Hi there,
I'm a proud, new S2000 owner (eBay winner!) and have been waiting since 1999 for this car. I have a NFR 2001 with 73k miles and everything seems OK for the most part. However, when I start the car, I hear an electric whirring sound... kind of like a mechanical part is trying to move (though my girlfriend says it sounds like air rushing through a wind tunnel). It lasts about 30 seconds to 1 minute before it fades away.

I'm not sure if it's normal for the car but I don't remember hearing it the first few weeks I had the car. Any ideas what it could be? Please keep in mind that I'm mechanically inept.

Thanks!

 

Sounds like the air pump. Normal noise.

Next time you start it, put your ear right next to the black little vent on the bottom drivers side of the bumper. That's where the air pump is.

 

I agree with Billman, it sounds like your air pump. I use that as a guage in the summers as to when the engine is warm enough to start to drive. When the air pump turns off, I can back out of the garage. In the winters, I wait longer.

 

By the way if its really loud...chances are your pump housing is fried...

 

The airpump is pretty loud and is definatly scarey if you don't know what it is

This is the first car I could hear the airpump.

 

It sounds like you have figured it out. Thanks, guys!

 

I too have this noise and the dealer told me it was normal...that if it failed it would be covered by calif's extended emmission warranty.

problem is...it came on by itself or did not turn off...running at speed while my key was out of the ignition and in my hand! i had to disconnect the battery to turn it off, then wait, then reconnect.

so far it has not repeated the run on feature...how it happened is that i drove from home about 2 miles to my bank atm...turned off car...did my atm business and when i returned it was on...then went to get a sandwhich, came back, it was on...took it home and it was on without the key again...after a day without a battery it was "normal".

i can hear it when the car is cold or when i come to a stop, going on and off...loud enough to notice as i never noticed it before....

is this common? anyone have an airpump failure? it is located behind the headlight on drivers side or thereabouts, well hidden.

anyone???

 

It's either that, or the hamsters getting up to speed.