What to look for when buying a Vitara

[cj!]

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.

[gwagensteve]

I will add a few comment to this Chris.

Loose bearings, evidence the car has not been in 4WD, tight locking hubs etc are minor maintenance items IMHO and while they might be cause for some haggling room with a seller, aren't the end of the world. If you as hte new owner intend taking the car offroad, you will be getting familiar with some maintenance tasks anyway.

However, structural damage to the cross members and strut towers etc is a show stopper. The car will have been used very hard for this to occur so there will be more damage than is evident just by having a look. Problems this might cause include an inability to hold a wheel alignment, leading to poor handling and inconsistent tyre wear. Some aftermarket parts might not even fit unless the damage is repaired, adding to the hassle.

It's worth noting that whilst most vitaras have never been off road, as they age, many are being bought cheaply by inexperienced drivers who are taking them off road once or so "for a try" usually with mates with bigger, more powerful vehicles. Damage often results due to this combination of inexperience and travelling with the wrong vehicles, so even when the car otherwise might not look like it has done much off road work, it pays to check over it carefully.

As an aside, when purchasing ANY second hand 4WD, pull the carpet up in the footwells. If the carpet is wet, move on to another car or do some serious haggling. A) the smell of water in the underfelt is amongst the worst smell ever, and B) it means the car might be being hastily sold because it has had a dunking and unknown other damage awaits.

Just some thoughts.

Steve.

[mightymouse]

It would seem that V6's have some timing chain issues.

Is this right CJ ?

[cj!]

The timing chain issues with the V6 engines stem from a problem with the No.1 chain tensioner. When the ratchet teeth fail it causes a rattle to be heard that doesn't go away after several seconds upon start up. If it is not dealt with, eventually the chain guides will fail. This can be catastrophic with the valves doing bad things inside the engine and as Paul Mac found out ventilation holes can appear that were not part of the original design process It is a fairly labour intensive job as the manifolds etc all have to come off and while it is apart you may as well have the chains and guides replaced at the same time. The average price for this job seems to be in the order of $1500. The other common issue with the V6 seems to that the rear main seal develops a leak. If you end up owning a V6(Vit or GV) then I would suggest regular oil changes using a synthetic 5W-30 oil. This appears to be the best way of keeping these engines running well.

[andrew_wale]

The other common issue with the V6 seems to that the rear main seal develops a leak. If you end up owning a V6(Vit or GV) then I would suggest regular oil changes using a synthetic 5W-30 oil.

The rear main seal was a problem with my 1999 V6 GV. I had it replaced twice (warranty claim).
According to Suzuki the gasket was the issue and was fixed in models in late 2001 or 2002.

So if you are looking at a 2001 + model, the seal should be o.k.. I could be wrong though.