[bogfrog]

The time has finally come to get rid of the Missus Honda as it's on it's last legs and I've managed to talked her around to buying a Suzuki

We've found this '95 Vitara SV620VH type1 with Low K's and looks to be in pretty good shape? we're going to check it out tomorrow night and as I've never owned or worked a Vit before I was just wondering if there was anything that I should be looking out for? Problems, Rust areas, etc.. and anything else I should know?

Cheers In advance. Robb

[steak_knife]

Timing chain noise & timing cover oil leak's.

[atari4x4]

if it's still cold check for timing chain rattle, any rear main seal leaks... joeblow mentioned a crank case breather mod as they can turn into a smoke machine.

check for off road abuse... chassis rails, fuel tank, front diff will all show signs

this is mainly for the 1.6's but it's a good start...



This has come from outers, written by CJ

OK, this topic comes up from time to time so I thought I might put something together that covers some model details and things to look for when buying a Vitara. This information has come from various sources including magazines, the internet and personal experience over time. Please feel free to add to this or provide corrections.

The Vitara came out here in '88 as a swb carburettored G16A 1.6 8v putting out 55kW @ 5400rpm and 123Nm @ 3000rpm with either a 5 speed manual or 3 speed auto (Trimatic) and was available as either a hardtop or softop. There were two main trim levels, JX being the base level and JLX the luxury version with power steering, power windows & power mirrors central locking and tilt steering wheel. Air conditioning was also available. The swb has a wheelbase of 2200mm. In late '94 the swb recieved an upgrade which gave it the G16B SOHC 1.6 16v EFI engine and the 4 speed auto (Aisin Warner) from the lwb. This engine produces 71kW @ 5600rpmand 133Nm @ 4000rpm. The lwb was released in '91 and was also offered in JX and JLX but all models got power steering. It has vented front discs and larger calipers compared to the swb and larger rear drums. This provides a brake upgrade option for swb Vits. It has a wheelbase of 2480mm. In '95 a widetrack lwb was releasd with a quad cam H20A 2.0 V6 engine developed jointly with Mazda. It put out 100kW @ 6500rpm and 172Nm @ 4000rpm. The chassis was widened 60mm and larger brakes and calipers were fitted along with 16" rims to clear them. In '97 a widetrack swb was released with a J20A DOHC 2.0 4cyl engine developing 97kW @ 5900rpm and 166Nm @ 4300rpm. The power and torque figures given for the engines may vary slightly over the years as smal changes were made by Suzuki.

Things to look for:

Check for damage underneath to things like crossmembers, sills and fuel tanks for signs of use offroad. Fuel tank depressions can be caused either by impact or the charcoal canister behind the headlight getting saturated through deep water crossings and not allowing the tank to breathe so it sucks itself in.

Check that the front manual hubs work. Vehicles that have not been used in 4wd can have the hubs corrode and will need replacing. This lack of use can also mean the front R & P may also be corroded as the top part will not have been immersed in oil regularly. It pays to lock the hubs once a month and go for a short drive. The other problem lack of use causes is the bearing surfaces get corrugated from the bearings impacting the same spot over time. When 4wd is finally used the bearings can't run smoothly and noise and carnage will follow.

Check the front wheel bearings as they can become loose over time.

Check that the strut top bolts are aligned evenly within the housing and haven't moved inboard. If they are not centred then it may have been doing some dune jumping or similar. The 2.0 models got strut braces to prevent this.

If the front A-arms have had decent impacts then the radiator could be tilted back towards the engine and the top hose may be kinked.

Look for signs of overheating. This could be due to clogged radiator passages. This can cause cylinder head failure. Look at the alloy as it will have changed colour or be powdery. Check inside the oil filler cap for signs of coolant mixing with the oil. Regular coolant changes are a positive and do not mix coolants.

The alloy front diff/axle housing should be checked for any signs of cracking. The best solution is to replace it with a steel housing from a manual V6 Grand Vitara or XL-7.

There have been some cases of engine blocks cracking. Check the welsh plugs for signs of coolant weeping, particularly under the starter motor.

The exhaust manifolds are prone to cracking but headers are available and give some more power.

Have a look inside the air filter box for signs of water as it may indicate water has got in the engine. Bad.

The power window switches and regulators can fail over time but are relatively easy to replace.

The handle on the rear door/tailgate can fail but is easy to fix.

Check for oil leaks. If it is coming from the distributor then it is likely to be a small o-ring that is a cheap and easy repair but other leaks may involve more expensive repairs.

Deformed bumpstops can be a sign of overloading or hard offroad use. This may mean that the axles, suspension etc have seen better days.

Some of the early G16B 16v heads had porous castings but these should all be fixed by now.

Make sure the cam belts have been replaced every 100,000km's. If you're not sure make it the first thing you do.

Do not be put of by the above as the Vitara is actually a pretty reliable little 4wd and with regular servicing the engines are good for at least 200-250,000km's before major work should need to be considered. Most of the things listed won't be found but on the offchance you now know what to look for and stay away from or adjust the price accordingly.

[Fatzook]

There is no way I'm reading all that.

Bullet points?

[atari4x4]

* just buy one, they're awesome.

[tombutt]

if its been off road and over any sorta rock the tank will be dented

rear main as said above ive had a couple in mine

if it feels like its lacking down low tats pretty normal should get up and go about 3 grand if its doesnt props low on compression

but yes they are great fun

[losfer]

steknig wrote:

Timing chain noise & timing cover oil leak's.

X2

they also sometimes leak oil from the head gaskets at the front..
also check out the right hand cv where it goes into the diff housing , if theres a leak on the seal there its not a seal gone its a worn diff carrier housing.

jump under and check the threads on the sprung loaded bolts for the exhaust , if they are badly rusted its a sure sign it seen a bit of sand work , and they are bastards to get out!!

a lot of the earlier model v6's may of had the radiator replaced , it normally has a foam seal on top , if it doesnt its more than likely the radiator has been replaced , check the top plastic tank , if its seriously brown coloured and looks like cracks are forming it may need to be replaced in the near future.

most other things are trivial , but if you are considering buying get someone to check it out first , even if you have to pay ! unsure where you are but racq inspection stations here do a thorough inspection , in my opinion they are too anal on some things , but they will be thorough.

also make sure you check the service history , you can even pop the oil cap off and take a look inside , a golden brown colour on internal parts means that its had a good regular service , black tar looking buildup means it has had a shit service history.
make sure when you go to inspect that the engine is dead cold , you can do a cold startup to check it doesnt blow plumes of smoke on startup !

theres lots of things to checkand if you arent mechanically minded its easy to miss things , especially if it looks tidy and you are excited to buy it ...

[losfer]

the writeup by cj is covering the 1.6 with the things to look at .. ive never seen a v6 with a cracked block ..

[steak_knife]

losfer wrote:

the writeup by cj is covering the 1.6 with the things to look at .. ive never seen a v6 with a cracked block ..

i have, but it was where the piston came through..

[atari4x4]

losfer wrote:

the writeup by cj is covering the 1.6 with the things to look at .. ive never seen a v6 with a cracked block ..

hence why i wrote this bit in my original post...

atari4x4 wrote:

this is mainly for the 1.6's but it's a good start...

[bogfrog]

Thanks Heaps guys that gives me a fair bit to go on so should be good Cheers to all for all your responses Robb. Here is the Vit we're lookin' at:
http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/pri ... A517BE6C66

I don't think it's been off road much if at all, but it does have a CB so?

[atari4x4]

53,000kms.... that's the lowest kay's i've seen on a SV for a while, looks to be alright. it's always a concern when they're "selling" because they're going overseas!

[tombutt]

mine was that nice once apon a time then i bought it and drove it through our paddocks

looks nice that foam strip in the radiator looks pretty clean and mine was brown after the first trip off road from dust and never became black agin so that may indicate if its been on dusty roads much

[bogfrog]

Yeah heard them say that plenty but he is a Doctor of some sort and has only had it for 4 months maybe his visa ran out? who knows we'll just have to wait and see how it is tomorrow?

[atari4x4]

for the money it looks like a great buy, interior looks a little dusty but thats about all.

[Westie]

They tend to leak around the valve guides and start to burn oil also the best mod for these would be throw some 5.12 diffs under it. I did it with mine and made a HUGE differance on road and off. Mine was a manual.

LOOK FOR
Rust in the front corners of the chassis rails
Power steer box for any signs of leaking.

Vey nice to drive but with the added cost of Reg and the motors being a pain to work on, I would be looking at a late 95-96 1.6 wagon they go well and ride like a V6 and will perform as well as a V6.

[bogfrog]

Well it ended up being the biggest pile of snot on four wheels,it had dents everywhere, interior was discusting and had smoke butts, ash and Macca's all over the floor and console, tyres were rooted as well as the brakes, it obviously needed disc's machined when it needed brakes last but they just threw a set of pads at it and the engine had oil leaks everywhere and the worst death rattle I've ever heard I don't think that engine will last very much longer he was a clueless idiot and I doubt if he'd serviced the car ever. If anyone else in Melb is thinkin' bout looking at this car DON"T WASTE YOUR TIME!!!! Very Dissapointing!!!

[4x4ish]

looks straight as in the pics. I think u might be overexadurating a bit? what u described sounds like a standard sierra

but god they're fun!

i really doubt that the k's are genuin, its just too low. And why did that guy put MD in front of his name?