Reliability of 99 S2K

[pilotb777_300]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum as I own a honda euro, but I'm thinking of switching to the dark side ! I've already posted in the euro forum asking for ppls advice on the car compred to the euro, but I wanted to get some S2K owners opinions. I can only afford about 35K at the momement and wated something more sporty than the euro. am I being realistic in finding a reasonably low KM 99 S2K and if so, how reliable are they ?? I've read that they have transmission problems. I would also like to know a bit about resale value.. r they likely to hold their price considering this might be the last year of new S2K production ?? and in terms of practicality ?? what r they like for everyday driving ??

[preludacris]

lol

how is an s2k the dark side... its still honda! lolz nissan is the darkside man..

i also heard the the s2k's transmission is pretty weak, u wouldnt wanna be dumping the clutch from high revs...

[destrukshn]

weak if you give it a hard time, like any other car.
lol.
treat it with respect, and keep it regulary maintained, and it shouldn't give you any problems.
=)

[pilotb777_300]

weak if you give it a hard time, like any other car.
lol.
treat it with respect, and keep it regulary maintained, and it shouldn't give you any problems.
=)



thats fair enough if I had owned the car from new, but how do I know the person b4 me wasnt flat shifting every 2 mins ! Is it easy to tell if a car has been thrashed ???

ohh and btw "The dark side" was a comment that came from someone in the euro forum when I asked for opinions on switching cars ! lol

[.::F[L]Y::.]

for 35k u shoukd be able to pick up a silver one with abt 60-70k km.... An s2000 is like any other car, keep it maintained and drive it sensibly and nothing will break. i tracked my one 3 times and it was running fine during the time i have owned mine.

[destrukshn]

thats fair enough if I had owned the car from new, but how do I know the person b4 me wasnt flat shifting every 2 mins ! Is it easy to tell if a car has been thrashed ???

ohh and btw "The dark side" was a comment that came from someone in the euro forum when I asked for opinions on switching cars ! lol
check for servicing, clean changes, just common little things.
oen thing is to check that the rear tyres.
lol.

[pilotb777_300]

thanks guys ! Anyone know anything about the future of the S2K. Has honda got anything in the pipe line that might come out soon and kill the value of the current s2K ?

[WhiteAP1]

the transmission is by no means weak. Its one of the best H gate boxes in the world, and that not just an opinion. Abuse the hell out of a car and it will break. There is a clutch buzz issue, but apart from a little cabin noise it has no mechanical impact what so ever.

For 35k u'll probably find a silver "99" (car was released as a 2000 model in 1999) with high ks. 07 will most likely be the s2000's final year.

Ive got a build dated 00 model,second hand, minor mods, 65,000 kms. hard driving, clutch drop every now and again, havnt had an issue. The s2000 is a tough little car, like most hondas.

[destrukshn]

transmission is quite strong.
but the DIFF is the part that lets you down.

[kongfu]

I love S2K gearbox..35k is a bit tight to find a good condition as well as low kms s2k.

Anyway, good luck!:)

[ROLLED]

lol

how is an s2k the dark side... its still honda! lolz nissan is the darkside man..

i also heard the the s2k's transmission is pretty weak, u wouldnt wanna be dumping the clutch from high revs...

if you plan on dropping the clutch do it from 6-7k rpm so the tires break loose straight away, that will relieve the transmission of most of the stress. You only start to break things once you launch from lower RPMs and bog down.

the gear box itself can be quite fragile if you don't use it a certain way and i dont necessarily mean driving hard...most of the problems come from the 5th and 6th gear syncros from people that skip gears when upshifting...there's quite alot written about on s2ki.com

[ROLLED]

btw I just read the first few responses in your thread in the euro forum, and all i can think now is how biased and wrong they are...I actually went and drove a demo Accord Euro on the weekend (2600kms on the clock) it was the luxury with sat nav and all the goodies. However it was the semi-auto, which is good to see that you don't have, because it was really no where near what a manual box feels like.

But as far as being nippy around town, the s2k uses revs (ie. shorter gearing) to compensate for the lack of torque; keep the revs over 2k and you wont have an issue. After giving the euro a good caining, all i can say is that i highly doubt it will keep up with the s2k in first gear at all after the s2k hits vtec.

I can't believe "smooth" shifting was brought up...thats is ultimately down to the driver?? Insurance premiums can be an issue, im 19 and paying $2375 p/a with just cars which is really good i think (it's registered and insured only under my name) it's the excess which is the killer!

btw "industrie" doesn't have a S2K, he drives a prelude.

I've found it to be quite alright in day to day driving, it's my only car at the moment so i dont have much choice. Also I got mine a few months back and it has quite a hard clutch, it's probably not OEM (alot harder then the other ones i've tried), but it's something you would get used to from driving a manual already...I find myself stuck up a certain hill in traffic which is about 3-400m long and i still find it alright to use. But generally the OEM clutch is fairly soft.

You would definately need to check with the log books to make sure the car has been serviced on a strict regular basis, remember the engine was designed to rev to 9200 rpm, but it is a bit hard to determine whether it has been over-revved on the downshift.

Btw are you in Melb,syd?? because on roads with tram tracks the car can be a killer on your back!! otherwise it's fairly smooth else-where!! good luck and trust me you'll love the car!!

[pilotb777_300]

btw I just read the first few responses in your thread in the euro forum, and all i can think now is how biased and wrong they are...I actually went and drove a demo Accord Euro on the weekend (2600kms on the clock) it was the luxury with sat nav and all the goodies. However it was the semi-auto, which is good to see that you don't have, because it was really no where near what a manual box feels like.

But as far as being nippy around town, the s2k uses revs (ie. shorter gearing) to compensate for the lack of torque; keep the revs over 2k and you wont have an issue. After giving the euro a good caining, all i can say is that i highly doubt it will keep up with the s2k in first gear at all after the s2k hits vtec.

I can't believe "smooth" shifting was brought up...thats is ultimately down to the driver?? Insurance premiums can be an issue, im 19 and paying $2375 p/a with just cars which is really good i think (it's registered and insured only under my name) it's the excess which is the killer!

btw "industrie" doesn't have a S2K, he drives a prelude.

I've found it to be quite alright in day to day driving, it's my only car at the moment so i dont have much choice. Also I got mine a few months back and it has quite a hard clutch, it's probably not OEM (alot harder then the other ones i've tried), but it's something you would get used to from driving a manual already...I find myself stuck up a certain hill in traffic which is about 3-400m long and i still find it alright to use. But generally the OEM clutch is fairly soft.

You would definately need to check with the log books to make sure the car has been serviced on a strict regular basis, remember the engine was designed to rev to 9200 rpm, but it is a bit hard to determine whether it has been over-revved on the downshift.

Btw are you in Melb,syd?? because on roads with tram tracks the car can be a killer on your back!! otherwise it's fairly smooth else-where!! good luck and trust me you'll love the car!!


Thanks for that mate !!! Thats just the type of response I was after ! The manual euro is much zippier than the auto I think its almost a second quicker in the 0-100 times... The things with the euro is its quite torquey at the low end of the revs (for a 4 cylinder) which makes it a lot easier to drive around town. The problem is Vtec doesnt kick in till above 6000RPM which kinda sucks ! cause u get quite a good kick out of it ! only problem is u gotta shift at 7300 ! not much Vtec Range. I also wanted to drive something sportier while I still could ! (no wife, kids etc..)
I'm gonna go test drive an s2000 this weekend to get an idea for myself of how the car handels.

ohh and btw I live in melbourne ! :(

[aaronng]

btw I just read the first few responses in your thread in the euro forum, and all i can think now is how biased and wrong they are...I actually went and drove a demo Accord Euro on the weekend (2600kms on the clock) it was the luxury with sat nav and all the goodies. However it was the semi-auto, which is good to see that you don't have, because it was really no where near what a manual box feels like.

But as far as being nippy around town, the s2k uses revs (ie. shorter gearing) to compensate for the lack of torque; keep the revs over 2k and you wont have an issue. After giving the euro a good caining, all i can say is that i highly doubt it will keep up with the s2k in first gear at all after the s2k hits vtec.

You should have tested the manual version of the Accord Euro. :) It's totally different. In 1st gear, the Euro will keep up (but not overtake) the S2000 up to 7000rpm. 1st gear ends at about 58-60km/h and after shifting, the S2000 just pulls away and leaves the Euro in the dust. :)

[aaronng]

Thanks for that mate !!! Thats just the type of response I was after ! The manual euro is much zippier than the auto I think its almost a second quicker in the 0-100 times... The things with the euro is its quite torquey at the low end of the revs (for a 4 cylinder) which makes it a lot easier to drive around town. The problem is Vtec doesnt kick in till above 6000RPM which kinda sucks ! cause u get quite a good kick out of it ! only problem is u gotta shift at 7300 ! not much Vtec Range. I also wanted to drive something sportier while I still could ! (no wife, kids etc..)
I'm gonna go test drive an s2000 this weekend to get an idea for myself of how the car handels.

ohh and btw I live in melbourne ! :(
In the Euro, torque in highcam is actually lower than at 4500rpm. So you actually pull harder at 4500rpm than at 6000-7000rpm. If you want sporty, go with the S2000. Once you get a family in a few years, you can sell off the S2000 and pick up a 2nd hand 2005/06 Euro for dirt cheap.

[ROLLED]

yeah the dealer told me vtec kicks in at around 4k RPM, but that was after i drove it, I couldn't really feel it kick in when i was driving...but it's definately not slow...and yeah trust me i wanted to test the manual!!! haha

yeah watch out for certain parts of toorak and bridge rd. they can be quite bumpy where the tram tracks are! haha

mm..yeah thinking back now the euro was drive-able in a low RPM range, the s2k defiantely is not, the owners manual suggests shifting at 3-4k rpm i think...but thats excessive haha...i usually shift between 2.5k to 3krpm to ensure the next gear stays above 2k rpm when im driving around town.

anyways i think you should enjoy it while your young, the previous owner of my car before it was passed through a dealer bought himself a euro accord!

[aaronng]

yeah the dealer told me vtec kicks in at around 4k RPM, but that was after i drove it, I couldn't really feel it kick in when i was driving...but it's definately not slow...and yeah trust me i wanted to test the manual!!! haha
WTF dealer doesn't know the cars he is selling lol. The Accord VTi's vtec is at about 4k. The Euro's is at 6k. Not much point hitting 6k though, as there is not much of a kick. From the dynos, it's just an extension of the torque curve rather than a nice bump like in the F20C and K20A.



mm..yeah thinking back now the euro was drive-able in a low RPM range, the s2k defiantely is not, the owners manual suggests shifting at 3-4k rpm i think...but thats excessive haha...i usually shift between 2.5k to 3krpm to ensure the next gear stays above 2k rpm when im driving around town.

That's the beauty of the k24a3. I can shift at 2000rpm in 1st to 5th gears and still not lug the engine. Although I end up being slower than a 2.2L auto camry, I get 9.5L/100km in the city. Shifting at 4000rpm ensures that you are ahead at all the traffic and gives you 10.5L/100km instead. It's a flexible engine for a sedan. It's no sports engine though, unless you destroke it to 2.3L, used balanced and lightweight internals to give a 9300rpm redline and 183kW at the wheels. LOL.

[Vuey]

just reading thru this thread ,
like everyone said , respect it and it will last .
however , like any car it has it probelms due to wear and tear / poor maintance .
Issues for the S2k such as clutch , roof , gear box , diffs etc are common .

You need to make up your mind , as they are both very different cars . The euro and the S2k . However , you might want to fork out abit extra for a 01+ as there were upgrades to clutch suspension / interior .

I will be selling my S2k later this year if your intrested ;)

[WhiteAP1]

i had a h23a prelude before my S. The S2000 (pre vtec) feels exactly like the prelude(at any rev range). The S does have a low tourque figure, but i dont find it hard daily driving at all (i live/work in the city) i find it as easy to drive as the prelude.

As for a weak diff, ive never heard of anyone blowing the centre on the street or even with light tunning. Most cases ive read about were on the track (with slicks) or had significant modification and consistant abuse.

The Euro is a great car, but its not a sports car or even a sporty car. Comparing the two in anyway is useless,especially preformance wise. Deciding which u like is up to u.

[pilotb777_300]

just reading thru this thread ,
like everyone said , respect it and it will last .
however , like any car it has it probelms due to wear and tear / poor maintance .
Issues for the S2k such as clutch , roof , gear box , diffs etc are common .

You need to make up your mind , as they are both very different cars . The euro and the S2k . However , you might want to fork out abit extra for a 01+ as there were upgrades to clutch suspension / interior .

I will be selling my S2k later this year if your intrested ;)

hey dude... thanks for the advise... what year s2K do u have and how many K's on it ?? also how muych are u asking for it ? I'm in a bit of a no mans land at the moememnt cause I need to sell my euro b4 buying an S2K but still need a car to drive around in the meantime !

[Vuey]

hey dude... thanks for the advise... what year s2K do u have and how many K's on it ?? also how muych are u asking for it ? I'm in a bit of a no mans land at the moememnt cause I need to sell my euro b4 buying an S2K but still need a car to drive around in the meantime !

i got a red 99 with exactly 59,000kms on the clock as of this morning . full service history ( she just had her 60,000km service a couple of weeks ago )
I am looking for mid $30's for it .
well if you currently have a Euro , your gonna really notice the diff with the S2000 , as there is little to none of the luxury features the Euro has . But its a raw sports / track car .

sorry i dont have any other pics atm .

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/vuey/lip2.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/vuey/lip1.jpg

[jko2]

there are so many little things that go wrong in this car - more than the other hondas.

And the transmission is pretty weak, the diff is very very weak. I've heard (and currently have) so many input shaft bearings in the box go. My mate had the same issue, went through 3 boxes from the wreckers before finding a box without the same problem

if you hear a light buzzing zzz sound from the box idling, neutral, clutch out and when you clutch in it goes away, thats your input shaft bearing. check that.

also check how the wheels rotate if possible to check the health of your diff. I've had to replace my diff already (though i have a rough clutch).

they're mostly little htings, the engines seem bulletproof though. lots of creaks and rattles from everywhere - i guess this can't be helped because its a soft top. the plastic rear window needs good maintenance, make sure that it doesn't have weird creases that will turn to tears as a lot of the plastic windows fold badly (in a V shape) especially when cold - (i always have to run out of the car to push the V in to make it fold properly)

the interior is pretty maintenance free, nothing there is goign wrong for me, i'm pretty anal about the side bolsters on the seats
hmm what else... i think thats about it, ive heard a lot of cases of panel gaps and stuff but i don't have those

[ROLLED]

"i always have to run out of the car to push the V in to make it fold properly"

haha i do exactly the same thing too!!

[Vuey]

there are so many little things that go wrong in this car - more than the other hondas.

And the transmission is pretty weak, the diff is very very weak. I've heard (and currently have) so many input shaft bearings in the box go. My mate had the same issue, went through 3 boxes from the wreckers before finding a box without the same problem

if you hear a light buzzing zzz sound from the box idling, neutral, clutch out and when you clutch in it goes away, thats your input shaft bearing. check that.

also check how the wheels rotate if possible to check the health of your diff. I've had to replace my diff already (though i have a rough clutch).

they're mostly little htings, the engines seem bulletproof though. lots of creaks and rattles from everywhere - i guess this can't be helped because its a soft top. the plastic rear window needs good maintenance, make sure that it doesn't have weird creases that will turn to tears as a lot of the plastic windows fold badly (in a V shape) especially when cold - (i always have to run out of the car to push the V in to make it fold properly)

the interior is pretty maintenance free, nothing there is goign wrong for me, i'm pretty anal about the side bolsters on the seats
hmm what else... i think thats about it, ive heard a lot of cases of panel gaps and stuff but i don't have those
bro , if i was in the market for an S2k and read your post , i'll probably pass up on it .
sounds like you got yourself a really bad example . Sorry to hear you have had so many problems with it .
As for the sounds and creaks inside the cabin , the way the car is build i.e the gear box / drive train are all situation in a very tight configuration . Hence you would get alot more "noises" inside the car .
As for panel gaps , those examples/cars have probably been in accidents !
after all it is a honda , and i looked at about 6-7 cars before i settled on the one that i bought. Just got to take your time before committing to buying one .

[Muz]

bro , if i was in the market for an S2k and read your post , i'll probably pass up on it .
sounds like you got yourself a really bad example . Sorry to hear you have had so many problems with it .
As for the sounds and creaks inside the cabin , the way the car is build i.e the gear box / drive train are all situation in a very tight configuration . Hence you would get alot more "noises" inside the car .
As for panel gaps , those examples/cars have probably been in accidents !
after all it is a honda , and i looked at about 6-7 cars before i settled on the one that i bought. Just got to take your time before committing to buying one .

I agree. My S2000 is 6 years old and I've never had any issues at all.

It does creak a bit over rough roads but that's because the car is so tight and rigid that it doesn't want to flex with the road surface (not because it's loosely built). Interior noise is normal for a car without sound deadening.

'00 Blue/Black
http://www.prestigeautoaccessories.com/