I've been having an issue with my 2007 S2000, and my girlfriend encouraged me to write on here before I did something drastic like flat out sell the car. The issue comes when the s2000 is shifted into neutral from any gear. The RPM's will sink lower and lower and sink below the normal idle of 1000 rpm. If the car is cold, the rpm's will lower to 500 rpm, causing the car to shake and either rebound to 2300 rpm after several seconds or flat out stall. If the car is warmed up, the rpm's will lower to about 800 and then rebound to 1200 rpm before settling at 1000.

I brought the car into Honda, and they went to work on troubleshooting. They replaced the spark plugs and transmission fluid and promise the car is "better but not perfect." After two weeks they finally checked the compression ratio on the cylinder and found that #1 is at 55% and #2 is at 20%. They opened up the cylinder cases to look for a fluid leak but found none. They are now saying that a valve is bent and they may need to completely rebuild a head. I apologize for the spotty information, but as I was getting relayed this over the top ridiculous information, my soul was being stripped from my body, and my memory is a bit fuzzy. So aside from about the $2000 I've already put into troubleshooting, they now say they want $5000 for the rebuild of the head. At this point I'm ready to tell them to put it back together without the $5000 rebuild so I can drive it anywhere else and sell it before this becomes and endless money pit. This is an official Honda dealership telling me all this, not some back alley chop shop. Has anyone had this problem or does anyone have any advice?

 

I'd take me car to a caveman for repairs before I would let a Honda dealership work on it.

 

It wounds vbery much like the shop/dealer has no idea what is happening, they are doing whatever they can and no results. Whatever is wrong it is not beyond a decent shop to fix it. $5,000 is way too much for a head/valve job, so I would have them button it up and take it to another shop/or have it towed someplace. Unless you could care less about the car, then just button it up and sell it as is at a lower price knowing that someone else will fix the problem. That's my advice based on what I have read.

My 04 has only 57,000 on it, it runs excellent. My son just recently replace the head on his 98 bmw 328i, (@180,000 miles)granted he had it rebuilt at a head shop and then did the putting back together himself...that saved him about $2,000 and the whole cost if he did not do it was about $3,000 at a private shop.

you can always just take the head to a private machine shop for another opinion, if they can fix it, then have the dealer put it back together again or you have it towed someplace or at home, etc...?

I would get another opinion for sure.

 

I am not a big fan of taking my car to a Honda dealer anymore for service. I can understand if it has a warranty, but the Honda dealership in Alaska was supposed to change my brake fluid and they turkey basted the fluid out of the reservoir and then poured the fluid i had brought into the reservoir and said OK, we did it. Well 2 years later i take it to my mechanic here in Utah and low and behold there wasn't a speck of ATE super blue in the lines. He could tell since the fluid in the lines was brown, and the fluid in the reservoir was blue. Lesson I am trying to get across is don't trust the dealership. Take it someplace else and see what they say. A second opinion is never a bad idea. On top of that most places will be cheaper than the dealer anyway.

-Ian

 

I'm currently doing the same job for 950, all parts included.

That is serious gouging, and it's disgusting.

BEING THAT THE CAR IS AN AP2, it is near IMPOSSIBLE for that car to have bent valves. The idle issue is cause by a sticky IAC rotary vane.

Honda dealers make me sick.

Where do you live? Dont let them go any further.

 

I would demand a no-charge for spark plugs and trans fluid...what the F!@# makes them think that would fix an erratic idle? Pathetic.

 

If, and I mean IF a valve is bent, the dealer likely did it. Did they pull the head? Not sure what opening the cylinder cases means...that could be the valve cover, or simply pulling the spark plugs. And, as far as "compression ratio" I'm not sure what that means in their parlance.

Really, from the symptoms you described, this was a 30 minute fix with a can of throttle body cleaner.

 

Yeah, my punishment for trying to be astute and take it the dealership. I live in Tampa and Jacksonville. Does anyone know of a good autoshop in either of those areas that I can take my car to and try to get this done right?

Oh, and I meant removed the valve covers. Rather wish they hadn't now, since they'll probably mess it up putting everything back together again.

 

Check the FL regional forums. I'm sure there's someone there that can help.
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/forum/54-...-s2000-owners/

Billman is very knowledgeable. If he is correct and it is the IAC valve, that should be an easy fix. I've never cleaned the IAC valve on a S2000, but it it was really easy to do on my RSX.

 

If the valve cover was all that was removed, thats a simple job. Have them put it back together...go get a second opinion.

A BRAND NEW HEAD WITH ALL NEW VALVES from honda is 1500 or so, sans rocker assy and cams. So where did that price come from??????????????