Suzuki Problems

Stick with the respected brands and models like the Suzuki Grand Vitara or Nissan X-Trail. With your budget you should be able get into a 2008/2009 model.

This is another problem that really needs the services of a diagnostic computer to make any sort of meaningful assessment of what’s going on here. That said, this engine uses a throttle-position sensor to turn the driver’s right-foot input into forward motion at the engine. If this sensor is not talking to the on-board computer, there’s a good chance you could have the exact condition you’ve described, Shalvesh.

On a more fundamental level, are you sure the transmission is selecting gears? Perhaps the vehicle is stuck in neutral somehow. But if the engine won’t even rev up when you hit the throttle, I think you’re looking at some kind of sensor problem.

There is nothing to suggest that the 2019 Baleno has anything to be concerned about, but it is very early in its life, so it’s impossible to be certain about what could happen down the track.

It can, Jayson, but there’s one vital thing you must check first. Lift the bonnet of your car and find the build date. It should be on a small, silver tag somewhere in the engine bay. Here’s why: Suzuki lists 2008 as the cut-off year for E10 fuel for the Swift. That is, Swifts built before that date can’t use E10, those built after that date can.

So why check the build date on your car? Because even though it may have been sold in 2008, it might have been built in 2007. Even if the registration papers list the car as a 2008, it could still have been built in 2007. Paperwork is only as accurate as the person filling it in, but the build-date on the car’s tag doesn’t lie.

Many owners of Suzukis of this era are shifting from the original green-coloured coolant to the long-life blue type (believe it or not, engine coolants are broadly identifiable by colour these days). Make sure that whatever brand you buy is borate and silicate-free, as this is important for Japanese engines (European engines, in comparison, need Phosphate-free coolant).

If you’re still unsure, you can buy coolant form a Suzuki dealership spare parts department and know that you’re getting the right product. One other tip; don’t mix coolants. Like oils, coolants are a sophisticated blend of base-product and additives and these formulations, when mixed, can cancel out some of the protection you’re paying for.

While the less sporty versions of Suzuki’s Swift of this era used a conventional automatic transmission, the Swift Sport used a CVT transmission. And I’m wondering if maybe that’s all there is to your question. The CVT is quite capable of feeling like its slipping when you use lots of throttle, such as when going up a hill or accelerating to overtake. It’s actually quite normal and is the method a CVT uses to maximise fuel-economy by keeping the engine operating in its most efficient zone.

But if you’ve owned the car for some time and its behaviour has changed, then it could be that the CVT is beginning to wear internally. Or perhaps it’s the torque-converter (that links the engine to the transmission) that is starting to wear out and allowing the engine to rev harder than it used to for a given road speed.

Suzuki did recall this model (and conventional automatic versions) to check for loose bolts that secured the torque converter to the transmission. But if these became loose and fell out, you’d have no drive at all, so I don’t think that’s the problem here.

Most SUVs are really AWDs with limited off-road capability, so it comes down to how serious you are about going bush. The Suzuki Grand Vitara would seem to be your best bet.

It depends somewhat on the condition of the sand. If it’s well packed and solid all-wheel drive would suffice, but I wouldn’t rely on it on loose, deep sand. For that I would want a proper four-wheel drive.

Servicing is based on time as well as kilometres, Ingrid. Fluids and rubber components are affected by the passing years, not just the passing kilometres, so if a major service is due, then the best advice is to have it carried out.

If you want to reduce your servicing costs, the best advice might be to abandon the capped-price deal (presumably at a Suzuki dealership) and find a good, local, independent workshop that is qualified to do log book services. You might find even a major service at such a workshop will be no more expensive than a minor one at a dealership. Just because you have a capped-price servicing contract doesn’t mean you have to use that service outlet.