2008 Chicane Silver / base purchased brand new by me in 2008, so one owner. Just over 15k miles, never raced or tracked in any way, driven hard on occasion but it has had a relatively easy life as S2000's go. Always garaged, seen rain maybe a dozen times, cold temperatures (New England) but no snow/ice/salt. Regular oil changes with 10-30 synthetic, as needed, and engine and cabin filters, all done by me. And of course it has had the battery replaced at some point along the way. Looking for suggestions on where to start with some [probably overdue] more involved maintenance that I don't have the time or tools for. I'm thinking two essentials off the top are 1) transmission fluid flush and replacement 2) coolant flush and replacement. Any other suggestions? The car is a 9+ out of 10 condition-wise, as S2000's go, but feel like I need to catch up on some things due to the accumulated raw age of the car, 14 years old now. Exhaust, belts, undercarriage, etc are all perfect. At this point I will only trust the dealer to do any work on it, even though it will certainly cost me more. Anyone, anyone? Thanks in advance!!

 

Trans and diff fluid - I use 15K mile intervals for street cars. Its probably overkill though.

Brake fluid once every 1 to 2yrs regardless of miles.

...idk.

not really much else besides fluids. belts when needed. cabin/air filters every year or two...

Shin Etsu silicone grease on the rubber seals every year or two.

and car washes when its dirty.

its a pretty low maintenance car overall.

 

Might wanna check the date on the tires too... they're considered unsafe after 7 years old, regardless of miles.

And valve-lash adjustment/check... which tend to become too tight on Ap2s.

But, yeah... just do all fluids and expendables.

 

Grab a copy of the Service Manual and review Chapter 3 Maintenance. The '06 and later have the Maintenance Minder in the dash which is less than helpful for you so use the 2005 maintenance schedule which works on miles or months. Brake fluid change was due long ago as was coolant. Gearbox will feel smoother when that oil is changed and the rear differential is no doubt due now. Don't worry about flushing the gearbox and differential just change their oils. Follow the lubricant specs in your owners manual -- it's not rocket science. You will want to check your valve clearances and adjust if necessary. If the accessory belt idler is out of spec replace with an OEM belt. Your tires were trash 7 years ago.
It's practically an article of faith here that the dealer is the absolute last place you want a S2000 serviced. They're good for your Civic -- this ain't a Civic.

-- Chuck

 

Thanks everyone. Diff. fluid and brake fluid are two that did not occur to me, but definitely should have!! Chuck, you've made me think twice about the dealer. Where I live, tuner shops are NOT a dime-a-dozen, but I'm sure there is one around somewhere that has seen their share of S's - I'll start looking.

 

I have a 2009 now with 76K miles. Also a garage queen but I am in California so it never really gets wet and never on snow especially with summer performance tires.
I did my first valve check at the suggestion of Billman at 40K miles or so. Indeed my valves were tight and if left alone they would have torched something (according to Billman) by the milage I am at now. I did another valve check about 10K miles ago but they really did not change from the first valve adjust.

I did the coolant flush at 10 years and I bet your coolant is just fine with so few miles but you could do it without issue. I do the Billman gravity drain for the brake fluid every 3 years with just me. Just make sure you have the time and don't let the reservoir go empty.

With your low miles and garage situation, you may want to think about putting on a ceramic coating and/or a film treatment to keep the bumper and hood in great shape. At a minimum I would film the headlights so they never haze over.

 

The last S2000 was sold by a dealer in 2008 or 2009, at least 13 years ago. They were rarities then and rarer now. Front engine/rear drive cars are completely foreign to Honda mechanics. Stories of Honda dealers using the wrong oil in the gearbox or differential abound (OK, there's at least a couple but that's too many ). S2000 oil filter is unique to the car. Not saying good dealers can't do it but they may be the exception since they rarely see these cars. I bought my used S2000 from a big Honda dealer and she's not been back in the past 8 years other than for an extra set of keys.

There are photo essays and videos in the library here. Literally ALL routine and preventive maintenance is easy DIY with a minimum of tools. After all the car is a Honda and none of the maintenance is exotic or difficult. Most challenging thing is checking the valve clearances.

Link up with some local owners for "drives" and swap information. Many tools can be borrowed and teaming up for a valve adjustment makes a pleasant morning. There's something satisfying about doing your own engine oil change for example. If you find a good S2000 mechanic all the better.

-- Chuck

 

my schedule. Autocross/dragon trip use only. approx 4500-5000 miles annually. I do all the work myself as no one locally can do it as well as me, or as cheaply.
Coolant with ONLY HONDA fluid q5years after the 10 year change.
Diff fluid every year.
Brake fluid every year with Dot4 ATE or equivalent
Clutch reservoir changed out twice yearly
Trans fluid q2yrs.
Oil change PCX-004 filter every 6000-7000 kms or whenever the maintenance minder tells me.
Blinker fluid annually.
Spec valve adjustment now and recheck every 3 years or so.

darcy

 

I use my S2000 strictly on the street/freeways. No racing.

1.) I use 5W-30 Mobil One Extended Perfomance motor oil. Change twice a year.
2.) OEM oil filter with each change. Still have enough of the older, dark blue 15400-PCX-004 filters.
3.) OEM air filter. My S2000 is a 2007 model. Filter stock: 17220-PZX-003.
4.) Royal Purple Synchromax transmission oil. Once every two years.
5.) Mobil One synthetic 75W-140 gear lube in the differential. Once every two years.
6.) ATE Typ 200 brake fluid for brakes and clutch.
7.) NGK Iridium spark plugs. IFR7G-11KS.
8.) OEM clutch and pressure plate recently replaced.
9.) Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (need replacing).

 

Least this thread morph into yet another "best engine oil" and "oil change interval" I'll just note the engine oil analysis of my Royal Purple pure synthetic 5W-30 oil indicates there is no need to change it after maybe 4,000 miles and two years. I don't recall the Maintenance Minder ever alerting me to an oil change so I use the 2005 schedule as a guide and ignore the "or X months" regarding full synthetic lubricants. So far, so good. As always: My sample of one (1).

-- Chuck