Today at Atelier Kaz - ex-Honda R&D, F1, Indy/CART engineer

Back to UK spec NSX from today.

During the Q & A session before the Test driving, the owner mentioned that he could hear rotational metal contact noise and he had the brake area including the pads checked and being told that there was no issue. Really??


There was Engine Check Light on the dash as well.

The metal noise was quite loud but the level changed after applying several brakes so it’s either temperature or mechanical related.
Once on the lift, it was easy to find the cause of the issue.
The pad spring at the front left corner was not installed properly and dislocated from its original position.
It was touching the edge of the brake disc depending on the temperature and vibration.

In general, all four callipers were not in good shape so best to refurbish them urgently.
The Front ones were bit dragging on the disc as well.
The Brake master cyl looked very old and best to replace it at the same time when working on the callipers.

All of these are nothing new to me because out of more than 60 UK based NSX that I tested, only one of them past my brake test…..


The ECL was #46 and #66.
They were for the Rear bank Primary and Secondary O2 sensor issues.
Time to look into the wiring and replace them as well.
You can’t use the Year model concept when ordering the O2 sensor from US especially if your NSX is UK 95 model onwards.
The cable length is not the same any way due to the layout difference between Acura and UK models.


Another NSX with crack at the coolant header tank.
It was leaking heavily and the leaked coolant may have corroded the internal parts of the starter motor because it was bit weak in cranking the engine despite having larger battery on board.
Also, there was a question mark on whether the Main Relay was replaced in the past or not so this could also contribute in taking extra time to fireup the engine.

If you can’t check the coolant level by applying the LED light behind the tank, it’s time to replace it with the new one.
Personally, I don’t recommend using aftermarket one unless it was designed with air/fluid separation under Lateral/Long G in mind because Honda spent long time for this in designing the internal structure of OEM tank.

Again, the warning for the aftermarket wiper blade users….
This is the result of using it for long time....
It will scrape off not only the paint but also the precious aluminium from your bonnet.....
It will make your NSX even lighter though....

On some of the NSX with HID conversion kit used, I noticed that there was no sealing cap placed behind the head light unit after the installation.

You must modify the seal cap and install the grommet to keep it water tight.
Otherwise, moisture and debris will get inside the lens housing resulting in darker output.

I don’t know how many CL Master/Slave cyl that I replaced in the past.
I stopped counting it.
Again, another one with leaky master cyl.

For some reason, if you send your NSX for the service, it seems that the CL fluid reservoir will be topped up without any leak inspection.
It should not go any where so if you see even a tiny change in the fluid level, inspect the master & slave cyl + the CL hose.
If you find any leakage, it is best to replace master/slave/hose as a set.

Another popular item is the crack on the ENG/Trans rubber mount.
If you touch any of the four mounts, you must follow the specific sequence to torque them to the spec otherwise, it will cause noise/vibration and shorten the life of rubber mounts.
Looks like this one was not set properly in the past.

Another leakage from the inboard joint of the right drive shaft.
It’s going to be a greasy job in overhauling it….

Front tyres need to be replaced so lots to do but if serviced properly, you can enjoy NSX for many-many years.

Kaz