SpitfireS

After 6 months of OWNING a S2000, you should first change "Enthusiast" into "Owner"

On topic: how is it with the warranty if you don't go to the dealer?
If you are ever thinking of selling the car (most unlikely.... but just for argument sake ) a well documented service history - with dealer stamps and signed etc. - is worth something.
Not saying you can't keep records about self-service, dates, milage and parts used.

Saki GT

Any time you take a car into a garage, be very specific with what you want done and go over the cost and expense. Letting the dealer do its "service" can lead to stuffing the invoice and uneccessary work. Know what the service is for, what the dealer does, take off what you don't want done and its associated costs, and be clear - possibly get it in a written estimate.

Also, always inspect the car before driving off - body damage, missing parts, loose parts, etc are frequent, and you want to catch them before you leave.

Saki GT

PS - its all in your owner's manual. Know what is being done and if you can do it youself. Not much need to pay for a visual inspection if you can see yourself!

s2k4me2day

do any of you think it is necessary to have the tranny,or diff. fluid levels checked at the time of the first oil change?
Thanks, Russ

Elistan

No need, IMO. I've never heard of the factory fill having issues. Of course, if you're really worried about it there's no reason why it can't be checked. It'll just take some time/cost.

johnny

Change the oil yourself. Dealers flub up more often than not. They over-torqued my drain plug once, and I had a doozy of a time trying to take that thing off.

Smoothieboy

You guys are confusing me. My manual says that the first service is an oil and filter change at 7500 miles or one year, whichever occurs first. Plus, I thought you weren't supposed to change the original oil before 7500 miles.

xviper

You mostly fall under the "severe" maintenance schedule in which case, you should be getting your first oil and filter change at 3750 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. You aren't supposed to change to SYNTHETIC before 7500 miles.

iamhomin

Verify! It's the key to peace of mind.

I was once a victim of the dealership using the wrong oil and rotated tires.

daytontp

If you have read your manual, it states the oil should be changed every 7,500 miles and the oil filter should be changed every 15,000 miles under normal driving conditions. I believe it is on page 126 or 143 of the 2005 S2000 Owners Manual.

Now, I will say first off, I do not go by these guidelines and I change my own oil. I use the OEM Honda PCX oil filter and the Honda 10w30 oil I can buy at the parts department. It may not be the best stuff in the world, but it is made by Mobil, so it is not junk.

Last night, I was telling a local import mechanic in the SCR SCCA about this and he thought I was joking. He has been working on Hondas and other imports for over 15 years and has his own shop and everybody in the local club trust him and his guys to work on cars. I showed him the numbers in the manual and flat out asked me if I did that and I said no, of course not.

Personally, Honda should change teh Normal conditions to what the Extreme conditions are, which is Oil and Oil filter every 3,750 miles.

Also, if you plan to use the OEM Honda filter, buy the filter kit for $2 more. It comes with a oil filter wrench and makes it extremely easy to get the filter off.