Hey everyone, new member here, Jeremy from Melbourne, happy new owner of a 2007 Grand Vitara H27A (2.7 Auto). Looking forward to some good chats and maybe even crossing paths with some of you!
This car is important to me, and has pushed me to start doing my own servicing after bad experiences with mechanics duping me on past cars. Got no experience in the field, short of changing the odd tire, or fitting a head unit, and recently doing my first oil/oil filter swap.
In the last week or two though, my car started making a horrible ticking noise in rev ranges between 1000-3000. I've done my research (thanks auszookers) and found that there's a few noted woes around timing and cam chains, and wanted to get an expert opinion before tracking down a kit and swapping it over (as this will be a bold undertaking for a complete novice).
I got LubeMobile to come and do a diagnosis, which wasn't actually too helpful. The mech just said it's "probably something in the engine", and agreed it's possibly timing chain related. He quoted me nearly $3,000 to fix it, but warned it could go higher.
I want to do this myself, but wanted to suss out if there were any important pointers or useful pic guides that I haven't come across yet that will help. Also, are there kits that are better than others? I'm looking at the kit on suzistore at the moment.
My first step will be to swap the oil filter and flush the oil out. Currently it's using Penrite synth 5W40 and a new K&N filter. I read that the OEM filters are a safer bet for preventing chain rattle, so I've ordered one. Any tips for an oil that might help reduce any blockages? Has swapping the oil saved you from swapping the timing chains over?
Thanks for reading and greetings everyone!
