My 1999 Honda s2000 [AP1]

[prelude_h22]

Task 25 - Radiator Fans Constantly On
27-08-2018

From the past couple weeks, it had been noticed that the radiator and A/C radiator fans turn on immediately after pre ignition, engine start and on a cold engine. The engine temperature would be ok and no overheating was present.

The radiator fan should only switch on when the coolant reaches a certain temperature, I think around 93-95 degrees. I set about to find out what was wrong.

Thanks to a few old s2ki forum threads, I performed a few tests to find a root cause to the problem.
The threads pin pointed the radiator fan switch to be the most likely problem.

I performed a few tests to confirm this:

-Swapped over the radiator fan switch relay (there is an identical relay within the fuse box)
Result: No difference

-Disconnect the radiator fan switch itself
(fan switch is located on the left hand bottom section of the radiator)
Result: On pre-ignition, engine start and cold engine, the radiator fans do not switch on.

With the above findings it concluded that the existing radiator fan switch is stuck in the closed position.


I am all for sourcing and using genuine Honda parts but for something quite relatively easy to change, several members have recommended a good after market brand.

The Honda OEM part, cheapest I found was £67.00 (Usual RRP £94.00)
After market type: £13.04

The brand of the aftermarket type was Canbiare which is a well known European brand.
I decided to go for this one.



The switch was relatively easy to access, and from several threads it required no coolant bleeding when swapping it out within the radiator which was a plus point.

The lower under tray was a tad tricky to remove with most of its clips crumbling upon removal.
It would seem that it had never been removed.
With the under tray removed, a good general clean was also performed.

The radiator fan switch has a size 24mm hex and a deep socket was required to remove it.
I realised this quite late and didn't have one in the tool box.
A trip to Halfords solved this.
Just a little spillage of coolant during the quick swap over and that was it.

The radiator fan switch is located at the bottom of the radiator when the red arrow is pointing.



Upon engine start and warm-up the fans kicked in as normal and switched off as expected.
A long 40 min drive confirmed full function had been restored.

The old radiator fan switch removed



Parts Purchased:
Part: Radiator Fan Switch
Honda Part Number: 37760-P00003
Canbiare Part Number: VE709047
Supplier: Car Parts In Motion (Ebay Seller)

Tool: 24mm Deep 1/2 inch Socket
Supplier: Halfords
https://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools ... -1-2-drive

Services Used:
None

Resources used

S2ki Thread: Fans Always on
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/uk-ireland- ... s-1131621/

Thread I Started
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/uk-ireland- ... t-1187554/

Thanks to Wurlycorner for recommending the Cambiare brand
http://www.ludegeneration.co.uk/viewtop ... =5&t=22229

[prelude_h22]

TASK 26 - Remove Rear Bumper & Lights (Clean and Under Seal)
28-08-2018

The next task on the agenda was to remove the rear bumper, this would give the opportunity to have a peek behind and see the condition of the rear beam and chassis area.

The bumper removal was pretty straight forward and with the process fairly common with most Honda's. Two screws on either side into the rear quarter, clips on top of the rear bumper, three clips on the bottom section of the rear bumper and two clips either side of the arch.

Once the bumper was off the condition of the rear beam and chassis sections weren't too bad. Few light rust spots with the rear beam rusty in a few places. From research, it seems the rear beam is common to rust due to its location and having no protection from any stone chips.

All sections were cleaned and the wire brush came out, light rust spots were brushed with the rear beam also being tidied up the best it could.

Hammerite rust remover was applied on required areas and then followed a coat of dinitrol under seal spray.












A general clean and wipe down was given to all other areas.
Rear number plate bulbs were replaced and terminals greased up to prevent corrosion

The rear lights were removed inspected and cleaned.
All sections behind the lights were in great condition with no leaks or rust.
The connectors were checked and no signs of corrosion was present.
No moisture or leaks were present behind the boot trim.
The light cluster gaskets were checked and cleaned.













The rear bumper was re-installed and new clips were used in all locations.


Parts Purchased:
Part: Dinitrol Under seal Spray 500ml x3
Part Number: 4941
Supplier: MTS Trading (on ebay)

Part: Hammerite rust remover (gel)
Part Number: 5092868
Supplier: Halfords

Services Used:
None

Resources used
None

[prelude_h22]

02-09-2018

It made sense that the next task was to perform a front bumper removal.
This would also be an opportunity to check for any rust or damage within this area.

Again, the front bumper removal is similar to all Honda's, two screws either side of the front arch, several bolts on the top section of the bumper, two hidden 10mm bolts either side facing the headlamps and several bolts on the underside of the bumper.

Both front arch liners were also removed to aid in access.

Once the bumper was carefully removed the condition of the front sections of the car were also in pretty good condition, with a few rust spots on the front cross beam and various brackets as one would expect.

The rust spots were rubbed down and Hammerite rust remover was applied, followed by a quick coat of touch up paint.

An overall wipe down of all areas were performed and it was looking really fresh.






The air pump was checked and seemed in good clean condition, the previous owner had not tempered with it.
It is common for owners to delete this component if it fails, as it is in good working condition it will be left alone.
The air pump is designed to blow air into the exhaust system upon a cold engine start to quickly heat up the catalytic converter and thus reduce emissions from cold starting.

If you're air pump has failed, you would get a MIL (malfunction indicator lamp) appear on your dash cluster.
If your fault code has detected that the air pump has failed, you can delete it with a special kit from a company called "Delta Lima"
There will be no operating issues, only slightly higher emissions when the car is started from cold.
This will not affect your MOT as the car will be fully warmed and up to operating temperatures when emissions are tested.
The kit has been proven by many s2000 members on this forum.






The bumper itself was checked for damage and also cleaned.

The front number plate and holder were examined, all bolts mounting the holder were clean and not seized.
Due to some cosmetic damage to the number plate holder and number plate itself, I will be replacing both these items later on so it was good to see it will be hassle free.



Parts Purchased:
Part: Hammerite rust remover (gel)
Part Number: 5092868
Supplier: Halfords

Services Used:
None

Resources used
None

If required - Air Pump Delete Kit from Deltalima
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/european-s2 ... t-1139689/

http://deltalima-s2000.nl/en/handleidin ... e-english/

[prelude_h22]

Task 27 - Rear Mid Level Spoiler
07-09-2018

The s2000 does look fantastic as standard, but I have always loved the look of the mid level spoiler that comes on a few models. This spoiler is an upgrade accessory and apparently still available from Honda, the only issue with the genuine part is that it is quite expensive and requires holes to be drilled within the boot lid to attach it which I refuse to do.

After a search on the forum, there is an aftermarket cheaper and easy to fit solution.
A highly recommended seller which goes by the name of "BMWchop" (a seller on eBay)

From reviews and feedback from many threads on s2k UK, the shape of the spoiler, quality and paint match is amazing.
Many members have reported nothing but good things and from all the images posted up it looks and fits fantastic.

I was convinced by this so had to try it for myself, an order was placed for NH630 pre-painted version and with a handy 10% eBay voucher at the time it worked out even cheaper.

The seller was very efficient with it arriving in just two days and no import duty charge! Great result.
He spoke good English and kept me up to date.

Arrival of the spoiler






Once arrived, a test fit was performed. The colour match was fantastic and the fitment was excellent.
Very impressed indeed, given its price.

On fitment I tried the supplied double sided adhesive tape, but I didn't feel confident that it would stick well despite various reports from other members that it was fine.

I decided to purchase some 3M automotive Vey High Bond adhesive.

I purchased the longer thinner strip (1.5mm thick tape 3M Automotive very High bond Adhesive) for the top and bottom edges of the spoiler.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-VHB-Doubl ... 2749.l2649

For the spoiler end sections I used slightly thicker (2.3mm 3M Automotive very High bond Adhesive)
(These came in a small square 100mm x 50mm size which I cut up into two strips of 50mm x 25mm and positioned them either side of the spoiler.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-VHB-100mm ... 2749.l2649


The reason why I went for a slightly thicker tape on the end sections is the recess is slightly deeper where the spoiler curves into the ends of the boot edge.

The underside of the spoiler was sanded down to provide an abraded surface for the double sided adhesive to adhere well too.

Once all the tapes was positioned on the spoiler, I got to work to fit it.

The boot lid surface was cleaned with fairy liquid to ensure a clean grease free surface.
I didn't have any masking tape so I just used what I had in my tool box.
Electrical tape was used to provide me with a guide for fitment as this would be a onetime action.





Once suitably aligned within the position marked, the self adhesive backing was removed and the spoiler was pressed into position.






The bond of the tape is fantastic, It definitely gives that confidence of a good adhesion to the boot lid.

The spoiler looks fantastic and definitely gives the s2000 a much sportier look.
Extremely happy with the look, quality and results, highly recommended.






Parts Purchased
Part: s2000 Mid Level Spoiler
Part Number: N/A
Supplier: BMWchop (on ebay)

Part: 3M Automotive Very High Bond Double Sided Tape (Reel) (1.5mm Thick)
Part Number: RP62
Supplier: fasttapes (on ebay)

Part: 3M Automotive Very High Bond Double Sided Tape (2.3mm Thick)
Part Number: 3M VHB 4991
Supplier: happy-london-tapes (on ebay)

Services Used:
None

Resources used
S2k Thread - Spoiler Recommendation
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/uk-ireland- ... e-1103781/

S2k Thread - Adhesive tape for Spoiler
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/uk-ireland- ... s-1187765/

[prelude_h22]

Task 28 - Genuine Front Pre-Face Bumper Lip
07-09-2018

I've always loved the look of the pre facelift s2000 with a front lip as it added a subtle aggression to the s2000 without going over the top.

I had an urge to source one but wasn't sure if they were still available.
After several enquiries it became apparent that Honda still had stock of them and they were available in my pre painted Silverstone metallic colour.

Fantastic result.

Unfortunately, the price of this part had increased dramatically over the years and I had to decide whether or not it was worth to pay such a price for one.

I tried to search for alternatives just like with the mid level spoiler.
There were replica's available but from reviews/feedback, the fitment is not great and unless you have a body shop to hand to help fit, paint and attach it, alot of people say to avoid them as the costs and hassle involved isn't worth it.

The genuine part comes pre-painted and attaches as any genuine part does. Utilising existing mounting points with the supplied hardware it takes on average 20mins to fit and the fitment should be perfect.

I contemplated long and hard about it, and thought what the hell. This would most likely be my last upgrade to the car.
Let's go for it.

I placed an order and within 3 days it arrived. The paint finish and quality is as you would expect from a genuine part, flawless. I was glad a genuine part was purchased.
The box was huge!












Fitting the lip was straight forward, with the supplied instructions it just needed the removal of the three centre bolts from the underside of the bumper and a couple of pilot holes drilled on either side of the bumper edges for self tapping screws for the front lip end attachment.
A further 2 bolts per side on the underside were required with the supplied fastening bolts.
A hint of copper grease was used on all bolts and screws for easy removal in the future.



The lip wrapped around the bumper perfectly like a glove and with all the bolts securing it, installation was complete within 30mins and that was me taking my time including adding a layer of wax behind the bumper section that will be covered by the lip.

Fantastic transformation, the front lip does really look good on the pre-face lift s2000.

Fully installed






A great buy and highly recommended to any pre-face lift owner.


Parts Purchased

Part: Genuine Front Under Lip (pre painted in Silverstone metallic)
Part Number: 08F01-S2A-681F
Supplier: Coxmotorparts

Services Used:
None

Resources used
Supplied Instruction Manual for Front Lip Fitting

Also can be found online here
https://www.handa-accessories.com/S2000/s2kfuspoil.pdf

[prelude_h22]

TASK 29 - Investigate Water Leak into Driver Footwell - (PROBLEM 2)
10-09-2018

In the early months of my s2000 ownership, it was noticed that a small water leak was apparent.
This was resolved my repairing the rubber seal on the A-pillar which now re-directs the water as it should out into the door channel recesses.

After a few more heavy rainfalls it was noticed that a slight trickle of water was still entering the cabin and making the carpet underneath the drivers pedals slightly wet. The water seemed to also be absorbed up within the insulation in this area underneath the main floor carpet.

The previous owner never really suffered from this as the car was stored under a car port.

This was on the agenda and was vital I resolve this before winter approaches.
Even getting additional help from a garage to completely strip the interior to find the root cause if required .

I set aside a full day of diagnosis and went about eliminating various sections just to make sure I covered all areas.
Not having any access to a hose pipe or running water I relied on my battery powered portable jet washer to simulate rainfall. Known as the Mobi V17, other similar models are known and manufactured by Sealey or Aqua2go if interested.
Fantastic bit of kit, stores around 18 litres of water and provides excellent suitable pressure.

I checked all the seals around the windows and roof. Moving towards the front and around the A-pillars.
This included all drain points in the engine bay and the drain point under the windscreen wiper cowling






I double checked and removed all the A-pillar plastic mouldings.
No sign of any water entering.
The rear roof drains were checked and confirmed water was draining fine in this section.

The next stage was to remove the wind screen wiper cowling section.
(this will also be documented separately on the next task for inspection and clean)

With the cowling removed, the wind screen seal was inspected with no defects apparent.
The windscreen is still the original Honda part which gave a good sigh of relief it had not be tampered with or previously replaced.

Back into the driver's footwell, I removed the x2 bolts holding the foot rest and the lower right side panel which sits over the bonnet release catch (the driver's door side sill) needs to be unclipped and removed first.




In this state, water can be sprayed and hopefully monitor its point of entrance.

Water drain points are located in the upper corner of the drivers engine bay and another one under the bonnet hinge area.

I used my battery powered pressure washer to direct water at these drain points whilst monitoring.

To my amazement, the water was found trickling into the cabin very slowly. The area where it entered was to the right hand side where the bonnet release cable exits the cabin.






There seemed to be a missing seal or grommet surrounding this cable, a brief look later through the receipts proved that the bonnet release cable was replaced in 2009 and the garage who replaced it did not re-fit the grommet seal.

Item 10 required







The part is still readily available from Honda and only around £4.54.
An order was replaced with a very quick lead time of a few days.




Once the part arrived the fitting was straight forward, the carpets were given a good scrubbing with autoglym shampoo. All underlay sections of the carpet was ensured fully dry using my hobby heat gun.

Some copper grease (all I had at the time)was used on the cable and grommet to allow the grommet to feed itself easily through the cable. It was quite tricky but with alittle patients the grommet secured itself nicely within the aperture sealing it perfectly.

Grommet installed




The end clip to hold the bonnet release plastic panel in place was also purchased as this was original missing when the car was purchased.



All components fully reassembled



Hopefully this saga can now be put to rest.
A fantastic result, I couldn't have asked for a better outcome


Parts Purchased

Part: Grommet Seal for Bonnet Release Cable
Part Number: 74134-SM-4000
Supplier: Coxmotorparts

Part: 7mm Clip to Secure Side Panel
Part Number: 90667-S0D-003ZH
Supplier: Coxmotorparts


Services Used:
None

Resources used

My Mobi V17 Portable Pressure Washer.
Now known as Aqua2go.
https://www.aqua2go.eu/en/overview.html

[prelude_h22]

TASK 30 - Remove Windscreen Wiper Cowling (Inspect and Clean)
09-09-2018


During the above investigation and after it was solved, it made sense to also inspect and clean this area of the car. With the cowling assumed not having been removed throughout the car's lifetime it definitely showed.

Cobwebs, debris and leaves were everywhere and as expected.

A quick hose down using the portable jet washer removed most of the dirt
(Special care was taken not to soak or get the cabin filter wet)
With the cowling removed, the filter panel and the fan housing down into the heater matrix was fully inspected and checked.






Additional wiping down of various sections continued the clean.
All fittings and cables were inspected with no evidence of any tampering or modifications.
Small surface rust was rubbed down and treated on the centre clip section.

A slight hint of copper grease was used on the wiper motor attachments so the wiper arms do not seize up in the future. (they were quite tricky to remove initially but came off with a little force)

The wiper arms are looking pretty tired with most of its black finish being chipped off, these will be replaced sometime in the future.

A great contrast from before and after, looking fabulously clean.











Parts Purchased
None

Services Used:
None

Resources used
None

[prelude_h22]

TASK 31 - Replace Front Number Plate Mount and Renew Front & Rear Number Plates
27-09-2018


One of the small little tasks to do was to refresh the front number plate mount.
There is quite a considerable graze on the right hand side of the mount with the front number plate beings scratched also.



I was thinking of sanding down the mount and refreshing it with flexible external trim paint, however a brand new part from Honda was only £36.00 and they are easy to fit having previously removed the bumper to check its current status and to ensure nothing was seized up.

An order was placed for a new genuine front number plate mount.
Both number plates were looking rather tired too so an order was placed for brand new front and rear number plates.






The rear plate was fitted with ease, using the old number plate as a template for the mount holes.
A 2.5mm pilot hole was drilled first followed by 4.8mm drill size to accept the suitable self tapping screw.
Yellow screw caps were used to hide the screws for a tidy finish.

The front number plate mount required the front bumper to be removed.
Already having performed this previously, it was straight forward.

With the front bumper removed, the number plate mount fixings can be loosened.
The mount was held in by x2 10mm flanged bolts
A couple of retaining clips had to be pryed away but the mount came away cleanly.



The area behind the mount was given a good clean and polish.



The installation was a breeze and was the reverse of removal.
Once installed, the new front number plate was measured up with new holes
(the old holes were through a character either side of the registration number which was not acceptable)











The screw holes were marked up to the unused section of the number plate near the edges.
A 2.5mm pilot hole was drilled first followed by 4.8mm drill size to accept the suitable self tapping screw.
White screw caps were used to hide the screws for a tidy finish.

Once finished, the bumper was re-installed.
The new plates and mount completes the front end refresh.



Parts Purchased

Part: Genuine Honda Number Plate Mount Holder
Part Number: 71180-S2A-G00
Supplier: Coxmotorparts

Part: Front and Rear Number Plates with fixing kit
Part Number: N/A
Supplier: In Car Products (on ebay)

Services Used:
None

Resources used
None

[prelude_h22]

TASK 32 - Remove and Replace Auxiliary Belt, Idler and Tensioner Pulley Bearings
21-10-2018

One of the last maintenance tasks that needed doing was to replace the auxiliary belt, there is a stretch indicator on the belt tensioner which indicates the current belt is way past its best.
The car still started up fine with no squeal or belt slipping, but it was the right time to renew this assembly.




As shown from the image below, the current belt is way out of specification and pretty stretched out.
The belt is most likely the original one.

With that in mind, it was also a good opportunity to replace the idler and tensioner pulley bearings.
I was going to buy the full idler and tensioner pulleys with their bearings direct from Honda, however a fantastic video from DIYguys on Youtube showed that the bearings themselves can easily be hammered out and replaced.

The pulleys themselves take the common 6203 size bearing with the 2RS model being the recommended low cost alternative.


With this info, I set about ordering the parts.

The auxiliary belt from Honda was over £65.00, again I am all for genuine parts but the price for a belt is pretty ridiculous. Various threads on s2ki showed that the Contitech and gates make excellent alternatives and at a fraction of the cost. The belt change is really straight forward so if this aftermarket belt doesn't last that long they can be replaced easily in 5 mins.

I decided to purchase a Contitech belt from Eurocarparts, with their usual promotional discount it came to £12.39 posted. Absolute bargain.



There were several manufacturers for the bearings, like SRF and Koyo. I decided to purchase a pair of Koyo 6203-2RS bearings. The seller sent me the 2RS-C3 version which has the additional internal radial clearance.
However this should still be fine, it has been installed and operating well so far after 300 miles of driving.





The process was pretty straight forward and enjoyable too.
Everything came apart as expected with no major issues encountered.

Before removing the idler and tensioner pulleys, they were checked to see how worn they were.
Notice how much side to side play the tensioner bearing had and how worn the idler bearing was.
It kept on spinning with a ticking type sound.

See videos below

My Worn Idler Pulley



My Worn Tensioner Pulley




The original belt had seen better days, various chips in the belt grooves can be seen.
This was noticed all over the belt.
There were also small cracks in the ribbed grooves too.





From DIYguys video, the only socket I didn't have was the large 1-13/16" socket to rest the tensioner pulley on.
I had to purchase this.





Whilst you are in this area, it is also worth checking the condition of the alternator pulley, water pump pulley and air con compressor.

Ensure the water pump pulley spins freely in both directions with no side to side play and ensure no leaks are present. Ensure the alternator pulley also spins freely and check for play and movement. Perform the same checks to the air con compressor.

Give the surrounding areas a good clean and wipe down before reassembling.





Close up of Idler and Tensioner pulley






Close up of ilder pulley and its original bearing




New bearings installed into Idler and tensioner pulleys






With new belt installed





Belt stretch indicator now within specification





A fantastic result and a job that is well worth doing on the s2000.

Things to note

-Unless you have a super fancy torque wrench, it was noticed that my torque wrench doesn't torque up in reverse, so this would need to be done manually.
-As stated on DIYguys video, don't forget the bolt holding the tensioner pulley is a reverse thread
-As mentioned above, perform checks on the water pump, alternator and air con compressor.
-If you have alittle more time, you can refurbish (i.e sand and quickly spray paint the pulleys to smarten them up alittle)


Parts Purchased

Part: Koyo 6203-2RS Bearings (x2)
Part Number: 6203-2RS
Supplier: D.cjohnsonltd (Ebay seller)

Part: 1-13/16" 3/4 Inch Square Drive Socket
Part Number: 1-13/16"
Supplier: Toolvillage (Ebay seller)

Part: ContiTech Drive Auxiliary belt (s2000)
Contitech Part Number: 6PK1468
Supplier: Eurocarparts

For reference (Aux belt part numbers)
Eurocaparts Part Number: 202770585
Genuine Honda Part Number: 38920-PCX-024



Services Used:
None

Resources used
DIYGuys Video (Pulley Replacement)



S2ki Thread - Auxiliary Belt Options
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/uk-ireland- ... s-1188187/

[prelude_h22]

This brings the car up to date, I have tried to cover as much I could in such a short space of time and before the winter arrives.
I am happy with the way the car drives and looks and now need to drive it more.

This is a small remaining to-do list and will fulfil them with funds allow.

To-do List
-Renew or Refurbish Front Windshield Wiper Arms
-Upgrade pads to Ferrodo DS2500 type

Long Term To-Do
-Full Geometry Alignment
-Upgrade Oil Jet Bolts (Was a TSB on my year of s2000)


Maybe's
-Refurbish All Wheels


Thanks for reading
03-11-2018