[SkippyItaly]

Hi folks, I'm a new user as a new owner of a 1995 Suzuki Vitara 2.0 V6 automatic. Me and my gf just bought it a couple of weeks ago as a daily car and for some soft OR. The car runs smooth and pretty well but I have no idea about how it was maintained so I'd like to know what should I check and maybe change for a service to be sure that everything is ok before starting to do lot of kms.
We've run about 3000 kms for now and it's used 1 litre of oil, is it a normal consumption or can I reduce it in some way? Which oil do you suggest me?
It has around 350000 kms on the odo but the previous owner was a mech and told me that he changed the seal and the gasket of the engine and also told me that he has done the timing chain.

The only strange think for now is that when we run for more than half an hour there's lot of heating on the floor on the drive side floor, on the left side (I think there's the transmission under there). Is it normal or something wrong?

Another thing, IMO the previous owner removed the last stage of the exhaust system and the car is noisy and irritating around 2000rpm. Is the exhaust system (extractor excluded) the same of the 1.6 or different? I would like to go to a wrecker but I don't think there are lot of V6 around here!

Sorry if I made any mistakes but I'm from Italy and my English is not as a native speaker yet

Cheers!

[joeblow]

The very first 2.0 litre V6 engines had a design flaw in the rocker cover that houses the PCV, positive crankcase ventilation valve. Oil from the head would accumulate around that area and then get sucked into the manifold causing the engine to burn and loose oil. Get a later model rocker cover or one from a 2.5 V6. NOTE: This is not a simple task to change and should be done by someone who knows their Suzuki V6's.

If it has a modified exhaust perhaps they have removed the heat shield from under the floor? 1.6 extractors have four ports, V6 has 3 each.

[atari4x4]

SkippyItaly wrote:

Hi folks, I'm a new user as a new owner of a 1995 Suzuki Vitara 2.0 V6 automatic. Me and my gf just bought it a couple of weeks ago as a daily car and for some soft OR. The car runs smooth and pretty well but I have no idea about how it was maintained so I'd like to know what should I check and maybe change for a service to be sure that everything is ok before starting to do lot of kms.
We've run about 3000 kms for now and it's used 1 litre of oil, is it a normal consumption or can I reduce it in some way? Which oil do you suggest me?
It has around 350000 kms on the odo but the previous owner was a mech and told me that he changed the seal and the gasket of the engine and also told me that he has done the timing chain.

The only strange think for now is that when we run for more than half an hour there's lot of heating on the floor on the drive side floor, on the left side (I think there's the transmission under there). Is it normal or something wrong?

Another thing, IMO the previous owner removed the last stage of the exhaust system and the car is noisy and irritating around 2000rpm. Is the exhaust system (extractor excluded) the same of the 1.6 or different? I would like to go to a wrecker but I don't think there are lot of V6 around here!

Sorry if I made any mistakes but I'm from Italy and my English is not as a native speaker yet

Cheers!

welcome to AZ, should post a pic of ya zook... we like pictures.

go to an exhaust shop & get the rear section of the exhaust made up, they should be able to tuck it up a bit higher than a stock one so it doesn't get damaged off road.

[SkippyItaly]

Thanks so much guys for the info, for now if the oil consumption is normal for me is fine, just to know that is something that doesn't depend on the gasket or seals, I can keep it checked and put one litre every 3000 kms.

Is a 20w50 oil ok for our car?

Do you think in an exhaust shop they should fix also the noise putting back a silencer on the last section? So just to be sure the exhausts of the 1.6 and the 2.0 litres are the same except for the extractor obviously.
I'll go under the car tomorrow and I'll have a look at the exhaust and the underfloor to understand if the previous owner removed something more than the last section of the exhaust.

Next week I'm contacting some wrecker to find roof tracks and bars and maybe a basket, we want to have them on our roof!

For now these are some pics of our car, I'm using tapatalk, I hope they'll look good in the post cuz I'm from the phone now...

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[SkippyItaly]

Still no comments on our Vitara?!?

Haven't got the time to go under the car yet, worked too much during the week. Probably I'll have some spare time during the weekend.

I tried to search on the forum but I wasn't able to find anything about, can someone tell me for a complete fuel change (engine oil, transmission, diffs and whatever I'm missing) which kind of fluids and what is the quantity for our beloved car?

And just to be sure... if I understood correctly our engine has the timing chain (and not the belt) so we don't have to be worried about changing it, should be fine for lot of kms right?
Any other important maintenance that must be done to avoid a breakdown??

I also tried to call 3 wreckers down in Bundy but they have no cars with roof rack to take. Do you know any big wrecker in the Hervey Bay region that I can contact? I'm in Childers now.

[Brett]

Looks good, I just got one as well.

Yes it has timing chains, only worrie when it starts to rattle. For oils google it, it will tell you everything you want know.

For roof racks, get a width then ring wreckers for something close with tracks or eBay is my bet.

[SkippyItaly]

Brett wrote:

Looks good, I just got one as well.

Yes it has timing chains, only worrie when it starts to rattle. For oils google it, it will tell you everything you want know.

For roof racks, get a width then ring wreckers for something close with tracks or eBay is my bet.

Really? Have you got a V6 auto like ours? Can I ask you what's your mileage?? We are able to reach 9 km/l going really slow and with a light right foot!
We use the discounted E10 petrol by woolworths.

For the rack I tried to ring some wreckers around but they have nothing at the moment. Should I ring them every week just in case? I'm looking on eBay and Gumtree but nothing that can fit our car, and I don't really wanna spend 3/400 bucks for a new rack system!
Ok, I'll google for the oils, which kind of engine oil do you use?

[fordem]

20w50 is too heavy, Suzuki recommends a 10w30, my preference, because of local temperatures is a 10w40 - you'll also need a 75w90 for the transfer case & front & rear diffs, the automatic transmission uses Dexron III.

[droverdave]

Your best bet is to buy a workshop manual for the car.

Follow what it sais in regards to what type of oil to use. it will tell you everything you need to know for all the oils, coolant, brake fluid etc.

3000kms is a few kms so you would think that you would discover anythign major by now (famous last words)

With old cars like this with such high kms, they are way outside their factory service intervals, so all you can do is keep an ear and an eye out for problems as they start to occur, and get onto them ASAP.

If you dont feel up to the task of identifying issues, you can get inspections done that are pretty cheap (pedders safety check comes to mind), or im sure if you walked into a decent mechanic they could spend half an hour looking over your car and give you a report. Just becarefuly either of these don't try and talk you into 1000's of dollars of repairs that arent required.

[Brett]

I have just put some 5/40w diesel oil in mine. Less rattle but ill do my timing chanes soon. It has 230,000 k on the clock. Haven't done a full tank but so far I have 220 k to half a tank

[fordem]

Workshop manuals for the V6 Vit are like hen's teeth - even Suzuki didn't have one - you need to get the manuals for the 1.6 Vit and then the supplements for the V6 to cover the differences.

[SkippyItaly]

Thanks to all for the answers and the advices, I really appreciate!
I should have something from the net about service manuals, I will have a look of what is inside them!
I still need a driver/user or whatever is called the manual that usually comes with the car but I'm not able to find anything about that on the net.

Next service I'll change the oil and put a 10w40 then, hope to find a good deal to buy it!

I'm gonna take some pics of the exhaust system so you can say me if it's original or what because is really noise imo!

I'll wait to have some opinion about the mileage...