[XeNtoRaN]

I needs some advice if you have any on a few things.

I own a 97 SWB vitara Manual. 1.6 EFI.

Some small things are annoying me right now, but all in all its a great car.

1) I can only select 3 and 4 on my fan speed switch. 1 and 2 activates my a.c pump but no fan.

2) the A.C works really well when i drive but at idle it stops working.

3) my fuel economy is IMO really bad at 14-15 ltr per 100km doing suburban driving.

I have a roof basket and awing attached to my car and 235/65/15's ATs

Let me know if you can help.

Thanks.

[losfer]

1. sounds like fan speed resistor .
2. Could be worn out compressor , but the a/c is a fairly complex system it has a water temp sensor a refrigerant pressure switch . an evaporator temp sensor , as well as a receiver/drier that can get blocked and many other components which can cause problems. Is the a/c clutch still engaged at idle ? too many factors without enough information . also without actually knowing what temp the ac is while driving and at idle it virtually impossible to diagnose on a forum .
3. once again a lot of factors . On older efi cars i think its fair to say you could get 380-420 kms on a tank of fuel. suburban driving really sucks fuel economy and also depends on your driving habits . A 235/65 r15 is a fairly large tyre combined with suburban driving and just getting it to turn the tyres and poor driving practices could contribute to poor fuel economy. Im not saying you are a bad driver , but hard acceleration and heavy braking for corners etc will not give you ideal fuel economy.
To get a better idea try doing a highway run. fill up take note of odometer , drive 100kms , refill take note of odometer and litres to fill up.

[fordem]

XeNtoRaN wrote:

2) the A.C works really well when i drive but at idle it stops working.

What do you mean by stops working - it stops working altogether or it stops cooling?

Check the condenser fan (on the front of the radiator), make sure it's working when the a/c comes on - if they fail there may be insufficient air flow through the condenser when the vehicle is stationary.

[Eddy]

Roof basket and awning are going to create lots of drag. possibly 2-3 litres/100 in that.

[fordem]

Eddy wrote:

Roof basket and awning are going to create lots of drag. possibly 2-3 litres/100 in that.

Can I ask what sort of roof basket & awning you have that create 2~3 litres/100km worth of drag in suburban use?

My awning & roof basket never come off and the impact on consumption has been negligible - that is until I load the basket, and get on the highway

[XeNtoRaN]

losfer wrote:

1. sounds like fan speed resistor .
2. Could be worn out compressor , but the a/c is a fairly complex system it has a water temp sensor a refrigerant pressure switch . an evaporator temp sensor , as well as a receiver/drier that can get blocked and many other components which can cause problems. Is the a/c clutch still engaged at idle ? too many factors without enough information . also without actually knowing what temp the ac is while driving and at idle it virtually impossible to diagnose on a forum .
3. once again a lot of factors . On older efi cars i think its fair to say you could get 380-420 kms on a tank of fuel. suburban driving really sucks fuel economy and also depends on your driving habits . A 235/65 r15 is a fairly large tyre combined with suburban driving and just getting it to turn the tyres and poor driving practices could contribute to poor fuel economy. Im not saying you are a bad driver , but hard acceleration and heavy braking for corners etc will not give you ideal fuel economy.
To get a better idea try doing a highway run. fill up take note of odometer , drive 100kms , refill take note of odometer and litres to fill up.

1. how do i get to the resistor and is it and easy fix?

2. Yes i believe the A.c clutch is engaged as i hear the click etc. and the pump running when its on idle but the air gets warmer and warmer when the revs are not high enough (which sits at around 800-950 rpm.) The most information i can give you is that the A.c is ice cold while i drive and then when at idle it gradually gets warmer until is just like the a.c switch is not turned on at all. once the revs get over i think around 1100 rpm the temp gets cooler. when i press the a.c button i hear the pump running but the revs dont go up as much as i thought it should. in my other more modern car i notice the revs go up to run the pump but in mine it doesn't noticeably rev higher, if that makes sense.

3. I just pulled out the o2 sensor that connects to the extractors and it looks a bit old would that make my car run rich and pump more fuel into the system? i can smell fuel from the exhaust when i walk behind the car. i cant find the other one that im supposed to have. is there 2 of them?

[fordem]

XeNtoRaN wrote:

2. Yes i believe the A.c clutch is engaged as i hear the click etc. and the pump running when its on idle but the air gets warmer and warmer when the revs are not high enough (which sits at around 800-950 rpm.) The most information i can give you is that the A.c is ice cold while i drive and then when at idle it gradually gets warmer until is just like the a.c switch is not turned on at all. once the revs get over i think around 1100 rpm the temp gets cooler. when i press the a.c button i hear the pump running but the revs dont go up as much as i thought it should. in my other more modern car i notice the revs go up to run the pump but in mine it doesn't noticeably rev higher, if that makes sense.

Check the condenser fan, make sure it's running whenever the compressor is running - what is happening is with the vehicle stationary there is insufficient airflow over the condenser for it to dissipate the heat, when the engine rpms are increased the clutch fan is pulling more air through.

If I remember correctly, the idle rpm should be 700+/-50 rpm with the A/C off and 800+/-50 rpm with the A/C on.

[XeNtoRaN]

fordem wrote:

XeNtoRaN wrote:

2. Yes i believe the A.c clutch is engaged as i hear the click etc. and the pump running when its on idle but the air gets warmer and warmer when the revs are not high enough (which sits at around 800-950 rpm.) The most information i can give you is that the A.c is ice cold while i drive and then when at idle it gradually gets warmer until is just like the a.c switch is not turned on at all. once the revs get over i think around 1100 rpm the temp gets cooler. when i press the a.c button i hear the pump running but the revs dont go up as much as i thought it should. in my other more modern car i notice the revs go up to run the pump but in mine it doesn't noticeably rev higher, if that makes sense.

Check the condenser fan, make sure it's running whenever the compressor is running - what is happening is with the vehicle stationary there is insufficient airflow over the condenser for it to dissipate the heat, when the engine rpms are increased the clutch fan is pulling more air through.

If I remember correctly, the idle rpm should be 700+/-50 rpm with the A/C off and 800+/-50 rpm with the A/C on.

OK thanks ill will check this