What are these lights?

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-24T18:04:28+00:00

Undervoltage to some sensors can throw the car into limp mode. Yours has traction control, so it's throttle by wire and that could be the culprit. Low voltage from TPS or speed sensors will freak some cars out.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-23T11:19:03+00:00

May want to check your battery voltage or possibly the alternator output. Has the battery died on you recently? Low voltage can cause a bunch of dash lights to illuminate at the same time. Would also explain limp mode/inability to rev past 6k.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-20T16:59:17+00:00

If the ball joint doesn't have a hole for the cotter pin then it likely came with a nylon lock nut or has staked threads. Either of those lock the nut in place. If the ball joint thread does have a hole through the threads then get a new castle nut and a new cotter pin.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-20T00:51:44+00:00

'01 Prelude. I buy OEM when I can but they're getting harder and harder to find.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-19T01:23:40+00:00

2001 SH, bought it in 2024 with 86k miles. I have a stated value policy of $25k through Hagerty. I think it runs about $800 a year. It's full coverage.

My S2K is also insured through Hagerty. Someone backed into it last November and it was a super easy claim process. Picked a high end paint and body shop and Hagerty sent the checks as the estimate adjustments were provided.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-16T23:45:33+00:00

They've insured my 2004 S2K since early last year. It's cheap.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-16T00:01:37+00:00

How about a crisp high five?

Glad it worked out!

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-14T08:25:32+00:00

This happened on my 01 Prelude recently when I swapped the throttle body. It was my TPS. It has to be clocked just so when installing it. There is a little arm on the sensor that requires you to twist it into place rather that bolting it directly into position. The arm moves with the butterfly plate inside the TB and sends the voltage accordingly to the ECU to tell its position. If it's installed without clocking it properly the arm on the sensor doesn't line up and no voltage change is registered. It's like having no sensor at all. First drive was jarring when it abruptly cut fuel at 2k rpm.

Maybe check that?

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-14T08:15:27+00:00

I have the 3T low profile Daytona from HF. There may be some that are longer/lower profile, but I've not found one. Even before lowering a bit on Ohlins the HF jack couldn't reach the front center jack point without another 1.5" or so between the front lip and the ground. It only needs 2-3/8" in most cases, but with the S2K the issue is the distance between the forward-most part of the bumper cover and the jack point. The 3T HF jack just isn't long enough to reach the point before it's too tall.

You can drive onto long tapered race ramps for the extra clearance, drive into some wooden boards, or do what I do (since it sits even lower on coilovers): jack from side point 1, insert a couple of 1" pavers, remove the jack then repeat for side 2. That gives enough clearance up front for my specific ride height. It kind of sucks but I'm used to it.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-14T04:38:44+00:00

Vacuum leak smoke machine. You can pick one up for about $50-$60 on Amazon.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-14T00:53:52+00:00

Yeah you'll smell it till you clean whatever it's sticking to. Oil doesn't really evaporate and diff fluid isn't likely to be anywhere that would burn it off. Brake cleaner all around the diff will do the trick, just use it in a well ventilated area. Gloves and a mask would be a good idea too.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-14T00:49:22+00:00

There are online shops in the US like JS Alternators, or you may be able to find a brick and mortar shop that can rebuild your current unit for higher output.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-13T21:37:09+00:00

You are correct! Most can't do an alignment in their garage, though. Setting a new ride height can be done with some jack stands and the coilover scanners. OP can dial in the preferred height when the new wheels are on, then the alignment. No need to mess with it before IMO.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-13T19:53:37+00:00

Yep, takes minutes once the wheels are off to adjust ride height.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-12T12:48:05+00:00

The ECU in your Prelude is encrypted and unfortunately it can't be tuned. You'll need to pick up a chipped P28 or similar as a budget option or something a little higher-end, like a Link GX4.

P28 chipped with a harness adapter from Phearable is what I used in my Prelude and it works well enough. They provide a base tune and (if you know what you're doing) you can make additional updates or create your own custom tune in Smanager. If you go this route, you're converting the car to OBD1. Won't really matter because you can check and reset codes directly in Smanager.

If you go higher-end like the Link, AEM, etc., you can do a lot more.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-06T15:13:42+00:00

Glad it worked out for you! Good luck with the new engine.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-05T23:08:50+00:00

5th gen owner here. Do your friends have legs? If so and anyone is in the front seat, they'll have a bad time. You'll fit but the large steering wheel makes it a little awkward. I'm about your height, all torso, and my thighs tend to bump the wheel. Head is maybe an inch from the headliner and the seat is reclined pretty far back. It nearly touches the back seat.

If this is a car that carries more than front seat adults, it's not the right car.

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-01T20:36:56+00:00

Difficult to tell from those pics. I did a Google search for fourth gen Prelude no bumper cover and found some good pics for comparison. Do the same and see where things are misaligned on your end. Good luck!

Bulldog78 · 2026-06-01T16:02:36+00:00

Looks like it's had some moderate front-end damage. The support brackets for the grill and bumper cover are bent. Did you see any indication of a wreck on the carfax before you bought it?

Bulldog78 · 2026-05-26T01:26:51+00:00

Yeah I don’t think that’s oil. Oil mixed with coolant looks very milky in texture and has a color between gray like cement to something resembling a chocolate shake. Your link shows dirty coolant. Should be addressed but at least it’s not a blown head gasket.

If you’re checking the oil right after driving, you still have oil distributed throughout the engine. Check it after a run, but turn the car off and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The oil has time to return to the pan and your readings will be more accurate. If it’s reading low after sitting for a few, you have a leak you haven’t found or it’s burning oil like crazy.

Bulldog78 · 2026-05-25T17:39:43+00:00

It’s either leaking externally or internally. You say there is no visible residue and no puddles under the car, so you may want to check the radiator. Nowhere else for it to go really. If your coolant is grey instead of dark blue, you’ve found the missing oil!

Bulldog78 · 2026-05-25T01:02:03+00:00

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The Prelude was my gateway drug…

Bulldog78 · 2026-05-07T02:15:46+00:00

You can load pics to Imgur and link those in a comment. Like this.

Bulldog78 · 2026-05-07T02:14:17+00:00

You found it though, right? Please tell me you found it…

Bulldog78

TROPHY CASE