Suzuki dealership service unsatisfactory
 

I wasn't going to do this thread but I posted something relevant elsewhere and decided why not? I appreciate that this car doesn't make it to the U.S. so it may (and conversely may not) be of interest.

I've owned my BRZ for 8 years and have enjoyed driving/tracking it but while I still enjoy driving it I have only been taking it out once every week or two for the past year or so just to keep things oiled. We are going from a 2 car family to just the one car. It's time for a change.
I had first suggested this might be happening here. Crikey, that's nearly 2 years ago!

There are very few options that meet my criteria; the Swift was about the only choice which made things easy. I intend to take it to the track once or twice for giggles but I am not going as crazy on parts as I did with the BRZ.

Speaking of which, and I think I mentioned this elsewhere, the aftermarket parts available for the Twins is just crazy, even now. You want something chances are someone makes/made it. Where as the mods available for the SSS is sad by comparison and I haven't found a forum that is remotely close to what this forum is. Ah well.

The parts purchasing has commenced, well, a deposit has been made on a set of KW V3. Let's talk about spring rates lol. Standard rates are.... are you sitting down? Standard rates are 2.5k/2.5k! Omg I didn't know such soft springs were made. Having said that one of the reasons for choosing the KWs was the relatively low rates of 4k/3k. It is a street car so l don't want to make the ride too firm. Wife and mum (mum has donated her Yaris for trade-in, thanks mum) have to live with the car too. Having said that some of the reviews have mentioned that the standard ride is a little firm (haha,they're kidding right?).
One has to remember the car has a kerb weight of 990 kgs. Just to put that into perspective the car is lighter than every car that's heavier than it.
Headlight leveling bracket to be ordered. Cut-to-length end-links to be fitted.

Camber plates are not available so I will have to compromise and make do with camber bolts. I had a small email discussion with Intrax. They were the most informative and offered a solution. Not a practical solution but they offered some plates that could be welded in to the towers once the top of the towers had been cut out. One then mounts the camber plates to the newly welded-in plates. Thanks but no.

Wooo!! Michelin PS4s are available in required size as are Nankang AR-1.
I have to weigh original wheels before deciding if wheel replacement is happening but given the small size (17x6.5) I doubt there will much saving to be made.


To be continued.

US and Canada doesnt get the cool cars.
Its a shame cuz when Suzuki pulled out of the N/A market they started making more interesting cars......

I have started ordering parts from the list I have compiled. Luckily there aren't too many options for this car.
I have changed my mind and I'm getting Goodyears instead of PS4. A review suggests that the Goodyears have more feel than the Michelins. I appreciate that there is not a lot in it but a decision has to be made.

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
Dash Cam
Horn
KW V3 ordered
Headlight Leveling Bracket received
Intercooler
Silicone Intake Hose
Tower Brace
Camber Bolts
Swaybar end links
Rear camber/toe adjuster plates
Brake pads
Floor mats
Brake Fluid

Single exit catback mmmmm... this is a probably when I have some spare cash lying about but no rush.
Catch Can undecided
Wheels Enkei RPF1 17x7 6.8kg <- This depends on oem wheel weights.

I have decided against a lithium battery; I can't justify even to myself. I must be getting soft.

Thanks for the message about the Swift. I had a Swift GTi in the US back in the early 90s. It was a fun car!

I saw some scuttlebutt that Suzuki may be coming back to the USA in '22 or '23. My wife saw the Suzuki Jimny and wants one!

What kind of gains do you expect with the various turbo upgrades on your Swift Sport?

Congratulations. :cheers:

Why this and not a GTI?

I am a little anti VW and more importantly I can't justify the extra $12,000.

There is a dire shortage of Jimnys for sale here. There are only 3 new Jimnys for sale on Australia's biggest cars-for-sale website and 2 of them are "enquire for price". From the few reviews I've watched they seem like a competent off-roader for the size and price point.

I am not expecting much from the intercooler but there is a claimed reduction in inlet temperatures. I will take what ever I can get but there isn't much out there to choose from. I am not going to change any item that will affect emissions as I don't want the headache of tuning and testing; it isn't that sort of car.

What I'm expecting from myself is a burst of modding then leave it at that. (But we'll see.)

Thanks

I'm just glad to see that you're still hanging out with us. Always a pleasure. :cheers:

Thank you :):)

Good luck.

Woohoo!
I picked the car up today and here are some first impressions.
I spent a few minutes in the driveway of the dealership getting mirrors and seat right, that was all good but not long after leaving (1 minute?) I had my first experience of Autonomous Emergency Braking. Ffs. At the next set of traffic lights that got switched off. The owner's manual gives an extended list of when it might not function properly and I had an experience of this. One has to switch it off after each engine start. If I forget to do this I'm guessing it wouldn't be long before I am reminded.

Its cornering ability is greater than I was expecting and this is on standard tyres and suspension. The KWs will be going on in a couple of weeks time.
The steering is a little weird. The effort is about the same as the BRZ but not nearly as much feel. That is, I think it is artificially weighted to give the impression of sportiness (what ever that is) without actually making the steering feelsom. Not a major criticism, more of an observation.

Even while running-in I can tell there's quite a surge (relatively speaking) starting around 2k.

I learnt on the extended drive home that one can play around with the gearbox in auto mode. That is, one can change down for engine braking without having to resort to manual mode. This might be a common feature now days but it is new to me, as are flappy paddles.

Before getting the car I had been considering a single exit exhaust. I definitely want one now as the car is terribly muted regarding intake and exhaust noise.
Its lack of mass is apparent when braking.

First impressions are great, a lot of grinning.

A proper review sometime later.

Here's a weird impression. The Suzuki is only 40mm wider and 5mm longer than mum's former Yaris but I can't get over how freaking big the Suzuki is. I know it's not a big car and it's classified as a small car but I guess my definition of small has become obsolete.

Do you mean the boxy shape and interior space? The Japanese have mastered the art of maximising a car’s internal space for a given footprint. If you’ve ever been in a kei dar, it’s incredible the space they have given the restricted dimensions.

There is plenty of room on the inside but yeah, it looks big and boxy from the outside. An acquaintance had a Honda Jazz, talk about a Tardis.

I've owned the car for 3 weeks and having completed 1100 kms here are some further thoughts.

But first an analogy.
When I'm drinking inexpensive wine I am not very critical. The rating is either enjoyable (cheap and cheerful), drinkable or it's getting poured down the sink. If I am drinking more expensive wine I become much more judgemental, I critique the wine with greater scrutiny. This same attitude extends to this car; it is not a premium car and I wasn't expecting miracles.
More importantly, I haven't test driven other cars so I don't have to trouble myself with "but it's not as good compared to...".

There will some comparisons with mum's former Yaris and the Peugeot 206gti I used to own. The BRZ might get a mention too.

Around corners the car is more fun than the Yaris but not as much fun as the Pug though it is faster than both. The Yaris exhibited no sign of playfulness, just eventual understeer (which is not surprising) and the Pug had awesome, beautiful lift-off oversteer. (In the wet the Pug was driven with caution for fear of spin. It happened a couple of times and I didn't want to repeat the experience.) I've not been trying very hard to get the Suzuki to oversteer given its cornering speed so at this point in time I'm saying it is closer in cornering style to the Yaris than the Pug. At medium speed the front points really well and understeer isn't an issue until unwise speeds. For a street car its cornering ability is more than enough. Before getting the car I was thinking that inside wheel spin was going to be an issue and while it occasionally makes itself known it hasn't been the problem I thought it was going to be. It's just as well as there is no LSD available.
The fitment of the KWs has been postponed until January.

I've mentioned this elsewhere but this car is the first auto I've owned. Surprisingly, I don't miss a manual box. I think it a little weird that I don't miss it but *shrug*

Tyres sometimes scrabble for traction from a standstill in the dry. There is quite a mid-range surge (relatively speaking) between 2k and 4k but power tapers off significantly after 5k rpm with a 6.2k redline. I like there are no pops and farts from the exhaust on gear change. I think that effect contrived and would become annoying quite quickly.
Fitting a silicone intake tube has made the engine noise almost non-existent. It is now incredibly quiet. I've had a quote for a single exit exhaust with a custom titanium muffler. This is slated for February if all goings according to plan.

A space saver spare is on the shopping list; I do not have high confidence in a bottle of sealant.

I think the car's biggest fault and it's not very major, more of a lance corporal, is the size of the petrol tank. It's only 37 liters. On an constant throttle the range is pretty good but I don't drive on a constant throttle around town. My current average fuel consumption is 8.9 liters/100kms, 31.7 Imperial mpg, 26.4 US mpg which is pretty ordinary.

The seat fits me well and is very supportive. I have seen some reviews where the seat is too narrow for the driver but I like the grippy feeling. Something I really, really like about the interior is the infotainment screen isn't stuck on top of the dash, it doesn't interfere with my line of sight. The steering wheel is cluttered with controls and while it makes ergonomic sense I prefer a steering wheel just for steering. More importantly the air con has analog controls.
Something that irks me (when I think of it) is the seat isn't perfectly set behind the steering wheel. I'm guessing the steering wheel is 10mm offset to the left of the centerline of the seat. I know this is not uncommon. It makes no difference to driving, it's the thought of it that bugs me.

The car is loaded with electronic safety features. Lane Departure Warning (permanently switched off), Autonomous Emergency Braking (switched off after every start), Pedestrian Detection (I haven't tested this) plus others. What gets me is the Owner's Manual gives a list for every safety feature for when it may not work as intended. There are 21!! reasons listed why the Blind Spot Monitor might not work.
Risk compensation at its best.

I was expecting a faster (non GR) Yaris but I wasn't expecting it to be this much fun.
Win!

A few days ago I received a text message from the dealership welcoming me to the dealership family. I did not reply but can I expect an invitation to their Christmas party?
Today I received a letter from Suzuki Australia welcoming me "to the Suzuki Way of Life". Huh? Wtf is the Suzuki way of life?
Are these messages supposed to endear me to a product? Strangely enough I did not hear back from Suzuki Australia after I completed my mostly negative reply to their survey.

Have you checked out the rent4ring swifts in Germany? They do alot of fun stuff with them, the new gen aswell. Ive rented the previous gen swift sport for a weekend on the ring and it was bloody brilliant!

Yeah, I've contacted them for information. They were quite helpful. I've watched some videos of their cars getting thrashed mercilessly around the 'ring.

Came across this post, another worthy mod if driving hard is your thing is upgrading/replacing the Lower Engine Mount. Hardrace is supposedly the street friendliest option. It completely transform the car, the softness of the suspension is no longer an issue, it was the engine movement that unsettled the car all this time. Naturally, NVH has increased which is not a bad thing, provides a more visceral driving experience.

I also have CTC intake kit and RaceChip installed, top end is very good now.

What brand of intercooler do you have?

I'll put the engine mount on the shopping list.
I have the CTC intercooler although it is still sitting in the garage. I'm not sure if/when I'll install it.

I've just gone the opposite way. Had a 2018 Swift Sport manual and traded it on a slightly older BRZ. The Swift was easy to drive with plenty of go, being lightweight, but as you noted, no forums, no decent range of accessories, no sparewheel - the space saver Suzuki offered me didn't fit over the front brake caliper.

Only issue with the Swift was the brakes were very grabby when cold or low speed.

Averaged 6.2L/100km around town but it was a bit of a boring shopping trolley.

Now the BRZ . . . . . .

There is a forum here: https://www.sssoc.co.uk/forum/

That forum is deader than the zombies in Dying Light.

True, but you can get help from fellow owners if needed - albeit slower than over here.

I've just ordered 4 of these (not this size pictured). AUD$950 including freight to my door. They're coming from Taiwan so about 3 months away. One of their claims to fame is they need very little warm up. Given the wife is going to have a track day (whether she likes it or not) and the weight of the car I'm guessing getting heat into the rear tyres might be a bit of challenge. I have no idea how they managed to get rated street legal.
I reckon the looks alone will add 5KW.




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Have you managed to fit the CTC intercooler?

Nope, it still sitting in the shed. It is not a job I want to do in our carport and the guy whose workshop I use has moved away and only visits every now and then. Having said that, given the car's use I don't feel the mad need to have it installed. There maybe a tinge of buyer's remorse but only a tinge.
There have been quite a few items removed from the aftermarket parts list.

Have you done any exhaust work to the car? I'm looking at removing the OEM centre pipe, replacing it with straight pipe or small resonator, seems like a cheap way of liberating some decent noise, some videos I found in you tube

https://youtu.be/PF0akqg7tD0

https://youtube.com/shorts/XNG_Qn9qaVI?feature=share

The single exit exhaust I had planned for is one of the items removed from the shopping list.
My parts list was created before the arrival of the car and I was thinking like I thought about my BRZ. I've realised the Suzuki is a road car, not a track car. This change of outlook took a little while to take hold.

I agree, in its stock form, it's a very road oriented car (comfortable one). Engine mount is as soft as marshmallow, stock suspension has a lot of travel, automatic transmission that change gear at 5,500 RPM even at manual mode, relatively high steering rack ratio (good feel though). It is quite apparent when you start bumping the power just a by a bit, it upset the balance of the car.

It does have the potential to be a decent track car due to it's lightweight but at what cost.

Aftermarket rear engine mount arrived today.

Disclaimer: I am bored and slightly not sober* so I am making post today about something not very interesting, ok? You have been warned.

Yesterday I had the aftermarket rear engine mount fitted. It has made a noticeable difference. There is much less.....mmmm...slop when changing gears now. The gear change itself hasn't changed but its effect on drive train smoothness is surprising.
It's better but I don't know if it's significant but I'm glad it's been done.
That concludes today's story.




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You will feel it more once additional power is added. With stock mount the engine is allowed to move considerably, it feels like it's actually running away from you when driven hard.

Do you feel any difference in NVH? It was pretty harsh in my experience for the first couple of weeks.

The only difference I've noticed is a bit of vibration at idle.

Minor detail but I don't like these sorts of minor detail.

I took my car to the dealership to have the oil and filter changed at about 5,000kms. Not required but you know, run in. It was interesting to note on the service invoice that the tyres had had their pressures checked, including the spare. I found that quite surprising given there was no spare.

Since then I had fitted an aftermarket space saver.

Night before car goes in for 10k service I deflate spare.
Receive invoice for service; spare has had its pressure checked. No mention at reception of spare being flat. Go outside to get car, check spare. It is still deflated.
This is going to be interesting.
I go back to reception to query their process. I asked if all the other work had actually been carried out or did I need to check that too. I know the guy behind the counter wasn't at fault but he had to wear my questions. I was polite, didn't get angry but I was persistent.
I didn't get a satisfactory answer but I'm guessing I won't be going back to that dealership for service. Suzukis are incredibly reliable so f*ck the extended warranty.

Funny you mentioned the spare.
I had my car serviced yesterday and the sheet said they checked the spare. I of course thought "sure you did"
When I went to leave I noticed two finger prints on my spoiler. Not grease or dirt just some light dust in the prints like the police would do. They were perfectly centered on the middle spoiler support and showed that somebody had taken great care in closing the trunk. I was all like "well damn they DID check the spare"!

I am also getting a new steering wheel under warranty as they notice a couple of small cracks in the leather where I don't even touch it. Made sure they were very clear in understanding that it is not a standard wheel though.

Guess all service departments are not created equal.