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New NSX owner introduction

C

Champagnegsr

Registered Member
Joined
16 October 2021
Messages
14
Hi nsx people,

Yesterday I pulled the trigger and upgraded from a 2001 Integra gsr. I went up to CT and saw a 1991 nsx imported from Japan. They took my offer and I drove home.

I bought it knowing it had an issue with the power locks. So yea I’m gonna have to start messing with those. I don’t have a whole lot to offer but I’m hoping some of the nsx enthusiasts will help me from time to time. The vin is NA11002274.

The first thing I did was connect to the Bluetooth. The Bluetooth history showed chip foose as the last person to be connected lol.

This guy shawn110975 looks like the keyless entry goat. It doesn’t look like he is very active on here anymore.

Anyways, glad to be part of the forum.
 
Welcome to Prime! Make sure to post up pics of your new ride! Probably a good idea to post your keyless entry issue in the electronics forum. Someone there will chime in.
 
I remember a king ass time ago I would have to put pics into photobucket then I could post the link on the forum. Does it still work that way?

Best way to post pics?
 
I use Tapatalk and it lets me post pics, but the free version only lets you attach one photo at a time. Congrats on the NSX!
 
Champagnegsr said:
I remember a king ass time ago I would have to put pics into photobucket then I could post the link on the forum. Does it still work that way?

Best way to post pics?
Click to expand...

Yes that method works, as well as using imgur or google photos and linking them
 
Champagnegsr said:
Yes. All I could afford atm
Click to expand...

There is nothing wrong with an automatic NSX- it is still a NSX. You chose well. :) However, almost all U.S. autos have been neglected in maintenance. It's partially Acura's fault because they gave us incomplete guidance on the AT to keep it running long term. The NSX AT is a lot more similar to a modern DCT than a traditional automatic transmission in that it uses clutch packs to engage and disengage each gear. These clutch packs are basically stacks of thin metal discs that squeeze together. Like any clutch, the disc material wears out and creates metal dust. The dust is cleaned by the trans fluid and passed through a filter. Over time (about 100,000 miles), the filter screen gets clogged with the metal dust. When it gets really bad, fluid can't pass through the filter easily anymore. This causes hydraulic pressure to build and eventually blast the fluid through the clogged screen. The effect on the clutch packs and torque converter is a hard shock- like dumping the clutch in a manual. They slam together hard. Do this enough times, and the clutch discs shatter or the torque converter fails. And...there goes your transmission. This is why the NSX AT has an undeserved reputation as "fragile"- it's not. A well-maintained AT can run lap after lap on the track at full throttle with no issues. Except, no one does the maintenance.

There are two ways to combat the dust and extend the life of the transmission: fluid changes and filter changes. Fluid changes are easy and cheap. A lot of the metal dust will come out when you drain the fluid- you won't get any that is already built up in the filter, but you'll still get a good bit. Regular, frequent fluid changes (like every 15,000 miles) should keep the filter clean much longer. If we could still buy a new NSX AT, this is what I would recommend. But we can't, and most ATs these days are close to 100k on the clock, which means their filters are probably clogged close to the limit.

So, new owners are going to have to do the second option, which is to replace the filter. This is not cheap, since while the filter is just about $100, it is inside the transmission. The trans must be removed and partially disassembled to change the filter! Hence why AT owners neglected the maintenance- it is expensive and the Acura service interval says nothing about the filter. Unfortunately, this is a recipe for your AT to go boom- it's a when, not if situation.

Thus, while I'm sure you are itching to start modding, I'd put some money aside for a trans service. At a minimum, I would have the fluid and filter changed. A full rebuild involves replacing the clutch packs, which are still (thankfully) available from Honda. They are expensive, but you'll be buying another 100,000+ miles of trouble-free driving that way. Either way, change your ATF every 15,000 miles after that.

The symptoms of a clogged filter are lurching shifts, or a delay before a shift and then a hard shift. What you are feeling is the clutch packs slamming together from a drop in line pressure. It will get worse until one day you will not be able to shift into a certain gear, or the car will be stuck in one gear. This = blown clutch packs. I personally would not wait until this point.
 
It has just over 50k mikes. I’ll prob get the oil changed today in the motor and tranny.

The day I have to pull the trans I might just switch it to manual. I’ve seen a manual tranny for 5k… then obv a few other things I’ll need
 
Congratulations and welcome. There will be some challenges with a JDM NSX in the US from a parts perspective. There just are some parts that you can't get at the Acura dealer because of the LHD/RHD issues. Luckily, with the internet and a global NSX community, you will be able to get parts for your car using the various resources in Japan (and don't overlook the UK and other RHD markets...)
[MENTION=18194]Honcho[/MENTION] is 100% correct on the AFT Filter screen and the work required to access it. He is also right on it being a service that "needs to be done" but isn't in the service schedule from Honda...it is something we, as a community, have learned over the years.

A swap from an AT to MT is, for budgeting purposes, about $10K minimum to "do it right" (there are a LOT of ancillary parts that people don't think about and it all adds up...). There will be people who will tell you it can be done cheaper, but ask them if that includes swapping the cams, valve springs, and instrument cluster...or is it just transmission, clutch, ECU, pedal, and shift lever...and then there are the mounts....

I hope you have already read this post, but it is a good place to start if you haven't...

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...to-new-NSX-Owners-(and-maybe-some-not-so-new)
 
Champagnegsr said:
It has just over 50k mikes. I’ll prob get the oil changed today in the motor and tranny.

The day I have to pull the trans I might just switch it to manual. I’ve seen a manual tranny for 5k… then obv a few other things I’ll need
Click to expand...

I did the conversion on my AT- it's about $5,000 plus the cost of the donor MT unit.
 
I plan to keep mine fully stock for now.

I’m taking my car in to get the trans fluid changed and oil changed today. I mainly just cruise in the car. I don’t act like a race car driver.

If my auto tranny does decide to go, that’ll be the day I start putting together an MT swap. I haven’t looked much but I did see a 5 speed tranny posted for 5k. My dad is a big type r collector in Florida. He doesn’t own a type r but he has the parts to build one lol
 
[MENTION=18194]Honcho[/MENTION] -

My 10K number included the donor transmission...and that, depending on what route you take can set you back anywhere from $5-$10K. Now, you did most, if not all, the work yourself iirc. And that is another factor in that project. Just having a mechanic R&R a transmission on an NSX can set you back $500-$1000...
[MENTION=38362]Champagnegsr[/MENTION] -

The transmission oil change on an NSX is really easy. Drain out the drain plug, fill through the dip-stick tube. You will need an 18 mm crush washer and I recommend 13 quarts of Honda ATF. Why 13 quarts? That makes sure you can do 4 full "drain and fill" cycles on the transmission if you decide to DIY this yourself. If you are on Facebook and are member of the "NSX Owners Group", check out my Friday "Tech Tip" #11 posted July 23rd. It has the key points on doing transmission oil changes (as well as engine oil changes). If you are not a member, I would recommend joining that FB group. With your FB user name, I can tag you on the thread...

The capacity of the AT is 7.4 quarts of oil (overhaul) and 3.1 quarts of oil (oil change)...so each time you drain and refill, you a diluting the oil by about 40%. So 3 changes will have the oil be about 80% new, 20% old oil...the 4th change gets that to about 88% new, 12% old oil...
 
Great advice from Honcho. I have had a Honda transmission fail with about 100K miles and zero maintenance but never one that has had the fluid changed every 15K miles with OE fluid. He’s right Honda transmissions are different - they remind me of Honda motorcycle units with clutch packs added. 50K miles isn’t that many so just change the fluid, don’t worry, and be happy. I see no advantage to having the motor running so why run the risk of some unintended consequences. By the 3rd fluid change the fluid has come out clean even on my higher mileage transmissions .
 
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Many people who say change while car (engine) is running probably don't know how an NSX AT oil is cooled. The change while running trick is something I've seen with "traditional" (4L60E for example) ATs that have lines going from the transmission to the radiator for oil cooling. You break a line fitting and use the running engine to "pump down" the transmission oil. These transmissions typically don't have a drain plug like the NSX...instead they have a pan with a bunch of bolts you have to undo to drain the oil otherwise...and that makes a HUGE mess if you don't know how to do it...and even then, it makes a mess. Use the "pump down" trick and then drop the pan with significantly less oil in the pan.

Just drain, refill, run car for a few minutes. Repeat until you have done 3 or 4 drain/refill cycles.
 
I really need a nsx legend to text random questions… anyone down for that? I have a question and I know there’s a place for it but let me know if anyone’s down for a question from time to time. This one is about my temp gauge fluctuating
 
Congrats! I was also under the impression that the auto cars weren’t pushed as hard as the manual counterparts as the auto owners tend to drive them more like a GT car than drive them all out and not as likely to have been tracked.
 

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