Cheese and Onion

[QUOTE=SpitfireS,May 19 2009, 04:04 PM]
Amsoil.. can you get that locally?
Good stuff.
Amsoil Severe Gear (IIRC) in 75W-110 (no doubt about that

Cheese and Onion

Also, to add to the OP about the difficulty/price when purchasing lubricants over here:
I've just returned from my Honda dealer to pick up the 2 diff washers that had to be sent from Japan. While I was there I thought I'd get a new oil filter and sump washer as my LE 8130 engine oil arrived today ($200 for 5 litres) and, guess what, "Sorry, we don't stock S2000 oil filters, it'll have to be ordered"

Price $47.00

This will end up being a $250 DIY engine oil change.

tof

Thanks for the smiles, Cheese. Glad you can look back with some sense of humor. Hope the rest of your ownership experience goes a bit more smoothly.

Happy motoring.

flyryd

which Honda dealership did you visit?

as far as i know, Honda (well in in nz anyways) only have one type of MTF, which is used in all Honda manual transmissions.

the rear diff fluid for the S2000 is hypoid gear oil, GL5 or GL6 SAE90.
At our Honda branch, we stock a BP hypoid fluid for the s2000 rear diff.
(I'm using this fluid, and its fine in my rear diff. cheap too. $15NZ staff price. at that price i could change it every time i service the car)

the washers should be a very common item, no way it would be a EX-japan item. i think the parts person was in-experienced and didnt know much. (but i guess everyone has to start somewhere)

i have inquired about the S2000 oil filters, and even rang up the NZ head office parts department. what i was told was that the S2000 oil filters have been taken off our parts catalog. the part number has superseded to the the "common" Honda genuine blue oil filter.
even with the S2000 oil filter part number, i could not order it from japan.
because when entered into the system, it automatically changes to the common genuine filter.
so i just use the common genuine filter in my S2k, S2000's that come for servicing only get the HAMP green oil filter. (unless the customer asks for the more expensive genuine blue one)

INDYMAC

I sent a soldier a care package in Germany via APO address awhile back. I think it included some filters and MTF. The post office didn't even blink, so I think it's possible.

I just ordered a case of LE 1605 and 8130 yesterday. I also have 2 quarts of new Honda MTF and some PCX 004 oil filters. Let me know if you need any help.

SpitfireS

Cheese and Onion Posted on May 20 2009, 04:41 AM
In short: SAE 75W-110 is closer to the original SAE 90.
(has to do with SAE changing the specs)

If you can get the Amsoil locally at a decent price I would get the 75W-110.

Btw.. LE 1605 is an SAE 110 and that is what you want for the same reasons.
LE 1605 being a single grade makes it just a little "better" IMO.
The old LE 607 was SAE 90, but that was according to the old SAE spec.
LE 607 = LE 1605.

That was in May 2006 when I still had my OEM gears.
If I still had those OEM gears today I would be using the Amsoil 75W-110 because I can get that shipped form the UK without problems.
LE is hard to find here and, just like you mentioned, they don't really sell small amounts.
The place I found the LE 607 was just a lucky shot, they could not get the 1605 (or didn't want to) so I had to look for something else.
LE 1605 was what I wanted.

I'm using Amsoil SG SAE 190 in my 4.57 diff now.
Same thing: if I could get the LE 1606 or 1607 I would use that.

About the oil filter: IMO it is "worth it" to get the one and only filter Honda specs for the S2000 (fact) and that is 15400-PCX-004.

Cheese and Onion

The dealership was Christchurch Honda. Not so much a case of inexperience, but maybe a little too much experience and not enough knowledge. An out of date parts department that is never tasked with anything beyond standard requests (although oil, filters and washers should be the bread and butter of the retail business).

Every query I have is met with a lack of knowledge. This is why I do my own research and servicing, it's the only way I know that my car is getting well looked after. I just don't trust these guys with my car.

You're correct, Honda MTF fluid is an 'across the board' transmission oil but it has been superseded by MTF2 which is green bottle (and much improved) rather than the standard (older) blue bottle MTF(1) which I have just been offered.

If a green 'generic Honda' oil filter turns up I don't want to pay the quoted $47 for it (In fact I don't want it) I have asked for the specific S2000 filter and was told that it would be sent from Auckland - not Japan. My car currently runs the green filter which only adds to the 'lack of care, use anything' attitude, despite the previous owner always using Honda servicing.

As for the washers please refer to my original post and see that these had to be sent from Japan as Honda NZ have never had any S2000 diff washers in the country (based on the fact that they advise 120,000 km diff oil changes).
I can only go on the advice that the parts department give me.

Finally, I appreciate your time and post on here, rare enough to get a post from a fellow Kiwi, let alone a NZ Honda representative,
many thanks,
Paul.

Cheese and Onion

Thanks INDYMAC, a fine offer, I'll be in touch if need be.

Cheese and Onion

SpitfireS:
Very clear, very helpful, many thanks.

flyryd

Yeah you are probably right about lack of knowledge at some workshops. i agree with you.
The S2000 is not a very common car, even at my branch, i would only see maybe 3-5 S2000's a year going thru the service department. (and that is in Auckland = more cars)
and because there are so few S2000s, you can probably work out that's why some workshops don't know anything about them.

about the MTF, the stubby black bottle with blue sticker 06 is the most recent "packaged" MTF i have seen and is the one we stock. (which all the dealers and branches order from the same warehouse at head office)
i do remember seeing the taller black bottles with green? and white bottles with red a while back...
probably around a year ago is when the stubby black bottles with blue sticker became the main stock.
i wouldn't worry too much about which bottle type or mtf i use. all should be ok to use.

i recall head office saying there was a few s2000 oil filters left in stock.
maybe they have to be specially requested and ordered straight from the warehouse.

as for the washers, i got them straight away from the parts store. i would have expected rear diff oil changes to be more frequent than 120,000kms. haha
i would do mine every 30-40,000km

sometimes if the parts department doesn't know, you should ask them to ask the technicians or someone else that might know