help having like 10 issues with my car!!!

[Alixp81]

Hey...I have yet another problem with my nsx...this is my first nsx and my dream car and now, it just won't stop breaking!!! the whole back of the car sounds like it is about to fall off when i'm driving, the clutch pedal pops so hard it throws my foot of the clutch..the passenger side window/door switches stopped working, the drivers side window motor went out with the window now stuck halfway down, drivers door creaks really loud when it is opened, and now my climate control won't work...it was just rebuilt by the previous owner....the only time it will blow any air out at all is if it is either on full auto or on full blast..there is no in between...air only comes out so hard it hurts your eyes..what is up with this? any one know? helppppp please.....I'm running out of patience with this car ( and its so sad, I cried when I got it and now i just want to get rid of it. oh also....has anyone ever heard of this problem...this is the wierdest thing ever...if I hit my horn at the same time that i have my foot on the brake..which normally is everytime you hit the horn, becuase usually I only hit the horn if someone is about to hit me, so i also hit the brakes, it blowes my brake light fuse and my brake lights stop working!!! this is nuts! we did a test and if you just hit the horn the brakes are fine, but have your foot on brake and hit the horn, blowes the brakes out. any advice will help me. thanks. Alexandra

 

[Ojas]

Only like 7

I almost got a headache reading your post, so I’ve numbered the issues:

1. the whole back of the car sounds like it is about to fall off when i'm driving,
2. the clutch pedal pops so hard it throws my foot of the clutch..
3. the passenger side window/door switches stopped working,
4. the drivers side window motor went out with the window now stuck halfway down,
5. drivers door creaks really loud when it is opened,
6. and now my climate control won't work...it was just rebuilt by the previous owner....the only time it will blow any air out at all is if it is either on full auto or on full blast..there is no in between...air only comes out so hard it hurts your eyes..what is up with this?
7. this is the wierdest thing ever...if I hit my horn at the same time that i have my foot on the brake..which normally is everytime you hit the horn, becuase usually I only hit the horn if someone is about to hit me, so i also hit the brakes, it blowes my brake light fuse and my brake lights stop working!!!

First of all, the good news is I only counted like 7 issues, not 10 as you stated. So that’s like me solving 30% of your problem right off the bat. I’ll send you a bill.

1. I don’t know exactly what sound the whole back end fall off would make, but I bet it sounds serious. You need to tell us what specifically it sounds like, at what speeds it occurs, how the sound varies with vehicle speed or engine speed, etc.
2. Is this related to #1? I don’t understand how or when the clutch pedal pops. Again, please be more descriptive.
3. In addition to the window switch, does the lock switch not work as well? If the lock still works, flip the rocker switch labeled MAIN on the driver side door to the ON position.
4. Normally, it’s not the window motor itself that fails, but part of the regulator that holds the cable. When a window regulator normally fails, the motor will still spin and the window will drop to the lowest position. Have you checked the fuse?
5. I don’t know: Perhaps try greasing the hinge and rod thingy.
6. Is it still under warranty? If not, contact NSX Prime member BrianK to have yours rebuilt.
7. This might be due to frayed wires in the HMBL (high mount brake light) - the LED brake light in the rear wing. It’s not very common, but not unheard of either. Can you temporarily disconnecting your HMBL, replace the fuse, then try hitting the horn and brakes and see if you blow another fuse? If you do not, then check the wires in the wing to make sure the insulation is in tact. If you don’t then you might have a short in one or more of the three horns.

Was any sort of pre-purchase inspection done when you bought the car?

 

[D'Ecosse]

That's quite a list Alexandra!
Don't let this put you off, regardless of the circumstances of its past history, hopefully nothing too major & all mechanical/electrical problems can be fixed.
(i.e nothing too serious = not expensive)
Other than the "clunk" the other stuff shouldn't be too taxing.

Maybe she was looking for suggestions as to solutions to the problems rather than a lecture on what she should have done before buying it nsxtasy - bit late for that now unfortunately.

Here are some things you can check -

.... the whole back of the car sounds like it is about to fall off when i'm driving, the clutch pedal pops so hard it throws my foot of the clutch..

I made some suggestions in the newbie thread on this one; what I'm not clear of is if you are relating your clutch pedal return to the back-end clunk?
I think this may be a CV or engine mount issue; hopefully not snap-ring but perhaos you can describe a little better

.... the passenger side window/door switches stopped working, the drivers side window motor went out with the window now stuck halfway down,

Did these happen at the same time or individually? Did the driver's door door stop half-way down, then you noticed the passenger one quit?
Note that there is a switch on the driver's door that needs to be enabled in order for the passenger side switch (the one on the passenger door itself) to work.
Does the passenger window work off the passenger window switch on the driver's door?
Fuses # 47 & 50 (both 20A) and the power window relay are worth checking - these are in the main relay box which is located on the front right inner fender (left as you look into the compartment)

.... drivers door creaks really loud when it is opened,

There's another thread just below this one with some suggestions on that - http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45902

.... and now my climate control won't work...it was just rebuilt by the previous owner....the only time it will blow any air out at all is if it is either on full auto or on full blast..there is no in between...air only comes out so hard it hurts your eyes..what is up with this?

Who rebuilt it? I can only think it maybe wasn't done adequately - check out member briank for an exchange/replacement board - it will be done right if you have him do it.

.... this is the wierdest thing ever...if I hit my horn at the same time that i have my foot on the brake..which normally is everytime you hit the horn, becuase usually I only hit the horn if someone is about to hit me, so i also hit the brakes, it blowes my brake light fuse and my brake lights stop working!!! this is nuts! we did a test and if you just hit the horn the brakes are fine, but have your foot on brake and hit the horn, blowes the brakes out. any advice will help me....

I think this may be the primary horn fuse, which is #45 (20A) in the main relay box -I suspect the reason it's blowing the brakes fuse it because it's out & the horn is drawing the power from the brake circuit directly.

Since you have 4 things to check in the Main Relay box, here they are:

.

 

[Alixp81]

hey sorry, I guess I worded that wrong.....the car has not been rebuilt...the climate control went out on him and he bought another climate control from someone off of nsx prime...thats what I meant..sorry

 

[nsxtasy]

hey sorry, I guess I worded that wrong.....the car has not been rebuilt...the climate control went out on him and he bought another climate control from someone off of nsx prime...thats what I meant..sorry

No, it was my error - your post was clear. Sorry...

 

[Alixp81]

thanks so you couple guys that gave me good advice instead of being sarcastic...I posted on this site becuase I thought everyone on here was supposed to be nice and helpful to each other...I didn't post to get smart ass remarks and my car has not been REBUILT! I said the climate control was rebuilt!!!! and I have a receipt from Acura where the owner took it 2 days prior to my buying it to have it totally checked out and they said it looked fine, I mean the car is like 13 years old, I expect stuff to happen to it, parts to start failing but my issue is this: I am new to NSXS and don't know much for the technical stuff yet and everything has started to fail all the same time, I bought the car 3 months ago...everything I listed just started happening in the past month... But thanks again to those who gave me good advice. I appreciate it. Alexandra

 

[Zennsx]

Alexandra, I also purchased an NSX several months ago and initially was plagued by repairs, (AC ,climate control, stereo amps,alarm etc.) even with due dilligence sometimes things fall through the cracks , try and rectifiy one problem at a time and try not to be too overwhelmed. Sometimes people on the forum tend to have condescending attitudes towards members. Hang in there do a lot of research and dont give up on your NSX.

 

[nsxtasy]

try and rectifiy one problem at a time and try not to be too overwhelmed.

That's very good advice.

The reason I mentioned Leith Acura in Cary, in that other topic, is that many of your problems are not uncommon for the NSX. This is where a mechanic with NSX experience can be a big help, so they can diagnose the problem accurately instead of guessing one fix after another. Leith almost certainly has seen the broken clip that often causes the power windows to fail, and if that's the cause of your window problems, they will know what to do to fix it. (If they don't need to replace the window regulators, they can also check to see whether the window fix-it thingies have been installed, and if not, you should make sure they do that. It's a $20 part that can prevent a $500 repair in the future.) Similarly, they have probably fixed transmissions whose snap ring has failed, and they can examine yours (and check out your clutch problems) to see if that is what is wrong with yours.

The only thing Leith may not be aware of is the fact that BrianK fixes the climate control boards; they are probably accustomed to just replacing them. But I'm sure they would be happy to remove yours and ship it to Brian for repair.

 

[D'Ecosse]

It's difficult to diagnose from limited descriptions, compared to seeing it first-hand - but the problem windows issues sound more electrical than mechanical to me (they don't stop in "up" or "half-way down" positions if the regulator breaks) and while it may not be the fix, checking a couple of fuses &/or relay is simple & virtually free.
It is good advice for any 91 or 92 owner to consider the "window thingy" (as affectionately known) as a preventive measure however, although I think if I were in Alix's situation I'd be focused on reducing the "laundry" list before getting into preventive measures.
Nevertheless here is some info on the window "thingy" Alix
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Troubleshooting/windows.htm
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/DIY/thingy_install.htm
Those replacement parts are quite inexpensive and available from Dali or Science of Speed. They shouldn't be hard to replace by any competent mechanic or body shop that you trust - many NSX'rs do this as a DIY and you can see there are excellent instructions for this.

 

[nsxtasy]

Well, I agree that we're guessing here - it's difficult to diagnose from limited descriptions, compared to seeing it first-hand

Of course we are; guessing is inherent in a long-distance diagnosis. However, my reference to "guessing" was intended to apply to a local mechanic without much NSX experience, who would not be familiar with the way common failures occur.

It is good advice for any 91 or 92 owner to consider the "window thingy" (as affectionately known) as a preventive measure however, although I think if I were in Alix's situation I'd be focused on reducing the "laundry" list before getting into preventive measures.

Considering that the door panels are likely to be opened up in order to address her window problems, I disagree. I would want to install the thingies the same time the door panels are opened up, rather than go through that effort twice. Sure, it's not that much effort - but why do it twice?

Leith may be an excellent shop - I have no idea one way or the other - but once again, I'm amazed when you make personal recommendations for shops outwith your local area of which you have no personal experience, just hearsay - you do this consistently on shops in CA, also.

Yes, I do. The fact of the matter is that I have spoken with and met many of the mechanics I have recommended in all parts of the country, and have heard recommendations from many of their customers first-hand. I am in touch with literally hundreds of NSX owners throughout the country all the time, and I'm not referring to the NSXprime forums as contact, either. This is the advantage I have in having attended all eight NSXPOs (and having tried to meet and chat with all of the hundreds of attendees at those events), having attended regional NSX events in every region of the country, and having the willingness to offer this accumulated knowledge to other owners, to assist them in finding a qualified shop that has the level of NSX expertise to be used to diagnose and fix such problems quickly and accurately. Shame on you for attacking me for doing so.

 

[Briank]

All cars have issues even new ones. Step back and take a breath and make a list then prioritize the items. Having the windows working and finding out why the back end of the car sounds like it is going to fall off would be the first things to be fixed. The clutch problem would also fall under and be looked at while the car was in for the above.
The rest of the items I would consider nusinces and can be worked on as time and money allow.

 

[nsxtasy]

All cars have issues even new ones. Step back and take a breath and make a list then prioritize the items. Having the windows working and finding out why the back end of the car sounds like it is going to fall off would be the first things to be fixed. The clutch problem would also fall under and be looked at while the car was in for the above.
The rest of the items I would consider nusinces and can be worked on as time and money allow.

I agree with you, Brian, but... if time and money allow, why not get the other items addressed (or, at least looked at) too? You might consider getting a preliminary diagnosis on all the problems and then decide which ones to fix. For example, if the car is going to be laid up for service for several days for the back end and/or clutch problem anyway, that might be a good time to have the climate control board removed and overnighted to Brian; you might even be able to get it back in time to re-install it while it's still in the shop. For another example, when the car is in for service, ask about the door hinge issue; if it's a matter of lubrication and/or a ten-minute adjustment, then you would probably want to just have it lubed/adjusted at that time and be done with it.

Note, I still agree with Brian's advice that it's a good idea to prioritize items and that you can defer some of the lower-priority items, but there might also be reasons to get them taken care of all at once, too. Discuss the various items with your preferred local shop, ask questions! (what saves work by doing it at the same time, what you can live with, what will cause worse problems if you defer fixing, etc), and decide on the best plan for what should be done when.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Jett]

Alexandra,
Get the engine and clutch issues looked at ASAP. Don't drive the car until these are taken care of. The rest of the issues are more of the nuisance type and can be taken care of. Most of the time it is more difficult to diagnose what a problem is than to fix it. Once you identify the problem, the fix is usually not that tough. Deal with the first two issues immediately, then work the others systematically. Read through all the posts here. I also realize it is difficult when you are not that familiar with how cars are put together, but do the simplest things first, like checking the on/main switch on the door, then the fuses, then the brake light wiring, and so forth. The blowing fuse when you blow the horn sounds possibly like a chafed wire.
Work through these things systematically and methodically, and find an NSX friend in the Raleigh area to help you if possible. Unfortunately, your Dad or b/f who drives a Mustang won't be able to be of much help, as the NSX is unique and you really need the help of someone who knows about NSXs. I cannot stress this enough. DON'T TAKE THE CAR TO THE CORNER MECHANIC. Find someone who understands NSXs, because most mechanics don't. I would recommend the dealer for the engine/clutch, then maybe ask them to just evaluate the other problems to see how much extra it is gonna cost you. Check on the southeast regional forum in the forums area for possible mechanic recommendations. Most mechanics (men) would never admit that they don't know too much about a car. They're men; they are not lying, so much as that they are incapable of admitting even to themselves that they don't understand the car. So find an NSX friend in the Raleigh area. This website is the best place to start. Also, most (not all) of the people on here are helpful and won't lecture you about something. Unfortunately, a lot of threads degenerate into an argument over who is giving the best advice, with the original question being forgotten. There's that guy thing again; they all have to feel like they are right. Ignore the jerks and listen to the advice of the helpful ones.

I recommend BrianK for climate control repair. He fixed my speakers and amp AFTER a "professional" shop had messed them up.

The important thing to remember is that once these issues are dealt with, the car will straighten up and fly right. It can't be a lemon, it's a Honda. This is gonna work out!

 

[Forums Nazi]

Check on the southeast regional forum in the forums area for possible mechanic recommendations.

A search turns up these recommendations in the research triangle area:

Leith Acura in Cary (DaveJP)
Leith Acura in Cary, and Triangle Imports in Raleigh (sjones)
Leith Acura in Cary (Mirroredshades)
Performance Acura in Chapel Hill (ncdogdoc)

 

[nsxtasy]

Meeting & speaking to & hearing other people's recommendations is hardly the same thing as personally having work done at a particular dealer

It's about as close as you can get. It's an easy way to pass along the recommendations from the people who have personally had work done at a particular dealer. And it functions pretty darn well as a quick and easy way to pass along those recommendations.

The reason I mentioned this is because you have made similar recommendations on our own regional forum at shops where several friends have actually had negative experiences.

If that's the case, then I would REALLY like to hear about those negative experiences. (Feel free to PM me with such reports, either with or without the names of those who have had such experiences.) I don't recommend places where I hear a pattern of negative or mixed reviews. (For example, there was an independent mechanic in California, no longer around, which a lot of NSX owners were using but others had bad experiences at, and I never recommended them for that reason.) If there is a place where that is the case, I would like to know so that I don't pass along their name to other owners. If you would like to be helpful to other owners, please let me know in private which one(s) you're talking about.

The forums nazi was kind of enough to point out some personal experiences.

Except that his/her references were hearsay, too, just like mine. Sure, they were references to personal experiences from others, but so were mine. The only difference is, you're not criticizing him for being helpful too.

I fail to see anything that could be considered an attack or to be ashamed of in my post. This was not a personal attack

You sure could have fooled me. There are other ways in which you could have replied that would not have sounded like an attack, or you could have PM'ed me about your concerns, but you did neither.

 

[NSX Prime]

Take your argument to PM.

 

[Dtrigg]

First of all, I have no desire to hijact this thread...

For some insight, I moved to Raleigh after having my car always serviced at Gold Goast Acura in Oxnard, California. Those folks were fantastic. It always served the fashion of the tech taking me back to my car and going through every thing while he serviced it.

Moving to Raleigh, I wanted the same type of service. I went to Leigh and spoke to them, asked to speak to a tech just to meet someone that would work on my car, even though it wasn't due for a service. No such luck. Once it was due for a service, I telephoned them. The entire conversation was very confused. I asked for the costs for a 45K service. After a long time the guy on the telephone told me it would be around $3K, "because they do special things". As you can imagine, I told him to blow that off.

Well, that promped a call to Performance Acura in Chapel Hill. These guys were fantastic. In fact I looked them up on Prime and discovered they had an NSX day where they brought owners in and did an inspection on a vehicle for the benefit of the other owners. Well, while I was due for a 45K, I decided to get a 60K, plus timing belt, water pump, hoses, etc.. The cost was a few hundred buck less than Leigh. Performance Acura gave me a brand new RL for five day while they had my car. Our only problem was that they wanted to wash my car, and I told them no.

Marv is the Service Manager and Ernie is the tech. Once my car was completed, Marv and I spent a good deal of time with Ernie.

Ken, I think that you mentioned in a previous thread that the cost of my 60K was very inexpensive compared to the norm.

Sorry to ramble, but I think it's EXTREMELY important to discuss and feel comfortable with the people working on your car.

 

[nsxtasy]

Thanks for the thorough information, Dtrigg. Very helpful (and not a hijack at all).

If we look at the information you provided, we can see that there are a lot of different ways of evaluating shops. One is on how much NSX experience they have. One is on price. One is on whether you can talk with the techs who work on your car. One is customer service and attitude. One is the convenience/proximity of the shop's location. Of course, what's best is a shop that is good at ALL these things - but when such a shop is available, that makes the decision a bit of a no-brainer.

Depending on the work being performed, and your personal preferences, one dealer may be more suitable than another. You might choose the least expensive shop for an oil change or a brake job. You might choose the most NSX-experienced shop for a problem requiring extensive diagnosis. You might or might not be willing to travel for hours to get to the most knowledgeable tech. You might or might not care whether you get to talk with the tech who does the work, particularly if the service adviser with whom you deal is knowledgeable and provides sufficient information and answers to your questions (which can be a big "if"). These are all trade-offs to consider.

One more thing to consider - a few shops around the country consider themselves "NSX specialists" and pride themselves on their NSX experience. Quite a few of these have substantial expertise in specific areas, such as track preparation and/or aftermarket modifications. This might not matter if, say, you're looking for a place to do a 60K service, but if you're planning to have a supercharger installed, you might be willing to drive hundreds of miles to a shop that has previously installed superchargers in many cars, rather than leave it to a local shop that has never done so (which is why I wouldn't recommend a shop for a supercharger installation unless I know that they have experience in that area).

All of these are things to consider in finding a shop that best meets your particular needs, for your particular service, in your particular situation. All of which you can take into account, along with the advice provided on NSXprime and elsewhere, to help in deciding where to take your car.

Thanks again, Dtrigg.

 

[Jett]

Very Specific Step-by-Step Plan

Hi Alexandra,
I was just wondering if you have gotten anywhere with dealing with your car? If you haven't done anything yet, I thought maybe a very specific step-by-step plan might be helpful.

STEP 1 : Read Acura service bulletin 93-010 and see if this seems like it may be the problem. (Your engine/clutch problem sounds like a snap-ring problem to me.) Also, search on "snap ring" and read all you can about this problem on NSXPrime. On the internet, search Google for the terms NSX snap ring. A copy of the service bulletin can be found by clicking on the following link. You can zoom in on it with your browser to read it, or copy it to your computer's hard drive and zoom in on it with whichever picture viewer you use.

http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Reference/tsb/tsb-93-010.gif

If after reading this material, you think the car is demonstrating the kind of symptoms that indicates a snap ring failure, contact your nearest Acura dealership (possibly Performance Acura in Chapel Hill at 1810 Chapel Hill Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC phone: 919-942-3191) and tell them you think you may have a snap ring failure on your NSX and want to bring it in for repair. Take the car to a DEALERSHIP ONLY, as the potential "good news" is that by taking it to the dealership instead of a different shop or mechanic, the dealership (actually, the manufacturer, Honda) may cover the cost of the repair. I recommend having the car transported to the dealer on a flat-bed truck. Do not drive it or have it towed, as driving it or towing it could cause further damage. Tell the towing company you need a "roll-back" truck sent out.

I will stop with step one for now. Also, I will PM you with my phone number if you would like to talk further. Finally, if you post here on how the repairs are coming that would be helpful.

Good Luck!

 

[Alixp81]

Hello everyone who gave me good advise. I really appreciate it, although I have not had the time or extra funds to start on any of these problems yet, first things first though it figuring out the "loud clunking noise" coming from the back of the car. I did some reading on snap ring failure and it doesn't seem to sound like that...the car doesn't make any noises or grinding going into gears or anything...and I have had it up on the lift about 4 times and can not see anything loose or broken in the rear suspension...its really strange...oh well...hopefully its nothing major...we have a lot of RX-7 owners that come by our shop and they say its probably my LSD...they said the lsds in the rx-7s make a clunking noise like my car is making but not nearly as loud. I hope thats not the problem..well...thanks again to everyone. Alix

 

[rbirling]

I wonder if you have a really strong aftermarket clutch. Is it really hard to engage and disengage, so that you're having a difficult time doing it smoothly? I know I've let the clutch out too fast with some power, and it does make a fairly loud noise. When I first got my clutch replaced, it took me a while to be able to engage it smoothly, it's a bit stiffer than the stock one, and the engagement range is pretty small. Just a thought as I was reading your problem description.... :smile:

 

[D'Ecosse]

...we have a lot of RX-7 owners that come by our shop and they say its probably my LSD...they said the lsds in the rx-7s make a clunking noise like my car is making but not nearly as loud. I hope thats not the problem..well...thanks again to everyone. Alix

Don't think it's the LSD Alix - this is rarely (if ever!) a problem, even on 550HP Turbo cars. CV's are another story entirely ...... check out the thread by Martin adjacent to this one too.