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Comments
I have the timing belt tensioner problem as well. I was quoted a price from the local Honda dealer of $880 to replace the tensioner along with the timing belt, balance shaft belt and water pump which seems outrageous to me. Plus they charged me $85 just to diagnosis the
problem. I found a shop that specializes in Honda repair that will do the same work for $650. Is this $200 rebate from Honda of NA available to anyone with this problem? Is it only valid if you have the work done at a Honda dealer?
Honda agreed that the tensioner should not have failed at 50K and that since the new tensioner is different from the one that failed in my 1999 Prelude, there is an internally acknowledged problem. Therefore, they decided to repair the car for free which was about 560 on their end and gave me a rental. But in the end, my out of pocket costs was about 500 since I elected to performed the below-mentioned repairs and replace my weatherstrips which failed as they do in all Preludes and most Hondas.
To 98lude...
That is outrageous, I went to my local dealer (Norm Reeves Honda of Huntington Beach) and 3 private repair facilities and the dealership was the most expensive at 560 for just the tensioner and timing belt. The private repair shops quoted me about 420-460. But all the service advisors agreed that since I'm already replacing the timing belt, I should also replace the water pump, balancer belts, internal seals, and outside drive belts.
Is there any way I can prevent this from happening to my car down the road? Did they change the timing belt tensioner for '00 - '01? I guess I should just have my dealer check it out then next time I bring the car in for an oil change.
Now I know you're thinking "nyccarguy has got to be off his rocker to bring his car to the dealership for an oil change!" They charge me $18.95 for the labor, I supply my own MObil 1 5w30 (buy it at Target cheap), they give me a loaner car to use, and they know my Prelude better than Jiffy Lube does.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
About the tensioner, I'd find out if your car has the updated one. I'll try to see if I can get you the part number of the one they installed.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I am driving a 86 prelude 2.0 SI 5 speed manual and the car is approaching 260K now, still running very strong. does not burn or leak any engine oil. Rack and pinion is slowly leaking though. I just took it in to a alignment shop for a brake change. The mechanic was very impressed about the front end integrity and the engine of the car. He actually recommended me to keep the car and do a decent job on the brake and replace the caliper on top of the pad and hose. (It will cost me $1600 if I do all that, so I just replace the pad and hoses but they say one of the caliper does seem to be weak and cannot stiffen the pad under pressure. I need to change that myself for financial reason)
Any opinion in this group about how long this car will last ? Any indicator tht I should look out for as sign of an irrecoverable problem. I went to a local Honda specialist shop to do minor fixes and they told me the record car for them is a 86 Honda accord running at 450K with original transmission.
Thanks for the input.
Russell
I'd say just do whatever you've been doing but don't pour huge amounts of money into the car.
If you can run it for less per month than car payments, say 1/2 the normal car payment, then I think you are doing great!
I don't think 450K is a realistic expectation, any more than say living to be 100, even though a few people do.
Russell
I think if you averaged out all the engine failures on all modern cars you'd hit something like 175K or so. Probably Japanese averages would be higher, but I'm only guessing.
How would you estimate this car, if the engine is in good condition, the car was maintained well. Body has some rust. The middle tube of the exhaust system is going to rust out soon, and probably clutch also is gonna be replaced soon.
Thanks.
Russell
Turns out I didn't tighten my gas cap when I filled up last night. Owner's manual says the light will go off in 2 or 3 driving trips.
It looked like my left front tire was a bit soft (slow leak) which would cause the ATTS light to turn on maybe. Manual says it is OK to drive with the ATTS light on, I just won't have ATTS.
If it stays on. I'm bringing the car in next week for service.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I've only had two other mechanical issues. One was that I got the infamous P0133 O2 sensor slow bank 1 sensor 1 code when my check engine light came on. The second was a short time when the passenger door lock motor kept cycling. I'd accelerate and the lock kept tripping. Probably a bad motor, but it's only done it a few times, and not lately. Anyone have any info on these issues?
As for my Prelude, the only two reasons I've ever considered not keeping it are these: it's too short (I bump my head on the roof because I refuse to do a gangsta lean, and I prefer to be as high as possible so I can actually SEE the road), and, like the Accord, the cup holders are placed exactly where my elbow wants to be when shifting. Other than that, it's perfect. The combination of power, comfort, safety, and of course style makes it one of the best sports cars on the road, and yes, I do consider it a sports car (as do the constant line of kids who want to race me at stoplights... must be the paint job).
I've never really opened her up, but she's hit 105. Not ten minutes later, though, I got tagged by a Florida Trooper in an airplane who said I'd been doing 94. $175 for that ticket, but I was actually happy to get it at that rate... };-)
Anyway, looking forward to reading all your comments & learning more about my baby.
.
Maybe my color got me picked out and got me my first ticket ever (in my 10 years of driving) about a year and a half ago. Stupid NYC cop gave me a ticket for going 70 in a 50.
I guess the cupholders do get in the way, but I never use them. I usually just drink H2O and tighten the cap and throw it on the seat next to me.
As far as roof height goes, I love the "chopped" look of the Prelude's roof. You don't have to do a gangsta lean to be comfy. Just tilt the seat back a little further then you normally would. Also make sure the bottom of the seat is all the way down.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
But man, that's a horrible way to start the day!
I saw a rare sight: two Type SHs following each other on the highway. A silverstone and a black.
Well, those of us with a Prelude Type SH love our ATTS and how it enhances the cornering charachteristics of an already brilliant handling car. We all thought that the technology went to waste when our beloved Prelude was cut from Honda's lineup and Acura fitted their CL Type S (and the new TL) with a true LSD. I read a very interesting tidbit on Acura's new AWD system (July 2004 Car and Driver, Page 36) that will debut on the '05 RL. The new nomenclature fro the system will be called SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive, but you figured that out already:). It uses electromagnetic clutches using a variety of inputs and can send power to either or both rear wheels as needed. So in addition to using a front/rear AWD split, the system can transfer power from side to side in the rear. They said they were actually able to make the car rotate around a corner . Check it out, it is quite an interesting little blurb.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
While the Prelude was being fixed I got to tool around in an '04 Civic LX for a 2 days. Lots of room on the inside for such a small car. The engine was anemic, but I still got it up to 80 and was cruising...not bad. It seemed soild though. A great starting point for the RSX.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
THey're always telling me that I should do this and that to my car. I just tell them I don't want it to be undrivable for everyday commuting and highway trips (plus I don't want to waste the money). They were shcoked when I told them how well the Prelude cruises on the highway.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Any ideas what's going on???
('01 SE)
Anybody knows about a cheaper source for buying crush washer ? A lot of the seal are made by crushing the washer but the cost is around $2.50 to $3.00 a piece at the dealer. ANy suggestion for a place selling this at a lower cost. I do not use them often, only when I work with brakes and fuel filter. Just curious. Thanks.
Russell
The import night was cool. I met a few Prelude drivers from the area. And everyone I spoke to raised an eyebrow at some point in a conversation when I mentioned I had an '01 Type SH. The Prelude commands lots of respect.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I test drove the MT Acura TL and TSX a week ago. the TL did not impress me - it's a fantastic car, but just felt so heavy, particularly with the manual. I wasn't shifting very cleanly. I wonder about the purpose of a MT in such a refined car.
The TSX on the other hand really impressed me. It had handling dynamics very, very similar to the Prelude. The motor felt the same, acceleration felt about the same, etc. NVH was the same too--same levels of feedback. Gearbox even had the same shift knob as the S2000. Interior was worlds better, it has real back seats, honestly it struck me as a four-door Prelude. I urge Prelude owners to check out this car if they are looking for more room within the TSX's price range.
I hit 30,000 miles last night!
MY Check engine light and ATTS light went on again a day before my trip. I thought they'd reset themselves like they did last time, but they didn't. I dropped the car off at my dealer and had them change the oil as well.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
22 mpg on the trip down and 18 on the way back up.
I was driving all highway with the A/C on (raining), the bike rack, 2 bikes, between 70 & 80 mph.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
And speaking of rain, I live in MD (sounds like you drove through my neck of the woods), and we've had some horrendous rain the last couple days. One thing I've noticed is that, after some rain, water starts to puddle on the black plastic piece on the bottom of the door jambs. Since it's not exposed to the air when the door is shut, it stays wet for a long time. Is this normal, or is it a sign that the door is maybe not closing tightly enough? I have a 99 with ~66K miles.
The owner's manual also suggested that I replace the AC Micron filter. So I had that done in addition to the oil change.
So I'm switching to Castrol Syntec permanently. After running Mobil 1 Synthetic for the entire life of the car, last fill up I decided to switch. The Castrol didn't seem to burn any over the past 4K miles or so. It still looked like it had some life left in it , but it was time for an oil change anyway.
Prelude drives great! 30,200 smiles and still going strong!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
So I called the dealership up just to see if this was a ploy to get people into new cars. He said yes and no. Obviously they'd like nothing more than to sell new Hondas to their customers. He also told me that they are opening up a pre-owned (read: used) car center adjacent to the current dealership.
I'm going to bring my car by to them to see what they'd give me for it.
I can't sell it though. There really is nothing out there right now that I "gotta have" priced within reason (for me). I do own the Prelude and love the fact that all I need to pay for is gas and maintenance is attractive. BMW is offering 1.9% financing for 60 months on 3ers right now. I know the 3 series is going to be redone next year with more powerful engines. Rules out the 325for me and if I'm opting for a 330, then I have to get the Performance Package! What's a car nut to do?
There is nothing in the current Honda lineup that interests me.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Seriously, I would be interested to know what they offer you...
I did a search on Honda's site for Certified Preludes with Manual transmissions within a 250 mile radius of my zip code. There are 3 (I'm sure there are others, just not registered on the Honda site), 2 base models & 1 Type SH. Now obvoiusly the dealer has got lots of wiggel room with these cars as they make a bigger markup on used cars, but not too shabby:
'01 Silver Prelude 27,500 miles $16,995
'01 Black Prelude 33,900 miles $20,995
'01 Blue Type SH 56,156 miles $19,999
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
We are looking to get a sedan this fall and an Acura TSX is at the top of the list.
The TSX is a fine car. You're a Honda/Acura fan as much as I am, but don't overlook the new Legacy 2.5GT. 250hp/250lb ft of turbo charged boxer torque!
My Dad has a '66 427 Corvette Roadster sitting in his garage. I've always wanted a convertible too.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
So the parkway I was on got shut down. It went from 3 lanes all the way to a short exit ramp with a long light at the end of it (and of course no sight of the police to direct traffic). Except in order to get the Prelude to the exit ramp, I had to drive through 20-25' of water which was up to the bottoms of my doors! This wouldn't be so much of a problem except that I was literally feathering my clutch crawling through this puddle (read: lake). I didn't think I was going to make it! First stopped in the water with the cat converter, bottom of the muffler, brakes, and bottom of the engine submerged. Huge clouds of white smoke started gushing up from underneath and in front of my car. Then if that isn't bad enough, As I'm giving the car gas, I hear a bubbling noise as the throttle opens and closes (sounding like the air intake might have been sucking in some h2o). I made it though. I got to the nearest highway that I could find and opened the car up to about 80 mph. The Prelude's OK for now! I need to keep it around for a long time:)
I'd like my next car to be the last year ('06?) of the current E46 M3.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Oh well, I wish there were a 4 door version Honda offered in some form but it didn't really exist. I had to move up to a ZHP. I do miss the feeling of the lude. Maybe I'll pick up a used one in a couple years ...
I just hit 35,000 miles yesterday. Took a 260 mile trip one way to Syracuse, NY for a wedding. Left yesterday AM and came back this AM. The drive took me excactly 3.5 hours (average a bit more than 74 mph) and I had the cruise set at 80mph for most of the way and still got a little over 26 mpg. Unless there is something that I truly love (like I lusted after a Prelude for years) like the new E90 3er, M2, or next gen Lexus IS, I'm going to have a hard time getting rid of my Prelude. Plus it is paid for and I like having ZERO car paytments!
Kids? No problem! The other day I took my friend's 9 year old daughter to her friend's house and she fits perfectly back there. A few months ago I actually picked up three 7 year olds from a bowling party. It does everything the regualr minivan or SUV does, but cooler and lower to the ground
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD