yeh i have an aem cai. thats an interesting thought. i'll check that out too. i would rather it be that than a $130 TCT. however the sound doesnt always happen, which probably means thats not the problem. also this sound is like coming directly from the head so chances are its not a vibration.
-Chris

 

definitely check it out because Im telling you I was @ the dealership ordering a new tct when I looked around more and found out what it was. Mine was very intermittent and sounded like a metallic buzzing, ticking vibration at certain rpms. If that intake isnt slid all the way back towards the engine and tightened down on that sliding bracket under certain engine loads the piping can get pushed up against the frame and make a noise right around where it curves to go in the lower plastics where the filter is.

 

you say the sound would be coming from down near the filter, but mine is coming from the head.
-Chris

 

ok so i bought the stethoscope and i put it to the TCT and it was making a noise but i had no basis for comparison because i wasnt sure if this sound would be present on an S with a working TCT. so i brought it in to honda again and they said there's no abnormal sound coming from the TCT but they think my transmission bearings are going. they want to disassemble the tranny and inspect. obviously this is a hefty job. i figured i would check back here before i had them do ANY work. whats your guy's take on my situation? they seem pretty positive it isnt the TCT, and the "card in bicycle spokes" sound is getting pretty bad now so im kinda worried. any help?

-Chris

 

they want to disassemble the tranny? Um.... no.

Seriously, you bought on S2000. It's not an Accord or a Corolla. It's not your cheap economy car.

All the signs of what you're describing point to the TCT. I had a similar noise in mine, and replacing the TCT fixed the issue. Buck up, drop the $130, and replace it. Chances are, it's gonna fix your problem. If it doesnt, at least the TCT is eliminated as the cause, and you can comfort yourself in knowing that if anything, at least you know the TCT isn't going to fail on you in the near future and cause catastrophic damage.

Preventative maintenance, my friend.

 

i appreciate your advice but its $170 for the part and then 2hrs of labor = $370; now i know it sounds really cliche but im a college student and i dont have nearly $400 to drop on a whim. if honda, in addition to the people on s2ki agreed it was the TCT then i would do it tomorrow. however, honda has heard the noise in person and has stethoscoped the TCT saying it was not the cause; why would they believe so genuinely that its not the TCT if it was?

-Chris

 

Because... as I've said before... Honda dealer techs are incompetent asses. That doesn't mean that they're wrong about the TCT in this case, but the odds aren't in their favor.

If you've used a stethoscope on the TCT and it's not obvious after a couple of revs that the TCT is the culprit, then it's probably not. The sound is very distinct and apparent when listened to using a stethoscope.

But, I would find it seriously unlikely that the sound is caused by a tranny problem.

My advice to you is to visit your local forum and hook up with somebody that has an S2000. Listen to their car, then listen to yours. That'll tell you if your TCT is bad.