Picked up my third S2K in September, a new '06. Of course other than the new stuff added for MY '06, it was a familar experience, at least for the break-in period.

At about 800 miles, I started hearing a whine sounding very much like it was coming from the diff, between 54-60 MPH, noticable under at least partial throttle loads. Then a slightly different pitched version started at around 44-48 MPH.

I had to take the car in for PA inspection once I got the Ohio temp plate off and the PA permanent plate on (I bought the car in Ohio, where I work during the week, but have it registered in PA), so I added that to the list of things for Smail Honda (Greensburg, PA) to check.

My service adviser called to let me know they checked it out and found metal shavings in the diff fluid, so they have a new diff on order for me. He claims he's seen this on only one other relatively new S2K.

I would say that in all the Honda products I've owned --- quite a few Honda/Acura's over the space of 20 years --- this is probably the most significant warranty replacement I have ever had. I'm not especially displeased as these Honda service guys are very good, don't mess you around, and just get on with handling warranty work like they should, but it was a bit disquieting to see a bad diff right out of the box on such a limited production car.

Incidentally, I also noticed what seemed like a larger gap at the leading edge of the hood on this MY, with more of the weatherseal/gasket intruding into this gap. I looked like a design change, which both the dealer confirmed as did my own visual inspection of another brand new S2K they had on their lot. The fit doesn't look as "neat" as the previous versions (yeah, I know it's a nit), but I presume they were trying to resolve an issue of water seeping past the weatherseal at this location in messy weather, something I noticed happened occasionally to both my previous S2Ks.

 

I wonder if this car had been thrashed by some porters at the dealer....

 

My '06 has this exact same whine. I changed the fluid the other day at 5000 miles and it came out grey with the plug covered in grey goop. The fluid change has reduced the noise but not eliminated it. I guess I need to goto my dealer. Only problem is they did a poor job on my cr-v when I took it in for service a few weeks ago. Can anyone recomend a dealer in northern va.?

 

My old 06 had similar symptoms. Both the diff and the hood

 

when i test drove my06, the whine was extra loud, it poped out of 2nd, 3rd grinded,

weird, seems like their quality control has gone down the drain, are the 06-07 still being made in japan?

 

My 06 _may_ also have the same problem. After my first oil change there is a whine (sounds similar to when you blow down a long hollow tube) which disappears as the engine warm ups. Another problem I have had since practically the first day is that my sixth gear would pop to neutral while cruising - checked the transmission fluid and it is at the proper level; hard to reproduce but happened fifteen/twenty times in the last 12 months.

 

I've never heard of an OEM diff that DIDN'T produce gray, gunky fluid at the first change (even at just a few thousand miles). The service interval of 105K miles is pure fantasy. However, after the first change, they are typically fine (no more shavings).

Sounds like the OP is being taken care of, so why worry? For other new owners, keep in mind that this car's drivetrain is a symphony of whines, whistles, and rattles, all of which are normal considering its tight specs and the car's minimal sound insulation. (There should be no real vibrations, though.) I'd recommend a couple preventive fluid changes (see the many FAQs here for fluid choices and DIYs), then only start to worry if the sounds change or get noticeably worse, or if you pick up a vibration.

Oh, but shifters popping out of gear should be looked at. (Generally nothing serious, but you shouldn't have to live with it.) See FAQs and Service Bulletin areas for help.

 

Bracky, I take mine to Rule Honda in Staunton, VA. Don't know anything bad and haven't used them long enough to have any negatives. They're replacing my 2nd gear set because it pops out and they've ordered the parts. I'll take the car in after the parts arrive and they'll give me a car to drive until mine's repaired (probably a Civic).

 

I recently changed my diff fluid on my 3 month old 06. Came out all nasty grey which is normal as twohoos said. Didn't notice any particles on the drain cap. I also get a small whine on load (any throttle) around 71~73mph on the rear left side. Trusted local tech listened to it and said it was normal resonance of some kind. It's annoying but I can live with it.

 

just hit 130 miles today on my 06, i do notice that turning left or right, slower speeds, on the gas, the diff tends to growl a bit. kinda sounds like my old ap1