G007

I have a 2000 S2000 woith 93000kms. I have owned it for about 5 years, and I only put about 800-1000kms a year on it. I have been doing yearly oil changes, using Mobil 1 10W30 and replacing the OEM oil filter with each oil change. I only insure it from late March early April to mid October.

A friend of mine said I don't need to change the oil filter every oil change since I drive it so little and I should do it every second oil change.

Thoughts???

s2kcanuck

That's a good question!

I've been watching the oil on my AP2, checking every so often to make sure I'm not losing any. One thing that strikes me is how clean and translucent the oil looks even after several thousand Km, although I don't push the engine hard. I'm also pleasantly surprised at the lack of oil consumption.

My immediate thought would be if the old oil looks clean (light and clear) you might get away with changing the filter every other time, but the paranoid owner in me wants to spend a bit extra to keep the engine in top shape.

I'll be watching this thread for opinions from those with a lot more experience with S2Ks than I have. I still consider myself a newbie.

DC05

ok I have the same problem as both of you lol I also like to know what others do too. I even change my tranny and rear differential oil , my friends never understood why haha

alSpeed2k

For the nominal cost of the filter, why not?

G007

agreed for the minimal cost why not, but do you guys think the OEM filter will deteriorate from sitting idle for a while or will the filter get dirty with 1000kms?


I will change the filter regardless, my AP1 is garage queen.

s2kcanuck

That's a good point!

After I bought my 2K last spring I had most fluids changed (brakes, transmission, diff, engine oil+filter, clutch, and the radiator coolant tested) to establish a reference point. Brake fluid very slowly absorbs moisture from the air (its color will change), so it needs to be flushed every 2 or 3 years. The transmission and differential operate at high temperatures and stress levels, so at some point the lubricants will start to deteriorate.

Just in case someone reading this is not aware, you must use only OEM approved oil filters, because unlike the usual hand tightening when installing a new filter, ours must be properly torqued on (indicators printed on the filter). There are horror stories about filters coming unscrewed and the oil suddenly vanishing, destroying the engine.

I follow the recommendations in the manual, but tend to be a bit more conservative because it doesn't hurt to be cautious. I know it's not the cheapest route, but I have the Honda dealer do my maintenance because they know the car (and I have someone to yell at if something goes wrong ). I'm sure there are other independent shops with the same expertise, but I haven't looked around.

Off-topic but something else I recommend ... get yourself a CAN/OBD2 code reader. It's well worth the hundred bucks or so, and can save you a lot of worry. For example, the other day my CEL went on, and the reader told me I had a mis-fire on one of the cylinders. After clearing the indicator, I took a long drive and the light stayed off, so I realized it was a random event that might indicate I need to clean/regap the spark plugs. That saved me from getting all upset and spending money to get a shop to read the code. I understand that if the CEL starts blinking, it's something really bad (like the oil filter falling off) and you need to stop driving immediately.

My attitude ... we own *very* special cars that are becoming classics with increasing value. Don't be cheap - treat 'em well

Killswitch

I drive hard so I rather replace the filter every oil change regardless . All other fluids are replaced every spring . (every 15k / 20k or so )
That way the car always feels great . Don't think it would make much difference if u just replace the oil but to each their own .