S2000 engine start button

S2000 engine start button

Electrical Ignition and starting system Verified Modification Required

Compatibility Overview

Source Vehicle

S2000

Generation: AP1

Target Vehicle

Prelude

Generation: 5th generation

Years: 1997

Installation Difficulty

Easy Basic tools
Moderate Some experience
Difficult Skilled work
Expert Professional

Reference

B16A specs → B18C specs → F20C specs → H22A specs → K20A specs → K24A specs → C20AT specs → D17A specs → LEB-H5 specs → R20A6 specs → R18Z6 specs → B18A specs → D15A1 specs → EW5 specs → J25A specs → B20B specs → K20Z2 specs → B18C-00-Spec-R specs → B18B specs → B18C-96-Spec-R specs → B18C-98-Spec-R specs → B18C-SiR-G specs → K20A-RAA specs → K24A-RBB specs → C32B specs → C30A specs → L15ZF specs → L15BU specs → L13B specs → ZC SOHC specs → ZC SOHC Carb specs → ZC DOHC Gen2 specs → ZC SOHC VTEC specs → B16A SiRII specs → F18B specs → F20B-CF4 specs → F20B specs → ZC DOHC specs → S20 Transmission → PLE Cylinder Head → RNE ECU →
Working conversion documented on a 1997 (5th-gen) Prelude. The key barrel, steering lock and factory immobilizer are retained; the key is turned to ON and the button is pressed and held to crank, exactly replicating S2000 operation. The relay schematic transfers to any Honda - a follow-up contributor fitted a JDM Civic Type R start button and panel to a Civic FD as a direct bolt-in using the same diagram (adding pin 1 illumination negative and pin 2 illumination positive), and another contributor wired a button on a DC2 with a simple two-wire hookup at the ignition barrel loom (constant 12 V plus starter wire). With the ignition on, the ENGINE START legend illuminates without the parking lights on; this matches factory S2000 behavior.
The button is not a direct fit anywhere on the Prelude dash. It is mounted in the cigarette-lighter housing: a paper template of the button is traced onto the housing and the opening is filed out by hand until the button sits snug and flush, then retained with double-sided tape (the housing plastic is weak, so material is removed gradually with repeated test fits). Electrically, a new automotive relay in a relay base is spliced into the factory starter circuit under the dash: relay pin 30 to the white wire and pin 87 to the black/yellow wire at the two-wire start-signal connector (5th-gen Prelude colors - verify with a test light on any other model), pin 86 to chassis ground, and pin 85 to the button. The button is fed by three wires run to the lighter location (ground, black/yellow IGN feed from the under-dash fuse box, and the relay pin 85 wire) and plugs in via a repurposed floppy-drive power connector: button pin 3 to ground, pin 4 to IGN, pin 5 to relay pin 85. All joints are soldered and taped. Optionally the black/yellow wire between the relay joint and the ignition switch can be cut to disable key cranking.

Important Caveats

  • • Wire colors quoted are for the 5th-gen Prelude only; on other models every wire must be confirmed with a test light before splicing.
  • • If an aftermarket alarm or immobilizer interrupts the starter wire, the relay must be wired after the immobilizer relay.
  • • The heavy-gauge contact-side wires (pins 30/87) of the relay base must not be extended, to avoid creating a weak point in the starter circuit.
  • • Do not delete the ignition barrel in favor of button-only starting: it removes the steering lock and factory immobilizer (major theft risk) and would require separate ACC and IGN switches.

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Community Verification

1
user verified this swap
By ECU-MAN via OzHonda
Added 7 hours ago

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