New owner, Need some questions answered

[cacno2]

I just purchased a 91 with 93,000 miles (Have 5 kids, so a used one is the best I could do) I paid $23000 for it, which is probably a little high with those miles, but seems to be in really good shape. Im going to make an appointment to get the timing belt changed, is there anything else that I should do at the same time (besides the water pump, and belts, that I learned after reading this website. I would like to do some performance parts and need to know if when they change the belt is their anything I should have the dealer perform while doing the timing belt. Thank you in advance.
Another question: I have a small ticking sound that sounds like the lifters and one guy I know says that is the way the v-tech works.
p.s. These are great cars, I now understand your passion with the nsx.

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[MYNSX]

Congrats on your purchase!!
A couple questions.
1-what about valve adjustments(do you have records of if and when they were done)The ticking is normal "but" exessive ticking is not.(a mechanic that you know and knows normal to exessive is your only true barometer)
2-I'm assuming you've done the research to check tranny "snap ring" range (just in case). I was unaware or got the wrong range and purchased a NSX in range and never had a problem w/ it but changed it anyway(we were doing 455 gears,ring and pinion,short gearset etc etc at the time.
Assuming the car has been well kept (very broad statement)the price you paid sounds actually "good" as my knowledge.Milage sounds slightly below average (for that year)if it were a daily driver.You can look foward "in most cases" to 100's of thousands of miles in life if you treat her well,which it sounds like you will.
MYNSX

[This message has been edited by MYNSX (edited 11 July 2002).]

 

[MvM]

Congratulations on your purchase. And Yes yes yes, the NSX really is a great car to drive.
And are you kids already arguing who's going to sit up front ??

I'm not sure about any clicking sounds though. I don't hear any strange noises like that from my engine. Are you sure it comes from the engine ?

 

[Soichiro]

Have your Acura dealer or a reputable independant do a complete valve adjustment when the T-belt is changed. That will cure the ticking and ensure your engine is up to spec. Check the cam plug seals - these often fail over time and are easy to replace too. You might have the car aligned as well to establish a base point for further changes. BTW I don't think you paid too much - your price seems under market value for a car in good condition.

[This message has been edited by Soichiro (edited 11 July 2002).]

 

[Nsxotic]

yes, ticking is normal but not excessively.... by the way, 23k is an awesome price providing the car wasn't repainted and/or in an accident. That car will sell for 27-28k all day if it is a clean one.... good luck, you'll love it.

 

[Larry Bastanza]

cacno2,

You have gotten some great advise above. In addition, with this much mileage, you should change the coolant hoses in the engine bay and in the front. These have a tendency to burst with higher mileage cars.

I changed 5, three in the engine bay and two up front. There are actually about 22 hoses total, but these 5 are the main ones. You really want to make sure you replace the ones that take the hot coolant from the block up to the radiator. I think these are the most risky.

Probably to best thing to do is have all of them inspected by the mechanic to be sure some of the smaller ones (around the oil cooler, especially) are OK.

To answer your question about the "ticking" there can be three causes:

1. The engine has screw adjustment "solid" lifters and it is the normal ticking sound, especially when cold.

2. Valves need adjusting, as has been pointed out already.

3. A defective (tired) "Lost Motion Assembly". The tech can check these very easily. These are little spring loaded, and oil fed plungers that keep the "VTEC" cam follower from floating free and rattling. They do wear out and get soft, and this can be your ticking. A careful inspection will let you know.

Kind of hard to tell in an e-mail!!!!!!!!!

HTH,
LarryB

[This message has been edited by Larry Bastanza (edited 11 July 2002).]

 

[TampaBayNSX-R]

Yes, NSXotic is absolutely correct, you got a hell of a good deal if the car is clean and has a clear title. Congrats!

Also, the sound of the NSX engine under normal conditions has often been likened to that of a sewing machine. The valvetrain is noisier than some other cars I've owned and that is part of the experience of driving the car. Not to mention the valvetrain now sits about 2feet behind your head while you're driving!

I do have one suggestion; If you haven't already done so, take the car to an Acura dealership that has an "NSX Tech" on staff. These are mechanics who have been specially trained by Acura to work on the NSX. Not all dealerships have one so be sure to ask. Have the NSX Tech do a full diagnostic evaluation on the car. This should include driving the car, inspecting all of the car's components including undercarriage, suspension, brakes...all those goodies you'll only see with the car up on a lift. You should expect to pay something like $85 for this service and it will serve as piece of mind.

Other than that, use Mobil 1 and an OEM oil filter (very important) and enjoy driving her! Welcome!

 

[Michigan NSX]

Welcome,

You got a very good deal. I paid more than $23k for a '91 with 105K miles on it and considered it a steal!

In response to your question, when you have the timing belts replaced you might want to have all the radiator hoses replaced as well ( a good thing to do every 11 years or so

)

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'91 Black/Black

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by TampaBayNSX-R:
If you haven't already done so, take the car to an Acura dealership that has an "NSX Tech" on staff. These are mechanics who have been specially trained by Acura to work on the NSX. Not all dealerships have one so be sure to ask.

Actually, all dealerships are supposed to have at least one tech who has been trained on the NSX. However, many dealerships don't see an NSX very often, so even if they're trained, it may be quite a while since they've seen one. I don't know if this is the case at your closest dealer (Fort Wayne) or not; maybe Meeyatch can comment.

For major service work such as you're planning, it may be worth driving to a dealer that does a lot of NSX work, such as Woodfield Acura outside Chicago.

Also, note the post about the NSX Club event next month in Cleveland.

 

[Meeyatch1]

Originally posted by nsxtasy:
Actually, all dealerships are supposed to have at least one tech who has been trained on the NSX. However, many dealerships don't see an NSX very often, so even if they're trained, it may be quite a while since they've seen one. I don't know if this is the case at your closest dealer (Fort Wayne) or not; maybe Meeyatch can comment.

For major service work such as you're planning, it may be worth driving to a dealer that does a lot of NSX work, such as Woodfield Acura outside Chicago.

Also, note the post about the NSX Club event next month in Cleveland.

Hey, Ken! I just got the link to this post, so here is my take on this.

I have a '91 NSX with over 110,000 miles, and if you are having major service work done, GO TO WOODFIELD ACURA like Ken said. The dealer in Fort Wayne takes FOREVER and their pricing is kind of high. I am planning on taking my car to Woodfield Acura for my major work from now on. If anybody has any specific questions about service, feel free to email me at [email protected]. Good luck!

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Carpe Diem! Get out there and DRIVE YOUR NSX! It won't do you any good when you're gone.

 

[jdalto]

Just my two cents, but Woodfield Acura raised their labor rates to $86/hr on July 1st and would no longer give me any discount (parts or labor). I guess they need to pay for the building renovation. If you call the service department, make sure and ask for RAY. The other two service reps (Mark and Chris) are lost when it comes to NSX's.

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[nsxtasy]

Sorry to hear about the hourly rates, which had been ~$76/hour I believe. I wonder how they now compare with Pauly, which had previously been consistently more expensive than Woodfield. I wouldn't bring my NSX to any other dealer in the Chicago area, since those are the only two dealers that do a lot of NSX work and really know the NSX. (Acura of Brookfield, Wisconsin does fine work too, but I don't like driving a hundred miles each way.)

Chris has been just fine for my NSX service. I haven't dealt with Mark; I assume from your quote that this is a service adviser and not the service manager, who is also named Mark. Last I heard, Kim was going to be re-joining the staff there at the end of the summer; Ray and Chris are excellent, but Kim is THE best.

 

[cacno2]

Thanks for all the great replies, I can see that this website and all you members will be of great help. I did check and the transmission is not in the "snap ring" range, also had a clean car fax, had a body shop check it out (after I purchased the car, not the smartest thing to do, but for piece of mind) and they said all looks fine and cant find no signs of repaint or damage. I will have the mechanics check and replace what you have suggested, and really appreciate the advice on where to get the work done (ie: fort wayne or chicago) I called fort wayne acura and they said "we havn't seen very many of those" so I was kind of reluctant. Now with reading from the forum and other parts of the website I am not afraid of maybe doing some performance upgrades, I was worried due to the fact that I was thinking that 90k was alot of miles, but I see that some of you have more miles than that and still putting upgrades on the car.
Again, thanks very much or the replies.

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by jdalto:
Just my two cents, but Woodfield Acura raised their labor rates to $86/hr on July 1st and would no longer give me any discount (parts or labor).

I spoke with them today to find out about discounts. They offer service specials to their repeat customers; here's how. When you go in for service, at the bottom of your invoice receipt, there are usually one or more coupons you can use. Furthermore, if you get your car serviced there three times, you then get on their mailing list. Periodically (once every few months, I think), they send out a set of coupons to those on their mailing list - one might be on scheduled maintenance, one for an oil change special, etc.

Hmmm... maybe I should put some of their coupons up for sale on eBay.

Seriously, next time I get any that I'm not planning to use, I'll offer them (free) here on NSXprime in case someone can use one.

 

[jdalto]

Ken,

I guess I would need one more visit before I get on the mailing list. On my invoice is a coupon for 5% off any mechanical service repair that I will probably never use. Anyone want it?

Chris Anderson, the Service Advisor, is a really nice guy, but not a big NSX expert. The work has been excellent, but in both of the times I have had my car there, it was returned with grease on the white drivers mat. This last time the car was returned with huge hard water spots all over the back half as if it had been parked under the sprinkler system. Sorry, I am a very picky NSX owner, but I am not impressed with them. Next time I intend to try Pauly Acura, do you know who to ask for there?

John

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[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by jdalto:
The work has been excellent, but in both of the times I have had my car there, it was returned with grease on the white drivers mat. This last time the car was returned with huge hard water spots all over the back half as if it had been parked under the sprinkler system. Sorry, I am a very picky NSX owner, but I am not impressed with them. Next time I intend to try Pauly Acura, do you know who to ask for there?

Hmmm... When I pick my car up, it's always spotless on the inside (with a paper floor mat and/or plastic on the seat). I always ask them NOT to wash the car, and they don't - but it has never come back any dirtier than it was when I left it. Of course, I go there because they know the car inside and out and know how to fix problems, not because of their ability to keep the car clean - but I have never had any problems with those, either.

I believe Ken Kalte is still the service manager at Pauly, and Chuck and Craig are the two NSX techs.