2002 HONDA S2000 check engine

This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your car towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire . 220
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 221
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 226
Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor Operates ........................
Very Slowly . 226
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally . 227
................................
Jump Starting . 228
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 231
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 234
..........
Charging System Indicator . 235
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 236
...............
Brake System Indicator . 238
.......
Closing the Convertible Top . 239
..............................................
Fuses . 240
..........
Checking and Replacing . 241
.................
If Your Car Gets Stuck . 245
......................
Emergency Towing . 247
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 219

You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Check these things:
Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you press
the ENGINE START button.
When you press the ENGINE
START button, you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .
Press the ENGINE START button,
then release it. If the headlights do
not dim, check the condition of the
fuses.If thefusesareOK,thereis
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit f or the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualif ied
technician to determine the
problem. (See on page .)
57 228
247
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
226

There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to
on page .
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the car from a booster
battery (see page ).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you press the
ENGINE START button, but the
engine does not run.
183
228 241
247
137
T he Starter Operates Normally
Emergency
Towing
Starting the
Engine
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 227

Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
If your car’s battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
To jump start your car, f ollow these
directions closely: 1.
183
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
228 A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyonenearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (seeon page ). If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page
). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the reading
reaches the middle of the
temperature gauge, or lower,
bef ore checking the radiator.
6.
7.9.
8.
247 126
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
232 Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the f iller
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and ref illed with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See
on page .) If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
10.
12.
11.
247Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 233

This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (See
on page .)
Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
Letthecarsitforaminute.Open
the hood and check the oil level
(see page ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during
cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
1. 2. 3. 4.
125 163 247
Emergency
Towing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
234
LLOOWWOOIILLPPRREESSSSUURREEIINNDDIICCAATTOORR
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the car stopped.

This indicator comes on f or a f ew
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch ON (II). If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates one of the
engine’s emissions control systems
may have a problem. Even though
you may f eel no dif f erence in your
car’s perf ormance, it can reduce
your f uel economy and cause your
car to put out excessive emissions.
Continued operation may cause
serious damage.If you have recently ref ueled your
car, the cause of this indicator
coming on could be a loose or
missing f uel f ill cap. Check the cap
and tighten it until it clicks several
times. Replace the fuel fill cap if it is
missing. Tightening the cap will not
make the indicator turn of f
immediately; it takes three driving
trips.
If the indicator remains on past three
driving trips, or the f uel cap was not
loose or missing, have the car
checked by the dealer as soon as
possible. Drive moderately until the
dealer has inspected the problem.
Avoid full-throttle acceleration and
driving at high speed.
Youshouldalsohavethedealer
inspect your car if this indicator
comes on repeatedly, even though it
may turn of f as you continue driving.
Malf unction Indicator L amp
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
236
MMAALLFFUUNNCCTTIIOONNIINNDDIICCAATTOORRLLAAMMPP
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your car’s emissions controls
and engine. Those repairs may not be
covered by your car’s warranties.