What New S2K Owners Should Change/Check/Replace First - Part 2
Back again with Part 2 of our preventative steps that you should be doing to make sure that you get the most out of your S2000. Get inside and see how to take care of your car yourself thanks to the DIYs from your fellow forum members.
The next part of this run through
For those who may have missed Part 1 of what should be changed, checked, or replaced on your S2000 you can find it right here. Again, we'd like to acknowledge forum member Themikewoo for putting all of this great info together in the hopes of helping out other owners. As before, in each of these slides, there will be the link to a corresponding DIY thread and helpful information.
Changing clutch fluid
Have you ever been driving and went to change gears and experienced a "spongy" response or the clutch doesn't want to fully engage or disengage? If so, then you should definitely change your clutch fluid.
Symptoms of low clutch fluid include vibrations when shifting gears, gears slipping, slow shifts, lurching accelerations, and a lack of clutch pedal spring back after being depressed.
With these issues occurring it is tantamount to getting familiar with the clutch reservoir and keeping an eye on it. Here is the how-to on bleeding the clutch via the gravity method.
Draining and filling coolant
If you are new to cars then you probably know that coolant is important to the engine but might not be intimate with the details on how this fluid interacts with the engine. Well, let us start by saying that ignoring the condition of your coolant and not just peeking to see if it's meeting the minimum mark in the reservoir is not a very good idea. Coolant is a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze that keeps the engine from overheating in hot weather and freezing in extremely cold conditions. The negative effects of improper coolant care can range from a bad day to catastrophic to at worst irreversible.
There are different colors to coolant fluid and owners may be confused as to which one is the right one for them. The simple answer to this problem is that if your car was born with a specific color coolant, stick with it! Using the wrong coolant for your engine won't cause immediate damage but over time it will eat your poor radiator alive. To see how to bleed and replace the coolant in your S2000 just click here.
Re-torquing axle nut
So what is this doing here? Well, one of the most common mistakes that people make when installing a new hub is torquing the axle nut improperly. Using the proper amount of torque will secure the axle nut and keep the proper load on the hub assembly. The other reason that proper torque is critical is that it secures the axle nut so it won't work itself loose and back off. For the how-to on taking care of that axle nut, click here.
Compression test
Performing a compression test will reveal the condition of the valves in your engine, the valve seats, and piston rings and whether these parts are wearing evenly. Good healthy engines should have a compression over 100 psi per cylinder, with no more than 10% variation between the highest and lowest readings. With the right tools and 20 minutes, you can see what's going on with your engine. See how to perform a compression test on your engine right here.
F20 engine valve retainer replacement
AP1 owners only on this one as the F22 engine already has upgraded valve retainers. F20C retainers crack due to over-revs since the first days of the AP1 being run. TI retainers will need to be changed more frequently than OEM about every 25,000 miles depending on the manufacturer. However, TI retainers should be considered only if you need or want a higher RPM limit. To find out how to do this one just click right here.
Timing chain tensioner
A timing chain runs inside the engine since it needs to be lubed by the engine oil. A lot of people are familiar with the timing belt which should be replaced between 40,000 to 100,000 miles. On the other hand, a timing chain shouldn't need to be replaced unless there's a problem with it. In high-mileage vehicles, you'll see this kind of mechanical failure with this component. A timing chain is kept under proper tension by a chain tensioner. Chain guides and silencers are used to keep the timing chain from vibrating. All of these parts wear with time and use. But how will you know when it's time to replace the chain? Find out how to check things out right here.