Is there any truth to Acura telling me this re: snap ring?

[comquat1]

Ok, I looked at an NSX this weekend and took the numbers off of the car (VIN and Tranny). The owner said the tranny was not in the snap ring range. My homework showed otherwise according to the actual number I got off of the tranny itself. So today I go into my local acura dealership and ask them to run a check on the car vin to see what history they have on the thing and see if the snap ring issue has been repaired or not during the cars life. The NSX tech comes back and states that he's got nothing on the car for any TSB's that have been issued.

I ask why he checked the VIN for the snap ring issue. He says that is the way acura keeps track of TSB's for the cars. I then ask why they don't look at the tranny number like I have learned from this site. He simply says its how the computer keeps track of things. I'm not doubting him, but is there supposed to be another way to check if the snap ring has been addressed on this car? It's got no history from the current owner whatsoever. I just find it hard to believe that the Acura folks (Mastertechs included) didn't know that you look at the tranny number to figure this out. Any thoughts? I thought the car was awesome except its lack of records and snap ring tranny number.....

 

[Ojas]

Originally posted by dnyhof:
...The NSX tech comes back and states that he's got nothing on the car for any TSB's that have been issued....I then ask why they don't look at the tranny number like I have learned from this site. He simply says its how the computer keeps track of things....

He's wrong. He needs to know the tranny # to know if it's in snap ring range. Really the only way a VIN would be of any use is if the previous owner said that snap ring tranny was repair/replaced at an Acura dealership. In this case you could probably track down the repair info with the VIN. That's really about it.

Even the TSB says what tranny numbers are at risk. I don't know how they look up stuff at the dealership, but I guess a tech that's not familiar with the NSX might have just had the computer pull up all TSBs by VIN (which would not get this TSB).

Maybe you can ask for a tech more familiar with the NSX. Best of luck!
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ojaspatel.com/nsx

[This message has been edited by Ojas (edited 03 March 2003).]

 

[comquat1]

I kinda got the idea that they were less than concerned with what I was looking for eventhough I intend to purchase one and they would be the place I'd have it serviced at. Sometimes businesses forget that all of their employees are sales people for the business as a whole. And by somewhat getting a brush off it didn't make me think any higher of them. What stinks is that this is the only Acura dealer in this area.

But getting back to the car, by not having any records and the current owner not knowing if the snap ring has been resolved it kinda raises a red flag for me as a whole. It stinks because I'd like to buy from someone local because I can see the car a few times and not have to make such a big decision based on one trip. But patience is the key when looking to buy a car of this type. The right one will find me, kinda like that Saturn commercial

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by dnyhof:
Ok, I looked at an NSX this weekend and took the numbers off of the car (VIN and Tranny). The owner said the tranny was not in the snap ring range. My homework showed otherwise according to the actual number I got off of the tranny itself. So today I go into my local acura dealership and ask them to run a check on the car vin to see what history they have on the thing and see if the snap ring issue has been repaired or not during the cars life. The NSX tech comes back and states that he's got nothing on the car for any TSB's that have been issued.

I ask why he checked the VIN for the snap ring issue. He says that is the way acura keeps track of TSB's for the cars. I then ask why they don't look at the tranny number like I have learned from this site. He simply says its how the computer keeps track of things. I'm not doubting him, but is there supposed to be another way to check if the snap ring has been addressed on this car? It's got no history from the current owner whatsoever. I just find it hard to believe that the Acura folks (Mastertechs included) didn't know that you look at the tranny number to figure this out. Any thoughts? I thought the car was awesome except its lack of records and snap ring tranny number.....

I think I understand what's happened here.

Any Acura dealer can usually look up all repairs that have been done at their own dealership. They can also look up any TSB-related repairs done under warranty at any Acura dealership.

You asked your dealer whether the snap ring had been repaired, not whether the car was in the snap ring range. Your dealership looked this car's VIN up and did not find any warranty work relating to the TSB (93-010) for the snap ring problem. They look the car up by VIN to see what warranty work has been done. They were NOT using the VIN to see whether the transmission was in snap ring range.

Does that make it clearer?

If the transmission is in the snap ring range - and it appears that it is, based on your checking of the transmission number - and if you have no evidence that the snap ring and upper transmission case have been replaced, then I would assume that it is susceptible to the snap ring problem. And if I bought the car, I would then decide which course to pursue: (a) having the snap ring and upper transmission case replaced immediately at a cost of $1500 parts plus $1000 labor; (b) waiting until you need transmission work (e.g. clutch replacement) anyway and replacing the snap ring and case at that time at a cost of $1500 parts (assuming that the snap ring doesn't fail before then, of course); or (c) not replacing the snap ring and case until the snap ring fails.

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 04 March 2003).]

 

[KODIAC]

Originally posted by dnyhof:
But patience is the key when looking to buy a car of this type. The right one will find me, kinda like that Saturn commercial

LOL

when I first saw that commerical, the NSX was the first thing in my mind.....

the right one will find you....

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Very Clear

. I agree completely.

LarryB