HELP!!! Grand Vitara idle/ A/C issues!! Update: fixed @ LSM

[*KRONIK*]

so tuesday i changed the spark plugs in the Grand Vitara,
and cleaned the K&N flter....

normal procedure...

disconnect battery poles
remove engine cover
remove coilpack bolts
remove coilpacks (lift out, not disconnect)
remove old spark plugs
insert and tighten new spark plugs
put back in the coil packs
tighten them down

then went on to the filter:
remove
spray with cleaner
wash after 10 mins
leave to dry (overnight in my case)
spray oil (lightly)
leave for 20 mins
re-install

wen i start the van...it start up normal... idled good....
i let it reach operating temp...
everything seemed fine so i left it alone...


yesterday...
i had a lot of driving to do....

after about 15mins the van started to idle really low...
feeling as though it wanted to cut off....

wen i made my 1st stop, about an hour later, i left it idling and stepped out...
it was idling normal....followed a loud click.....followed a series or rough idle....and repeat... like every 5-10 seconds....

i took of the A/C and the idle picked up a bit....

and everytime it idled low...i took of the A/C a bit and it picked up a bit....

on the way home (about 6hrs after) it just kept idling low....
but stopped clicking.....


so question: anybody have any idea wat the hell is up with this van????

so im thinking...
the throttle hasnt been cleaned since the vehicle had its 50K KM service at the dealership...
its at 75K Km now....

so it could could be that...

but i really dont wanna interfere with any thing.... especially that e-throttle.....

could it be a sensor???

could i have done something wrong changing the spark plugs??

please assist as best as possible....

thank you.....

[chris1388]

what is this click you speaking of? It definitely sounds like an ignition problem, doubt its the throttle body.

Make sure all the spark plugs are tightened sufficiently, make sure the coil packs are snug and seated properly, check the connections on the coil pack...since you did not disconnect they may have become slack.

[chris1388]

It sounds like the coil packs....ensure that they are seated all the way down before tightening then tighten them evenly. Rock them after to make sure they are snug. Check connectors

[aidan]

Had this same thing happen with our vitara, it was a bad coil pack!!!

[*KRONIK*]

I gonna check it over in a lil while....

i also gonna clean the MAF... see if that helps

cuz im pretty sure i tightened all the plugs properly, seated the coilpacks properly and tightened them properly as well....


chris.. the clickin is more like the A/C compressor comin on/off not ignition rattling.....

[*KRONIK*]

ok...

update...

i disconnected the battery, checked for any excess oil residue on the K&N filter: None....

so i took out the MAF, sprayed it with some CRC QD contact cleaner...
reinstalled...

warmed up till operating temp...
took it for a spin...

same problem...
except the idle is dropping really low when i come to a stop.....and the van is hesitating slightly on pull off!

any more suggestions...
i wanna run a diagnostic scan...any recommendations??

[chris1388]

coil pack

[*KRONIK*]

well....
i thought so at 1st....

my Auto electrician checked then and said is not the coilpack...

but pain.... we cant really use the vehicle much....

i takin it to the stealership next week....

daz the appointment i get...\

owning a suzuki really sucks tho...

[chris1388]

sometimes even if the coil pack has correct resistance reading it may still be damaged, if u can...switch them with the packs on the swift and that will pretty much rule them out.

[Ignorant Ignis]

what spark plugs did u use ?

[*KRONIK*]

what spark plugs did u use ?

OEM plug...
NGK BKR6E-11

sometimes even if the coil pack has correct resistance reading it may still be damaged, if u can...switch them with the packs on the swift and that will pretty much rule them out.

i was told this... but i cant switch the coilpacks with the swift

the J20 carries individual coilpacks for each cylinder......

well i guess i gonna have to wait for next week....

[chris1388]

oh i thought the vitara had a M series engine too..sorry. You sure that engine calling for such a large gap plug? I know the sport models use the -11.

[*KRONIK*]

The 3 Door Vitaras have M16

the 5 doors have J20

yea dats the OEM plug... same as the swift

[Ignorant Ignis]

did u or anyone else try cleaning the intake system ?

using a screw driver to open the butterfly plate while spraying the cleaner in the intake can cause the tps to go off...

have it checked

[*KRONIK*]

^^^

nah boi...

i dont interfere with with ting dot i dont know about.... especially E-throttles...

and i dont leave my vehicles by the mech, unsupervised...

so i sure nobody eh touch it...

[spanglish1]

check the pcv valve at the top of the engine.check your vacuum hoses for cracks and make sure they are connected properly.could be your throttle body that needs servicing or tps sensor

[tourniquet]

after everything you changed, and cleaned, did you reset the ecu?

[*KRONIK*]

after everything you changed, and cleaned, did you reset the ecu?

yea...
i had the battery disconnected while i was changing the plugs ...
so dat was enuff time for the ECU to reset...
this always worked for me so i really not sure wat went wrong this time...

check the pcv valve at the top of the engine.check your vacuum hoses for cracks and make sure they are connected properly.could be your throttle body that needs servicing or tps sensor

i takin it to the stealership in the mornin....so i go update wen i get the word...

[*KRONIK*]

UPDATE:

i took the vehicle to the stealership this morning...
they said they gonna need to do a diagnostic scan @ the cost of $230.00

so i tell them fix dey mix!

got a call about 1hr after

"the throttle and injectors have to service"

so i tell them go ahead....

collected the vehicle this evening and its back to normal
idling is constant, no roughness, and the vehicle is way more responsive...

cost: $991.30

labour was $882.00

but before i left the vehicle... the service advisor wanna play she tellin me my vehicle didnt service there and she putting a discalimer on it that they "not responsible for any internal damages" to the vehicle... cuz my mechanic could have damaged it!

and how my vehicle due for a FULL scheduled service...
i tell she NO!

then she go look to tell me that my vehicle not properly maintained...

steups!

[/thread]

[tourniquet]

after everything you changed, and cleaned, did you reset the ecu?

yea...
i had the battery disconnected while i was changing the plugs ...
so dat was enuff time for the ECU to reset...
this always worked for me so i really not sure wat went wrong this time...

that's all it takes? so all this time I've been:
removing negative, waiting about a 25mins,
turning the ignition to the ACC position for about 5mins,
starting and leaving to idle for about 7 mins,
and finally, restart and take a lil drive
all this could be avoided with just completely disconnecting the battery for a fair amount of time and just reconnecting?
guess it's just a force of habit for me yes; you learn something everyday

anyway, glad to know you got sorted out, but just out of curiosity, which branch did you go to?

[*KRONIK*]

that's all it takes? so all this time I've been:
removing negative, waiting about a 25mins,
turning the ignition to the ACC position for about 5mins,
starting and leaving to idle for about 7 mins,
and finally, restart and take a lil drive
all this could be avoided with just completely disconnecting the battery for a fair amount of time and just reconnecting?
guess it's just a force of habit for me yes; you learn something everyday

anyway, glad to know you got sorted out, but just out of curiosity, which branch did you go to?

DUde...

i came here cuz i didnt know better... so ur sarcasm isnt appreciated...

but to clarify...
yes!
i disconnected the battery...both pole...
i went ahead, changed the plugs which i took my time to do to ensure everything was done properly...this took about 20-30 mins...
because i know an unplugged ECU needs about 20-30 mins to reset...
i however didnt leave the key on the ACC position for 5 mins...i left it for about 1 minute...
then i started and let the vehicle come up to Operating temp...not "7mins"
and i always restart and take it for a drive...

this has ALWAYS worked for me, with all our vehicles so i didnt see why i needed to change my procedure...

and i went to the San Juan Branch

[chris1388]

Kronik the man wasnt being sarcastic...he was just saying he did not know that just removing the negative from the battery was all that had to be done to reset the ECU. He was listing all that he used to do.

And it does NOT take 20-30mins to reset....the service manual specifically states the pole need only be disconnected for 2 minutes at a particular ambient temperature...this is for M series engines.

[*KRONIK*]

^^^
my apologies then....

but my knowledge/experience with other vehicles.... 20 mins does the trick...
followed by a warm up @ operating temp and a drive for the ECU to develop a Map...

btw the Vitara is J series (j20a) i believe the 3door comes with the M16/ 5fwd

all i can advise anyone is this...
1)find a good mechanic who has experience with ur type of vehicle or if ur a DIY guy....
do ur research and try a ting...
and doh intefere with ting u dont know about...

2)LSM is a rip off but they are there for us in our times of need

3) owning a suzuki has its pros and cons... as with another vehicle... so bear with it in those hard times...

4) keep ur vehicle maintained within the scheduled interval and u shouldnt see any major issues ...

as for all the contributors in this thread... thank you for your advice/ input...

[chris1388]

Yea the J series may be different. Glad you got it sorted out

[tourniquet]

Kronik the man wasnt being sarcastic...he was just saying he did not know that just removing the negative from the battery was all that had to be done to reset the ECU. He was listing all that he used to do.

And it does NOT take 20-30mins to reset....the service manual specifically states the pole need only be disconnected for 2 minutes at a particular ambient temperature...this is for M series engines.

thanks for clearing that up for me, that's exactly why I bothered to list my method, just in case I was doing something wrong/ less efficient all along. As for *KRONIK*, what can I say man, that's customer service in good ole T&T, you pay for a service, and get opinions and criticism tossed in for free; hell sometimes you go through all of that and still your issue isn't resolved At the end of the day though, at least you can be thankful it's over and done with.

[*KRONIK*]

Kronik the man wasnt being sarcastic...he was just saying he did not know that just removing the negative from the battery was all that had to be done to reset the ECU. He was listing all that he used to do.

And it does NOT take 20-30mins to reset....the service manual specifically states the pole need only be disconnected for 2 minutes at a particular ambient temperature...this is for M series engines.

thanks for clearing that up for me, that's exactly why I bothered to list my method, just in case I was doing something wrong/ less efficient all along. As for *KRONIK*, what can I say man, that's customer service in good ole T&T, you pay for a service, and get opinions and criticism tossed in for free; hell sometimes you go through all of that and still your issue isn't resolved At the end of the day though, at least you can be thankful it's over and done with.

word...
but all in all...

the basics of resetting ur ECU:
1) remove current source, to remove the current Map
2) restart, to start new map
3) warm up, to get every thing @ operating temp which is what the vehicle runs on all the time anyway
4) drive, to fine tune the map

as for LSM

the upsetting part was that the service adviser kept insinuating i NEED to do a complete service at he Firm and even though i explained to her i do service the vehicle on time...just not at the firm...and never miss a scheduled service...
she insisted on making it known to me that my vehicle isnt working properly/ is at risk of catastrophic failure because they didnt do the servicing on it...

but the sad part is...
i never missed an oil change, plug change, tyres are always inflated correctly, speed balanced and aligned at least every 6 weeks.... i always use OEM parts which i still buy @ LSM...
i just didnt clean the throttle cuz i was unsure of cleaning the E-throttle...

watever yes...

[spanglish1]

i had similiar issues. i have changed 2 blowers already under warranty.There is a resistor that is located somewhere near the blower that seems to be going bad every so often.it was supposed to be changed the last time the ac stopped working. the part wasnt in stock so i assumed they repaired the part because the ac worked when i left LSM and this was in March 2012. So last week it stopped working again and took it straight to LSM. they checked it and said it was working when they started the car.they said a full check of the ac system revealed no issues but they indicated that if it does happen again the compressor needs to be replaced. so now i wait to see how long it lasts before i go back again.
i do all my services at the firm i just dont use their oil (shell) because i prefer to use redline and service every 10000kms instead of 5000kms which is a waste of time and money. i wouldnt say i had bad experiences at LSM im just wary of the many issues i heard other fellow suzuki owners complain about so im very observant when i collect my car and always indicate what i would like done to my car to the advisors when it is being dropped off and ensure it is typed in on the service sheet.i double check everything on collection down to the oil ,oil filter to ensure what i requested was actually done to the vehicle.

[chris1388]

i had similiar issues. i have changed 2 blowers already under warranty.There is a resistor that is located somewhere near the blower that seems to be going bad every so often.it was supposed to be changed the last time the ac stopped working. the part wasnt in stock so i assumed they repaired the part because the ac worked when i left LSM and this was in March 2012. So last week it stopped working again and took it straight to LSM. they checked it and said it was working when they started the car.they said a full check of the ac system revealed no issues but they indicated that if it does happen again the compressor needs to be replaced. so now i wait to see how long it lasts before i go back again.
i do all my services at the firm i just dont use their oil (shell) because i prefer to use redline and service every 10000kms instead of 5000kms which is a waste of time and money. i wouldnt say i had bad experiences at LSM im just wary of the many issues i heard other fellow suzuki owners complain about so im very observant when i collect my car and always indicate what i would like done to my car to the advisors when it is being dropped off and ensure it is typed in on the service sheet.i double check everything on collection down to the oil ,oil filter to ensure what i requested was actually done to the vehicle.

Do you change an oil filter in between that 10k km period?

[spanglish1]

yes the oil filter is replaced at 5000km and oil is topped up

[chris1388]

kool i change mine at 6k normally