Hi everyone, I have a question about a noise my Honda S2000 is making. I have owned it for about three weeks now and I didn't really notice it untill I drove it with the top up for the first time the other day. The noise is a fairly harsh ratling noise that is louder the lower the gear/the higher the rpm's. I hear the noise when the car is in gear and I lift my foot off the gas. It seems like It is coming from the transmission or the driveshaft/differential (its pretty hard to pinpoint). Someone I met said he had a similar problem and it was due to the driveshaft not being alligned with the cv arms....but I don't know much about mechanics so if someone has a second opinion I would really appreciate it.

 

This car definately makes a few rattles, but I think you are talking about "clutch buzz" - which is a common issue with MY99-02's. I think it is due to the spring inside the pressure plate of the clutch being too weak, which in return rattles at certain frequencies that the gearbox gives off. It is harmless to the car, but annoying as hell - you have to tell people "no, its normal, they are supposed to do that". Believe me, I know cause mine does it something terrible.

I have also heard from the guy I almost bought one form that the MY99-01's use brass synchro's and the MY02-up use carbide. Not sure if that is a contributing factor though.

Clutch buzz usually will happen at the middle of the power band, in all gears, under decceleration.

Get to know some S2ki people in your area that own the car. They are usually very knowledgable about them and will do install/detail days were you can learn how to do maintenance on the car yourself, instead of letting the dealer rip you off - and possibly damage your beutiful car.

Enjoy the forums and the search button!

 

In case you havnt found this yet : The Ultimate DIY FAQ <--- priceless information on your S2000. I never did any maintenance to any of my cars until I found this.

There are lots of things to go over for a new owner of a used S2000.

-Check the oil level (cold and on a level surface) and Make sure the oil is changed every 3000miles.
-If you dont know when the Diff and Tranny fluid were changed last, DO IT.
-Check your tire pressures - 32psi all around is a good starting point for a street driven S.
-Check the condition of the tread on your tires - the car will get very "tail happy" when the rears are low on tread and very dangerous in the wet.
-DO NOT drive the car to the limit on the street - it will bite you if you dont respect the handling prowess this car is capable of. IF you dont feel comfortable driving it hard yet, don't. Many owners would agree that an HPDE (track day with instruction) is a must if you plan on "seeing what she can do".
-remember that the rear wheels are wider than the fronts and make sure to remind your tire installer of this.

More advanced stuff for your local memebrs or a good mechanic:
-pull the valve cover and check the condition of the retainers or keepers in the valve train. If any are cracked, dont drive the car til you replace them as it will be a time bomb at that point. Great, I know
-MY99-MY02 everywhere else in the world got the update oil jet banjo bolts, but we ddint because we dont drive ours as hard as europeans or Japanese. Good move Honda

 

If I figure it out I'll let you know, skworden. Thanks for all the tips slipangle as soon as I get some time I'll take a good look at those forums and check as much stuff on the car as possible.

 

in the back of the trunk around the fuel tube i put a towel around it and the loud bees in a can buzz sound went away. but i have a loud a$$ invidia exhaust that vibrates the whole car and my stock didnt buzz but who knows try this

 

I have a magnaflow exhaust with the top up the plastic tray that the top rides in when down will buzz like crazy. I put thick foam between the tray and spare tire and it stoped......good luck..

 

i figured mine out it was the countershaft...my car did that too it was only when i let my foot off the gas and in gear...it ended up being the clutch release bearing

 

I too get a moaning sound from either the front right or directly underneath me. It is most noticeable in 2nd gear with no throttle at midrange RPM during deceleration. If the AC is on it is even louder.

For those who got this fixed, what was the problem? Skworden, you say this was caused by the clutch release bearing. What was the fix and how much did it run you? Did you take it to a dealership? SlipAngle79, you seem to imply that this is something that can be ignored and not cause damage to the car in the long run. Am I understanding that correctly?

~Kevin

 

Yeah man, its definately clutch buzz. If you do a search under clutch buzz, you will find the same symptoms as the op. Decelerating in gear at about 2500-4000rpm is when it is usually loudest. If the rattle is coming from the tunnel, I would bet money that it is clutch buzz - there was even a TSB for it but since we are all out of warranty - we are fuxored. The TSB replaced the pressure plate with a new one, which some owners report as fixing the problem only to have it come back later. IIRC when you get an aftermarket clutch, the noise goes away.

Skworden - since your car is MY03, it came with the updated press plate and synchros. MY02and up reportedly don't suffer from the clutch buzz issue, so I imagine it was a different noise/conditions?

 

Slipangle, I have an '04. Thoughts?