Hi, Wonder if anybody can help. I'm writing on behalf of my neighbour in the UK who has a very nice low mileage 3 year old s2000. When he starts the car from cold it runs perfectly and he has no problems with the subsequent running, however, when he runs it, lets it cool down and then tries to drive along the road it "kangaroos" violently and he says that he can only stop this by pushing in the clutch. If he pushes the clutch in and stops, the car idles perfectly. Has been into Honda twice and so far they have charged him

 

Hot air building up under the bonnet (hood) maybe? Does the same thing happen sometimes in slow traffic? I think this sort of thing happening is why some people have fitted "cold air intakes". although I've never experienced the problem myself (I don't drive in traffic much or park up for short periods).

 

It sounds like s/he isn't keeping their foot very steady ont he pedal. If you're going slow and in first gear it's very easy to cause the car to buck with even the slightest throttle position change. From what you described, it's not something that I would expect to be a mechanical defect.

Chris

 

I've had something similar happen in my 04 in 1st gear and low RPMs only...I came around a corner at a traffic light, and must have applied and let-off the gas almost instantly. The car lurched and slowed, as I varied my foot pressure on the gas pedal, the end result was more lurching and slowing. I am certain it was my mistake in "unsteady acceleration" and I could not correct it with the gas pedal alone. I let off the gas, put in the clutch, released the clutch, then reapplied the gas, all is well except my ego for being foolish. This happened after driving for 35 miles on the highway, and I don't have a CAI...In my case, it was simply driver error.

-Justin

 

This has been discussed a LOT here and there is opinion ranging between the two extremes. Some believe it to be a defect. I, for one, believe it is a characteristic of many manual cars, especially the S2000 that can be corrected by driver technicque (ie, pushing in the clutch, etc.). This does not preclude the possibility that there is something "really" wrong with the car but, it is likely that the condition is aggravated by the way the car is driven in certain circumstances.

Have a read here:
http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=57405

 

I think it can be fixed as simple as moving your seat 1 or 2 notches closer to dash. I know I do it some times because these events occurs.

1. I apply pressure to the gas pedal and car accelerates.
2. that causes my body to be pushed to back of the seat.
3. by doing that, now, my foot is slightly off the gas.
4. since the foot is off the gas it's like applying engine brake.
5. which causes car's nose dips and that causes my body to move forward.
6. now that my body is moved forward, pressure on gas pedal is back and the car trys to accelerate again.
7. these events repeates for 3 to 5 times before driver realizes and clutch is depressed to stop jerking. at this point, driver can do 2 things. shift to 2nd and go or stop.

btw, I'm 5'8" and it happens more frequently as I switched to racing clutch...