themadchef

hi i have had allot of work done to my s2000, work as in fixing problems, they were all fixed under warranty...1st i had a short block replacement, it just seemed after that i just had problem after problem for about a year.....i had a grinding problem when shifting quickly from 1st to 2nd..that was fixed under warranty...then even more problems....they tried to fix it...well to make a long story short...they fixed my trans like 3 times.."they" are my local honda dealer...they said that everything is fixed...well i love my car..i have been putting on a lot of troble free miles..but i still hear a humming type whinning sound when i am in any gear...you can really hear it in top gear......i had herd this problem when i did have problems in the past...someone had told me that it is a normal sound with s2000 cars...should i bring it back.....to service..or is this a loosing battle.....also when i am going slow or making a u turn i hear a walawala sound comming from my differential..its sort of a whinning sound..when i go really slow or making a turn........should i just get rid of the car..i only have 22k on it...i have been having allot of problems and they just seem like its something else...i really enjoy my car..i would hate to sell her...tell me what you think.......

thanks Chef Dan

xviper

You say you have had a lot of tranny work done, so this could be part of what is wrong. However, the description you gave points toward the rear diff. The car has 22K on it. Have you ever had the rear diff fluid changed? If not, why not? If so, by whom? If by the dealer, they could have put the wrong fluid in and this could have ruined the diff for you.

themadchef

well xviper..the tranny has been serviced and they said it was fixed...but i do still hear the high pitched whine...its not that loud..u got to listen for it.....i dont know i have just brought it in so many times..and they never to seem to get it correct....and with the differential...i never changed the fluid..just because i never thought i had to at this milage...i bring it in for the regular servise intervals and they never told me that i had to change the fluid........with that sound i hear...do i need to change just the fluid...or is the diff broken...i have to bring it in for the 22k service soon...i just want a reliable car...my car is in the shop half the time...but is tranny whinning normal...or should i hear nothing..when i am driving....it is very lite...the pitch goes higher the faster i go....if i do bring it back in for this problem this is like 4th or 5th time for this....anyway..i just dont know..

concerned..Danny

p.s. are you a honda cert mechanic?

xviper

I'm not even a certified mechanic. You don't have to believe anything I say. It only comes from over 35 years of experience being a back yard mechanic, from doing all my own work on the S2000 and from studying the Helm manual on it. I don't ever claim to know it all, so you must take what I say with a grain of salt.

First of all, the whine you hear may or may not be normal. Since you can't pinpoint where exactly it's coming from, you can't even be sure if it's the tranny, rear diff or wheel bearings.
It is common knowledge here that the service interval for rear diff fluid changes is much to long. The first one should have been done within the first few thousand miles of the car's life and then about every 10K miles thereafter, more if you track the car. The diff in this car works very hard for its size and running fluid in there for extended durations is detrimental, unless you drive it like a granny to church on Sundays.
A whine from the diff (if this is where it's coming from) is not necessarily a sign that it is broken, however, it would not be a good thing. If you rely upon a dealer to change this fluid, make sure they know that Honda does NOT have an "in-house" fluid that is meant for this tranny. They have a memo on this. Many dealers do not know this and will put in the wrong fluid.
To find out for sure if this whine is normal, you'll need an experienced S2000 owner who knows about mechanics ride with you and listen. Diagnosing car problems over the internet is never a sure thing.

themadchef

exviper...i never ment to insult you..i just thought i would ask because you have a big understanding of the s2000...i really like that you are helping me out..i never wanted to insult you...so thanks for the info and i will let my dealer know about my rear differential fluid...do you have the order number for the correct fluid or a name....

thanks for all the info

thanks Danny

xviper

I was never insulted in any way. Sorry if my response sounded like I was. I was very happy to tell you of my background. I never wish to deceive anyone here and it was my attempt to disclose the facts. So please don't consider that you insulted me. That was not how I took it.
There are many of us on this forum who are just ordinary car enthusiasts who have developed a lot of experience with cars, including the S2000. We try to help people out as best we can and as far as I can tell, none of us would ever try to lead anyone on into thinking that we are licenced or certified. We also have a few licenced mechanics on the board too. Billman250 is one such person whose expertise is well respected. You'll also find a couple of Honda techs on board but because these people do this sort of thing everyday, they don't always spend a lot of time here answering questions. We also have "Ultimate Lurker", who is a popular S2000 tuner in California. He too, doesn't post much because he is very busy. Ocassionally, you'll see a post from "Woodwork". He is with Honda America's tech division in Torrence. His department is responsible for tech problems that dealers have with the S2000 and NSX. When these guys post, everyone listens.