S2000 Learnings - 155 TIPS FOR THE S2K OWNER
Courtesy of CKit
1. Check oil level frequently (usually weekly for me)
2. Front and rear OEM wheels are not the same size, tires are staggered.
3. Don't mix and match tires.
4. Plan on replacing OEM rear tires @ 10-15k miles.
5. Winter tires for winter.
6. Caution VTEC in rain / low traction conditions.
7. Don't lift off the throttle abruptly in the middle of a turn.
8. Both feet in, in a spin.
9. Some wheelspin is faster off the line.
10. Replacing gears with a higher ratio set gets you to higher rpms faster and into VTEC
11. VTEC is not a phone (V-TECH) nor a heart arrhythmia (V-Tach)
12. Watch out for "money shifts...." e.g. accelerating in 3rd, hitting 2nd instead of 4th.
13. ~10,500 rpm mechanical overrev is likely fine, over that and your likelihood of slapping a valve increases.
14. Flashing CEL is bad, tow it on a flatbed
15. Maint light is a mileage counter, not a sensor. This is different than a CEL (check engine light)
16. You can reset the maint light by holding down trip button (?) while you turn on car and keep holding it down ~15 seconds
17. Radio code can be found from Honda dealer if you get your serial number.
18. There is a way to get the OEM radio to display serial number on the HU, but pretty easy to remove radio.
19. The radio code may be on a sticker in the glovebox.
20. There are two cubbies. Glovebox, and "secret compartment" above the glovebox.
21. Fuel door release is just left of the driver's shoulder on the doorjamb. Pull on black knob.
22. Some early gas caps didn't fit well and set off temp CELs that would clear in a few driving cycles.
23. You can clear a CEL with an OBDII scanner ($20 off ebay) or by pulling the third fuse under the steering column. Use the white tweezers.
24. It's pretty easy to remove stock seats. They are expensive to replace.
25. A member makes seat locks to help secure them.
26. It's pretty easy to insert heating elements underneath the seat leather and hardwire them under the dash.
27. Pulling up dash carpet is easier with a specialized "trim removal tool" from Autozone or similar. ~$5.
28. Don't use synthetic until >7500 miles because of "break-in" additives to stock engine oil.
29. Make sure oil filter isn't loose or else it can fall off and spew oil.
30. Make sure they have special "crush washers" in stock.
31. Fumoto makes a quick and easy spigot to drain oil from the pan
32. Comptech uses a special adaptor to the oil bolt to feed the supercharger, Vortech taps the pan directly.
33. Aftercooler loses 1 psi on a supercharger.
34. Upgraded boost to 7psi does not need engine management or upgraded injectors.
35. You can change a supercharger pulley yourself in your garage in under an hour. You will need a different belt.
36. OBD-II code P0411 means you've either put the one-way valve backwards, have a leak or loose vacuum hose or routed them incorrectly.
37. OBD-II code P0420 is inefficient secondary O2 sensor and doesn't affect performance at all.
38. Rich conditions can toast the fragile stock cat and shear the head off the secondary O2 sensor, leading to a P0420.
39. Honda has a 8 year emissions warranty (including cat) that applies if you are stock.
40. Test pipe is an alternative to replacing cat.
41. A mechanical O2 fix is a little tube either built in or two "spark plug anti-foulers" from Autozone screwed together to move the O2 sensor out of the stream.
42. Replacement O2 sensors are available from Autozone or similar for ~$50, also a universal Bosch works fine if you splice the harness per directions.
43. Test pipes are stinky.
44. Used cats are available from other board members that don't mind stinky test pipes.
45. The rear center jacking point is the center differential
46. Jack stands should be used when working underneath the car.
47. Keep spare tire inflated properly
48. Check all tire pressures regularly
49. It's possible to add sound deadening and quiet the car somewhat. Passenger footwell above the tranny, convertible tray, and over the hollow gas tank for starters. Firewall also helps.
50. It is simple to upgrade the stock radio to a better headunit and to keep the dashboard switch functions (see Modifry or SWI-PS from Crutchfield).
51. Adding a subwoofer and better door speakers improves sound quality.
52. The seatbelts rub against the tops of the seats making an annoying rubbing sound. This is remedied by putting a piece of black felt or fuzzy side of velcro at the contact point on the seat.
53. Shin-Etsu silicone grease works well on seals.
54. The soft top latches rattle in back of your head if you have a hardtop. Latching them closed and securing them closed with a velcro cord wrap keeps them from jiggling.
55. Hardtop strikers can rattle if not tight, stuffing little foam pieces in joints also cuts rattle.
56. Aftermarket traction control systems exist, are under $1000, and work great in AP1s (esp with FI) to keep you from snap oversteer in the Winter.
57. Rev-matching for downshifts and Heel-toeing are useful performance techniques. Watching Best Motoring drivers in S2000s is illustrative.
58. NGK copper 7173s are non-resistor plugs for SC S2ks, BRK7Es work for up to 400hp if you like resistor plugs. Gap is 0.29-0.34.
59. Hardtop weighs 44 # and you can make a hoist in your garage for cheap.
60. If you get a flat rear tire, you need to move the front to the rear and put the spare on the front. The flat tire WILL fit in the trunk if you remove the foam tool tray and put in where the spare used to be.
61. There is no passenger unlock door button inside the car.
62. If you think your passenger window is broken, check that the window lockout switch isn't toggled off.
63. Larger wheels are heavier and may sap power and sacrifice ride quality.
64. Two full-size golf stand-bags fit in the trunk.
65. If you like your stock OEM radio, Crutchfield sells the PIE-HON-aux IPOD adapter for $60 that allows you to hardwire a 3.5mm jack input to play IPODs through (uses CD Changer jack). It's super easy to install as well. Takes ~30 minutes. The AP1 unit also fits 1998 Honda Accords (donated and installed mine on a friend's car when I upgraded the HU).
66. Be careful pulling forwards into a parking spot, you may scrape the underside of your bumper on the concrete block.
67. If this happens, add an OEM lip spoiler or a Coastal Metals bumper protector.
68. Clear Bra's are okay
69. Colgan makes a fake CF patterned black nose mask (bra) that can protect your car on a road trip. Don't let it get wet and dusty or you'll sandpaper your paint finish.
70. A cheap car cover on a windy day is also like sandpaper to your paint finish.
71. You can get a spare set of AP1 wheels in decent condition used for ~$500. Useful for Winter tires.
72. CAI can suck water into the engine if you're not careful and if there have been heavy rains.
73. Remote start is possible on a manual car, but some people forget it's in gear and have ruined multiple bumpers that way.
74. There is a "top down while rolling" mod like the Porsche's. Has to do with foiling the handbrake sensor.
75. Don't expect anyone to pay what you've spent on mods when selling your car. The most money is made returning it to stock and "parting out" the car. Expect to lose money overall.
76. Collegehillshonda.com and Majestichonda.com have some of the cheapest OEM parts to order.
77. Getting a valve adjustment in the US like the Europe manual states (~30k miles) may be a good idea. It costs ~$100-$150 and can include a new gasket.
78. There are separate spark plug well gaskets that keep oil out of the coilpacks, these frequently tear on valve cover removal and should probably be replaced (~$2.00 each). Have your tech order them beforehand.
79. There are things called "hood dampers." They are the hydraulic pistons that are popular on more expensive vehicles. They open the hood instead of needing the prop rod. They are nice if you work on your car a lot, it keeps the prop rod out of your way. ~$100-120. They take ~15 minutes to install at the very most.
80. There is a sequence you can program yourself so that when you turn on the defrost, the A/C doesn't automatically come on.
81. For moderately boosted S2000s, a popular spark plug is a copper NGK. BKR7E is a resistor plug that works well up to ~400hp and 7173 is a "racing" nonresistor plug that works well but can cause electrical interference and radio "static."
82. People steal S2000 antennae. They fit on VWs, Civics, and Integras. Loctite, put it in trunk, or buy a spare for $20.
83. If you have a new thumping and / or whining from the rear, and your dealer tells you that a new $3000 differential is needed... make sure you see chunks of metal in the diff fluid before shelling out money. It could be a loose axle nut (should be torqued at 220ft*lbs) or destroyed bearing and hub. This is even more likely if you have a reinforced diff and like tracking your car.
84. The rear bearings and hubs may need replacing after 30000 hard tracked or FI miles
85. The rear inner CV cups can be swapped left to right to extend the life if you have the vibration / pitting problem.
86. If you have to replace the inner CV cups, they are the same as the Accord so the dealer will have them on hand. (1997 Accord front ball joints are the same as S2000 rear lower ball joint)
87. If you have an aftermarket hard top, you can add defroster lines: https://www.shop.com/op/~CLEAR_VIEW_AUTOMOT...39?sourceid=298
88. Clean your throttle body, MAP sensor, and MAP sensor tunnel regularly to combat confused ECU A/F ratios and the dreaded bucking / stalling / hesitation problem. Don't forget to Shin-Etsu the MAP sensor O-ring.
89. Don't drop the MAP sensor. It's super-fragile. 
90. Comptech ESM is finicky. Make sure the connections are soldered or else it can give you symptoms like a frazzled MAP sensor.
91. Bad coilpacks and injectors are not that common.
92. Periodic fuel injector cleaner (Techron / Chevron) may be useful.
93. RE-01R's may be an upgrade to discontinued S-03s.
94. They sell Pilot Sport Cups that fit 16" wheels. They cost 1/2 as much as GT3 Sport Cups.
95. Upgraded tires will be one of the best handling mods available. They wear out quickly, though.
96. All-season tires are a compromise by definition.
97. Don't drive on summer tires in the winter. It's markedly less safe and there is not enough braking or handling ability to react in an emergency maneuver.
98. All-season tires are okay if you live in an urban area where they plow and salt regularly. Also if you can take the bus or a beater in case of heavy snow.
99. You can get by in a stock S2000 on snow tires. It's okay.
100. I'd rather drive an S2000 with VSA on snow tires than an AWD car on all-seasons.
101. Ground clearance IS an issue. Snow can lift your car off the tires and leave you with little traction with RWD.
102. If you're boosted or geared, VSA or RLTC is important. The throttle response is so quick, any "jerking" of the throttle / shifting / VTEC can break the tires free. This is especially a problem when road conditions are variable. You could be driving in an FI car (where you have the torque / hp of a redlined stock S2000 at 4500rpm) while holding at 3500rpm mid-turn and hit a little slushy ice patch and your rear will wiggle. If your foot is on the throttle, in 1/2 second you'll be at 6000 rpm as your tires break loose. VSA or other traction control will prevent THAT from happening and allow you to regain traction smoothly.
103. The problem with driving the S2000 in the winter WITHOUT traction control is the variability of the road surfaces.
104. The problem is when you're on a road where there is packed snow, then you hit patches where they salted and there is standing water / slush and the grip drops abruptly and without warning. When you can't accurately see what's on the road (it could be hidden underneath powder), you may not be ready for it.
105. If you drive your S2000 in the Winter like there is glare ice ALL THE TIME, you'll be fine. But that means you'll be driving slower than pretty much all the cars around you that are more forgiving. I'm not that patient to drive that way in the off-chance there is a variable road condition up ahead.
106. If the road conditions are of consistent grip, an S2000 on snow tires and without VSA is ok.
107. Unless you're able to predict ALL road conditions up ahead, this becomes a little more sketchy.
108. With VSA, I'd drive a snow-tired S2000 (even with FI) on any other day.
109. Without VSA, I'd drive a snow-tired stock S2000 on days with consistent road conditions.
110. Without VSA, I personally wouldn't drive an FI S2000 on any Winter days with snow on the road.
111. The cabin filter gets nasty quickly. Mine was heinous at 30k miles. Others have reported nastiness ~20k miles.
112. Order online and replace it yourself in ~10 minutes.
113. Use a small ~8mm socket to push up the trim brads to free up the black plastic covering the cabin filter.
114. Make sure the front tab of the air filter finds the little hole (deep and buried) to keep it snug. This can be a PITA, so use a flashlight.
115. Some people use silicone spray to coat the CV boots under the car to keep them lubed and prevent cracking. Once or twice a year is fine.
116. Don't spray your brake rotors.
117. If storing your car for the winter: change oil, top off gas, add fuel stabilizer, use battery trickle charger / tender. Air up tires to ~45psi to limit flat-spotting.
118. Some people put cars on jack stands, but dangling wheels not great for suspension. Some people use jack stands and wood+styrofoam to rest wheels lightly on.
119. You can make your own hardtop hoist for <$50.
120. You can make your own hardtop stand for <$50 (full instructions posted in forums)
121. If you buy a used hardtop, you may need upgraded strikers and a "hardtop mounting kit."
122. If you have a 2000 S2000, you may need the additional defrost wiring kit.
123. The Mugen Hardtop has a plexiglass back window and no defroster (but see #87 above).
124. If you find frost on your windshield, do NOT use an old rusty license plate to scrape it off... https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=545000
125. If your front doesn't clear your curb, they sell these curb ramps: https://www.shercomindustries.com/pro...curbramps.html
126. They sell foldable cockpit covers and foldable "boot covers" https://64.225.94.154/ShopSite/page86.html
127. Rebuilding a Paxton Novi 1000 is easy and replacement parts are available online. A DIY with pix here: https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showt...&#entry12123363
128. They sell aftermarket rain sensing wiper kits: https://www.sigmaautomotive.com/oedes/raintracker.php https://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product...0010400/c-10101
129. The knock sensor is incredibly fragile and can pull timing without setting off a CEL if damaged but not completely broken. If it sets off a CEL it's a p1325.
130. P1399 followed by random misfire codes p0301-2-3-4, it may be the injectors that need replacing... even if fuel injector cleaner doesn't help.
131. If you replace your injectors yourself, you need to replace the washers on the fuel pulsator or else it'll leak in your garage and piss off your wife.... 
132. Also be careful not to cut the o-rings, lube them with oil first and follow the shop manual instructions. Only takes <1 hour to change injectors.
133. If your soft-top or hard top rattles, you can put rubber tubing on the hook to have the latch secure tighter. There is also a "stuff foam along the sides" fix for the side-to-side rattle.
134. They sell trunklid racks for luggage and skis. You could also mount them on a hitch.
135. There is a "cold rev limiter" that prevents you from hitting VTEC if your engine isn't up to temp. People have described it as "hitting a wall" around 7k rpms. I can't believe I didn't list this one sooner.
136. The font on the dash buttons is a precursor to "Eurostile" called "Microgramma." Thanks to member, Bloodred, for the factoid!
Couple more from the last 6 years with some of my AP2v2 learnings and motorsport learnings:
137. DBW S2Ks don't like being revved with no load. They impose rev limits and can go into limp mode.
138. CRs don't have under-hood linings nor sound deadening in the trunk.
139. CRs have an exhaust with less baffling.
140. S2000 springs are coded with colored dots.
141. Changing brakes and rotors are very easy.
142. Leave the dang retaining rotor screws off.
143. You haven't really enjoyed your S2000 until you've autocrossed or tracked it.
144. Many tracks will let you run a stock S2000 without aftermarket roll bar due to A-pillar being structural.
145. Baffled oil pan + Accusump a good idea for tracking on R-comps to prevent oil starve.
146. Replace your brake lines every few years to prevent rubber fatigue and crimp failure.
147. Brake ducting front (and rear) can help prevent cracking rotors.
148. Pinion gears on differentials are notoriously weak on these cars as a failure point, especially with stickier tires or more boost.
149. Catch cans are pretty important to prevent oil blow by.
150. Make sure your oil filters are more than just hand tight. People have had engine fires from loose filters on track. A hose clamp and safety wire take care of that.
151. Use high-temp brake fluid and high-temp brake pads if you're going tracking.
152. Fuel starve is common on left handers on sticky tires if running less than ~1/2 tank fuel.
153. Clutch-type differentials (vs. the OEM Torsen) can transform the character of putting power down.
154. If you're going to do harnesses, do a race seat and a full roll bar. Don't mix and match safety equipment.
155. S2000s are great cars for motorsport with a very supportive community!
Please take good care of your S2000, keep it by your side for long and enjoy it from the bottom of your heart. And share the quality and legacy of the S2000 with many friends so that the legend of the S2000 will continue for long