My S2000 was made in 2003 and checking the maintenance records at the dealership showed there has never been any maintenance done on this car.  It still has all the original fluids and this is not good.  So this weekend I finally had the time to get the whole thing done.

So I got started gathering all the pieces parts.  First was a visit to the local Honda dealership where I purchased an OEM oil filter.  After reading numerous threads on the various S2000 forums, the consensus is to run the Honda sourced oil filter.  The filter is of good quality and reasonably priced.  While I was there, I picked up a collection of crush washers which must be replaced on all drain bolts.

I’ve never owned a Honda before so there are a few things to learn!  I was told by a good friend (who has owned Hondas) that it is crucial to replace these crush washers used on all bolts.  There is one in the motor oil drain bolt, two in the differential bolts and two in the transmission bolts.  Two on each of the last because one is for the drain and one is for the fill bolt.

While at the Honda dealership, I picked up a couple of quarts of manual transmission fluid.  The consensus at the forums is to use the original Honda brand stuff – so there again I followed suit.  For the engine oil, I used Mobil1 5w-30 and likewise Mobil1 75-90 synthetic differential gear oil.

Next was lifting the car up and putting jack stands under it – no problem there.  There is a special pad on the front where one can use a jack to lift the car and on the rear you pick it up by placing the jack under the differential.  With four jack stands underneath it, it is easy to find the drain bolts.

Changing all fluids is not rocket science however I did find something interesting about the crush washers.  They are made of soft aluminium and tend to take shape when one tightens its matching bolt to the correct torque.  This is all to ensure a tight seal and prevent any leaks.  It was interesting though, when one first starts to take the bolt out one has to apply a bit of force to “break” it.  It follows with a loud “pop” and then comes out very easily.  Now I see why re-using the crush washers is not such a good idea.

There are two other things still left to do:  I need to drain and replace the engine coolant and also need to replace the brake fluid.  Didn’t get that far this weekend, but hopefully that will all be replaced shortly.