Hey guys, i've been looking at some used s2000s and i've noticed that a good number of them have either rebuilt or brand new engines. Should I take this to mean that the engines are weak, or are these engines ill fated due to the way people maintain and drive the vehicle? On any other honda i wouldn't have much apprehension looking at a 100k mile car, just wondering if the s2k is the exception.

 

Whoa what year are you looking at?? I've been browsing cars.com, craigslist, etc. for s2k's for a long time now and I don't think I've ever come across one with a rebuilt or failed motor

As far as I know, the s2000 (like any honda) has about as reliable as a motor as you would expect a honda to have. Of course if the engine is abused or not taken care of or both I could see them failing early...what source are you going through for used s2k's?

 

When I was looking for S2k's a few months back I regularly browsed autotrader, craigslist, etc. and also never found one with a rebuilt or replaced engine... are you looking at like those shady privately owned used car dealerships, auctions, or junkyards???

 

I've been looking on autotrader and cars.com mostly. I'm on the east coast though.

 

Wow I'm glad I don't live on the east coast then! lol jk

But seriously thats a bummer. I wonder what it is about the east coast that would cause something like that?

 

Most engine failures in this car are due to the driver.

The tranny is so good it will let you shift from redline in 3rd gear down into 2nd...otherwise known as the money shift.

Also, the early cars use oil faster than most cars. But then most cars don't need oil squirted on the cyl walls to keep them cool while revving to 9000rpm. The owners don't check the oil frequently enough and BOOM.

 

Speaking of oil,....

I have a 2004 Sliverstone, with 34K, change oil EVERY 3k until about 28K when I switched to the synthetic (7,500 interval now). I recently (today) noticed my temp gauge running about two bars higher than it normally runs (about 3 bars short of half way on the old analog temp gauge). I checked the oil and it looks like its about 1/2 to 3/4 quart low. The coolant level was fine.
Question: Could running the engine with 3/4 quart oil low cause this over heating? I don't see any visible leaks. Also, where could this oil be going? This is only the second synthetic oil change with my S2K.

Sorry if I'm a bit off topic. I looked at the oil related sections and they were old with the last posting in 2006.

On topic: I don't see these S2K motors giving out unless they are not maintined. Remember, the book says "check the oils with EVERY fill up". Most of us don't do this but it should be done more regular than your Chevy or Ford...

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Any posted opinion on my post will be greatly appreciated.

 

2 bars seems high I have an 03 and see three all the time no more no less, the oil seems common, maybe you got a bad thermostat or something.

 

3/4 low isn't enough to do that...

2 bars higher on an ap2 is not horribly high, but still a concern. At that age and mileage your radiator should still be ok...but be aware that anywhere from 60-100k some radiators have been cracking near the radiator cap.

I would flush the coolant and put in some fresh Honda pre-mix. Make sure to bleed the air out of the system. At that age, it is about time if it hasn't been done before.

You might also replace the radiator cap at the same time just in case it is no longer sealing properly.

Make a new thread if that doesn't fix the problem.

Also...just to check...you are completely stock, correct? You don't have a turbo or SC with a thinner head gasket?

And to be safe, look at the oil on the dip stick. Is it normal looking...nice toasted brown but basically transparent, or does it look like chocolate milk or heavily creamed coffee? If the latter, then you may have a blown head gasket (pretty rare on a stock never turbo/SC'd s2k).

 

Oh no! Check compression, you might be loosing your headgasket. Hopefully I'm totally wrong, though.

A bit low on oil would never bring the temp gauge up.