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At first : Hi guys !
After winter I'm going to visit UK to buy my first Beat. Always want this pocket NSX but in Poland it will be first PP1 ever !
Therefore, it is associated with some questions :
1. How is the failure rate of Beat ? I saw some problems with ECU...
2. I noticed that some parts like brake pads are same like civic and rover 45 whether it is more common parts with other Honda cars/other cars ?
3. What is the maintenance costs of Beat ?
Just my own experience now..... the best thing is to get one that has been really cared for, but I guess that's an obvious point. Always nice if there are no signals from the ECU that some engine component is malfunctioning, and even here in Japan it's considered a good idea to change all the capacitors in the ECU unless the seller can prove it was done recently. Same goes for the timing belt. The a/c and original stereo are the only other vulnerable pieces I know of, and you might not need the a/c in Poland. I've had mine for 4 years, purchased with 81000 kms, and have had no maintenance issues whatever.
I purchased my Beat for peanuts so knew I was buying it with issues, make sure you pop your head under the car and have a look for any obvious leaks from the motor. Blowing some white smoke also seems to be quite common. I'm from Australia so my best source of parts is Japan, unfortunately very few places import parts from Japan and like to charge a bit of a premium on top of the actual purchase price so parts aren't cheap but surprisingly plentiful, if you can get past teh language barrier that is. Not many japanese websites like to translate unfortunately.
You'll be lucky to find one outside of Japan with any honest complete service history etc so when you buy expect quite a few issues and if fewer surface then you won't be as disappointed. Owners in the UK would have sought them out and put things right because they want it right. Genuine owners know their cars and wouldn't want new owners to have a bad experience with a Beat. Remember, Honda made them and my Honda mechanic mate rates them highly and always says they follow the Honda mechanical traits of all Hondas as far as a mid-engined 656cc car can. Interestingly he says it can be easily disassembled (unlike 2014 models) so many things can be sorted. Mine's a '91 PP1 and the guys who did its last MOT (annual roadworthiness test) remarked how fantastic it was! Usual and known faults are the radiator which will crumble and sadly is no longer made but can be swiftly re-cored by 'Newquay radiators' who can cope with the plastic end caps which some corers say cannot be done. Brake discs and pads (all round) should be effective and 'blue print' ones are the best (according to my mechanic mate). Apparently they are closest to OEM ones in quality. The fuel pump relay on the bulkhead behind the passenger seat can deteriorate (solder) and fail when hot causing it to turn over but not start. Honda (Japan) still make them and mine took only about 10 days to arrive. Apparently Honda use only a couple of types accross their range but it's the bracket to secure it which is unique for the Beat. My mechanic said a Civic one would have worked but I didn't want him to have to adapt the bracket. (there's a photo 'how to' on here) The swap took only a few minutes this way. If you swap the battery or it goes flat then sometimes the ecu needs to 'learn' settings again so it will idle erratically for quite a while then settle once it has sorted itself. My mechanic advised me next time to put the lights / heater on to demand power so the ecu adjusts with the loading too. Use a high quality semi synthetic oil (like magnatec) in it as it does an important job and isn't a huge capacity. It's affordable! I expect to spend on it because of its age etc but surprisingly it has been a totally low expense and rewarding experience! It turns heads everywhere I take it. Even just out for petrol produces many glances and questions...... has it got a motorcycle engine??? etc. LOL. The funniest time was when my mate asked me to take it in to his Honda workshop as he needed it on the ramp to inspect the brakes. being low isn't good for him! All the staff and mechanics were over it like a rash! 'never even knew they made it' Heard that many times.
This forum is great. Ask a question and you get answers. Steve M (Sorry Steve!!) on here will help you fantasticaly. Some of my advice above can be attributed to him -thx again! Several others have helped too. thx!
I told my next door neighbour that if they see me drive my Beat it will be because I'm depressed and need cheering up. They must think I am depressed most of the time! LOL
I hope you enjoy a Beat! Not all cars are perfect but some are more perfect than others. My brother has a new LR Discovery. You should read the owner reviews it gets! Apparently yesterday overnight its air suspension 'went down'. Noticable for the wrong reasons I reckon. Cheers!