Starting Problems

[Rock Guy]

I have a Suzuki Grand Vitara (2001).

Over the last few years it has had intermittant, but extremely annoying, starting problems.

It will be running absolutely fine and then out of the blue you go to start it and nothing. The battery is fine.

The mechanic I take it to has gone through telling me it is the fuel injection that needs cleaning out, but afte a recent service the problem appears to be worse in that the engine sounds awful and when I am stopped at lights it sounds and feels as if the engine is about to die.

The car has had all the applicable Suzuki recall fixes done to it.

I took it to a Suzuki dealership and they could not identify the problem although they told me that the mechanic I use should have put iridium and not platinum plugs.

However that is not what is causing the issue. What they were struggling to comprehend is why it would not start after the engine has been running.

When this happens I turn the car off, pumpo the gas a few times wait and it usually starts.

I am not a mechanic and I don't want to bias any opinions by stating what I think it might be (I am probably totally off base).

Has anyone run into this problem with the Grand Vitara??

[Rock Guy]

I cannot believe that no one has run into this problem with a GV.

I went back to our mechanic and he blew me off with "oh it will always happen as your car gets older" 92Km on the clock and I am seriously considering Suzuki are lemons.

[squiggy5750]

having the same problem with a 1999 vitara has 72,000 miles 2 wheel drive auto transmission when it gets hot it wont start starter turn and battery is new and plugs are new from another forum they fixed it it was in the ignition switch mine sometimes wont let the key out and you have to play with it but it comes out i think it might be in that going to junk yard to get ignition switch the new ones are 200.00 times are tuff and never changed that before dont want to waste the money i will learn how to get it out then puting in will be easier and if not the fix only out a little for switch

[Torch]

I don't have a Vitara but I do have a 1999 Suzuki Esteem, as far as the Esteems go Suzuki did not make a lemon.

Regarding spark plugs, Platinum plugs are around $2.00 (US), Iridium plugs are around $8.00 (US), my Esteem has run just fine with Platinum plugs for over 100k miles (US) and still looked fine when I pulled them out for routine maint. tens of thousands of miles later, I wouldn't think that Suzuki would make such as drastic change to an engine just for a particular model of car that it would REQUIRE iridium plugs. I think your dealer just wanted to make some $$$ and sell you something that you didn't need, I may be wrong but that is my experience with spark plugs.

Regarding it not starting... I'm assuming that when you turn the key and get "nothing" you really get nothing and the engine will not even turn over, does everything turn on inside the car when you turn the key to the run position (radio, dash lights, etc.) then nothing if you turn it all the way over to the START position?

This is probably either a worn out ignition switch or you have a flaky relay somewhere.

[GODBA]

These vehicles are essentially not reliable on any level!
You're much wiser to buy a similar type vehicle from Honda or Toyota.
Don't believe the disinformation about Vitaras!

[Torch]

Originally Posted by GODBA

These vehicles are essentially not reliable on any level!
You're much wiser to buy a similar type vehicle from Honda or Toyota.
Don't believe the disinformation about Vitaras!

Ok, you said that the Vitara is not reliable on any level, then you go and say not to believe the disinformation about Vitaras, I'm confused.

[dgee]

i have same problem with my 4cyl vitara when it get hot about 90 degrees outside and i drive for a half an hour shut off car for 5 minutes it wont start
i pop open the hood let it cool down and it will restart. one time i poured water over the cam postion sensor in the back off the motor and it started right away i have read other post about the sensor being at fault but with cooler weather i am holding off on replacing it . beacause it is starting on the second or third try but definitely not on first try. anybody know where i can get an inexpensive sensor under 150.00. thanks

[Tahoia]

Alright here's some solutions i went through, I have a 2000 Grand Vitara, over 100k miles. This might be your solution, but Im the 3rd owner of the car and i don't know if your vitara has the same features as mine. Now I fixed my issue, so bare with me...Now it(grand Vitara) was running fine...my wife goes out to get some gas and she cant start up the vehicle at the gas station...I went through diagnosing the battery, it was fine, went through and check all my Relays and fuses(they were all fine) i push start it (because it was a manual trans) and was able to drive it home... I woke up in the morning and went to Napa and bought me a new starter, after installing it. now I have a new starter and it does not work still, there's no clicking right before you should here the starter....I came back to my computer and read some other problems on other forums, so i found out that vitaras have a problem with the wiring inside the steering wheel column. and then I remembered that my vitara comes with this kill switch under the steering wheel...it looks like a treadmill safety key, i don't know if this feature come standard with all the grand Vitaras... this kill key should have a blinking red light next to it.and looks like a kill-switch on a treadmill machine..now if yours comes with it, then
that is the culprit. i had to just wiggle or just a little press on the key..but be careful because its fragile. take the safety key-kill switch out and clean it... it is not making contact with its female parts when you stick the key in. so play around with it and then slide it back in the hole...("that's what she said")...any ways...if yours does not have a kill switch, check to see if Vitaras come with kill switches sometimes in the rear or the front of the bumper for safety reasons, Ford cars have these features, i don't know if these Japanese cars have them, but it's made so when your in an accident, the car wont start up again until the kill switch is re-armed again, to protect from fuel pump or fuel tank blowing up during an accident. so that might be another tip to look for. the kill switch on my car is obvious for theft reasons, so just do your do-diligence and check fuses, pull obd codes wiggle the starter wires, be careful you can get electrocuted doing that, also light tap on the starter with a wooden stick(lightly tapping 2 to 3 times)would help out too, but don't tap hard this may knock magnets around inside your starter and then you will have to go with out a car for a while or buy a new starter.hey let me know if this helps.

[rizky17]

Vitara is more impressed as usual

[SUERED]

I am answering here for the benefit of any new readers of this old thread!

Based upon age and description, this problem is likely the Neutral Safety Switch. I drive a 2002 Chev Tracker, but both vehicles are similar. The NSS is mounted on the side of the tranny case--passenger side and operates with the shift lever. If the NSS senses the shift lever is not in Neutral or park, it wont let you start the vehicle---deadsville as you describe. The shift lever will not move out of park anyway unless you disable the shift solenoid found inside the shift console, at the base of the shift lever inside the car. I disconnected that first and the problem abated for awhile (Started in neutral). Sooner than later, the NSS finally would not work period. The internet is full of repair ideas.

I took the NSS off the vehicle--opened it up and cleaned it--full of congealed electrical conductivity gel. Sanded the dulled contacts; Lubed and reassembled. No problems since with it. The part is expensive if you choose to discard it. My expense== just my labor; A small piece of 400 sandpaper and spray cleaner. I did have to disconnect the tranny coolant lines from the tranny case for access, fairly easy--banjo bolts. The fluid loss is not significant--less a cup I think.

R