Soon to be type R owner.
Discussion
Hey!! So I'm in the market for a new car due to some unfortunate circumstances and have decided an EP3 Type R is the direction I want to go. Iv never owned a Honda and don't really have any experience with any of the VTEC units but love the thought of a 8000rpm N/A engine stuck to a well sorted front drive chassis. I know they are very reliable cars but due to my lack of knowledge I still have a question. With my budget of around £3500 I'm struggling to find a car with less than 100.000k on the clock, with other cars I have brought in the past any with over 100K on the clock was a definite gamble but with the Honda I'm wondering if that's still the case.
So basically I'm asking if it's a safe bet to buy a 100k plus civic type R and if so what are the must's when looking at a example ?.
Thanks in advance
So basically I'm asking if it's a safe bet to buy a 100k plus civic type R and if so what are the must's when looking at a example ?.
Thanks in advance
Mine is an 03 prefacelift, on 103k currently. I can only speak for mine as I dont know many other people that have owned them, but in 2 years its only needed a battery. It gets serviced at TGM in fleet, I think as long as you keep servicing up to date you shouldnt have many problems.
Not an EP3 but I brought my Accord Type R with 114,000 on the clock- it has now done approx 141,000 and the engine is still going strong. I got the second cambelt change done when I brought it 2.5 years ago and since then I've simply had it serviced every 6 months (at least an oil change).
Plenty of DC2 Integras out there with that kind of mileage too. Mine was only 80,000ish when I sold it but again it was completely trouble free over the years I owned it.
By all accounts the K20 is a strong engine so as long as it's been serviced regularly I wouldn't have any reservations about buying a Type R with 100k+ on the clock. Just be prepared to change suspension bushes etc.
Plenty of DC2 Integras out there with that kind of mileage too. Mine was only 80,000ish when I sold it but again it was completely trouble free over the years I owned it.
By all accounts the K20 is a strong engine so as long as it's been serviced regularly I wouldn't have any reservations about buying a Type R with 100k+ on the clock. Just be prepared to change suspension bushes etc.
Best advice I have is to browse the Type R Owners forum (http://type-r-owners.co.uk/)for their buying guide, they're a pretty useful bunch and have been down most problem routes and found a solution!
General advice would be to quiz the owner and read into how they maintain and treat the thing (had EP3s the last 4 years and I'm on my second EP3 as my last one got written off by a third party - nay happy...). Alloy wheel condition, oil level check when cold, grade of oil used, FSH and time between services, etc.. there's a lot of lemons out there!!!!
-Cold start checks: shouldn't make any odd noises except for a light bearing/transmission whine, and if the valve clearances haven't been done, K20a engines can sound 'tappety'. YouTube is a gold mine for diagnosing sounds if you're unsure:
-Timing chain/tensioner worn out. Will sound like a mild grinding noise for 1-2 seconds from the drivers side of the engine bay/behind the front right wheel
-Big end failure. Some EP3s are run low on oil or given the beans constantly from cold, so again listen to how it sounds from cold and how the owner test drives it. Been on too many test drives where 'always warmed up' doesn't happen on test drives...
-Gearboxes can be very notchy from cold, particularly 2nd until they warm up.
-Out the box, they can be a bit lively in the wet and at the limit for certain manoeuvres, so some may be sporting crash damage!
Sorry it's a bit sporadic but there's an awful lot to cover on these, thence the Type R Owners forum link!
General advice would be to quiz the owner and read into how they maintain and treat the thing (had EP3s the last 4 years and I'm on my second EP3 as my last one got written off by a third party - nay happy...). Alloy wheel condition, oil level check when cold, grade of oil used, FSH and time between services, etc.. there's a lot of lemons out there!!!!
-Cold start checks: shouldn't make any odd noises except for a light bearing/transmission whine, and if the valve clearances haven't been done, K20a engines can sound 'tappety'. YouTube is a gold mine for diagnosing sounds if you're unsure:
-Timing chain/tensioner worn out. Will sound like a mild grinding noise for 1-2 seconds from the drivers side of the engine bay/behind the front right wheel
-Big end failure. Some EP3s are run low on oil or given the beans constantly from cold, so again listen to how it sounds from cold and how the owner test drives it. Been on too many test drives where 'always warmed up' doesn't happen on test drives...
-Gearboxes can be very notchy from cold, particularly 2nd until they warm up.
-Out the box, they can be a bit lively in the wet and at the limit for certain manoeuvres, so some may be sporting crash damage!
Sorry it's a bit sporadic but there's an awful lot to cover on these, thence the Type R Owners forum link!
Most Type R motor failures are due to oil issues (running it low, infrequent changes, etc)
If the clutch bite point is low, it needs a clutch (opposite of most cars) Same if it is hard to shift at high RPM's.
They are relatively tappety engines even with valves in spec.
Dont be put off by high mileage. Mine has 160k miles and it has not used a single drop of oil in the past 1500 miles since oil change and the valvetrain looked like new when I adjusted my valves Friday. My cam chain was "replaced" at 125k miles although I do not have the receipt. If you only get a noise on cold start (grinding sounding) the starter motors tend to stick as they age, sometimes that is misdiagnosed as a cam chain issue.
If the clutch bite point is low, it needs a clutch (opposite of most cars) Same if it is hard to shift at high RPM's.
They are relatively tappety engines even with valves in spec.
Dont be put off by high mileage. Mine has 160k miles and it has not used a single drop of oil in the past 1500 miles since oil change and the valvetrain looked like new when I adjusted my valves Friday. My cam chain was "replaced" at 125k miles although I do not have the receipt. If you only get a noise on cold start (grinding sounding) the starter motors tend to stick as they age, sometimes that is misdiagnosed as a cam chain issue.
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