question for NSX owners

[aaronkamloops]

I am looking at a used 91 with a new paint job (formula red) and the car has 180,000 kilometers on it. when i looked at it last week and the owner and I went for a drive i noticed a few things when we finished the drive.

1. there was a large amount of dust collected on the rear bumper where it flares out, the owner said it seems to collect there for some reason (static?). is that a symptom of NSX's or is it due to other factors do you think? i wonder if an anti-static polish would work well to fix that problem.

2. there was a compression test done recently and it read between 190 and 205 depending on the cylinder, does that seem pretty good for a car with that kind of km's?

3. the owner says the car needs a new clutch disc as it was slipping out of gear the odd time, he said the job was about $800-$900 canadian to get a new clutch disc and have it replaced, does this sound right for that type of job?

any thoughts would be most appreciated....

 

[heySkippy]

1. My car gets dusty in that area also. I'm guessing it's the turbulence pattern off the rear of the car.

2. No idea.

3. That sounds way cheap for a clutch. ISTR it's more in the $2000+ neighborhood.

 

[MiamieNeSeX]

If the tranny is in fact jumping out of gear, it most likely the snap ring not the clutch.



Armando

 

[JeffShoots]

If the tranny is in fact jumping out of gear, it most likely the snap ring not the clutch.
Armando

That's what I was thinking..........clutch will just slip "press the gas and the RPMs raise" the car is slow to match RPM/speedo.

How cheap is the car?

 

[ETLMD]

My bumper gets very dusty there too. It's the first place that starts to show dust after I wash the car. It drives me nuts!

Definitely check to see if the car is in the snap ring range:
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Troubleshooting/transmission.htm

 

[Big_D]

+1 on the bumper area for collecting dust...doesn't matter what type of wax is used.

I believe the compression should be within 5% on all cylinders, this is showing about 7% which could be partially due to the calibration of the gauge.

I would ask why the car was re-painted. Was it due to rock chips and if so does the owner have pictures of the car before it was painted. I am always leary of cars that have been painted...usually a reason they are reluctant to tell.

 

[ChopsJazz]

Dust: normal

Compression: pretty good

Slipping out of gear: not the clutch

 

[omeys_berlina]

If this guy can get a clutch done for that much, i'll take 10. The clutch alone is 800-1000cdn, NOT including labour. Tell him that you want the WHOLE tranny checked out by and authorized NSX mechanic @ an Acura dealer.

Reason being, my tranny was dropped 3 times in a 3 moth span.
1st time, was clutch, second time it was dropped was because the hack job mechanic over tightened the bolts so the tranny case cracked, therefore new tranny. Third time the clutch was defective, Exedy wouldn't cover it, so I ate AT LEAST $5000....

 

[NSXGMS]

I agree that the tranny should either be thoroughly inspected or you should take the cost of a full rebuild into consideration regarding the purchase price. A full rebuild should cost anywhere from $1,600-2,000 USD.

As others have mentioned the dusting on the rear bumper is normal.

And unless the clutch is rebuildable like the RPS $800-$900 CDN is inaccurate. A full OEM clutch replacement should cost anywhere from $1,500-1,800 USD.

 

[nsxaddicted]

1. Every sportscar I have ever owned collects dust on rear bumper, if you find a cure I am interested in it!

2. sounds about right, but check the FAQ section.

3. sounds more like snapring in trans if it jumps out of gear. that is in the FAQ also. 800 to 900 is very conservative(low) for a clutch, since the factory clutch is around 1,100 U.S not including labor

 

[slamstrom]

Dust on the bumper after outing seems to be normal for me. I finally bought a California Duster from Amazon.com, and the dust lifts right off before I put my car cover back on.

As for a the clutch replacement, that sounds awfully cheap. When they're too good to be true...........it could be from midnight auto parts. You may want to call your local Acura dealer for an estimate.

 

[aaronkamloops]

the seller claims its a clutch disc, i believe that to mean its not a complete clutch replacement or am i mistaken? the snap ring issue might be valid only if the car had a used tranny put into it (this he didn't mention one way or another).

i always thought the snap ring would go before 180,000 kilometres and isn't the snap ring failure recognized by shifter vibration? i called the local acura dealership and they quoted me around $2000 and said the $800 estimate given to the seller from AAMCO was likely an aftermarket clutch disc and the service guy stated that "he wouldn't use an aftermarket part in an NSX tranny."

i am getting it inspected at the acura dealer and they will likely tell me for sure. The price...$32,000 canadian (seller firm due to $7000 in recent improvements). Has all receipts.

 

[NSXGMS]

the seller claims its a clutch disc, i believe that to mean its not a complete clutch replacement or am i mistaken? the snap ring issue might be valid only if the car had a used tranny put into it (this he didn't mention one way or another).

The OEM clutch isn't rebuildable meaning you'll need to replace the entire assembly if you need just the clutch disc. Unless the clutch isn't OEM the seller is misinformed.

Also be sure to look at the tranny case number, not the VIN. Trannies were installed in NSXs in no particular order. An NSX with a VIN outside the snap ring range might have had a tranny within the range installed at the factory.

...i always thought the snap ring would go before 180,000 kilometres and isn't the snap ring failure recognized by shifter vibration?

Not necessarily and no. After 180km you're most likely home free but there have been several snap rings go around the 100k mile mark. And they never break unless it was one of the flawed tranny cases. I've yet to ever hear of one case of snap ring failure on a tranny outside of the snap ring range.

Also, there is no warning whatsoever before it goes. Since there's already a problem with the tranny the state of the snap ring can easily be checked by any experienced NSX mechanic.

...i called the local acura dealership and they quoted me around $2000...

If that's $2,000 CDN that's a very fair price.

...the $800 estimate given to the seller from AAMCO was likely an aftermarket clutch disc and the service guy stated that "he wouldn't use an aftermarket part in an NSX tranny."

I wouldn't let anyone from AAMCO get within 1000 feet of my NSX. In fact there are very few Acura dealers I would let rebuild my NSX tranny. Any Acura dealer can do an OEM clutch but I would steer clear of AAMCO for any and all work pertaining to the NSX. And any aftermarket part that AAMCO or anyone else would want to use will be significantly inferior to any genuine Honda part.

...i am getting it inspected at the acura dealer and they will likely tell me for sure. The price...$32,000 canadian (seller firm due to $7000 in recent improvements). Has all receipts.

If the $7k in "improvements" are worth that to you then $32,000 CDN seems like a very fair price if the car is in good overall condition and has little or no deferred maintenance.

 

[aaronkamloops]

Many thanks NSXGMS and to the others who replied, for the information. It will definitely help me in making my decision. I have decided if I do purchase the car to get Acura to replace whatever needs fixing. I'm sure the vehicle inspection at the dealership will reveal the problems associated with the clutch. I believe the seller is being honest but may be putting a lower price on the repair to help make the sale. I guess I should be prepared to buck up more cash to get the problem fixed properly rather than let a tranny shop work on the car. I'll try to find a fix for the dust collecting on the rear bumper valance since it seems to be an issue for everyone here.

Regards,
Aaron

 

[heySkippy]

I'll try to find a fix for the dust collecting on the rear bumper valance since it seems to be an issue for everyone here.

This is how I handle that issue.

http://www.californiacardusters.com/standardcarduster.html

 

[DV8]

This is how I handle that issue.

http://www.californiacardusters.com/standardcarduster.html

+1 on the California Duster. I've kept one in the trunk ever since I've owned my car. I even keep a smaller one for the dash. A real necessity expecailly on a black car. Works like a charm.

 

[MichaelD]

+1 on the California Duster. I've kept one in the trunk ever since I've owned my car. I even keep a smaller one for the dash. A real necessity expecailly on a black car. Works like a charm.

Same here. I keep one in the trunk of my S2000, and use it daily, especially during the pollen season :frown: I will be putting one in the trunk of the NSX as well