My mechanic replaced the engine in my 2002 S2000, and it runs, but won't rev above 2000rpm. It's like it just doesn't have the power to do it.

For three weeks he's been trying to figure out why. Out of checking timing, codes, looking on the net, I have just one theory as to why, and my mechanic has another.

His theory is that there's a knock sensor code, therefore the computer won't let the thing run. I'm not sure I'm convinced a broken knock sensor would do that...

My theory is that there's no coolant in the car (we never ran it for more than half a minute). Would that cause this behavior?

Is there any other common things that people miss when replacing motors that would cause this?

Thanks in advance....

 

maybe he should fix the problem...

 

How many khms or miles was on the engine?? Why did you get it replaced?

 

The new engine is supposed to have 18,000 miles on it. It's from a 2005 S2000, but it's from UK so it's a 2.0

Old engine, if that's what you're asking, had maybe around 100,000 miles. Way too soon...

This is why I had to get it replaced:

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-s2000-5/s2000-down-2633909/

edit: oh ****, you're the guy asking about how reliable this thing is. Sorry to have to show you this. Even after it happened I'm still of the mindset that it should be as, if not more than, reliable as any other honda engine. I'm still looking for some obvious reason as to why the thing exploded. Unfortunately, as of now it just looks like simple mechanical failure. And it looks like I was just unlucky....

 

I'm not sure that either of the two reasons listed would cause something like this. Mine was ok with a broken knock sensor for a while, ran totally ok. Can you tell me another reason that coolant would cause this? I'm not sure I am following you.

I can only think of one thing is that something similar happened to my friends RX300 and it was for some reason jumped into safe mode and brought the revs down to about 3000. I thought it may have been transmission problems at the time but I just reset the battery and then everything came back to working order.

 

Coolant will not cause this 2000 RPM wall.

Could you possibly get this on video, and are you sure itsn ot 3000RPM? I thought limp mode was 3000 but I could be wrong.

If it is indeed not a trouble code, and timing checks out then you could perhaps take a look at fuel delivery and/or spark. I had a similar problem (car wouldn't rev past 3000 on the tach on a 2001 prelude) and it turned out that the injector clip wasn't making contact and wasn't firing. Basically make sure that all 4 cylinders are firing and go from there.

Another thing worth asking, is the TPS sensor working properly?

 

Thanks for the replies! Here's a video I took last time I saw the car. When I'm filming the inside, the mechanic has it at WOT.

The reason I thought it might be coolant is because I read somewhere on this site that someone's Acura was running slowly, and it turned out to be coolant temp sensor or something. But I pretty much only saw one reference to that.

I'll tell him to make sure all cylinders are firing, and to check the TPS sensor. I used to work on my own car. Not so easy anymore having it in someone else's hands, far away from you...

http://s682.photobucket.com/albums/v...Movie_0001.flv

 

i want to think it is something to do with your timing... i know i set my civic about three teeth retarded and it acted similar, really really slow revving and barely idled. only thing that i can think of...

 

at the 49 second mark whats that white smoke? is your compression good? and is the headgasket okay? check your coolant, if its brown you may have found your problem (blown headgasket)

i've never seen white smoke out of the throttle body before.. lol

 

I'm not sure what the white smoke is, but it comes up when the engine stalls. Maybe fuel mist?

Can't check the coolant, because like I said...it's no there

Other than that, at idle it runs good. I'll ask him about compression, but the mechanic says that he believes mechanically the engine is good. Just some electrical problem....

 

you said it "might" be a knock sensor, uh did you possibly check the code? lol. Usually if its "electrical" the first thing you do is check the code.

No offense, but I am thinking you might need a new mechanic...

 

^^Agreed It has to be something very dumb i think its your timing as well because something isn't going right when u step on the throttle its running but not well. Check the timing if not then must be soemthing electrical, possibly i njectors etc..

 

Yeah he did check the code and it did show knock sensor. I'm just not convinced that this would cause it to run so bad.

And, no offense taken. I think I need a new mechanic, too. In fact, this mechanic agrees because he said he would take it to another mechanic.

 

1) Why haven't you put water in it yet??? Why did you even try to start it w/o water? What kind of mechanic does that? PUT WATER IN IT. The ECU bases many functions on the temperature of the water. Timing, VTEC, fuel control, pretty much everything. I can't say for sure this would cause your exact problem but I would say it's a complete no brainier that you should try it with water (and should have never started it w/o it).

2) Did you guys remove the head when you got it? Have you done anything to the timing chain at all? Did you do a valve adjustment before starting it?

3) Why on gods green earth are you WOT'ing with a problem like this. Seriously???

 

I was wondering the same thing. I wouldnt even trust that motor any more...

 

no coolant?? that's pretty brave running it without..

 

1. cant be the knock sensor, with my knock sensor broken from doing the clutch job, like most peeps they brake the knock sensor on accident, with the knock sensor broken car still ran perfect and reved to 9k and vtec kicked in, so cant be the knock sensor


2. put coolant in the radiator, and let it warm up, make sure all sensors are hooked up, and check the compression on the motor aswell to see if its good

3. I'm from poland aswell and i have an 2002 s2000 but i live in san diego california

 

Are both, old and new motor the same 2.0 motor?

 

That defenetly sounds like timing, maybe a ECU problem. Pull the valve cover off and check the timing marks, also make sure the TPS and MAP sensor plugs aren't mixed up.

 

Did you pay to have this motor installed?

 

Thanks for all the help everyone. I'm telling the mechanic what he should do, but he's getting harder and harder to reach.

Yes, I paid to get this thing installed. Well, not yet. But I'm really not surprised. Whenever I was forced to take my car to a mechanic in the past, they were always unable to help me.

Yeah they're both supposed to be 2.0. I haven't double checked though.

 

Well, the third mechanic I took it to finally fixed it. Yesterday I drove it home. I guess these guys knew what they were doing...

It was some freaking complicated ****. I guess they went through all the sensors, wires, injectors...and half were messed up. But correcting these did not fix the problem, as they were probably messed up in the process of trying to fix it.

Ultimately...and I don't even fully understand it, it was that all the moving parts weren't synchronized. Kind of like bad timing...except instead of advancing a few degrees, they had to advance and retard different parts different amounts, all at the same time.

They had to take the camshafts off in order to do it correctly. They explained that they needed three people holding **** down in order to get everything lined up.

Does any of this make sense? Has anybody here ever timed an S2000?

I think it all came down to the fact that when I got the replacement engine, it didn't come with the VTEC valve...because the engine shippers wanted to keep it for themselves. This resulted in the timing going to hell, and me waiting 4 months to get the car fixed, and ultimately almost bankrupting....

But yeah. It's fixed. Thanks everyone who tried to help!

 

hope you get to finally enjoy it mate..

 

Thanks mate! Unfortunately, things have changed drastically in the past few months...and now that she's fixed I can't afford her.

I have to let her go

 

that's a bugger - shame. - next time...