I’m starting a new segment, I’m going to use these maintenance logs to keep track of my maintenance.

It’s a reality, my S2k is over 15 years old if you can believe that…. and with that age comes great maintenance.

When I changed out my Cam gears, noticed this oil leak on my timing cover…..This is what prompted me to take a closer look at my o-rings. I know my O-rings on my Timing Chain Tensioner are good since I replaced that not too long ago

This is what prompted me to take a closer look at my o-rings. I know my O-rings on my Timing Chain Tensioner are good since I replaced that not too long ago.

I figured the gaskets on my Vtec solenoid needed to be changed since they are on the hot side of the engine near the exhaust manifold, the heat tends to accelerate rubber wear.  Removing the VTEC solenoid is only 3 10mm bolts…..

I ordered this OEM Honda VTEC solenoid gasket from this eBayer seller in the picture.

As you can see my VTEC solenoid gasket was brittle and flat……

Since I was replacing the main gasket on the VTEC solenoid, I went ahead and replaced the Upper VTEC solenoid gasket too.  However, Honda does not sell this piece separately. Before you would have to buy a whole new VTEC solenoid just to get this gasket, but now they are some sellers that sell this gasket alone. I also bought this one off of eBay….. This gasket alone was almost $30 😦 I think I only paid around $10 for the lower VTEC gasket…. There is a definitely market for this since a complete new VTEC Solenoid is around $200+

The old brittle gasket on the left and the new gasket on the Upper VTEC Solenoid.

Another shot of it on the Upper VTEC Solenoid

Next item of maintenance, replacing the Air Cabin Filter. I’ve been wanting to replace this unit for awhile now, but it keeps slipping my mind. I was on amazon and I figured why not, it’s only $10.45 with free amazon prime shipping. Typically I buy OEM HONDA for everything, but the ease and time savings of amazon prime, it was too hard to pass up. Worst case scenario I could always run it for a bit and then buy an OEM unit in the future…..

TYC Air Cabin filter comes with detailed instructions with pictures.

Cabin Filter is located under the dash cowel on the passenger side. Typically there is a weather strip on the dash cowel, but it is not there because of the body shop that worked on my car never replaced it after they worked on my car…..just another thing they fucked up on…. please see my thoughts here and here about this body shop….

Check out my new Odyssey PC680 battery I got free from my friend! Just in the nick of time too, I had to give up my Optima Yellow top to my IS300 since that car’s battery died.

As you can see, my old battery tie down was all rusted so I bought another amazon special…..a billet battery tie down…. It was only $10 and of course free amazon prime shipping…. I promise you won’t be seeing any more amazon parts on this car!

The Cabin Filter lies in here.  The filter element is encased in a plastic enclosure.  All that is replaced is the paper element inside the enclosure.

This is what came out of the car…. I believe this is the original Cabin Filter. My car is an 2001 model year so about 15 years of dust is built up on this. This car has also been to more than 8 states coast to coast

I swapped in the cabin air filter into the plastic enclosure…..

OEM or not, anything is better than what I had before. The part fit in perfectly, I have no complaints, now I can breathe in fresher air!