sqwsqw

Hello!

I've got a MY00 at 160k miles that threw a misfire CEL and started idling rough. I don't really drive the car hard and the issue seems to have come on gradually -- it had a similar issue before that seemed to be fixed by replacing the coilpack, but has come back after a year or so. I also noticed that it only idles rough when it's fully warmed up, and sometimes, rarely, it will idle OK. It seems to run well enough above idle, as far as I can tell.

I took it to an independent shop and they did a compression test and found failed compression in cyl2 with valves adjusted 'in spec'. The shop's recommendation is a full engine replacement, with a fully remanufactured/rebuilt one, because the rebuild of the head / reuse of the block at this age would be a crapshoot.

So, I just have a couple of questions:

1) Do you think it's worth getting a second opinion / taking to a dealer and asking them to do the valve adjustment, to see if that may resolve the issue? Is there any way to get a more detailed understanding about what the cause of the compression issue may be without pulling the head?

2) Is their claim reasonable that a fully built reman engine is the best course? If so, is there a consensus high-quality purveyor of such engines?

s2000Junky

I absolutely would get a second opinion on such an expenditure. Honda dealerships can be a crap shoot dealing with this car. I would build a report with your local community forum and get some possible recommendations on shops your local S2k enthusiast may trust.

So when you get a misfire code, it does have a number assigned to the particular cylinder misfiring, also some times it will trigger an apposing cylinder misfire in combination, even though that cylinder isnt a problem. For example trouble with #1 might also get #3, trouble with #2 may also get a #4 misfire or a complete multi cylinder misfire can get triggered.

What cylinder did your cel come from and does it jive with your low comp in cylinder 2 that was supposedly found?

If you re set the ecu by removing your battery terminals, how long does it take for the cel to come back and is it always the same cylinder misfire? If it is, does the cylinder misfire move to a new cylinder if you swap coilpacks? How about if you swap injectors?

How do the spark plugs look?

How much oil does the engine burn in 1000 miles?

These are all basic trouble shooting and questions that should be answered before proceeding to the next step, certainly of some Indy shop taking your money on a reman engine.

I have been through several engines in my car after 12 years of boosting and various unlucky circumstances, and have always taken my chances with low mile (Sub 60k)used engines to swap in. I know there are company's that do reman Japanese engines, but I have not heard of anyone going this route with an F20/F22 on this forum or locally in our club to gauge success. Id hesitate to jump on that avenue without fully exploring alternatives. How much are they quoting you for reman engine and labor total?

sqwsqw

It was getting misfire on 1+2 plus the random code, then came back as 2 only before I took it in. So it does jive. When I reset it, it took quite a bit for it to come back (about 10 drive cycles). But it definitely is idling rough, kinda randomly hitching/shuddering/burbling at idle when it's fully warmed up. I swapped coilpacks on cyl 1 since cyl 2 coilpack had already been replaced but I'll try moving them around some more to see if it has any noticeable effect. Can look at the plugs as well.

I have been running Mobil1 and the engine seems to use about a quart every thousand miles. Since it's an 00 my understanding is that is normal.

So you would recommend a used engine over a reman engine? I wouldn't guess F20s with low mileage are very common these days? And wouldn't trying to swap in an F22 be even more of a retrofitting hassle?

Soviet

Always. Honda is always going to be the best engine builder of these engines. You should be able to find a lowish mileage F20C for 3-4k

Slowcrash_101

If you find a low mileage 04-05 that's the ticket right there, pretty much a straight swap. I would do a leakdown test before I splurge on an engine, followed by putting a boroscope in the cylinder to see if the walls are scratched up. The reason for the leakdown would be to see if it's the cylinder is losing compression or the valves. It's a lot easier to rebuild the head than it is the block, for one, it's easier to ship to someone that can do the job properly than the block itself.

Billman250

My question is who is offering a remanufactured engine?

Chances are very slim it needs an entire new engine, get it diagnosed properly.

Car Analogy

Beware of rebuilt engines for this car. Not easy to rebuild this motor. I can see some place that does lots of Honda rebuilds for local garages thinking with their experience they can do an S motor too. Stay away from that. If its not an S2K specialist, beware.

Used motor is a better bet.

But, most important thing first is correct diagnosis. How many perfectly good auto transmissions you think get rebuilt each year when all they really needed was some simple fix, and someone competent to diagnose it? I don't know either, but I'm sure its a scary number.

If something is at all complex, most shops would rather just throw in a rebuild than actually try and figure it out. Don't let that happen here with your motor.

Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup

jkelley

If any mechanic told me I need to replace the engine on the only two facts being that the valves were "in spec" and the compression was low on one cylinder... I would turn and walk away.

Leak down test. You still have several things to check out. You may not need a new engine. For example, you may have a burned valve that even though is in spec is not sealing properly. That's a $1,000 repair done and done versus $5-6k.

Find a new mechanic.

sqwsqw

I understand the concept of a leakdown test, but I wouldn't know how to interpret the figures once they're given back? I will try to read around on the forums to see if there are guidelines to s2k leakdown testing...

Replacing a burned valve would mean pulling the head, right?

sqwsqw

They said they had a reputable source but didn't reveal it. I could call back and ask, I guess...