Originally Posted by
jamesdak
LOL, Even on ramps there's not a lot of room when your on your back using various tools and your hands trying to maneuver around in tight space. Just getting the tools onto the knock sensor from underneath takes an act of god, luck, at least 20 F- bombs, etc.
Obviously I've ruffled some feathers by my comments on the Honda. I'm not a Honda Element hater, in fact I want to like it. But our version has been a piece of crap, plain and simple. Heck, I'm debating a new (used) buy right now and there's a beautiful Element for sale local with only 50,000 miles. I'd be all over it except that I just can't come to trust them now. Way too many issues with out that go beyond the starter problem.
Hard to get a car with a dead starter up on ramps, LOL. Try something really low like a Pontiac Firebird (and SBC starters are both bigger and heavier than you'd expect)
Can't say why you had so many problems with yours; The K24 motor shows up in a bunch of places in the Honda/Acura lineup, including the CRV that the Element gets its suspension and 4WD from.
Mine gave 12 pretty solid years of service, the only real issues it had were the alternator and radiator fans went out in year 10, but that's not unusual for a car that age. I replaced it with a late-model VW wagon that was fast and swanky, but became a never ending string of cascading failures. I'd have my old Honda back in a minute.