Honda Prelude 1997-2002

lulu9 · June 2007

Yeah, guys, it is hard to fathom getting on a motorcycle without a helmet. Although I've had many wonderful riding experiences on the back of one particular Harley (another story for another day), I always wore a helmet, leather jacket, and boots. And its rider was experienced...not a guy going through a mid-life crises, who gets his first bike in his 40's/50's. Huge difference.

For such a tiny state, CT has quite an eclectic, varied culture, which includes a notable "biker community." These bikers formed a very powerful, well-funded coalition, which lobbied successfully to fight off the motorcyle helmet requirement legislation for those over 18. Basically, their argument was that it's a "nanny law" that poses a constitutional infringement on personal rights. In a nutshell, nanny laws are those laws that interfere with our personal behavior and choices.

While we feel it's foolish to get on a bike without a helmet--because the "what if" factor is too gruesome to contemplate--there are many who totally resent what is essentially another nanny law. And, to be honest, I'm not fond about "nanny laws" either because, as an adult, I don't like being told what to do. In fact, I hate it! Well, all of this makes for a very engaging, entertaining, and enlightening debate/conversation, but, as an overview, that's why CT bikers flaunt their helmetless heads. They went to war over this (so to speak), and won.

And, when you think about it, especially with today's technology, where do you draw the line with these laws? My feeling is that you draw the line when you put others--besides yourself--at risk/in harm's way. For instance (an easy example), if you want to smoke or drink yourself to death, that's your personal choice/business. But please do this on your time, not mine. In other words, please do not smoke in my presence, and please do not get on the road when you've had too much to drink.

I feel less safe with a man driving an essentially crash-proof Mercedes who's compulsively fiddling with his various gadgets simultaneously than I did while on the back of a motorcyle going triple digits. Ironically, the first scenario was frightening while the second one was exhilarating. Go figure.

When visiting my folks on Sunday, with my new tires, I was especially appreciating (in awe actually) how the curvy, hilly country roads along a beautiful landscape is a bikers' (and Prelude owners') paradise. And the bikers were out in all their glory--most without helmets--even their women on the back. To each his/her own.

lulu9 · June 2007

Indeed, that's exactly what I was referring to in my query. In our overly-litigious culture, you can never be certain about a situation such as this. So, yeah, the closure for you would be, "He's taken care of--no complications, no additional drama--end of story." Glad to know you had a fast and easy ending. Whew!

timothyaw · June 2007

I agree with you on the nanny laws, I don't think government should tell you what do in such personal situations. Its just that people would do it period is what gets me!

I'm glad to hear the situation with the BMW guy is settled, now on to your car. Let us know how it works out.

Lulu brought up an excellent question about the snob owners(not all owners are that way) will see these newer models? As far as BMW, I'm not in the circles to really know what most owners will think. But it will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

nyccarguy · June 2007

The phone rings at work today around 3:00 PM and it is the body shop guy, Jimmy on the other end. "Your car is ready to be picked up."

WOW, great I said. I get off of work at 5:00 PM and should be there by 6 the latest!

"Um, I have to be somewhere tonight and must leave by 5:30 PM"

OK, don't leave before you see me.

"OK."

So I race towards the body shop. As much as one can race in an '06 Nissan Sentra.

I was awestruck at how beautiful my car gleamed. It seriously looks brand new. I'm so happy with the results.

Watch out road, I'll be tearin' you up tomorrow morning :P

lulu9 · June 2007

Hey, that's awesome!You must be elated!

Better wear your helmet tomorrow. :P

Is "Jimmy" in White Plains?

nyccarguy · June 2007

In White Plains. He's actually diagnoally across the street from Audio Visions (The Speed/Sound Shop). In fact when I picked the car up today, Jimmy told me that Manny (The dude who owns Audio Visions) and some of his boys came by to check on my car.

lulu9 · June 2007

Perhaps the luxury car market is taking its business cues from the fashion world to expand their market base--to sell more cars. Think about it!

All main-stream fashion houses and designers have what is referred to as "bridge wear." O.K., so this is for the woman (and man now) who can't or won't pay an obscene amount of money for a dress or outfit. But, they still enjoy the ambiance of the label.

For instance, with Ralph Lauren, his couture (top-of-the-line) apparel all have purple labels. His business/professional wear have black labels. Then, his "Polo" line, which is an umbrella name brand for his casual/sportswear lines is considered low to mid.

Of course, the fashion snobs would never, ever wear an item from a designer who has licensed their name to bedding, tabletop, and wall paint manufacturers! That just wouldn't happen.

So, no you will not see Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein or Donna Karan at any of the higher-end stores/boutiques.

The more democratic a product becomes, the faster the "cool factor" evaporates. Well, that's my humble opinion!

Claires · June 2007

is inevitable as folks get to know one another, but it looks like we're getting way off-track here.

nyccarguy · June 2007

My beautiful Milano Red Prelude. I'm still impressed I get compliments on my car after owning it for 5 years! After playing Tennis with my wife this evening, we decided on Pizza for dinner. As I'm waiting for my Pizza, this 40 something year old lady walks into the restaurant and asks me "Is that your Prelude? It is beautiful! I used to have a Prelude and it was the best car I've ever owned. I regret ever getting rid of it. It gave me 11 fun years and way over 140,000 miles worth of satisfaction."

It made me feel good, especially after my wife beat me bad in our Tennis match :P

nyccarguy · June 2007

I've either got to stop hanging out with timothy or get myself a somewhat less conspicuous vehicle LOL. Driving home from work today, I'm on the Hutch going North. I had to deliver some bulbs to a friend's store in Rye Brook. I was listening to the Yankee game on the radio with my cruise control set at 60 mph. I speed up to about 68 to pass a guy in a beat up minivan, get back in the right lane, look up and see a Westchester County Cop coming up fast in the left lane. I say to myself "You've got to be kidding me!"

The cop flips his lights on, and I immediately signal & pull over. I put my Hazzards on, shut the car off, & placed the keys on top of the dashboard.

nyc: "Good afternoon officer."

Cop: "Do you know why I pulled you over? It is illegal in New York State to have a modified exhaust. Let me see your license & registration. Is this your vehicle?"

nyc: "Sir, I'm going to open my glove compartment to get my registration, OK. It is my father's car."

The cop takes my L&R back to his patrol car. He had me sitting on the side of the road for a good fifteen minutes before he returned.

Cop: "Tell your father it is illegal to have a modified exhaust in New York State. Can you verify your age for me?"

nyc: "I'm 31 sir. I had no idea it is illegal to modify one's exhaust. I've had it for close to 3 years and it has passed New York State Inspection every year with flying colors. Have a good afternoon."

I drove off completely baffled. I'm pretty sure it is not illegal to have an aftermarket exhaust, but I'll have to check. If my exhaust is so illegal, then why didn't he call a tow truck to have my car yanked off the road? I think maybe he thought the car was stolen or just wanted to crack nuts on a beautiful day.

timothyaw · June 2007

I can laugh at your situation now that you didn't get a ticket or worse! First, glad to hear about your car

We told you it would look brand new and it does, congratulations. Think about putting a clear bra on that front end while it's still sparkling new.

It certainly does make you feel good when you get a comment from the lady. That's why I'm telling you, DO NOT EVER SELL THE PRELUDE! Mark my word, if you do you'll regret it. This car has that classic look, and good performance.

You got pulled over, this is the second time in what a month? Yeah don't pick up my old habit of getting pulled over so much :P I'm not form NY, but that sounds like a bunch of BS to me. Maybe he was just jealous and wanted to bust you on something, anything. Glad you were able to go on your way ticket free.

nyccarguy · June 2007

or "Nose Mask" we'll call it

is a great idea, but I'm just not that fanatical about stone chips. My Prelude is so low compared to most cars, that I get stone chips all the way up the hood, so I'd rather find a better use for my money:)

lulu9 · June 2007

Hmmm. I would think that the "speed shop" that installed your exhaust would advise you accordingly. I'm sure they would know about what you can get away with. I can't imagine that they would install an exhaust that's considered street illegal in NY state.

Still, the scenario you related is a puzzlement. My take is that he wanted to bust your chops. A red car with a loud exhaust got his attention.

lulu9 · June 2007

That's the sound I heard as I drove over a speed bump today at a regular clip of about 35/40 mph. Talk about being clueless!

An unfortunate constellation of factors: 1. Unfamiliar road; 2. A bad glare on my windshield; 3. Non-polarized fashion sunglasses; 4. A speed bump so high that my front spoiler grazed it as well.

I almost gave myself a heart attack! The impact was so strong that I'm surprised (relieved of course!) the tires didn't blow out. And I was just discussing the advantages of polarized sunglasses with my brother yesterday! (In case you're wondering, they are worth the extra $$.)

We'll just add this to the list of (really) dumb things I've done lately, such as wacking my right forehead getting into my car on Friday. (I now have a bruise.) This is the second time I've done this with the 'lude! And I'm not even tall like Timothy..so what the heck is my problem??

lulu9 · June 2007

you will receive compliments on your car. I'm getting used to it, though the admiration for the car is always welcome! I just received another compliment the weekend before in a busy grocery store parking lot. A nice man parked next to me was with his wife and young son, and he was praising my car while his wife completed the task of putting the bags in the car! :P

I'm now into really cool cars that are no longer being made due to poor sales. That ups the cool factor for me right there--that the car was not mainstream enough.

What if...what if Honda stops making the S2000 due to poor sales? I guess that means I'll have to buy one of those too!

lulu9 · June 2007

I know I would love the BMW 335i. BUT...

the base price is around $41,000. That's a pretty big number for a piece of machinery that's only going to depreciate. Yet, if you're in that market/price range, then the issue of depreciation shouldn't matter that much, should it? The point is that you can comfortably afford it and justify it at the same time.

It's a difficult balance to strike--justifying spending that much on a car when there are so many other things in life calling my attention.

The Canadian who posted here not too long ago opined that he's a big Honda fan (as am I--very loyal), yet there was nothing between Honda and Acura for him to upgrade to--coming from the Prelude. And I later thought that it's too bad the folks at Honda are not privy to his comment. Because he really hit the nail on the head.

As you can see, I'm trying out a brand new writing style--sticking to cars/driving! Hopefully, I'll be able to contribute a few worthwhile blurbs going forward. We shall see... this is a test!

nyccarguy · June 2007

Is that I was getting my chops busted. I buy your theory of the red car, but my exhaust isn't any louder than a stock Prelude's, especially cruising at such a doclie speed (60 mph).

Someone brough up another possible motive for the officer's actions: The road I was on (The Hutchinson River Parkway) is chock full of racers every Friday & Saturday night. Maybe he thought I was trolling for someone to race.

I think he thought I was driving a stolen car.

Oh well, I'll never know!

timothyaw · June 2007

He was just looking for trouble, and didn't find any your way fortunately. I hear ya on the clear "nose mask", I can understand your viewpoint on the matter.

I hand washed (no drive through ones) my Prelude the other day and boy does that black look good! I get compliments when I clean up real good. I've seen a couple of other black preludes in the city, but they were beat to hell. Sad to see, but at least mine is looking good.

Lulu, please explain to me how you're hitting your head getting into or out of your car :P That has to be a sight to behold. I'll glad you're ok though.

nyccarguy · July 2007

I guess since nobody has posted in a while means we're all out enjoying beautiful, long, summer, night drives in our Preludes?

I'm going to hit 84K tomorrow on my way to work. I've been taking it easy for the past few weeks since my accident and being pulled over twice. It is definitely paying off at the pump. I'm averaging over 26 mpg! I mostly set the cruise at 60 mph on the highway.

In other Prelude owner news, we're adding a new vehicle to our fleet. Since my wife's '00 Protege ES seems to have met its demise, we're going to replace it (for the next 3 years) with an '07 BMW X3 3.0si.

timothyaw · July 2007

Congratulations on the BMW, whoohoo! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Yes I have been enjoying long drives to work in my Prelude, life is good

What happened to your Protege?

See how laying off the accelerator a bit can give you decent gas mileage? lol. I've been there, and (knocking on wood) it's nice to be ticket free.

lulu9 · July 2007

Congratulations on the new addition to your (car) family!
Did you and your wife shop around and test drive different makes/models, or did you have a pretty good idea of what you wanted? There are a lot of really good lease deals to be had out there--if you can change your mindset from ownership to leasing.

Despite a myriad of driving "mishaps" that were not your Prelude's fault :P , it has rewarded you for your undying commitment (to getting it expertly repaired) by providing you with 84,000 of trouble-free-mechanically miles--and looking better than ever. :shades:

Yes, indeed, the summer has really captured my attention. Also, I've been immersed in the real estate market--and that is a major time sucker-upper!

Thanks for checking in!

lulu9 · July 2007

Timothy: How far is your drive to work? Do you have a long commute?

timothyaw · July 2007

My drive to work is about 27 miles one way. It's all freeway so I can really open it up! Traffic isn't too bad here, so no worries there. How is your commute?

nyccarguy · July 2007

as I'm off for 2 weeks, so does the Protege. We actually took my Dad's '04 X5 to Bethany Beach, DE for a week. I love being on vacation.

The Protege's problems are kind of a long story that started a few weeks ago with 2 flat tires from one pothole, a dead battery the next day, and the resulting alternator that wouldn't charge and had to be replaced. Then we brought the car in for what we thought was a transmission problem, but turned out to be a timing belt tensioner problem which only made me weary of what lies ahead. My wife needs a car for work and she chauffers our 10 month old son around so...

We actually looked at quite a few cars before we rendered our decision on the X3. We wanted to lease to keep the monthly payments low.

from the Honda corner, we looked at the Accord V6 and the CR-V. She liked the CRV for its smooth ride, manuverability, and vast cargo room. I felt like I was sitting on a toilet when I was driving it and it makes the Protege feel like a Porsche as far as power goes.

I liked the Accord because it was so cheap to lease ($350 per month for 36 months/15K per year with $0 cap cost reduction) & smooth without feeling isolated. She thought it was OK, but didn't love it. She doesn't like the fact that lots of "mature" people in our condo complex drive Accords.

I then stumbled across a special lease offer on A VW Passat wagon. We both like it a lot. It had a beautifully crafted interior, good pickup (from the turbo 4), handled nicely, and had loads of cargo room. I emailed a dealer who actually got back to me via email with a quote including the lease rate, residual, & selling price. The problem was she sent me an email Sat AM while I was at work and I didn't check until I got home later that night. She told me the lease rates would probably go up on Monday, which they did so the effective lease payment went up by $45 per month. $400 per month was a good price for the VW, but $445 was way too much.

We left the VW dealer very dissapointed and almost disheartened.

All the while I'm negotiating a deal for my Dad on a new '07 X5 3.0si. I brokered a great deal for him on a pretty hot new X5. My Dad doesn't deal with the car dealers, I do. The salesman called him at work after I left to get a deposit. My Dad is a man of few words, but seems to always get his point across. He told the salesman I was interested in an X3 and since we're buying an X5 from him in August and my wife is going to get another BMW when her lease is up at the end of December to make me an offer I can't refuse on an X3.

We're supposed to pick it up Tuesday. I can't wait!

timothyaw · July 2007

Congraulations, it's funny how things always seem to work out. And that was good negotiating skills by you and your dad. But that's how you do it. You'll be even happier in the X3 than the VW anyway.

On a sad note, I got a ticket today :mad: I've been good for years and this just breaks my wallet. I did a quick move, over two lanes and an unmarked state police was there. I thought he was going to cut me a break because I haven't had any tickets in three years. NOPE. He just felt like being an [non-permissible content removed] today. Oh well, you can't fight the system.

nyccarguy · July 2007

So what exactly did he cite you for?

Thanksfor the good luck wishes on the X3. I'm sure we'll love it, but my wife is really upset seeing her car go.

timothyaw · July 2007

I guess he would call it "aggressive" driving. Ouch to the tune of $150

I just cranked the steering wheel a hard left to cross one lane. He was right there. At least it won't go on my driving or insurance record.

nyccarguy · July 2007

but $150 for no points & no insurance notification is key.

timothyaw · July 2007

Yeah I know, thanks for the support. Are you excited about picking up your new ride yet? Thursday right? Let us know how it goes.

lulu9 · July 2007

I'm here and I'm listening...just no chance to respond

Timothy: Ugh...I'm so sorry about your ticket...and you were doing so well.

How do you know that you're not going to be penalized further--beyond the $150? Is that what the officer told you? Don't believe him.

NYC: Congratulations on all of this...how exciting!! Sounds like you put quite a nice deal together--a family package.
Yes, please let us know about your new car!

I had to laugh about your toilet comparison...what a riot! In that case, it should come with a stack of reading material.

nyccarguy · July 2007

Well I told my wife she could pick out the color of her new car and she picked a good one, Montego Blue Metallic. It looks like a Royal Blue, a very flattering color for the X3. One that will definitely stand out amongst the sea of Silver, Grey, Black, & White BMWs. She's got her heart set on a blue car and I'm not going to tell her no.

Our salesman (Client Advisor) has located a Montego Blue Metallic 2007 BMW X3 3.0si with very few options and has given us a VERY good price to lease the truck for 3 years. The problem is the dealer where the truck is located is being extremely difficult to work with in addition to being very uncooperative. So I'm going to give him some more time. We've got my Dad's '04 X5 3.0iA to use until Sunday and I've lined up my sister's '00 VW Jetta VR6 for my wife to use next week.

timothyaw · July 2007

Lulu, it's written on the ticket. It's called the safe driver program. If you haven't had any tickets for at least two years you're eligible. I won't get any points on my record and my insurance won't get notified. As a matter of fact, they won't notify the DMV. If I'm correct in this, the insurance companies look at your record from the DMV for any tickets etc. I paid it yesterday. There goes some of my vacation money :mad:

NYC, any clues as to why that other dealer is being a butt head? I wonder if they feel like they are not getting paid enough from your dealer. How long are you going to wait?

lulu9 · July 2007

Timothy: I did not mean to sound like "gloom and doom" yesterday. Knock on wood...my last speeding ticket was approx. 10 years ago. (Wow! That makes me feel old!) The cop who pulled me over told me that my violation would not "show up" on my record because I had no prior violations. He also said that he was giving me a ticket for a lesser amount than he normally would have. In a nutshell, he was supposedly giving me a break.

Fast forward...I was shopping around for insurance and told the agent that I had a clean driving record. Well, guess what? When I explained to the agent what the police officer told me, she was taken aback by my naivete and said, "Honey, let me set you straight. Anytime an officer gives you a ticket--I don't care what they tell you--it will show up on your driving record, and it will be reported to your insurance company." I have no idea why the officer said such things to me, but he did.

So that's where I was coming from.

Well this is great news--that there is such a "thing" as a "safe driver program" where you can get a boo-boo and not have it reported to the DMV, so it is not reported to insurance.

Is this a state-sanctioned program, or is it national? I have never heard of such a practice, so this is another good reason I appreciate what you guys have to say!

I'm sorry you had to pay the $150, but I'm glad that you are not going to be further penalized.

I read somewhere recently where scientists believe that women have better peripheral vision than men. Well, if this is true, that would explain a lot of thing!

nyccarguy · July 2007

My Prelude has officially been parked since my last day of work before vacation (7/14/07). I don't see it moving until Monday when I return to work.

My BMW dealer told me today that he finally got a hold of somebody and the X3 he thought was available is actually a demo car. There's one more Montego Blue/Black interior X3 out there that he made a call for today. If he doesn't hear anything back by early tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to take the Silver Gray X3 that he has in stock. I'm really excited. I haven't bought a new car since my Prelude in '02. I've been a fan of the BMW marquee for a long time now and am so charged now that I'm actually going to have one of my own.

BTW, I don't see this one changing anytime in the near future: My next car is going to be a BMW 1 series. I'm going to keep driving my prelude for at least another 5 years, but if something happens between now and then...the 128i is proabably going to be the car!

timothyaw · July 2007

NYC, oh so that particular X3 was a demo. That explains his reluctance to let it go. Maybe the other one he found will be a go. If not, at least with silver dirt doesn't show up as well. I didn't know you're on vacation, I hope you're enjoying it. I'm working ALL summer

Lulu, yes the safe driver program is an Indiana thing. I talked to the guy at the traffic center when paying my ticket and asked him how it works. Like I said, they record it (whatever that entity is) but don't turn it over to the DMV. Which is where I think insurance companies get there information from.

nyccarguy · July 2007

So I don't know of my Prelude just wanted an extra day of vacation (it has been sitting for 2 weeks), was mad that I've been driving my Dad's '04 X5 for the past 2 weeks (and not my Prelude), have been taking up my wife's new X5 so much here on edmunds (instead of talking about how wonderful it drives), or maybe just had most of the fuel drained out of the line due to the fact that it has been sitting nose down for 2 weeks, but it didn't start this AM when I was ready to go to work :mad:

After everything I've been through with my wife's Protege over the last month, I thought the worst and wasn't happy. Luckily my Dad was only half way to work when I called him and he whipped around to double back and pick me up :sick: .

My wife called AAA when she got home from work this PM. While waiting for the driver to come, she and my Mother-In-Law gave my Prelude a few cranks and it kicked over on the second try just as the AAA guy was arriving

AAA guy says it was probably vapor lock from the car sitting for so long with its nose pointed down. Said I should take the car out for a ride tonight to clean everything out.

It gives me the perfect excuse to go visit my best friend in Norwalk, CT to check out his new Infiniti FX35 Sport. Very nice truck. Controlled ride, good steering feedback. taut ride, lots of power!

Prelude drives great! Fits like a glove!

Our BMW salesman called Saturday PM at 4:30 to tell us he founf a MONTEGO BLUE 2007 X3 for us! :shades: We're going to take delivery of it tomorrow!

timothyaw · August 2007

Congratulations on getting the color you wanted. You'll have to tell us all about the pickup. Yeah, your Prelude was not used to sitting that long lol. I take mine out for a good hard run after letting it sit for a few months.

nyccarguy · August 2007

My Prelude now officially has a new stablemate, a Montego Blue 2007 BMW X3 3.0si. So far I'm pretty impressed with the X3. It has great brakes, handles like something that weighs 2 tons with 8+" of ground clearance shouldn't, is very smooth.

timothyaw · August 2007

Wow, sounds great. I'm glad you're loving your I meant your wife's new ride :P I think she's going to have a problem keeping you out of it. Gonna put her in the Prelude hehehe?

nyccarguy · August 2007

word your message like that :P . My wife knows how much I love cars in general and how long I've wanted a BMW (in addition to being the best wife & greatest Mommy in the whole world). She offered to take some seat time in the Prelude so I could take her truck to work a few days a week. I respectfully declined. I don't need to take a brand new BMW to the neighborhood where I work, my Prelude is fine for that. When we go galavanting around on weekends, I'll be doing the bulk of the driving in the X3.

I was talking about cars with a customer this afternoon. He told me he has a '95 Civic Hatchback with a K20 engine (from the Acura RSX Type S). He asks me what I have. I told him I've got a Prelude. He says: "Sweet, a Prelude motor in a Civic Hatch really moves!" I said: "Uuum no, I have the whole Prelude.

timothyaw · August 2007

That Civic story was too funny! It's amazing how they stuff different Honda engines in everything. Next I'll be hearing how somebody put a Prelude or Civic engine in a Honda lawnmower :P

Yeah I was wondering about you wanting to drive it, but it was very gracious of you to decline. But like you said, weekends and on other occasions you'll be driving it. I'm sure you'll get plenty of seat time. As time go on and you get more seat time, give us an update on your opinions and feel of the vehicle.

nyccarguy · August 2007

Milestone tonight on my way home. The odometer rolled over the 85,000 mile mark! Whowhoo!

timothyaw · August 2007

Alright! But you still have many, many more miles left on that car. I bought my first Honda with 90k and it lasted me until 265k. The car is paid for, so keep on driving and smiling

shmang · September 2007

Guys, I have a question for those who have their timing belt (with tensioner) changed:

I just got mine done and the sound of the engine is different now. It sounds deeper, more like one with an after market exhaust system (but mine is stock). Does this sounds normal or there is a leak or something? I asked the guy who did it and he said it is just the new belt is tighter with a new hydrolic(spell?) tensioner that cause it.

Did any of you notice any change of how the engine sounds and maybe performs after the timing belt change?

The other question is: Is break in required with the new belt and tensioner?

Thanks,

nyccarguy · September 2007

I have noticed a different sound from my car since I had the timing belt/tensioner/water pump/head gasket... service. At idle, my car almost sounds like it has a supercharger whirring under the hood (it doesn't). I think it is due to the tensioner being tighter.

shmang · September 2007

Yeah, exactly like a supercharger and also when I rev up the engine, it sounds deeper and a little bit louder (as of right now).

Have you take any time off the VTEC after replace the T-belt to break them in?

nyccarguy · September 2007

I don't remember any kind of break in for the new timing belt/tensioner.

nyccarguy · October 2007

Well, folks with about 87,500 miles on my beloved 2001 Prelude Type SH I had to take it in for an oil change and decided to have the 90,000 mile maintenance performed.

I'm having the oil and filter changed (Using Mobil 1 Synthetic), The brake fluid flushed and replaced (I'm still on the original pads & rotors), The Manual Transmission Fluid flushed and filled, The ATTS fluid flushed and filled, the Coolant System Flushed and Filled, and a tire rotation.

How's everybody doing out there?

stuartbonia · October 2007

Glad to see you are taking care of your baby.

I changed the pads around 85,000 miles. We definitely got our money's worth on those. I have a 98 SH with around 92,000 (2nd car).

I was going to change the ATTS fluid and the dealer recommended that I don't mess with it. They had not changed it for others. Since they were not too thrilled to do it I held off.

Take care of the car and it will take care of you.

nyccarguy · October 2007

Yeah, I'm a stickler for preventative maintenance. I've owned my '01 Type SH Prelude since April 27, 2002 (got it new as a leftover) and plan on keeping it at least another 5 years.

The dealer called me before and told me the pads are pretty much shot. He said the rotors can be resurfaced. I'm going to go aftermarket for new brake pads.

The dealer wasn't even sure what the ATTS fluid was. He too said he's never changed it. I asked him to look into it and he said he would.

He also triec to push one of those "injector cleanings" on me, but I said no thanks for now.

Honda Prelude 1997-2002

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