[Chester]

Hey all I'm looking at buying a 03 Grand Vitara, it has the V6 H25A engine and manual with 299,xxxkms, just after some advice on what to look at before buying, should I stay clear of these motors with higher KMs or not?

[Gwagensteve]

#1, Timing chain noise from cold start.

[ZUZUKI]

Hi Chester,
Overall, a great vehicle, if the size suits your needs, there is nothing better.
Mine's the same spec & about those kms - still going great.
Like Steve said, timing chains (there are 4) are a consumable between 150-220,000km - the car your looking at will have had them done & could be needing them done again in the next 50,000km or so.
Regular 10,000km genuine oil filters & light oil for your area - like 15W-40 in Victoria.
The kit of bits is not too bad, but labour is a bastard if you don't do it yourself - which is not recommended unless you have a factory manual & have done this sort of work before.
Oil leaks are a PITA - can usually be cleaned up enough to pass a RWC.
The worst is an Oring between the block & upper (alloy) sump, it's engine out to fix it properly.

My gearbox is getting crunchy syncros on the 2-3 shift, just doesn't like to be rushed when cold.

Check the VIN for the airbag recall, but it should be ok is it is still registered.

All in all, I have been super happy with mine - from new in 1999.

Have fun, Michael

[fordem]

ZUZUKI wrote:

Like Steve said, timing chains (there are 4) are a consumable between 150-220,000km - the car your looking at will have had them done & could be needing them done again in the next 50,000km or so.

That is not what Steve said, and as far as I know, Suzuki does not consider the timing chains as a consumable item, check your owner's manual for the service schedule, you won't see anything in there for them - you'll see one for the timing belt on the G16 engined GVs, but nothing for the chains on the J20 & H25 engined versions.

Suzuki considers the chains as good for the life of the engine, and with proper maintenance they are.

What I believe Steve is alluding to, is if the chains are worn, or the hydraulic tensioner passages clogged, both of which can and will happen if maintenance has been "spotty", they will rattle, and that rattle shows up clearly on a cold start.

The wrong grade of oil (too thick) or the wrong oil filter (no drain back valve) can cause a delay in oil pressure reaching the tensioners, and this allows the chains to run loose and rattle - any timing chain noise lasting more than 1~2 seconds on a cold start is a bad sign, 15 seconds or more, walk away.