Honda Prelude 1997-2002

himiler

It's not the H22 that'll go into the S2200. Honda's just going to bump the displacement of the existing 2.0L mill and lower the redline.

Although it's a killer motor, the H22 is kind of "dirty" when compared to more recent designs.

himiler

It is with a somewhat heavy heart that I must announce that my Prelude has been sold. Get, this -- it sold the same day my listing for it appeared in the paper, and after I took a deposit and wrote the contract, I got 5 more calls on it that day!

The good news is that I'll be able to keep driving it until mid-September, because that's when the buyer will have the rest of the cash.

Tomorrow, I'll be putting a deposit on a red '04 WRX wagon, and should be able to get it as soon as mid-August. Here's what it looks like:
http://www.subaru.com/servlet/showroom?model=IMPREZA&trim=WRX- - _SPORT_WAGON&command=overview

I decided that I really missed the utility and versatility of a hatchback, and the usable backseat is a nice bonus. Also, I feel really, really old when I say this, but the biggest thing that I like about the WRX over the Prelude is the safety it offers -- side head/chest airbags, EBD, and AWD. I'm sure we could all tell a story or two, but in all the driving I do, I can't begin to tell how much worse most drivers are now than when I started this job 7 years ago. I'm not the hand-wringing type, but there are a whole bunch of downright SCARY drivers out there, so I figured I could use all the help I can get.

TIRE UPDATE (in case anyone is interested) --
I have 6,300 miles on the RE750s, and they are still very quiet. I'm actually taking corners at higher speeds (by 5 to 10mph) than I did on the S-03s because they have such a progresive nature at the limit. No snap oversteer surprises like I had with the S-03s, just nice, neutral drift that's easily controlled with one's right foot.

Damn! I know I'm going to miss this car's handling.

sphinx99

I'm sure you won't miss the Prelude's handling one bit once it starts snowing. For what it's worth, there are times when I have the same thoughts. Just as I wouldn't feel too safe driving in my old '88 lude because of its lack of ABS, airbags, etc., I'm sure that some time in a more modern and safer vehicle might make me uncomfortable with the Prelude.

Congratulations! May I ask (even in rough numbers) what the selling price was? Did the LSD help or hurt its value?

himiler

sphinx -- I sold the car for $12,500 (I was asking $13K), which was right around book value, but didn't try to get more for the sake of the LSD because the car had been rear-ended last June and I thought that his offer was fair enough. The LSD didn't hurt the price, though, particularly after the buyer discovered its potential on the test drive.

For that price, the buyer also got:
--ugraded stereo & speakers w/wiring for a sub(factory stuff in a cardboard box)
--AEM CAI (installed), AEM short-ram (for the wet months)
--four winter tires on steel rims
--the LSD, which includes a transferable, lifetime warranty!
--factory full nose mask, which was used for about one week while I was waiting for my Xpel/3M film to arrive
--factory cargo net & leather shift knob
--Neuspeed front tower brace
--new summer tires
--all maintenance records
--Weathertech rubber floor mats

I think both parties came out okay on this one, considering the car has 127K on it. Plus, by the time he can take delivery, it'll probably have another 9K on the ticker.

himiler

It is, in a word, brilliant.

I spent close to an hour studying the car insinde & out while waiting for my salesperson to finish a delivery. Paint, fit and finish are flawless. It neither looks nor feels like a $26K car. I had some concern about what had looked to be a high beltline, but outward visibility was as good as my Prelude, except to the rear which is somewhat compromised by the short backlight. The exterior mirror placement is perfect.

The rear seat works and is actually comfy, but the headrests could be taller.

Ergonomically, I could find no faults. The seats are comfy, controls are well-placed and provide good tactile feedback. The full-length center console is attractive and very effective. The only quibbles I could find with the interior are the peculiar mesh sun visors and the transmission hump that protrudes slightly into the front-seat passenger's footwell -- my wife had to sit with her left leg slightly askew or with her knee bent, finding neither position ideally comfortable.

The trunk is small, but offers nothing other than useful space once you clear the high liftover. There is a noise/temperature insulation blanket on the underside of the trunklid.

Upon startup, the RENESIS has a great warble, which caused my wife & I to smile. I initially wished for a seat-height adjustment, but once underway found the pedal-wheel-seat relationship to be perfect.

Clutch takeup seemed to be a bit abrupt, with a friction point very low in the pedal stroke. Being a hot day, I really wanted to see how the engine handled three people on board with the A/C blasting while puttering around on surface streets. Throttle respone remained very linear, and the engine refused to lug, even when I floored the gas at 35mph in 4th gear. This is a very flexible powerplant, not unlike a DC motor -- the more you put in, the more you get out.

Once on the highway, I cracked the whip. I was surprised to discover that I couldn't catch the engine off-stride with wild throttle modulations -- underway, the car feels like it has a large flywheel, but the rate at which it revs says otherwise. The only place I could detect any vibration at 8000rpm+ was through the shifter, but it wasn't unwelcome.

I attacked a familiar cloverleaf at the intersection of two interstates. I was able to carry 10-15mph higher cornering speeds than I can with my Prelude. The RX-8 drifts beautifully, and you feel as though you can turn the car within its own length. Want to change your line in mid-corner? The RX-8 will do it. The DSC did cut some power when I became over-enthusiastic after passing one apex, but it did not unsettle the car in any way.

I decided to switch the DSC off and do all four on/off ramps again. Perfect four-wheel drifts are only a roll of the throttle and a slow unwinding of the wheel away. The steering and handling are perfect. There is a hint of body roll upon corner entry, but the shocks stiffen immediately and let you carve away. The steering is best described as telepathic. The salesman remarked about this being the most fun he's ever had on a test drive.

The brakes are very quick and progressive.

I did notice a tendency to run into the backside of 1st gear when performing a fast 1-2 shift, possibly as a result of the afforementioned clutch takeup, or as an emissions control measure. By the end of the drive I was already used to it, but when performing a shift high in the rev band, it did feel like the engine was holding on to revs a bit.

While the motor is a marvel, it does not impart the same go-for-broke feeling of a DOHC VTEC mill. The response is so spookily linear and smooth that I found myself missing a frenzied rush to redline. The RENESIS builds revs at a quick but but steady pace, unlike a DOHC VTEC which pulls harder as it revs higher and offers an obvious "zing" at the redline. The RENESIS has plenty of power and revs, but didn't give me the top-end rush I was expecting -- it's almost too refined and quiet.

Overall, the RX-8 is an A+, but I won't be replacing my Prelude with one, and here's why:
-- If my Prelude is a "10", then the RX-8 is a "12", but unless your commute consistes entirely of decreasing-radius curves, you might not mind the fact that the Prelude offers 90% of what the RX-8 does. In other words, the RX-8 doesn't offer ME enough of a difference over my Prelude to make it worth the investment.
-- Geography. In an area where we consider 150" of snow in a winter to be getting off lightly, RWD is a difficult sell for me. I look at the WRX wagon and see comparable performance, but the added benefits of AWD and utility. I am well aware of the dynamic limitations of AWD, but the safety net that it provides on slick roads is an acceptable tradeoff for me.

For those who can live with RWD year round, I can't imagine needing or finding a better balance of comfort, performance and practicality than the RX-8. Bravo, Mazda! You've really pulled it off.

sphinx99

This was the review I've been waiting for!

elbee1

Good write-up.

Is there enough headroom is what I'm wondering. I guess I'll have to sit in one and see.

But, the engine's linear response bothers me. It's exactly what I hated about the 350Z's mill! So, torque or no torque, it's a bit of a disappointment.

himiler

It's a great engine, but a bit dull for my tastes.

It never really gives you a feeling of it cutting loose.

nyccarguy

Himiler: Congrats on selling your car. I know you'll miss it, but I'm sure somehow you'll manage to have some fun with your WRX Wagon. Great color choice! I haven't seen it in person, but the Red looks great with the new headlight treatment! Good luck with the WRX. Did you have to order it or are you going to take delivery "off the lot." You know from your wife's subie that they make a great car. It should give you as many trouble-free enjoyable miles as the Prelude.

Great write up on the RX-8!

You don't sound old, we need all the help we can get these days!

I just got back from Aruba. I got engaged!

himiler

Congrats on your impending doom ...er, nuptials! (JK)

Aruba, eh? Sort of a pre-honeymoon? Might be tough to top that when the time comes. Keep saving those pennies!

I'm ordering the WRX, so it should be here mid-August, but I won't be able to take delivery until my Prelude buyer gets back in town. (He's currently in GA doing his officer training for the US Customs Service.)

My hopes are high for the new car, but I'm well aware it won't be as bullet-proof as the Honda -- how could it be?

It's going to be tough to let the Prelude go, but at least I've had 126,843 fun times in it, with another 9,000 to add before it's gone!

The RX-8 is killer. I only wished that I lived in a snow-free zone.

sphinx99

No more money for that M3 now that you're engaged! (And no regrets about that either, I'm sure... Prelude's nice, but at the end of the day I come home and realize that it's still just a car, and She's just my life )

blacktalon

Congrats on the engagement, nyc!

I was at the dealer today, having a loose windshield molding replaced on my Prelude, and I talked to a salesman about the S2000. I mentioned that I might be shopping for a new car in a year or two, and that the S2000 was on my test drive list.

He asked whether I was married, and I said no. He said, "Good, because every married guy who test drives an S2000 says he loves it, but needs to check with the wife -- and then he never comes back!"

littlecf

I have a '98 base Prelude that I bought a couple of years ago after someone had turned it in from a 3 year lease. Had 47,000 miles when I bought it, currently has about 56,000. Certified to 100,000 by Honda. My only problem has been over certain types of bumps, I get a rattling noise in the rear suspension. Dealer has replaced struts but that didn't help. Had it in a couple of months ago, and they did something that made it go away. Unfortunately, since they didn't charge me anything, I didn't get a copy of the paperwork, they can't find theirs, and now the noise is back. Taking it back in for another go next week, but has anyone had this problem, or got any ideas how to correct it once and for all?

himiler

The noise is commonly referred to as "shock knock." There is a bushing within the rear dampers that deforms/compresses over time, must be replaced to eliminate the noise (for a while). It's a design problem, and there's no real cure for the problem. The only ill effect is the clunking/rattling noise -- it won't compromise safety of handling at all.

There is a TSB for it, but the exact number escapes me right now. My car had it fixed once at around 80,000 miles, and is starting to develop it again at 130,000. Even if my car weren't sold, I still wouldn't bother having it looked at again.

celica115

Hello all, first time to this Prelude board. I am helping my brother to shop a set of tire and wheel. Can it fit 16 x 6.5 55mm offset wheels? I am going to put on a set of all seasons tires. What brand and size do you recommand? Thank you for input.

nyccarguy

Thanks to all for the good wishes! She did say yes, so I'm in the clear:)

So after my wonderful week in Aruba (I highly advise a trip there if anybody ever gets the chance), I decided to drive up to New Hampshire (30 min from Boston) for a couple of days to spend some time with my aunt, uncle, & cousins. The Prelude performed flawlessly on the way up with the speedo hovering in the 80-85mph range most of the way (thank-you V1).

The way back it performed well, but in a different way. Traffic on I-95 in Connecticut was at a standstill, so I decided that it was around midnight and I wanted to get home already. I took some backroads and ended up taking the Merrit parkway which runs parallel to 95, but is twisty and dark (no lights). About 2 miles before the NY/CT border I look up and see 3 BIG deer in my path of travel. One on the right side of the road, one in the right lane, and one in the left lane. I was in the right lane doing about 60mph, swerved into the center of the road, and guided the Prelude inbetween the 2 deer! I still can't believe I did that! Chalk one up for the Prelude's excellent road holding manners and lane changing ability!

About a mile past that, I stopped at a rest stop to catch my breath. 5 kids in a 4 runner who were behind me told me they thought I was heading straight for the deer and was amazed that I was able to swerve inbetween the 2.

littlecf

Thanks for the feedback. I've got an appointment for Monday, so maybe I can point the dealer in the right direction. If anyone else has had any different experiences with rear suspension noise, I'd appreciate hearing them.

nyccarguy

I believe you can find the excat TSB # right here on edmunds.

sphinx99

NEWS FLASH! PRELUDE SPARES DEER; BAMBI GRATEFUL.

himiler

I'm 98% certain the service bulletin is #0090.

Mmmmmm...venison *drool*

littlecf

Thanks for the TSB #. I had found the same info through a link to the NHTSA site. The new service manager at the dealer didn't have much to say about a TSB. However, he did find the paperwork from my last visit which indicated they replaced both rear sway bay links, rear struts, bases, cushions, and pads, all under warranty. On yesterday's visit, he said they couldn't find anything wrong. Just made sure everything was tight. I test drove car on sections of roads where I always hear the noise. Everything's quiet for now.

himiler

Glad to hear the concern's resolved.

I've got my own little service issue going right now. After being driven over an hour (and the tranny gets good and hot), I get a "ka-tunk, ka-tunk, ka-tunk" noise when I coast to a stop and when I pull away from a stop. I just had my brake calipers serviced and the CV joints/halfshafts inspected, so I'm thinking that it's probably my tranny end-bearings. Ugh.

My service manager (who just happens to be a really great fellow), said he's only ever replaced those parts on Civics with more tha 300K, so he thought it was a bit odd that mine have crapped-out (apparently) after only 130K. (Actually, the noise started last Summer, but I didn't get really concerned until now, since it's become louder and more insistant.)

It's about a $500 job to fix 'em, and I want to make sure that when I deliver this car to my buyer in September that it's 100% right, so...

We had a thought that the trouble might stem from swapping the diffy last Spring -- maybe the bearings weren't correctly seated when they installed new ones. At least the service manager said he'd "help me out" on the cost, so I'm guessing I'll pay for the parts and split the labor with the shop.

If I were keeping the car, this would be a great opporunity to put in a fresh clutch and a lightened flywheel (zing)! I suggested this to my buyer and he liked the idea, but he doesn't have the extra scratch for the parts right now.

I'll get a definitive diagnosis this Thursday.

In other news, my Subie dealer called me last night to inform me that there was exactly ONE(!) red WRX wagon allocated for August to NY/NJ dealers, and that someone else had dibs prior to my order. I could get one from the September allocation, but I probably wouldn't see delivery until 9/25 or a bit later, which blows because my Prelude is going away on 9/16, and I can't be shoeless for more than a day.

Long story short, I'm getitng a silver wagon from the august allocation (I don't think I could ever live with black) to replace my silver coupe. Oh, well -- it's a better "stealth" color, which I'm sure will be useful. ;^)

Also, the RE750's are still nice and quiet with ~9K on 'em. Nice tire -- I think I'll put them on the WRX (which comes with RE92's -- NOOOOOO!).

himiler

The Subie dealer called and said they'd give me a loaner to drive until my red wagon arrives in September.

Not bad for $200 over invoice, eh?

nyccarguy

Well, silver is a better stealth color, but you know how I feel about red:) That's great that they're willing to give you a loaner until your new WRX wagon comes in. Do they realize you're going to put 5K miles on their loaner before your car comes in?

himiler

Yeah, they know the score, but apparently it's O'Tay.

Getting the Prelude checked to tomorrow. Ugh.

nyccarguy

OK, I'm noticing at the top of my clutch take-up there is a click. Anybody have any idea what it could be?

himiler

It's either part of the spring-return mechanism making some noise or the ignition/clutch lockout switch. My '98 GS-R did the same thing. I had it checked a couple of times by the dealer and was told it was common for the noise to come and go, and that it is not an indication of wear or mechanical distress. That car has 240K on the original clutch, so I guess they were right.

I don't get that noise from my car's clutch -- mine's more like a low "squaaawk" from a dying chicken, which seems to originate from the area where the clutch linkage enters the front side of the transaxle.

himiler

Got the car checked yesterday. The front sway-bar endlinks are shot. My service manager told me that they commonly die on 5G Preludes and newer Accords around the 100K-mark. Will have them replaced on Tuesday.

At least I won't have to crack the tranny. Phew!

nyccarguy

himiler: The more I see the revised front and rear end styling of the '04 WRX, the more I like it. The front & rear fascia changes give the car a handsome profile. I saw a Black one today...very cool.

How come you opted for the wagon as opposed to the sedan? Do you really need the cargo capacity? Just curious.

As we were driving around looking for places to get married, I noticed the young valets liking the sight of my Prelude. I saw one guy actually say..."come check out this guy's Prelude." Another Valet at another place told me how much he really likes my car.

My father-in-law-to-be told me that he noticed my car emmited some smoke from the tailpipe when I pulled away from his house this morning. Is this a normal thing? I didn't smell any oil burning and my oil still looks nice and clean.

himiler

The rear hatch on the wagon makes fitting my gear easier, and I think the wagon just plain looks better than the sedan. The wagon is also $500 cheaper than the sedan, and is less to insure.

What color is the smoke -- blue or white? While you could still be getting a minor amount of blow-by as the engine continues to wear-in (until about 10K), it could be something as innocuous as water vapor.

How many miles on your car?

nyccarguy

I think my future father-in-law said it was white. The car has a little over 12K miles on it. The last 3 or 4K have been mostly highway.

himiler

Depending upon how thick the "smoke" was, it's either water vapor (light, wispy vapors are a common thing to see in the morning and when the car is cold) or coolant.

Coolant in your exhaust is not good, and is indicative of a bad seal in the engine (or worse). Check your coolant overflow tank (refer to your manual for specifics) and if anything's amiss, get it in the shop, ASAP.

If your coolant level is fine and the Temperature gauge in the dash is in the normal range, it was probably just water vapor, and nothing to worry about in the least.

nyccarguy

Himiler, I'll check the coolant tomorrow AM before I leave for work. The car has been running at normal temperature range. I always wait until the engine is properly warmed up before "letting it rip."

I saw a red '04 WRX sedan tonight while passing a dealer's showroom. Very nice. You're going to be happy with your color choice.

himiler

Since I'm colorblind, maybe you can help me out.

Was the red WRX you saw a pink-based red, or an orange-based red? My impression was that it looked very similar to Porsche's Guards Red, which was the color used on the Subaru (JDM) B4 Blitzen.

axp696

The 04 red is very much a sports car candy-apple red like on the Evo 8 (though I'm not sure I'm that big of a fan of it on the WRX), whereas the 02/03 WRX red was really a maroon.

himiler

grazie!

nyccarguy

From what I saw, the WRX red looked very close to the Milano Red on my Prelude. I'm not sure if that's any help.

russellchung

Hi All,

Want to get some advice on my 86 prelude. It has 230K on it, still running very strong. I sometimes resist the temptation to rev it between 4k-5K to switch gear. Lately, I found a little bit smoke coming underneath the car and it turned out some oil was dripping onto the exhaust. I climbed underneath the car and found a oil collecting around the bolts of the oil pan. My thought was the gasket needs replacing but some the dealer and some local mechanics suggested that the prelude seal seldom went bad. It might be the distributor seal.

I looked around my engine and found a little wet around the bottom of the distributor and a little bit wet at teh edge of the head gasket around same area. I am not sure if the distributor dripped over there and caused the area to be wet or not. I assumed something from the top dripped all the way down and got collected around the bolts of the oil pan or just the oil pan gasket was gone.

Almost every bolt of the oil pan has some oil around them. Is it possible to collect that much oil if it is leaking from the distributor or somewhere else. Any advice on how to do a diagnostic on this type of oil leak.

It does not leak to a point that I need to refill oil often but it just happen to drip on a hot place and produced smoke. There are oil spots overnight as well around the same area. Performance is still around 4.5K rpm at 90 mph and 3k at 75 mph. I cannot feel any difference before and after the oil smoke issue was observed.

Thanks a lot for your help. I really want to keep this car until it is up to 300K since most of my miles are southern CA highway mileage.

Thanks again.

Russell

nyccarguy

My prelude has got to be the first car to emphasize the Sport part of Sport Utility Vehicle (Well, maybe the ML55 AMG, X5 4.6is, & Cayenne Turbo do to, but you guys know what I'm getting at). Obviously the Sport part has always been with our cars, and they technically are Vehicles. But Utility? In a car that the EPA classifies as a sardine can? Yes folks Last weekend I (with lots of help from my future father-in-law) successfully put the THULE racks on with roof-line extenders & bike attachment. So now the Prelude can carry both mine and my future wife's bike on the roof and still maintain a cruising speed well into the high 70's-low 80's without wind noise (I was too chicken salt to go faster with the bikes on the roof). The rack woeks well, but is a bit of a pain to install the first time. The only downside is that the sunrrof can't be opened.

Just got the Prelude back from the dealer today. After 13,500 miles it is running great (as expected) with some new Mobil 1, oil filter, tire rotation, and alignment. The Prelude's born-again (after the alignment & tire rotation) handling was quite pleasuring after the beat up '01 DX Accord I've been driving around in for the past 2 days:)

I was a bit Peeved off at the dealer that they didn't fix my squeaky door hinges. They just sprayed some white lithium grease, but the doors still squeak.

himiler

13,500 already? You'll be catching up to me before too long! LOL

MY SERVICE TALE ---

I had my front sway bar endlinks swapped on Tuesday -- so far, so good.

After getting the endlinks fixed, I zipped over to Monro to get the oil & filter changed/tires rotated. The guy there noticed that the left tie-rod end was loose and gave me a $200 estimate to replace it. Hmmmmm.

I was more than a little torqued at the Honda shop for not noticing the problem when they had the car in, so I went back and zeroed-in on the service manager. After explaining to him that any front-end guy worth his salt should've been able to spot the trouble before a shop-jockey from Monro did, I was able to shame him into doing the job for FREE.

Score one for the little guy.

sphinx99

No service updates here - the car is chuggling along. A few days ago I stopped by some place to vacuum the interior, and a guy next to me started talking to me for almost an hour about how he used to race professionally in the 70s and 80s, what a great car the Prelude is, and how cool the Civic is with an inch+ sway bar up front and no bar in back. Not totally sure what he was talking about there, but hey, it was cool.

I'm leaving shortly for a two-week west coast trip and am not looking forward to seeing a million Preludes on the road.

nyccarguy

himiler: When's your final day with the Prelude? When's your WRX wagon coming in again?

nyccarguy

Hey guys, while doing a routine tire inspection today I found a bubble in the sidewall of my front left tire. What can be done about this? Do I have to replace the tire?

nyccarguy

Thanks to dear old Dad (and a few other soures), I decided on replacing the tire with the bubble in it. It just kills me to order a new RE92 when there were some excellent choices. Oh well.

shmang

If you have not ordered the tire yet, may I make a suggestion? Replace 2 of them with better tires, maybe RE730 and make sure they will be on the same axle all the time, the balance of the car won't be affected greatly - although it will if you goes into a drifting situation.

nyccarguy

I am well aware of the RE730's superiority to the RE92s (I think the tires on my mountain bike have better grip), but truthfully If I'm going to replace the tires, I'm going to do 4 at once. I've already got a newish one that I put on in January after driving over a construction plate and blowing a tire (among other things), and well after this one, the other 2 only have about 14.5K on them (same as the car itself). Plus It sounds silly, but I like the way that car looks with 4 tires that are the same.

himiler

The Prelude gets delivered 9/21. WRX by 9/26.

Go for the RE750s -- they rock.

nyccarguy

stick driver. I cut my thumb on my right hand pretty badly on Tuesday (8 stitches) at work. I've been driving around since Tuesday with a splint on my right hand to keep my thumb in place. I've been shifting with my index, middle, & ring finger.

Had the new tire put on. Yes I got a new RE92, but once they all wear or I have to replace 2, I'll get RE750s for all four corners.

himiler

Ouch. I hope you won't suffer any long-term effects from your injury.

sphinx99

I've been out in California for a few weeks while the Prelude sat at home and collected dust. My sister did stop by periodically to start the car and let the engine run, although she does not know how to drive a stick. When I got back and started it up, there was a shuddering through the entire car, starting at the engine, but it went away after about two seconds. It's running fine now.

It's startling the number of Preludes in CA, especially the number of slammed ones that look as though the owners detail them daily. Hmm.