Is a 2004-2005 S2000 doomed to have tranny issues?
02-09-2013, 06:02 PM
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Is a 2004-2005 S2000 doomed to have tranny issues?
Due to the TSB about the 2nd gear popout and tranny issues related to incorrect build tolerances.... is a 2004-2005 S2000 doomed to have issues that require replacement of the tranny?
I see lots of nice 2004-2005's for sale for reasonable prices.... but if you have to dump thousands into it to replace the tranny, then what's the point, right?
I see lots of nice 2004-2005's for sale for reasonable prices.... but if you have to dump thousands into it to replace the tranny, then what's the point, right?
02-09-2013, 08:37 PM
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Well, "thousands" depends on how you do the job. A new tranny with labor will definitely be thousands. A used tranny with labor will definitely be over a thousand. A used tranny at home will be almost a thousand.
Point is, it's an expensive item to have to replace.
If it's just a matter of time on an '04-05, then I'll look for an '06.
If it's unlikely but might happen, then I'll consider an '04-05 also.
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02-09-2013, 08:39 PM
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02-09-2013, 09:12 PM
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You've taken a tiny tidbit of information posted in a thread that goes back 6 to 7 years ago and brought it back to the surface and blown it out of proportion. If you are that concerned about the "problem", then don't buy an '04 or '05. The actual numbers of those S2000's that had the pop-out were few and NOT common. A TSB is NOT a recall on all VINs designated in it. It only means that those production numbers "might" suffer from the defect. The vast majority did not. Those who had a car with those VINs had to prove it had the condition before Honda would do anything about it. Paranoid and compulsive/obsessive owners did everything they could to make the tranny pop-out so they could get the work done. (And yes, there is a way to make it happen. But you are basically damaging the tranny on purpose and committing fraud at the dealership.)
This has been discussed ad nauseum in the years since then. Honda took a sledge hammer approach to fix a problem that didn't need such an invasive solution. Many owners of S2000s with the pop-out simply used a mix of Amsoil MTF and Honda MTF on an annual basis to resolve the pop-out entirely. The rest understood why it did the pop-out and just "drove around it". I'm one of those who purchased such a transmission (brand new from the dealer) to put into my AP1. It had the pop-out right from day ONE. I use the fluid mix and it's been in my car for years. It either does it or it doesn't. It doesn't develop this pop-out over time by itself. The operator has to screw it up by not knowing how to shift or doing stupid things on purpose.
This is not much different than the mass hysteria of the day when the early AP1s had the clutch decel buzz. A few people freaked out over nothing and Honda had to come up with a TSB for it to appease the cry babies. Many owners understood what it was and they did absolutely nothing over the life of the clutch. Just a few people to freak out and all of a sudden, all AP1s should be avoided because of the potential for clutch buzz and all '04s and '05s should be avoided because the tranny will pop out of 1st and 2nd. We should probably tell everyone to avoid ALL S2000s as we know how weak the diffs are, don't we? Oh, and that horrible acceleration vibration on ALL S2000s when the CV buckets pit. And let's not forget about the Timing Chain Tensioners. We know how all of them are junk and will eventually go, right?
This has been discussed ad nauseum in the years since then. Honda took a sledge hammer approach to fix a problem that didn't need such an invasive solution. Many owners of S2000s with the pop-out simply used a mix of Amsoil MTF and Honda MTF on an annual basis to resolve the pop-out entirely. The rest understood why it did the pop-out and just "drove around it". I'm one of those who purchased such a transmission (brand new from the dealer) to put into my AP1. It had the pop-out right from day ONE. I use the fluid mix and it's been in my car for years. It either does it or it doesn't. It doesn't develop this pop-out over time by itself. The operator has to screw it up by not knowing how to shift or doing stupid things on purpose.
This is not much different than the mass hysteria of the day when the early AP1s had the clutch decel buzz. A few people freaked out over nothing and Honda had to come up with a TSB for it to appease the cry babies. Many owners understood what it was and they did absolutely nothing over the life of the clutch. Just a few people to freak out and all of a sudden, all AP1s should be avoided because of the potential for clutch buzz and all '04s and '05s should be avoided because the tranny will pop out of 1st and 2nd. We should probably tell everyone to avoid ALL S2000s as we know how weak the diffs are, don't we? Oh, and that horrible acceleration vibration on ALL S2000s when the CV buckets pit. And let's not forget about the Timing Chain Tensioners. We know how all of them are junk and will eventually go, right?
