tixuk

Hello all,

Please help guys, I've got a 99 Jap import S2k, 70,000 miles, which I've had nothing but problems with since the word go. I've owned it 8 months now, and so far I've had 2 clutches, 2 calipers on the rear, a crunch in a car park, and now, to top it all, I was driving along and heard a light banging at around 3-4k revs. I was just round the corner from a relatives so carried on, the noise got louder and louder till it was going nuts - then a short squeak/squeal, followed by more banging, then it stalled. It still turns over and starts fine, just sounds like I've got a nutter under the bonnet with a sledgehammer!

I've been good with checking the oil but must admit it was a bit low when I stopped to see the damage.

To me, the inexperienced, it sounds bl**dy terminal, or at least, expensive! My mechanic isn't sure what it is, he's looked at the cam shaft and that all looks ok, he seems to think it's possibly some small valves (8 of them apparently) that are just under the cam shaft (at least I think they're under that - they're just below the two metal poles that run lengthways through the engine block!). He thinks they may have got stuck open, but to me this wouldn't explain the noise, would it? Alternatively, he said the timing chain may have jumped out of sync, but again, I'm (obviously) no mechanic, so couldn't tell him one way or another.

Please can you help chaps and chappesses, I'm lost without my S and am seriously considering selling it as is on ebay, bust engine and all, cos I can't really afford to put 4 grand of engine in to a car that's worth 8.

Just as another point, I don't suppose an engine breakdown could possibly be considered a write-off by an insurance company, could it?

Any advice would be much appreciated,

Rich Stephens

AquilaEagle

Any smoke?

Sounds horrid, bottom end related possibly.

Have you got your head in the bonnet and had a good listen to where it might be coming from?

No engine warning light?

alex.stanley

Completely different car, but I had a car once that started to sound like a diesel even though it was a petrol - gingerly drove it to a car place and they found that the timing chain was loose and rattling around inside its casing (or something).

Could it be this?

alex.stanley

Watch out for the fanbelt, obviously

mikey k

DON'T START IT AGAIN!

If the CEL came on pull the code and see what it reports.
Check the valve retainers common fault on over reved engines
Drop the oil and chack for metallic contamination
Pull the plugs and look for oil on each
If your mechanic has an endoscope have a look at the bores of each cylinder
Manually turn it over to check the valve adjustments with the plugs out
Consider a compression test (though this needs the engine cranking over a few times)

I'd guess it may be either a dropped valve due to a stretch retain/over rev or no4 has picked up as it is a JDM and probaby didn't get the oil bolt recall. Replacement used engine will be ~

Dembo

99 JDM with 70K? Just like mine then.

I'm curious as to how you've got through two clutches.

oxhouser

I am not sure your mechanic is up to this engine I think its worth the extra to take it to Honda and let them tell you what it is
I spun a shell on my Alfas con rod so had 2 halfs on top of each other and running metal to metal on the other half it started with a faint rattle and before I had gone 2 miles it sounded like someone was hitting the engine block with a hammer- complete bottom end engine rebuild was required
rough guide is fast knocking is crank, knocks every second rev is cams and every 4 is con rods I know thats very general but if its a destinct knock with a pause inbetween and gets louder when the engine is under load its probably a con rod bearing.

Hope its nothing too expensive

tixuk

Thanks very much for your quick responses chaps. To me, it sounded like it was coming from the top of the engine, just under the red cover, at least it sounded like it was from there. There is/was no engine warning light, just this banging! And no smoke that I can see... I'm concerned about taking it to honda cos they'll pull it apart, charge me, then tell me it needs a new engine! Still, better I know I suppose...

Re: the timing chain, my mechanic checked this and it seems under tension still, so I don't think it's that. I may be wrong though!

And as for my clutch, here's a story you'll all like. I took it to a garage in the West Midlands (a Honda specialist apparently - see the classifieds in old copies of Banzai magazine to work out who!) to change the 99 clutch for an 05 one with no buzz. Paid my 600 squid, fitted, picked it up, found it wouldn't go into 1st unless the engine was off! So I took it back. They fitted a new one, next day I drive home to Newcastle, 2 miles from home engine warning light comes on, then it dies. Proper dead. Being 200 miles from the garage, I took it into Honda. They said it was the alternator. Replaced it, still dead. So they looked at the clutch, turns out the garage in Birmingham had (and I'm no mechanic remember guys) trapped the alternator cable in the clutch, cutting the power. So they bypassed the lead (after 2 weeks in their garage) and charged me 1800 quid for the privilege (+ the alternator cost). Add to that the hire car for 2 weeks and I was badly out of pocket. So I go back to the garage in Birmingham, telling them what they'd done and that I'd send them the bill, which I did. They, obviously, refused to pay, and by this time the work has been done by Honda, and they haven't taken any pictures (as requested by me), so it's essentially my word against his. After months of hassling them, I said s*d it, just replace my clutch again (cos by this point it had gone really heavy, don't think they used any grease at all when putting it in), to which they said they'd only replace it if I paid them another 600 quid to put a new one in, then they'd look at the old one and decide if it was their fault or not! Now I know I've screwed up, should have taken pics, gone to court etc... but tbh I;ve had a proper rough year, and I've had it up to here, just want shot now.

So there you go - I now own a car that I've had for 9 months, spent approximately 16 grand on it, it's still undriveable and it's probably worth half that, IF I spend another 3 grand minimum to sort it out! You can understand my reluctance to throw good money after bad!

I'm away for this week but will read all your replies on my phone, so please keep the suggestions coming, and any messages of condolences are also appreciated!

Incidentally what would I get for it selling it now, bust engine and all?

Thanks guys,

Rich

Rapscallion

you can still take the other garage to court, ask the honda garage to stand witness.

muppets like this should be allowed to get away with it. bill is small enough for small claims

also you didnt have to pay the alternator cost as they had not correctly diagnosed the problem

lower

You're not going to want to hear this, but unless you get the engine fixed, your car is worth peanuts.

From the noise you describe your engine as making, its got bent valves at the least. Its just not cost effective to start opening up the F20 engine so find yourself a second hand one.

Get a second hand engine fitted and the clutch can be sorted at the same time. Then sell the car to cut your losses if you can't afford to keep it.

You have my sympathies though, nasty situation to be in. Sounds like you've been done good and proper by the first garage and by honda. How they managed to charge you