. The car still wouldn't start so I called AAA (and waited for 4 hours). While I was waiting, I tried starting the car a few times and about 2 hours after it broke down it started right up. It didn't sound good though and was knocking if I gave it any gas, but sounded fine while it was idling. AAA towed it to a small shop in Gainesville,FL where I live and they said that it needed a new engine. The car has 60,000 miles on it and I'm wondering what is my best course of action right now. I was hoping to do some modifications to the car and now they are telling me it's going to be $6-7k for a new engine.

- Does anyone know if there is a decent shop in Gainesville,FL to take the car?

- Would it be worth having the engine rebuilt?

- Is the fact that it starts and idles ok a good sign at all?


I would very much appreciate any help at all. Like I said, I have had the car for less than two months and I really didn't think that it was even possible that it was out of oil. I can think of a million things I could have done differently in retrospect, so please spare me any "dude - you should have XXX" I already feel like an idiot


Thanks so much,

Ralph

Salmoon

I'm a new owner myself and I find this odd. I had the same problem, My car was low in oil, but it handled it completely different. It was slow to start one morning and after I took it to work (no problems with heat/etc, wasn't expecting it), when I pulled in the parking lot, I shut it off, then tried turning it on and it sounded kind of like it was low in power, if I kept trying I think it would have started, but I began thinking I needed a new battery, but then I checked the oil and it was pretty much right on or barely under the L. I put ~1/2 a quart in and it filled it about 1/3 of the way up the stick or so. I then drove the car gently for a bit till I had it at a friend's place, where he filled me up on oil and some engine lube. Running great, no problems. I don't know how yours was able to start if it didn't even appear on the dipstick. Mine was barely below or right on the L and it started having troubles.

ahrmike

If you were three quarts low, your engine was eithier already toast and leaking 3 quarts in 2 months, OR the engine was normal, and was already two quarts low on oil. Eithier way, sounds like you're pretty much screwed for the price of the engine. S2000's, especially AP1's consume oil...so you HAVE to check that regularly. Sorry to hear your troubles though.

Salmoon, I remember your thread. That day it didnt want to start, was it cold outside? Oil should have NOTHING to do with starting, since when you first start it anyway, theres almost no oil lubing it up.

000stealth edit---

I think you might be better off getting a used engine block. It sounds as though its majorly fscked..

you could just try chance it and run it. Ive read stories on here about peopel who were two quarts low and their car runs fine

negcamber

OK...so you learned an expensive lesson...cars need oil.

Which shop is the car at now? If you were wanting to do some major mods, now is the time. But the shop you are at may not be the best place to entrust to do the work.

If you were interested in doing a NA stroker motor or having a high hp turbo on a built motor, now is the time. There are shops in Jax, Orlando and Tampa that you can trust to do the build right. But the car may be down for more than a month. The cost would depend on what you want done, but I'd imagine that for $7-10k you would have a very fast car.

If you can't be without the car for a month, you can pick up a decent used motor for a swap and then sell your old motor for a few hundred.

I believe there were a couple folks selling F20/F22 motors in good shape in the Florida forum. I'd probably go with an F22 motor since it will be newer and give you a few more hp/tq. Post up in the Florida forum for some help in finding a motor if you need to go that route.

The motor swap will also take less time and would cost less overall. But again you may not be at the best shop that will give you a good deal. You may need to pay to have it towed to a decent shop in a larger town. I know that sounds expensive, but it may end up saving you thousands in the end.

trixonik

[QUOTE=negcamber,Mar 9 2009, 01:52 PM]OK...so you learned an expensive lesson...cars need oil.

Which shop is the car at now?

TheProfessor

on the stroker motor idea