New Owner 1998 NSX-T 6-Speed in Southern California

T

ty423

Registered Member
Joined
30 November 2012
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31
Location
Southern California Orange County
Hello Everyone,
Long time lurker but I've finally just purchased a very well kept 1998 NSX-T with 6-speed transmission. The only mod was a taitec exhaust from previous owner. I've always wanted one when it first came out and finally got one to call my own. I test drove it and everything works and runs great. I've been doing some reading and seems people have issues with electronics such as gauge cluster and climate control. I want this car to not have problems later down the line so should I do this service I've been reading about? Seems they change a bunch of capacitors or something. I saw a site people recommend ran by a fellow named Brian. What other issues do these cars have that I should get looked at? Thank you everyone and hope to learn a lot on this board.
 

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Hello and Welcome to Prime.

In general the Electronics fail in this order:
- Bose speaker, amps and perhaps the head unit
- Main Relay
- CCU
- Cluster failure is not very common, however it does happen, being a 98 this may not be an issue for a few more years

EG, My car is a 97 and I only had an issues with the CCU, got the 13 Caps replaced. I also stow my car with some moisture absorbing

Bram
 
welcome..my 96 got a preemptive main relay/Brian did my hvac boards/my oem radio is useless, but my gigantic antennae still rises gracefully skyward..
 
ty423 said:
Hello Everyone,
Long time lurker but I've finally just purchased a very well kept 1998 NSX-T with 6-speed transmission. The only mod was a taitec exhaust from previous owner. I've always wanted one when it first came out and finally got one to call my own. I test drove it and everything works and runs great. I've been doing some reading and seems people have issues with electronics such as gauge cluster and climate control. I want this car to not have problems later down the line so should I do this service I've been reading about? Seems they change a bunch of capacitors or something. I saw a site people recommend ran by a fellow named Brian. What other issues do these cars have that I should get looked at? Thank you everyone and hope to learn a lot on this board.
Click to expand...

Welcome to NSX Prime! Be sure to post up pics of your 1998.

My view is generally that the old saying that the NSX is as "reliable as a Honda Accord" isn't really true anymore. It was true when the NSX was a new car. Now, you own a classic car. And, as classics go, the NSX is still quite reliable, but there are things that wear out. As you pointed out, most of the circuit boards in the car are ageing out. This occurs because the capacitors on all of these boards start to leak acid, which drips on the board and causes short circuits/burns. In the gauge cluster, this can (and has) cause a fire.

So, the advice now is to work your way through having all of these capacitors replaced with new ones, which will "reset the clock" another 20+ years. Boards that generally need attention (marked with associated symptoms) are:

  • Climate Control Unit (fan blows all the time, no heat, no A/C, etc.)
  • Fan Control Unit (fan blows all the time)
  • SRS Unit (SRS warning light)
  • Gauge Cluster ("BRAKE" warning light stays on)

Most owners don't wait until there are symptoms and, as [MENTION=4282]docjohn[/MENTION] mentioned, just fix them as preventative maintenance. The most dangerous is the gauge cluster. Often, you will smell burning plastic or see tiny amounts of smoke from the center dash area, but it won't be obvious where it is coming from. This usually occurs after the "BRAKE" light has been on for a long time (months). If left unaddressed, it will eventually cause a major fire that can consume the car.

If you aren't having any of the above symptoms, you can probably wait. These issues are mostly affecting the older cars right now (91-94). Your 98 probably has some time left before they start to fail. I would replace your main relay if it hasn't been done already. This will eventually fail (the solder joints crack) and leave you stranded.

Here is the link to Brian's service. He has done all of our cars LOL.

http://nsxe-repair.com/
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the ownership club. The NSX is remarkably durable, especially if it has not been messed with. My 2000 NSX has only failed to start on three occasions, twice because the maintenance free batteries did the little sudden death dance after 7 years of use and most recently the main EFI relay failed after 21 years.

Accelerating electronic module failures are a reality for most cars designed and built through the '80s and '90s. The speaker amplifiers, head unit and the climate control unit appear to be the modules that suffer capacitor failure earliest. However, these are non mission critical functions that are just an annoyance if they fail. The main EFI relay is more than just an annoyance because it leaves you dead in the water when it fails and it can fail without any warning signs. OEM replacement relays are not very expensive and aftermarket relays are inexpensive:

1998 ACURA NSX 3.2L V6 Fuel Injection Relay | RockAuto

Relay replacement is not hard to do; but, it is not something that you can do without tools so if it fails in the parking lot at the grocery store you are in for a tow job. Because main EFI relay failures are such a common occurrence on Honda products of this vintage (not just the NSX) I would replace pre emotively if it is still the original relay.

Check the battery post cable clamps on your car. Honda clamps are notoriously flimsy and get overtightened leading to tearing of the clamp body and subsequent failure to grip the post. This causes a bad electrical connection leading to all kinds of weird intermittent electrical problems including error codes on the electric power steering and failure to start. Visual inspection and trying to twist the clamp on the post will tell you whether you have a problem.

The NSX (and a lot of other Honda products) use these stupid little plastic stoppers on the clutch and brake pedals to actuate the brake and clutch switches. They age, crack and fall out which results in various problems. The most egregious failure is the upper clutch switch stopper because when it falls out it will prevent the car from starting and it is murderously difficult to insert a new stopper. Purchase and carry spare stoppers in the trunk. You can replace on a pre emptive basis if you choose; however, the upper clutch switch location is such a hassle that I just keep a length of wire in the trunk to jump the starter solenoid if my stopper should fall out in some inconvenient location.

Most important are the maintenance records on the mechanical parts. Look for the dates on the following:
the timing belt was replaced,
spark plugs,
was the water pump replaced when the timing belt was last replaced,
transmission fluid changed,
coolant last flushed, and
clutch and brake system flushed.

Since you live in a hot climate, have the engine coolant hoses been replaced? Heat accelerates the ageing of rubber components.

If the major maintenance items are up to date, then you can consider doing the stereo system and CCU capacitor replacements on a pre emptive basis. I would make sure the major maintenance items are up to date before doing anything that is less critical such as the stereo and CCU. Electronic module repair is done by Brian K at NSX Erepair

NSXE-REPAIR.com

Your NSX is now approaching vintage / classic sports car status. You may find it increasingly difficult to have it serviced, particularly by dealerships where the factory trained NSX techs have probably all retired. Get a copy of the factory service manual for your model year so that you can do some of your own troubleshooting. I personally think hard copies are best; but, there are links to free .pdf versions. The only problem is that some of the .pdf versions are missing important pages. A more difficult to find document is the Electrical Trouble Shooting Manual. However, that document can be a life saver if the car develops any electrical gremlins.

An OBDII scanner can be a useful diagnostic tool. However, if you don't already have one wait to purchase one when the car actually generates an error code. My car (a 2000 MYr) has never generated an error code.
 
Just to add my experience, I had the EPS die.annoying but useable. If you are on the original fuel injectors you may want to have them sent out for bench test cleaning. my alternator recently started groaning so had to buy a friends used..getting mine rebuilt. My knock sensor needed replacing..thats buried in the bowels of the block...you may not even know you could use new shocks unless you have a newer aftermarket suspension.Get some HID low beams. Do read alot of old threads.
 
Thanks everyone for the valuable information. I drove today to get it registered and title transferred and noticed the car pulls to the left under braking and the steering feels a little loose. Is there any bushings that are commonly prone to wear? Also is the steering always feel a bit loose and normal? When I mean loose there is some slop feel to it.

The car has all original paint on it but has many small pits from rocks on the hood, headlight cover, fenders and bumper. When I run my hand across the surface I don't feel them but they are visually noticeable. There are a few bigger ones and those I know can not be buffed out. Do these cars have a good amount of clear coat on them? How much can you cut down the clear? Windshield also pitted but don't know if I can take out most of them or if I should just look into a new glass.
 
steering rack repair is in your future...
 
Berlina/tan is reserved for the discriminating sportsman!...yes you found the eps rack wizards.
 
Old Guy said:
Welcome to the ownership club. The NSX is remarkably durable, especially if it has not been messed with. My 2000 NSX has only failed to start on three occasions, twice because the maintenance free batteries did the little sudden death dance after 7 years of use and most recently the main EFI relay failed after 21 years.

Accelerating electronic module failures are a reality for most cars designed and built through the '80s and '90s. The speaker amplifiers, head unit and the climate control unit appear to be the modules that suffer capacitor failure earliest. However, these are non mission critical functions that are just an annoyance if they fail. The main EFI relay is more than just an annoyance because it leaves you dead in the water when it fails and it can fail without any warning signs. OEM replacement relays are not very expensive and aftermarket relays are inexpensive:

1998 ACURA NSX 3.2L V6 Fuel Injection Relay | RockAuto

Relay replacement is not hard to do; but, it is not something that you can do without tools so if it fails in the parking lot at the grocery store you are in for a tow job. Because main EFI relay failures are such a common occurrence on Honda products of this vintage (not just the NSX) I would replace pre emotively if it is still the original relay.

Check the battery post cable clamps on your car. Honda clamps are notoriously flimsy and get overtightened leading to tearing of the clamp body and subsequent failure to grip the post. This causes a bad electrical connection leading to all kinds of weird intermittent electrical problems including error codes on the electric power steering and failure to start. Visual inspection and trying to twist the clamp on the post will tell you whether you have a problem.

The NSX (and a lot of other Honda products) use these stupid little plastic stoppers on the clutch and brake pedals to actuate the brake and clutch switches. They age, crack and fall out which results in various problems. The most egregious failure is the upper clutch switch stopper because when it falls out it will prevent the car from starting and it is murderously difficult to insert a new stopper. Purchase and carry spare stoppers in the trunk. You can replace on a pre emptive basis if you choose; however, the upper clutch switch location is such a hassle that I just keep a length of wire in the trunk to jump the starter solenoid if my stopper should fall out in some inconvenient location.

Most important are the maintenance records on the mechanical parts. Look for the dates on the following:
the timing belt was replaced,
spark plugs,
was the water pump replaced when the timing belt was last replaced,
transmission fluid changed,
coolant last flushed, and
clutch and brake system flushed.

Since you live in a hot climate, have the engine coolant hoses been replaced? Heat accelerates the ageing of rubber components.

If the major maintenance items are up to date, then you can consider doing the stereo system and CCU capacitor replacements on a pre emptive basis. I would make sure the major maintenance items are up to date before doing anything that is less critical such as the stereo and CCU. Electronic module repair is done by Brian K at NSX Erepair

NSXE-REPAIR.com

Your NSX is now approaching vintage / classic sports car status. You may find it increasingly difficult to have it serviced, particularly by dealerships where the factory trained NSX techs have probably all retired. Get a copy of the factory service manual for your model year so that you can do some of your own troubleshooting. I personally think hard copies are best; but, there are links to free .pdf versions. The only problem is that some of the .pdf versions are missing important pages. A more difficult to find document is the Electrical Trouble Shooting Manual. However, that document can be a life saver if the car develops any electrical gremlins.

An OBDII scanner can be a useful diagnostic tool. However, if you don't already have one wait to purchase one when the car actually generates an error code. My car (a 2000 MYr) has never generated an error code.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the wealth of information.

I spoke with the previous owner and he said he changed the Main Relay not long ago and did a timing belt change as well as water pump and valve adjustment. I didn't ask about the plugs but I'll have to look through some of the paperwork he gave me. He did mention it's still on original clutch and he's never changed it. I drove it and clutch feels fine. I'm guessing he did a lot of highway miles.
 
Speaking of battery clamps, while you’re checking those, check the orientation of the battery hold-down bracket.

Turns out the illustration in the service manual show the wrong orientation, putting the steel bracket very close to the battery terminals. The parts book shows the correct orientation.
.
F29CB1C2-508B-4632-B5C3-AB1CBE2B15FF.jpg
 
ty423 said:
Thanks everyone for the valuable information. I drove today to get it registered and title transferred and noticed the car pulls to the left under braking and the steering feels a little loose. Is there any bushings that are commonly prone to wear? Also is the steering always feel a bit loose and normal? When I mean loose there is some slop feel to it.

The car has all original paint on it but has many small pits from rocks on the hood, headlight cover, fenders and bumper. When I run my hand across the surface I don't feel them but they are visually noticeable. There are a few bigger ones and those I know can not be buffed out. Do these cars have a good amount of clear coat on them? How much can you cut down the clear? Windshield also pitted but don't know if I can take out most of them or if I should just look into a new glass.
Click to expand...

How many miles does your car have on it? My 2000 has about 75,000 miles on it and the steering has no perceptible slop or play in the steering. If the car has a lot of miles on it then you may have some play in the tie rod ends contributing to slop in the steering. If braking is causing some steering you could have wear in the ball joints or at the mounting points for the upper an lower A arms. Differential braking will also cause steering on application of the brakes. The first thing would be to physically examine the front suspension for wear. Support the car so that the front wheels are elevated and then remove the wheels. Then try applying pivoting forces to the hub to check for movement in the wheel bearings or at the suspension pivot points. You will need to fabricate some kind of fixture to secure to the wheel studs so that you have enough leverage to generate movement at any loose points. The alternative is to take it to an alignment shop. Worn suspension components have a way of showing up in the alignment process. If there are no wear points in the suspension and the alignment is good you may need to check the brakes.

I believe that the manual racks have an issue with the end bushings that results in knock. I am not aware that the EPS racks have a similar issue. The EPS can have electrical issues; but, that is not what you are describing.

Doing paint correction with a DA buffer and paint correction compound will not make your rock pits go away. In fact, once you have polished out swirl marks and fine scratches the gravel rash will become more obvious - been there, done that, got the Tee shirt. My ultimate solution was a repaint of the front section of the car. As a lower cost alternative / band aid you might want to try Dr Colorchip. Some people have reported good results with Dr Colorchip, some less so.
 
Old Guy said:
How many miles does your car have on it? My 2000 has about 75,000 miles on it and the steering has no perceptible slop or play in the steering. If the car has a lot of miles on it then you may have some play in the tie rod ends contributing to slop in the steering. If braking is causing some steering you could have wear in the ball joints or at the mounting points for the upper an lower A arms. Differential braking will also cause steering on application of the brakes. The first thing would be to physically examine the front suspension for wear. Support the car so that the front wheels are elevated and then remove the wheels. Then try applying pivoting forces to the hub to check for movement in the wheel bearings or at the suspension pivot points. You will need to fabricate some kind of fixture to secure to the wheel studs so that you have enough leverage to generate movement at any loose points. The alternative is to take it to an alignment shop. Worn suspension components have a way of showing up in the alignment process. If there are no wear points in the suspension and the alignment is good you may need to check the brakes.

I believe that the manual racks have an issue with the end bushings that results in knock. I am not aware that the EPS racks have a similar issue. The EPS can have electrical issues; but, that is not what you are describing.

Doing paint correction with a DA buffer and paint correction compound will not make your rock pits go away. In fact, once you have polished out swirl marks and fine scratches the gravel rash will become more obvious - been there, done that, got the Tee shirt. My ultimate solution was a repaint of the front section of the car. As a lower cost alternative / band aid you might want to try Dr Colorchip. Some people have reported good results with Dr Colorchip, some less so.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I have 107K miles on it. I'm planning to take my car to a friend's shop to put it on a lift and check suspension and wheel bearings. I haven't got to it yet but need to check the tire pressures out too. I've read that mileage doesn't matter on these and it's just age and the design of the rack. nsxrackrepair.com says they have some old bushings that wear out and they replace it with some kind of "self lubricating" which I don't know what that means. It's very pricey for their rebuild service so I'll do some inspection on the car before attempting to remove and send it out.
 
[MENTION=28141]ty423[/MENTION] I also wanted to make sure I mentioned the NSX's unique handling characteristics. You should take great care on wet roads not to get on the gas too hard in a turn. The car has a tendency to exhibit sudden oversteer at the limit, which is very difficult to recover if you do not have practice. There is a very small window to make your counter-steer correction and if you miss it, you will over-correct and then "snap" the car into an unrecoverable spin. Over the years, we have seen many new owners total their cars within the first few weeks of ownership because they are not aware of this behavior. It almost always happens on a wet or damp highway entrance ramp. Take it easy until you get to know the car. Ideally, try to get some time on a wet skidpad or at a racing circuit (on a safe corner with no barriers!). Once you get a feel for what the car does at this limit, you'll be able to catch it better.
 
[MENTION=28141]ty423[/MENTION] - Congratulations and welcome to the ownership fraternity. Here are some thoughts that I have cobbled together after reflecting on things I've learned over 20 years of ownership (now at 21 years...). Don't hesitate to ask questions of fellow owners....that is one of the things I love about the community of NSX Owners - there is a real desire to help each other out and keep these cars on the road and being enjoyed.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...to-new-NSX-Owners-(and-maybe-some-not-so-new)
 
Honcho said:
@ty423 I also wanted to make sure I mentioned the NSX's unique handling characteristics. You should take great care on wet roads not to get on the gas too hard in a turn. The car has a tendency to exhibit sudden oversteer at the limit, which is very difficult to recover if you do not have practice. There is a very small window to make your counter-steer correction and if you miss it, you will over-correct and then "snap" the car into an unrecoverable spin. Over the years, we have seen many new owners total their cars within the first few weeks of ownership because they are not aware of this behavior. It almost always happens on a wet or damp highway entrance ramp. Take it easy until you get to know the car. Ideally, try to get some time on a wet skidpad or at a racing circuit (on a safe corner with no barriers!). Once you get a feel for what the car does at this limit, you'll be able to catch it better.
Click to expand...

That is a great idea. Unfortunately we don't see much rain here in Southern California and when it does the first two days are very slick with oil, dirt and trash from no rain for such a long time. I remember MR2 SW20 had problem like that as well with the mid engine weight back there. I've been told to give it more gas if the rear comes out but never tried. Maybe one day on a rainy day I'll go out and find a big empty lot to practice.

VANSXTC said:
@ty423 - Congratulations and welcome to the ownership fraternity. Here are some thoughts that I have cobbled together after reflecting on things I've learned over 20 years of ownership (now at 21 years...). Don't hesitate to ask questions of fellow owners....that is one of the things I love about the community of NSX Owners - there is a real desire to help each other out and keep these cars on the road and being enjoyed.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...to-new-NSX-Owners-(and-maybe-some-not-so-new)
Click to expand...

Thank you..I'm excited!
 
Congrats on your new ride! I wish I still lived in SoCal. Miss the weather so much. Interesting note on the snap behavior of these cars. I crashed my 300ZX off exit ramp near Balboa park in San Diego about 10 years ago, trying to pass a slow car on damp road. When the boost kicked in, I lost the car completely and it hit the curb and shattered my passenger side wheels, bent some control arms. lol. It was literally the first time it had rain all year too. I would think the limits on the NSX would be higher...I like your parking lot idea.
 
We have had a few Cali cars get outa shape on damp on/off ramps over the years.The other issue is very worn tire in wet conditions..say bye bye to any hope of grip..
 
Nice find... Congrat.

ty423 said:
Hello Everyone,
Long time lurker but I've finally just purchased a very well kept 1998 NSX-T with 6-speed transmission. The only mod was a taitec exhaust from previous owner. I've always wanted one when it first came out and finally got one to call my own. I test drove it and everything works and runs great. I've been doing some reading and seems people have issues with electronics such as gauge cluster and climate control. I want this car to not have problems later down the line so should I do this service I've been reading about? Seems they change a bunch of capacitors or something. I saw a site people recommend ran by a fellow named Brian. What other issues do these cars have that I should get looked at? Thank you everyone and hope to learn a lot on this board.
Click to expand...
 
I got the gauge cluster, climate control and radiator fan control back from Brian at NSXe-repair.com. I put it all back and everything works fine even though I had no problems to begin with. I am more confident that there won't be any failures in that part for a long time. I didn't send my amps because it actually all sounds fine and they are not detrimental to the cars drivability. I'll wait until they start acting up. I also finally got to see if spraying some contact cleaner into the uninstalled stock bose headunit's volume mechanism and it did wonders...no more crackling. It did the first turn a tiny bit and then no more.

The rear bulkhead/firewall I noticed some of the mounting clips for the long leather piece right below the window are broken. Does anyone have the part numbers for those clips?

I finally got to drive about 100 miles in 2 days. I'm still very weary about the steering. On little bumps such as lane markers make the car feel a little twitchy. And steering feel is slow and laggy.
 

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