1997 vitara

[fixkick]

thanks fixkick, yes mate im in australia, sorry i should of said that. i have a fcar scan tool, it shows no codes, and now i know why the odb2 wont connect, thanks for that info. I bridged the diagnostic terminals behind d/s front headlight right hand side. the only code that come up was 12, the fsm said this was normal. the engine light comes on the dash on ignition and switches of after the car starts. i have ordered a efi fuel pressure gauge. The fpr is genuine from suzuki. Ill start testing what you have told me. thats alot of info to go thru, thank you again, ill reply when after i do some testing.

For you and others on topic OBD2 blues: (dreams) I lost my notes on this ,but here it is... again for sure this link below for YOUR country.
no tool works,  suzuki never published there pesky OBD1 protocol.   same story for 31 years, (btw I know this secret and made my own tool) 
it is because your car is not made in USA, only usa cars this year, have OBD2 support. (our invention then)
IIRC<(google this) Australia did not mandate our OBD2 until 2007,  ( 11 years later took ours and modified it and bingo) most countries did the same thing on different latter years  , you do not have OBD2, period , unless firewall tag is NOT E24,  I can not see your tag. so.... IDK.
first car in your country to be OBD2 is 2000 year,  Chrysler Cruiser.(some  may vary by engine option size,type.)

ODDITY 1: ( fools the world this anyone would, and sure natural  to do that) (connector conundrums)
yes I am fully aware of Australian cars, and that some have the connector that is 16 pins and is 100% same size as OBD2 cars here, but is not OBD2.
it is wired to OBD1 ECU, and is not OBD2 at all, in fact the 12 blinks prove no  OBD2 exists.  12 = OBD1 only, hard proof. OBD2 has no CODE12, ever.
ok now we have full information.
many tool sellers list suzuki but in the manual shows, not this year. even our $5,000 tool here does not do this car. 

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RICH RUNNING causes, all.: (I will try my best)


So FPR is new and real.  so pressures can not be wrong wow yes they can be too high, well like of you hit a rock or tree stump offroading and smacked that
FPR return line ,bingo line crushed and fuel pressure 50 psi. dead to nuts wrong, and will be rich, meters works best diagnosing all cars made.


runs rich, the list of causes NOW are way less,
so the cam timing is not wrong, most are this old the cam, timing belt slipped.  ( like zillion post on this world wide, just the belt , ignored by many)
the way to prove that  easy besides eyes on belt and cog wheel marks.

is compression test,
180PSI is good,  16v runs this high, at sea level, I bet you are. ( my page as altitude corrections) test done with throttle blocked open 1/2 to full. never at idle angle.
90 is bad,  90 is common as the engine wants to retard grossly with loose belt. or shredded belt. so compression tops the list on this car every 100km.
this is the first thing we check for. (cars old lack service, and this fails lots)

Next up is that lower crank pulley, 17mm headed big bolt NOT  at spec 94FT/lbs.  per the TSB 1996 (retroactive and after)


Too rich list:
Tbelt slip ,compression test fails. all 4 fail. low. of one fails only, then bingo. that too.
MAF stuck high , simple volt meter test.
code 12, OBD1 means only no sensors 100% dead, it only warns you of total failures. unlike far better OBD2 one can even scan all sensors in OBD2.
So that means working on OBD1 cars we work blinded. (using hand tools to make up for OBD2 loss , meters and such.)
Rich O2 sensor bad, fixed.
Rich O2 lies, exhaust port cracked #4 tube as all did, and fixed.
spark plugs gapped (all new) to 0.028") not 0.045 as came in silly NGK box  .  0.71mm is spec. metric gap this is NOT HIGH ENERGY ignition at all.
new spark plugs ,hv wires, cap and rotor
distributor not re-timed to a bad CAM belt slipped timing  (2 wrongs do not make a right ) "seen it done and cry"

Fuel pressure too high, I bet not as the FPR is new and SUZUKI actual not china cloned knockoff (I always look)
The ECU bad needs new large CAPs in side called a Re_CAP job, very common and if Rubicon caps oops, those love to fail.
ECT reads wrong , on hot engine  tested, we pull its conn, (unlocks first) and reads 300ohms,  if wrong here, the thermostat is bad.
In Europe they sell 3 ECT 1 right 2 wrong, tricky to buy right one, and not get wrong. (not an issue in USA ever, 1 engine here 1 stat period G16 and one j18)

the thermostat on this car must have 96+ rated stat, with surround rubber ring, TSB never paper gasket as see 1992 and older.
if wrong the thermostat never works right,  it floats in the 4mm rim edge and cause water temps to be wild. never allow this.
if the water temp shows 180f (82c)(IR GUN tool) then the ECT does not agree, that means the ECT is bad, (or water levels too low and ECT always lies if too low.
that ends Tstat worry there,
I thank this list is full for rich. (hope)

EVIDENCE matters: (good bad or ugly all matter and for sure me not driving the  car)
Does the car run ok at all speeds, has full power, just poor MPG< (poor fuel economy)?
what other evidences is there for rich,
smells rich?.black or gray clouds of smoke,
see spark tips black
CAT converter glows red hot and not CAT melts inside and engine power is low or worse. (and finally will not start or stalls)
engine stalls rich. (limphome is top cause of this)
engine power lacks.
gross spark misfiring heard or felt or seen at idle gross engine shaking?

over injection  rich (discounting bad spark) Macro list:
is caused by:

• ECU bad inputs.
  
• and fuel pressure out  of spec. (FPR or clogged return line)
  
• Injectors leak. (no they are new)
  
• or bad engine. (cam timing or compression lost) (Cat melted, burned valves i head) TBelt slips. crank cog key front wrecked.
  
• or even a bad ECU, (last to blame) recap it?
  

here is  how to get the right thermostat, with rubber ring, 4mm lip and 5mm think ring seal. (date is USA introduction dates)
all ours are 4mm in year 1996 up, 1996 is all 16valves and all are 4mm lipped. if not done right engine can run cold. (leaks inside +chaos)