to my car! My '01 Prelude Type SH has been mine for 6 years! Current mileage on the odometer is 95,899. It is still as tight and fun to drive as the day I picked it up (4/27/02). I'm hoping to get many more years and miles out of it!
I really started to take it easy (shifting between 2500 & 3000 RPM & setting the cruise at 60 mph when possible) as far as driving goes with gas going up seemingly every other day. I paid $4.02 a gallon for Sunoco 91 tonight. Mileage on my last tank was 25 mpg.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
If you are driving as you described, I am wondering why you only get 25MPG - Unless you have a lot of city stop & go traffic. I still take it to VTEC range about once or twice a week and shift at a similar RPM and my mileage has been consistantly in 28-30MPG.
Is that the SH use more gas (The weight difference is so small and the ATTS unit itself can't taking more than 1% of the engine's output while not hard cornering). So tell me either you drive more in the city or your car may need some tune up.....
I usually get between 22 & 23 mpg on my 6 day a week commute. The First Mile and Last Mile of my commute are city driving with very heavy stop & go traffic (when I get to work & getting back to the highway), plus there are places along the route where traffic backs up for various reasons. The only day I can set the cruise & not stop is Saturday. On the weekend, we also have my wife & son & his gear in the car.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I hit 97,000 miles the other day and hit a huge POTHOLE this morning on my way to work. I didn't get a flat or crack a rim, but got a bubble in the side of my right front tire. No problem, just order 2 new Yokohama AVS ES100 tires for the front of my Prelude right? Wrong! The AVS ES100s have been discontinued. So I have to replace all four tires. Well, I don't have to, but it would drive me nuts to look at my car every day with 2 different kinds of tires on it. I'm going with another set of Yokohamas, S.drive. I'll let everyone know what I think. That is, if there's anybody else out there listening to me :P
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
just sold my vtec .500.00 had it since it first came out . u cannot kill this car drove it hard but smart 184000 miles . needed exaust,air conditioning,brakes,tires,struts. never put a dime into it. the guy changed the fuel filter runs like new. good for him.
After 6 years, 3 months, & 5 days (give or take), my beautiful, milano red, '01 Prelude Type SH has eclipsed the 100,000 mile mark! To commemerate the occasion, I had it waxed, took a picture of the odometer rolling over, and will have its oil & filter changed sometime this coming week! I'm hoping to keep it for another 4 or 5 years.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
But, anyway, have you thought about changing the CV boots yet since it is 6 years old with 100K on it, or maybe you already did? Just checking since I did mine around 100K and it seems need to be changed soon at the time.
Also, how is your BMW doing - remember you got one a few month ago and hopefully it is holding up OK.
for the well wishes. I haven't changed the CV boots as of yet, but my mechanic says everything looks fine. I thought I was posting to myself for a while.
My BMW is actually doing quite well. I just got it out of the shop today. it got a new radiator, oil pan, fresh auto trans fluid, & spark plugs. Needless to say, it still needs some work, but the almost $1900 I spent today closes the door on the BMW budget for the year (unless I take a small project here or there on myself).
How's your Prelude doing?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
As time goes by, I saw less and less Prelude on the road. But, in the last 2-3 years, the number of Prelude I saw on a monthly basis has remained constant. It seems the Lude is very reliable and a keeper.
As you know, I work on the car myself and listen to it while driving to detect any potential issues. So far, it has been doing very good. Other than tires and Gas, here are the list of things that has been done to it: 1. Timing belt @ 95K - $850 2. Front Struts @ 80K - $450 3. CV boots @ 100K - $400 4. spark plugs, wires, distributor roter & caps @ 90K - $100
Of course there are regular maint. items such as oil, filters, coolant, MTF, brake fluid etc that I can take care in 15 min.
So far it is running pretty strong and with my revised driving style, it gives me about 28-30MPG 30% city drive.
Was thinking to replace it, but really can not find anything that will serve my driving style better. Well, the new BMWs are nice, but I just do not want to give up the manual tranny and the wife would like to drive it if I buy a BMW and she do not want to drive a manual. So, that option is out of the window for now.
I guess I will need to hold on to the Prelude for a while as long as it is holding up good - really do not see why it wouldn't. :shades:
I know this is the Prelude board and we should be talking about how fast our cars fly around turns, but that is some impressive mileage. I usually get between 24 & 25 mpg.
What range does your tank go? Usually by 300 miles (a little before), the gas light is on.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Most of the time, I got 360 miles when the light comes on during normal driving (with 30% city and 70% highway). But, once I got 380+ miles before the light goes on - it was all highway miles (maybe 10% local).
But mine is the base model and the traffic here are much better the NYC. I think it is partly due to the fact I maintain my car myself and mix oil with 5W-20 and 5W-30 and some other stuffs.
I drive a 97 prelude, which runs fine, except recently I had an oil pan change. For the past few days, when I start the car, I hear kind of a loud noise (kind of like a fan), and when I shift to first gear and start to move, I get this dragging noise.
I have lost faith in my mechanic and wanted to see if anybody has any idea before I take it to a shop. I haven't changed my timing belt yet, and am around 85k mileage
I have been getting this draggin noise when I start the car (even in idle) and when I start to move, it gets worse until I speed up. The dealer says they need to replace all five of the power steering cooling line?? 550 bucks for this?
I am not sure if the dealer is telling you the truth without inspect the car. But, what you can do is: remove the power steering pump belt and start your car in neutral. Listen to the sound when idle and then try to rev it a little bit (below 3K rpm - the engine get loud passing 3K rpm). If the sound goes away, then the dealer is correct. Otherwise, the problem is somewhere else.
If the dealer is correct, you will have 2 options: 1. Have them replace now for $550 or, 2. Drive as it is until something broke, which might cost you much more by replacing the power steering pump.
DUDE, get that timing belt changed NOW! It is an expensive service that includes replacing the timing belt, tensioner, water pump, balance belt, balance belt tensioner, valve cover gasket, disttributor cap, spark plugs, pcv valve, spark plug wires, cam seals.
Only 85K miles... on a '97? WOW what is that like a third car or something?
I'm at 102K+ on my '01 Prelude
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I had to have the oil pan changed a month or so ago and that cost me som 500 bucks! Now this. So Im putting off the timing belt for another 5k unfortunately. Im trying to figure out if its time to sell. Mileage is low. Im a consultant and there are a few months in the year when I dont have to commute, so the mileage hasnt crept up.
I have some major body work that might cost me some 2k. I should probably do that and sell the car. It runs great, but things are catching up I guess
I left the car for them to inspect today in fact and they called me back saying the lines need to be replaced due to leaks (5 of them). So I gave them the go ahead
Time to sell my lude I guess after 11 years, things are catching up.
Yeah. Those Honda bumpers are extremly weak - especially on the corners, top and bottom. They are basically a plastic cover with nothing underneath it to support it (there is a foamed impact bar in the middle). So, if anything hit the corner of the bumper, save your preyers. :mad:
Oh, well. I guess that is part of owning an elegant (sporty) car. I am considering "moving up" to a Cadillac now. :shades:
Oh well, it has a couple of nicks in it anyway. I'll get the bumper repainted for my Hanukah present.
Cadillac? You're getting rid of your prelude or your BMW? The CTS is a sweet looking ride. Especially with employee pricing you could get yourself one heckuva deal.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I am now considering getting a Cadillac - not sure which model yet. But, I am keeping my Prelude for sure - There is just too much connection between me and the Prelude - had lots of fun with it, travelled to a lot of places together, get myself noticed lots of times, plus, I took care of her by doing 90+% of maintenance and waxing etc. Financially, it does not make sense, emotionally, it is almost impossible to part with her for now. The Prelude is just like a long term partner that has really treated me well (And I took care of her as well).
Now, the hard part is: I need to get my wife's approval before I can invest on the Cadillac and I am working on that right now....
But I have heard that bad things come in 3s. First I back into an F-150 a few weeks ago. This afternoon after work I get out to my car and notice someone ripped the front and rear Honda emblems off my car as well as the 4 center caps from the wheels. It must have happened last night when I ran into Costco for 15 minutes :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
and today I hit VTEC 3 times - have not done that for maybe 4-5 month. Man, does that feels good, chirpping tires in 2nd is a nice feeling. I am definitely keeping the Lude for a while.
It is amazing that a year after changed the timing belt, the engine still sounds louder (than before the change), although the whining sound is gone. Not sure if that is normal or not.
hello i am new to this i'm stephen1348 and i don't mean to get off subject but can anyone help me out i just bought a 97 prelude and it blew the water hose from the oil filter basically to the bock that little short one anyway with the weird clamps it had on them it as easier to remove the manifold to replace the hose that done now the car revvs and slows revvs and slows in neutral with no gas, it should be idling. i knew it was a vaccume leak or thought it was or in the wrong place but no leaks and according to the diagram in the hood i have it all back right anyone know what is wrong or what i should try next? i have already mo :sick: ved them around and all that to no avail any help is appreciated and needed. thank you.
I would like to help, but after reading your post 3 time, I can not understand what you were trying to say. It would be helpful if you can describe the issue clearly and proof read it so we can understand better.
First off let me wish you and all my fellow Prelude drivers a happy, healthy, & ticket free New Year!
All is well as far as the Prelude goes. Nothing new to report. The odometer rolled over the 106K mark last night on the way home from work.
I had my winter wheels & tires put on a few weeks ago. I can't speak highly enough on how amazing a good set of snow tires will transform the Prelude (or any car). We had our first somewhat nasty snowstorm last Friday that hit right in the middle of the day. I drove home matching my Dad's '07 X5 mile for mile with absolutely no hiccups.
The day after, Saturday morning (7:00 AM), I was driving to work when a Lincoln Town Car made a U turn (legal) in front of me. I saw the Town Car start to slide and I put my left blinker on to move over. When I past the Town car, I put my right blinker on & moved back into the right lane. I look up in my rearview mirror and see flashing lights :mad:
I wasn't going more than 15 or 20 mph the entire time. I roll my window down and say (very politely) "Good Morning Officer." He says "License & Registration." He takes my things & goes back to his Expedition.
I'm sitting in the car (20 degrees) with the window open & car off for the better part of 15 minutes. He comes back and hands me 2 tickets. 1 for "Unreasonable Speed" and the other for a "Loud Muffler."
He wouldn't even talk to me. Just handed me the tickets & told me (in a very nasty tone) to have a nice day.
I pleaded not guilty & sent the tickets in. I'm awaiting my court date. I'm beyond furious.
On the other front, my E30 325i is coming along quite nicely. I bought 4 new tires from tire rack ($44 each), had the radiator changed, new coolant, brake fluid, Auto trans fluid and started driving it to work a few days a week. For now the E30 is a solid, comfortable, commuter car.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Well, first, sorry about your tickets, but I have to ask: Were you doing 15-20mph over the limit or just driving AT 15-20mph? If it is the latter, the cop are just crazy. Hope you can fight them off.
On the other part, glad to hear your Lude is doing well (and your BMW). It will definitely save off some miles on the lude if you commute some on the Bimmer.
Since I am in Texas, so snow is not really an issue - I have either all season or summer tires on all year long. We might get some icy rain once per year and it worth the sarcrifice for that 1 day per year to drive slow like an old lady So far this year, the weather has been really good and I am actually enjoying my Prelude. Now the gas is more than affordable, my tires are wearing out faster
After some negotiation, I finally talked my wife to get me a third car - something better than the Lude and I am in the process of closing a deal - I will save this for my next post when everything is all confirmed.
Saturday afternoon, I ended my long car shopping journey on a 2006 Infiniti M45 with journey and advanced technology package. The engine is so powerful and smooth (335hp and 340 lb-ft of torque). There are comparisons between M45 and BMW (535 and 550i) in 2006 and 2007, both time, the M45 comes on top (not by much over the 550, but totally blown away the 535, which cost almost the same), you may have read those articles before (If not, they are available on C&D's web site).
0-60 is about 5.5 sec. according to the spec. (and I believe it can do that or maybe even a bit faster since the one I got is fully broke in at 43K). It is a off-lease, one owner car and apparently it has been well taken care of. The car drives and shifts so smooth that it feels like the Ferrari clutchless shifting system - if I am not looking at the RPM, I barely realize it is shifting even during WOT acceleration. I have driven BMW, Porsche, Lexus and other Infiniti in the past, none of them can match the smoothness of the tranny in the M45.
On the luxury side, it has all the normal stuff, like vented leather, sunroof, tilt steering wheel with telescoping, 2 set of driver position memory with exit function (move the seat back and the steering wheels up when exit and position them back after entry), etc.... This car has a lot new technologies, such as: voice activated GPS navigation system, XM radio, home link system, intelligence cruise control, DVD player, blue tooth technology, lane departure warning, intelligent key with push start (which is really cool, IMO), voice command recognition, climate controlled seat (yes, not only heated, but cooling as well) as well as backup monitor and guidance system.
For now, I am 100% satisfied with my baby - my 6 years old son call it our new found treasure and offered to help me washing it although it is clean and shinny now.
At the same time, I am still like my Prelude, it is a car of different kind and I still enjoy the interaction of manual shifting. So, I will keep both car and drive them alternatively for the next couple of years.
What year is your lude? I did a test drive of the Infinit G35 2009 and maybe it was the attitude of the sales guy (take it or leave it..The car is worth its weight in gold and I have no deals for you type of thing.), but I wasnt too jazzed by it.
My 97 prelude has been falling apart for the past couple of years and I have been sinking money in rapidly. So even though it still drives great, I had to trade it in..
So finally I got a 2006 BMW 330xi ..loaded..Love it so far. Too much tech compared by my poor old lude..So im still learning all the gizmos. The 6 gear shift is different and less comfortable than the prelude, but I had drive the prelude for 11 years, so I guess I need to break into this format..
oh yeah, .9% financing from BMW for 5 years and two free payments didnt hurt either..
My prelude is '99. So far, it has been doing great. The only thing I have replaced (other than regular maint. items) are front struts and timing belt (which is also a regular maint. item). Everything works perfectly on my Lude and I am amazed about its reliability. I guess your misfortune might be due to the combination of it is 2 years older and '97 is the first year for the 5th gen.
The G35 is not nearly as good - I drove it before and moved on without even looking back. The M35 is supposed to be the bigger brother of G35 and the M45 is the more powerful and more luxury version of the M35. So, we are talking about a huge difference here. It is basically like compare the BMW 328i with BMW 550i (Not saying the 328 is bad, but when compare with the 550, the choice is obvious).
I just realized that you got the xi. It is perfect for the weather right now - if you live in the north. What is the mileage on the car? If you don't mind, could you share the detail of the deal here - Always curious about the real world BMW resale value. Enjoy your new ride.
An M45? Sweet car! I can't fault you for buying a V8 powered car. I'll bet you reliability will be on par with your Prelude's. Best of luck to you with your new Infiniti. I'm really happy for you. My best friend drives an FX35 & his wife drives a QX56 and they absolutely LOVE the cars. One of my parents' friends who can pretty much afford any car he wants drives an '03 (older body style) M45 that he raves about.
What color is the car? Did you buy it CPO from an Infiniti Dealer? Do you mind me asking what the asking price was and what you paid for it?
hemanthh:
Sorry to hear about your sour experiences with your Prelude. How many miles are on it? What has gone so wrong that you have been "sinking money into it?"
My '01 Prelude Type SH has just over 106,000 miles on it. I think the only things I've had to do (other than scheduled maintenance) are the clutch (a major expense because of the ATTS on my Type SH) and a door lock actuator. I'm not only continually amazed by my Prelude's reliability, but also how well it is screwed together. I bought my car new as a leftover at the end of April '02. I plan to keep it as my daily driver until at least 2012.
Congrats on your new (CPO) E90 330xi. The N52 Motor is awesome (it powers my wife's '07 X3. Good torque (especially compared to the Prelude) and very flexible. It hauls on the highway. Very cool you got an Xi with a stick. Where do you live that you went with the Xi (AWD)? What color is your BMW? How many miles are on it? I too am curious about the deal you got.
It is very interesting to see what my fellow Prelude drivers get into post prelude.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I am glad that as a Prelude owner, you liked my choice. The older M45 was fast, but the handling is not near as good - the same engine though.
Mine is Umbria Grey (It is kind between grey and brown). WIth the chrome finish, it looks good - The black actually looks better. But, since I do not want to wash it on a daily basis (Dirt show up really easy on black cars and had my share of white with the Prelude - I will keep it for a while as well), I went with something neutral. The interior is in wheat leather with Rosewood. I did not get the sports package for 2 reasons: 1. The ride will be too harsh and the performance gain is minimum (The 19' wheels are nice though). 2. The rear wheel steering had me concerns about its reliability and maintenance - kind remind me the 4WS of 3rd gen. Prelude.
The asking price was $26,995 and I got it for $23,500 plus TTL, take into consideration that I need to replace the tires, the overall cost would be around $25,000 (TTL included) - which is about $1500 more than what I paid for the Prelude 10 years ago. I hope I did OK. I was hooked and I guess I will pay another grand more to get the car at the time if the sales insisted.
For hemanthh: His Lude only has 85K (although it is a '97). If I remember correctly, he spent around 2 grand on it already and there are some body works need to be done. He recently had a power steering line leak and got it replaced for $550 - at least that is what the dealer quoted him at the time.
But, I am curious about his deal details on the BMW....
I found that post as well. But, it is not very clear - since he says he bring the price down from 32K to 26K with the trade in. So, I am not sure if the trade in of his lude is part of the $6k. But either way, he got a good deal I am sure. We are just trying to take advantage of the bad economy to get a good deal - I would not be able to afford a M45 that is still under warranty otherwise.
I am hoping my M45 will last me for a long time - just like the Prelude did/does. I know Infiniti/Nissan cars are reliable, but not sure if they are as reliable as Honda though.
It is truly a remarkable time to buy. My best friend's parents just bought a 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL 450. The car was traded in with 4,000 niles on it after 6 months. Original MSRP was just north of $72K. They picked it up last week for just over $49K.
With baby #2 on the way (due in April) and trying to sell our condo (to hopefully buy a house), a new(er) car for me is the furthest thing from my mind right now. I'm enjoying the Prelude and plan to keep it as my daily driver until at least 2012 (it will be 10 years old). It is nice to have the E30 to spice things up a bit once or twice a week so I don't get the itch to go looking :P
I think if I were in the market right now, I'd be checking out a MINI Cooper S (my 2 year old son's favorite car), a BMW 128i, and a CPO 2006 BMW 330Ci (with either sports package or performance package).
The next car I'll have to buy will be when the lease on my wife's '07 X3 is up in 2010.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I found an '06 M45 Sport Black/Black with about 36K miles. Asking price is $29,995. With a little bargaining, you're right, a lot more car than what I paid for the Prelude almost 7 years ago.
Did you drive the M35 & the M45 or were you gung ho about the V8? Did you drive any G35 cars?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
As I mentioned before, I spoted an M45 while I was shopping for an Acura RL and did a test drive and feel the M45 is what I want. But, unfortunately, that car I test drove is already sold.
So, when I get home, I started searching for M45 and found a bunch of M35s as well. The M35 are about $2-3k cheaper, so I was open on both model - the insurance and gas cost for M35 are also a bit lower than the M45. I test drove a few M35s and feel they pull differently and I thought they are fast as well but just does not feel the same as M45. At the time, I thought it is just the engine of M35 are different and was ready to buy. But I want to make sure I am not missing anything important that the M45 has that is not offered by the M35, so I went back and drove M35 and M45 back to back, then I realized that the difference in acceleration and smoothness is huge. It was right there and then I know my heart is set for the M45. From the paper, the M35 has only about 55hp less, but the torque and the power curve is the real story.
For G35, it was not on my list. I want something different (than the Prelude). The G35 is a step up (a small step as far as power and RWD), but overall, it is similar to Prelude. If the M45 were not available, then I might consider the G, but I guess it is obvious (at least to me): The M45 beat G35 on every category and is not significantly expensive when buying used. The gas mileage for M45 is not very good, but that is typical with Infiniti - they sacrifice mileage for performance and I knew it, so I wouldn't complain about it. well at least for now.
One other reason I like Japanese premium brand is the maintenance. An Infiniti is a Nissan, so the basic maintenance are fairly easy to do myself and does not cost more than my Prelude.
I already downloaded the service manual and did an oil change and coolant flush - it only took me 1 hour to read the manual and 1 hour for both jobs. Now I am confident I can do everything I did for the Lude for the M45. That is one of the 2 reasons that I do not want to touch European cars - they are a pitta to maintain. They tend to link everything to the on board computer which make it very hard to DIY. Other reasons are: they cost more and less reliable. With the combination of those 3, it becomes a money pit, IMO.
Modern Day V6 engines pump out more power than any of us need, but there is NOTHING like a V8! Especially for the price difference.
If I could swing buying a car with NO BACK seat, I'd give the new 370Z a serious look. Imagine a Z with a V8 stuffed under the hood? It's not like the car is a lightweight to begin with.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
That is true. The 370Z is sweet and is fast enough and might handles better - consider it is a sports coupe. But, just like you, with family and kids, a 4 door sedan is the only way to go for me.
I agree with you that a V6 would be fast enough. If the M35 will deliver better gas mileage, I might just buy it. But, with the 1MPG (yes, only 1 MPG, both city and highway), it is a no brainer to get the V8. The price difference is only about $2k, even with the life time (assuming 10 years at 12K mile / year) gas cost is only about $700. I would rather enjoy the V8 for $300 extra per year, that is less than $6 per hp, which to me is a excellent deal.
Back to the Prelude. I drove it today and still feel excited. The M45 is fast, but, I can not feel the road as much. I still enjoy the VTEC kick in of the lude and the road feeling, plus, I still like to shift myself and listen to the tire chirping in 2nd gear turns me on every time. I am definitely keeping the lude as long as possible.
Due to circumstances beyond my control (the shady dominican guy who owns the garage next door to where I work hasn't paid his rent in X number of months), I'll be parking my Prelude on the street for the foreseeable future.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Well, that sucks - especially in the winter up north. It would not be a big deal down here in Texas or in the warmer month. After I got the M45, my Prelude has been parking in front my house. It is always parked outside during the day - I do not have the luxury of covered parking at where I work and the paint is still in like new condition, so I don't think that will affect the car much - as long as nobody hit it.
The other day, I had the dealer check the M45 and the service adviser recommend me (strongly) to replace the driving belt and I was surprised since it only has about 43k on it. Even on my Prelude, the original belts are still working fine. Have you replaced yours yet?
I think part of how my Prelude's bright red paint still shines well when it is cleaned & waxed is because it was always garaged during the day. OH well. what can you do?
As far as I know, all the belts on my Prelude are original. I'd ask your service advisor if the V8's belts are prone to failure.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Today, it is 20F here with freezing rain. So, when I started driving, the car take much longer to turn over (2 sec. instead of less than half second), so I thought, yeah, there will be more wear and tear to the engine (since most wear & tear happens at start up and the longer it take the oil to circulate the colder). So, I let it warmed up for 30 sec. and started driving.
It drives fine until I hit the first dip on the road and I hear a big "clunk" from the rear of the car. The rear suspension is acting again. I know it is well documented issue and has a TSB, but I never did anything to it and it kind of goes away when it is warm and comes back when it is really cold.
Just wander if anyone up in north (Mainly nyccargay) if you have similar issue and what you have done to fix it or just left it as it is?
yeah the shock knock was well documented. I haven't had any issues with anything making noises when it is cold. And it gets A LOT colder here than in Texas.
Once the temps fall below 40 here I do notice it takes the car a bit longer to turn over.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
It seems Prelude is gone - there are virtually only 2 5th gen. available: Mine and nyccarguy. I guess we are the 2 lucky ones.
Since I have 2 cars to alter on a daily basis, I plan to keep the Prelude at least until 2015 - Yes, another 6 years. By then, everyone will be asking me: Man, what car is that? Do you put on an after market body on an Accord or RSX?
Comments
I really started to take it easy (shifting between 2500 & 3000 RPM & setting the cruise at 60 mph when possible) as far as driving goes with gas going up seemingly every other day. I paid $4.02 a gallon for Sunoco 91 tonight. Mileage on my last tank was 25 mpg.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Is that the SH use more gas (The weight difference is so small and the ATTS unit itself can't taking more than 1% of the engine's output while not hard cornering). So tell me either you drive more in the city or your car may need some tune up.....
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
But, anyway, have you thought about changing the CV boots yet since it is 6 years old with 100K on it, or maybe you already did? Just checking since I did mine around 100K and it seems need to be changed soon at the time.
Also, how is your BMW doing - remember you got one a few month ago and hopefully it is holding up OK.
My BMW is actually doing quite well. I just got it out of the shop today. it got a new radiator, oil pan, fresh auto trans fluid, & spark plugs. Needless to say, it still needs some work, but the almost $1900 I spent today closes the door on the BMW budget for the year (unless I take a small project here or there on myself).
How's your Prelude doing?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
As you know, I work on the car myself and listen to it while driving to detect any potential issues. So far, it has been doing very good. Other than tires and Gas, here are the list of things that has been done to it:
1. Timing belt @ 95K - $850
2. Front Struts @ 80K - $450
3. CV boots @ 100K - $400
4. spark plugs, wires, distributor roter & caps @ 90K - $100
Of course there are regular maint. items such as oil, filters, coolant, MTF, brake fluid etc that I can take care in 15 min.
So far it is running pretty strong and with my revised driving style, it gives me about 28-30MPG 30% city drive.
Was thinking to replace it, but really can not find anything that will serve my driving style better. Well, the new BMWs are nice, but I just do not want to give up the manual tranny and the wife would like to drive it if I buy a BMW and she do not want to drive a manual. So, that option is out of the window for now.
I guess I will need to hold on to the Prelude for a while as long as it is holding up good - really do not see why it wouldn't. :shades:
What range does your tank go? Usually by 300 miles (a little before), the gas light is on.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
But mine is the base model and the traffic here are much better the NYC. I think it is partly due to the fact I maintain my car myself and mix oil with 5W-20 and 5W-30 and some other stuffs.
I drive a 97 prelude, which runs fine, except recently I had an oil pan change. For the past few days, when I start the car, I hear kind of a loud noise (kind of like a fan), and when I shift to first gear and start to move, I get this dragging noise.
I have lost faith in my mechanic and wanted to see if anybody has any idea before I take it to a shop. I haven't changed my timing belt yet, and am around 85k mileage
Thanks in advance!
I have been getting this draggin noise when I start the car (even in idle) and when I start to move, it gets worse until I speed up. The dealer says they need to replace all five of the power steering cooling line?? 550 bucks for this?
Anybody know if this sounds right?
Thanks!!
If the dealer is correct, you will have 2 options:
1. Have them replace now for $550 or,
2. Drive as it is until something broke, which might cost you much more by replacing the power steering pump.
Hope that helps.
Only 85K miles... on a '97? WOW what is that like a third car or something?
I'm at 102K+ on my '01 Prelude
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I had to have the oil pan changed a month or so ago and that cost me som 500 bucks! Now this. So Im putting off the timing belt for another 5k unfortunately. Im trying to figure out if its time to sell. Mileage is low. Im a consultant and there are a few months in the year when I dont have to commute, so the mileage hasnt crept up.
I have some major body work that might cost me some 2k. I should probably do that and sell the car. It runs great, but things are catching up I guess
I left the car for them to inspect today in fact and they called me back saying the lines need to be replaced due to leaks (5 of them). So I gave them the go ahead
Time to sell my lude I guess after 11 years, things are catching up.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Oh, well. I guess that is part of owning an elegant (sporty) car. I am considering "moving up" to a Cadillac now. :shades:
Cadillac? You're getting rid of your prelude or your BMW? The CTS is a sweet looking ride. Especially with employee pricing you could get yourself one heckuva deal.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Now, the hard part is: I need to get my wife's approval before I can invest on the Cadillac and I am working on that right now....
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
It is amazing that a year after changed the timing belt, the engine still sounds louder (than before the change), although the whining sound is gone. Not sure if that is normal or not.
All is well as far as the Prelude goes. Nothing new to report. The odometer rolled over the 106K mark last night on the way home from work.
I had my winter wheels & tires put on a few weeks ago. I can't speak highly enough on how amazing a good set of snow tires will transform the Prelude (or any car). We had our first somewhat nasty snowstorm last Friday that hit right in the middle of the day. I drove home matching my Dad's '07 X5 mile for mile with absolutely no hiccups.
The day after, Saturday morning (7:00 AM), I was driving to work when a Lincoln Town Car made a U turn (legal) in front of me. I saw the Town Car start to slide and I put my left blinker on to move over. When I past the Town car, I put my right blinker on & moved back into the right lane. I look up in my rearview mirror and see flashing lights :mad:
I wasn't going more than 15 or 20 mph the entire time. I roll my window down and say (very politely) "Good Morning Officer." He says "License & Registration." He takes my things & goes back to his Expedition.
I'm sitting in the car (20 degrees) with the window open & car off for the better part of 15 minutes. He comes back and hands me 2 tickets. 1 for "Unreasonable Speed" and the other for a "Loud Muffler."
He wouldn't even talk to me. Just handed me the tickets & told me (in a very nasty tone) to have a nice day.
I pleaded not guilty & sent the tickets in. I'm awaiting my court date. I'm beyond furious.
On the other front, my E30 325i is coming along quite nicely. I bought 4 new tires from tire rack ($44 each), had the radiator changed, new coolant, brake fluid, Auto trans fluid and started driving it to work a few days a week. For now the E30 is a solid, comfortable, commuter car.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
On the other part, glad to hear your Lude is doing well (and your BMW). It will definitely save off some miles on the lude if you commute some on the Bimmer.
Since I am in Texas, so snow is not really an issue - I have either all season or summer tires on all year long. We might get some icy rain once per year and it worth the sarcrifice for that 1 day per year to drive slow like an old lady So far this year, the weather has been really good and I am actually enjoying my Prelude. Now the gas is more than affordable, my tires are wearing out faster
After some negotiation, I finally talked my wife to get me a third car - something better than the Lude and I am in the process of closing a deal - I will save this for my next post when everything is all confirmed.
3rd car, nicer than the Prelude? hmmm. Now you've got me intrigued. It is good that you are keeping the Prelude!
Give me a hint, coupe or sedan?
535i? G37 Coupe? 370Z? or did you go the used route? Maybe an E46 M3 or an E46 330i ZHP?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
0-60 is about 5.5 sec. according to the spec. (and I believe it can do that or maybe even a bit faster since the one I got is fully broke in at 43K). It is a off-lease, one owner car and apparently it has been well taken care of. The car drives and shifts so smooth that it feels like the Ferrari clutchless shifting system - if I am not looking at the RPM, I barely realize it is shifting even during WOT acceleration. I have driven BMW, Porsche, Lexus and other Infiniti in the past, none of them can match the smoothness of the tranny in the M45.
On the luxury side, it has all the normal stuff, like vented leather, sunroof, tilt steering wheel with telescoping, 2 set of driver position memory with exit function (move the seat back and the steering wheels up when exit and position them back after entry), etc.... This car has a lot new technologies, such as: voice activated GPS navigation system, XM radio, home link system, intelligence cruise control, DVD player, blue tooth technology, lane departure warning, intelligent key with push start (which is really cool, IMO), voice command recognition, climate controlled seat (yes, not only heated, but cooling as well) as well as backup monitor and guidance system.
For now, I am 100% satisfied with my baby - my 6 years old son call it our new found treasure and offered to help me washing it although it is clean and shinny now.
At the same time, I am still like my Prelude, it is a car of different kind and I still enjoy the interaction of manual shifting. So, I will keep both car and drive them alternatively for the next couple of years.
My 97 prelude has been falling apart for the past couple of years and I have been sinking money in rapidly. So even though it still drives great, I had to trade it in..
So finally I got a 2006 BMW 330xi ..loaded..Love it so far. Too much tech compared by my poor old lude..So im still learning all the gizmos. The 6 gear shift is different and less comfortable than the prelude, but I had drive the prelude for 11 years, so I guess I need to break into this format..
oh yeah, .9% financing from BMW for 5 years and two free payments didnt hurt either..
The G35 is not nearly as good - I drove it before and moved on without even looking back. The M35 is supposed to be the bigger brother of G35 and the M45 is the more powerful and more luxury version of the M35. So, we are talking about a huge difference here. It is basically like compare the BMW 328i with BMW 550i (Not saying the 328 is bad, but when compare with the 550, the choice is obvious).
What color is the car? Did you buy it CPO from an Infiniti Dealer? Do you mind me asking what the asking price was and what you paid for it?
hemanthh:
Sorry to hear about your sour experiences with your Prelude. How many miles are on it? What has gone so wrong that you have been "sinking money into it?"
My '01 Prelude Type SH has just over 106,000 miles on it. I think the only things I've had to do (other than scheduled maintenance) are the clutch (a major expense because of the ATTS on my Type SH) and a door lock actuator. I'm not only continually amazed by my Prelude's reliability, but also how well it is screwed together. I bought my car new as a leftover at the end of April '02. I plan to keep it as my daily driver until at least 2012.
Congrats on your new (CPO) E90 330xi. The N52 Motor is awesome (it powers my wife's '07 X3. Good torque (especially compared to the Prelude) and very flexible. It hauls on the highway. Very cool you got an Xi with a stick. Where do you live that you went with the Xi (AWD)? What color is your BMW? How many miles are on it? I too am curious about the deal you got.
It is very interesting to see what my fellow Prelude drivers get into post prelude.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Mine is Umbria Grey (It is kind between grey and brown). WIth the chrome finish, it looks good - The black actually looks better. But, since I do not want to wash it on a daily basis (Dirt show up really easy on black cars and had my share of white with the Prelude - I will keep it for a while as well), I went with something neutral. The interior is in wheat leather with Rosewood. I did not get the sports package for 2 reasons: 1. The ride will be too harsh and the performance gain is minimum (The 19' wheels are nice though). 2. The rear wheel steering had me concerns about its reliability and maintenance - kind remind me the 4WS of 3rd gen. Prelude.
The asking price was $26,995 and I got it for $23,500 plus TTL, take into consideration that I need to replace the tires, the overall cost would be around $25,000 (TTL included) - which is about $1500 more than what I paid for the Prelude 10 years ago. I hope I did OK. I was hooked and I guess I will pay another grand more to get the car at the time if the sales insisted.
For hemanthh: His Lude only has 85K (although it is a '97). If I remember correctly, he spent around 2 grand on it already and there are some body works need to be done. He recently had a power steering line leak and got it replaced for $550 - at least that is what the dealer quoted him at the time.
But, I am curious about his deal details on the BMW....
Best of luck to you with the M45. That car brand new today is over $60K!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I am hoping my M45 will last me for a long time - just like the Prelude did/does. I know Infiniti/Nissan cars are reliable, but not sure if they are as reliable as Honda though.
With baby #2 on the way (due in April) and trying to sell our condo (to hopefully buy a house), a new(er) car for me is the furthest thing from my mind right now. I'm enjoying the Prelude and plan to keep it as my daily driver until at least 2012 (it will be 10 years old). It is nice to have the E30 to spice things up a bit once or twice a week so I don't get the itch to go looking :P
I think if I were in the market right now, I'd be checking out a MINI Cooper S (my 2 year old son's favorite car), a BMW 128i, and a CPO 2006 BMW 330Ci (with either sports package or performance package).
The next car I'll have to buy will be when the lease on my wife's '07 X3 is up in 2010.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Did you drive the M35 & the M45 or were you gung ho about the V8? Did you drive any G35 cars?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
So, when I get home, I started searching for M45 and found a bunch of M35s as well. The M35 are about $2-3k cheaper, so I was open on both model - the insurance and gas cost for M35 are also a bit lower than the M45. I test drove a few M35s and feel they pull differently and I thought they are fast as well but just does not feel the same as M45. At the time, I thought it is just the engine of M35 are different and was ready to buy. But I want to make sure I am not missing anything important that the M45 has that is not offered by the M35, so I went back and drove M35 and M45 back to back, then I realized that the difference in acceleration and smoothness is huge. It was right there and then I know my heart is set for the M45. From the paper, the M35 has only about 55hp less, but the torque and the power curve is the real story.
For G35, it was not on my list. I want something different (than the Prelude). The G35 is a step up (a small step as far as power and RWD), but overall, it is similar to Prelude. If the M45 were not available, then I might consider the G, but I guess it is obvious (at least to me): The M45 beat G35 on every category and is not significantly expensive when buying used. The gas mileage for M45 is not very good, but that is typical with Infiniti - they sacrifice mileage for performance and I knew it, so I wouldn't complain about it. well at least for now.
I already downloaded the service manual and did an oil change and coolant flush - it only took me 1 hour to read the manual and 1 hour for both jobs. Now I am confident I can do everything I did for the Lude for the M45. That is one of the 2 reasons that I do not want to touch European cars - they are a pitta to maintain. They tend to link everything to the on board computer which make it very hard to DIY. Other reasons are: they cost more and less reliable. With the combination of those 3, it becomes a money pit, IMO.
If I could swing buying a car with NO BACK seat, I'd give the new 370Z a serious look. Imagine a Z with a V8 stuffed under the hood? It's not like the car is a lightweight to begin with.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I agree with you that a V6 would be fast enough. If the M35 will deliver better gas mileage, I might just buy it. But, with the 1MPG (yes, only 1 MPG, both city and highway), it is a no brainer to get the V8. The price difference is only about $2k, even with the life time (assuming 10 years at 12K mile / year) gas cost is only about $700. I would rather enjoy the V8 for $300 extra per year, that is less than $6 per hp, which to me is a excellent deal.
Back to the Prelude. I drove it today and still feel excited. The M45 is fast, but, I can not feel the road as much. I still enjoy the VTEC kick in of the lude and the road feeling, plus, I still like to shift myself and listen to the tire chirping in 2nd gear turns me on every time. I am definitely keeping the lude as long as possible.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
The other day, I had the dealer check the M45 and the service adviser recommend me (strongly) to replace the driving belt and I was surprised since it only has about 43k on it. Even on my Prelude, the original belts are still working fine. Have you replaced yours yet?
As far as I know, all the belts on my Prelude are original. I'd ask your service advisor if the V8's belts are prone to failure.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
It drives fine until I hit the first dip on the road and I hear a big "clunk" from the rear of the car. The rear suspension is acting again. I know it is well documented issue and has a TSB, but I never did anything to it and it kind of goes away when it is warm and comes back when it is really cold.
Just wander if anyone up in north (Mainly nyccargay) if you have similar issue and what you have done to fix it or just left it as it is?
Once the temps fall below 40 here I do notice it takes the car a bit longer to turn over.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Since I have 2 cars to alter on a daily basis, I plan to keep the Prelude at least until 2015 - Yes, another 6 years. By then, everyone will be asking me: Man, what car is that? Do you put on an after market body on an Accord or RSX?