Ok, now before anyone gets angry with me, here's the thing, I've looked in the past posts and anything I can find is on the pre 99 TrackKicks.  So here goes, I've just checked my oil consumption, from every oil change (|removethispart|@3,000 mile intervals).  And since I bought it in August '03 its been exactly the same every time,  on average it loses one and a half quarts every 3000 miles.  No more, no less.  Sometimes the way it uses it is diffrent.  Sometimes it uses a half a quart in the first 500 miles I change it, sometimes it takes a thousand miles or more, but no matter what it's always the same in the end.  (BTW I always check it weekly and never let it get more than a half quart low, I figure, hey, Suzuki wants a full 5 and a half quarts in it for some good reason right???)

    The only time I goofed was when I first had it, I thought that the add mark meant 1 quart low like on just about every car and truck I ever owned, but, it turns out its already 2 quarts low at that point!!!  I came across a service bullitin from Suzuki on this, so I know it's not just mine.  

    OOPS, forgot to mention its the 2.0, but hey, if your 2.7 V-6 is doing this, I'd like to hear.    I've also been thinking about changing to synthetic, but the problem is that I know there is a slight leak around the PCV breather in the valve cover, I hear that most 2.0's do this and there is nothing you can do about it, the gasket is in good shape still, or at least so it seems.  I know that using synthetic will leak a little more because it gets into smaller places than just plain old Dino Juice.  So, what does your 99 and up Track/Vitara do?  Any opinions???Thanks,   Dave

What brand and viscosity of oil?

Sorry, forgot to mention that, it's Castrol 5-30.  I've always done good with Castrol.  Suzuki recomends 5 30 and I think 10 30 in the summer for these motors.  Thanks, Dave

HEy, What?  With the dip stick;

O------------------------o-------o------] off the end way to low
I thought                      ^         ^
                                 full     one qt. low

I have the 2.0L V6 and it use to leak oil from the rear crank shaft.

HEy, What?  With the dip stick;

O------------------------o-------o------] off the end way to low
I thought                      ^         ^
                                 full     one qt. low

 Yepper, thats exactly what my responce was too, but thats the honest to goodness truth.  Now, I don't know about the pre 99 four bangers, but that's what it is with the newer ones.  It may also be the same with the V-6's too but I'm not sure.      Dave

Yeah, with the V-6 the lower hole is one quart low.

If you've got one of them DOHC engines (I think the 2.0L has DOHC), do NOT run 10W30 (and DEFINITELY do not run 10W30 on a V6!!!).

10W30 will cause your timing chain tensioners to fail every 40,000 miles.  5W30 is the only oil to run, if you've got the timing chains (I'm SO glad my two 95's have a timing BELT).

My wife's GV runs between 1 and 1.5 quarts per 3,000 miles too.  (2.5 V6)

So is the lower hole 1 qt low on a 1.6? Or have I been running 1 qt low for over 200,000 miles :-/

Zig

So is the lower hole 1 qt low on a 1.6? Or have I been running 1 qt low for over 200,000 miles :-/

Zig

Yup, the lower hole is 1 quart low.
Well, in reality, it's probably 1 LITRE low.
But that's close enough for me and the girls I run with.

Yeah, with the V-6 the lower hole is one quart low.

If you've got one of them DOHC engines (I think the 2.0L has DOHC), do NOT run 10W30 (and DEFINITELY do not run 10W30 on a V6!!!).

10W30 will cause your timing chain tensioners to fail every 40,000 miles.  5W30 is the only oil to run, if you've got the timing chains (I'm SO glad my two 95's have a timing BELT).

My wife's GV runs between 1 and 1.5 quarts per 3,000 miles too.  (2.5 V6)

I'm glad you mentioned that.  I've allways used 5-30 in it.  I was thinking of using 10-30 in the summer months especially because of the noise I get when i first start it up in the morning, it doesn't do it every time, just a groaning noise,  posted about it here a while back but no one else seems to have that problem, I thought it was the cam bearing in the front.  Does anybody see any bennefits to using synthetic???   And btw, it is an OHC.  Thanks for the tip on the chain tensioner.  I really had no idea.   Thanks  Dave

I was thinking of using 10-30 in the summer months especially because of the noise I get when i first start it up in the morning, it doesn't do it every time, just a groaning noise,  posted about it here a while back but no one else seems to have that problem, I thought it was the cam bearing in the front.

Rut roh Davey.  That sounds real familiar!

My wife's GV had the timing chain tensioners go bad at 40,000 miles AND 80,000 miles.  You see, the Suzuki Owner's Manual says "run 5W30 OR 10W30".  So, the tensioners were replaced at 40,000 by the dealer, and at 80,000 by ME - When you have it torn down far enough to replace the tensioners, replacing the pistons and crankshaft would be about an extra 30 minutes work.  I took pics of the whole process, and I'm working on the document (already 15 pages, with color photos and exact tools noted).

OOOFFFFF!!!!!  Just out of curiosity, what did the noise do exactly.  Mine is like a groaning noise.  It only lasts for a second.  USually gets worse when the oil is near 3,000 miles.  Or, like yseterday, it did it after I changed the oil the first time I started it, then it went away and hasn't done it since.  Thing is, it doesn't do it every time, and lately, not much at all.  When you get the info ready can you post it for us to see???  Thanks for all the responses.     Dave

Well, it sorta sounds like a bicycle chain scraping over sheet metal.

Timing Chain Tensioners.  Oh happy, happy day.

I'll have to find a place to host my .PDF file...

Yepper, thats the sound.  Boy, you're really good at describing that, much better than I am, very original, and yet, acruate .  Did yours make the noise at start up or all the time?  And, how long did it do it for before you got the tensioner replaced.  Mine seems to be getting better.  Thanks again, Dave


PS, anyone else out there with this problem too?

Hey Bobzuki let em know where you end up hosting the .pdf or you could email it to me if ya want. I just bought a GV v6 and it has the pan off already so I could do it know while it is semi apart, it has 32000 miles on already. Thanks


Jacob

oh is the XL7 2.7l crank diff that the GV 2.5l crank? Where did you get the Crank and pistons?