Louisiana Suzuki Mechanic

[Bayouzukie]

I unfortunately purchased a '96 Sidekick Sport before learning that the J18 engine requires parts that are not common to other Zuk engines. I did purchase the '96 service manual and the 1.8L supplement to give to my local mechanic to help with a much needed tune up. Before having the tune up done by a mechanic not well versed in this engine I'm wondering if by chance someone knows the name of a Louisiana mechanic experienced with this engine. Thanks!

[fixkick]

no big deal there are over 53 suzuki engines.
The j18 is just and under-stroked, J20 , used on vast numbers of suzuki cars and light trucks, the J18 has many parts matching the j20, in fact the suffix parts are 77e00 coded for this fact.
this car is like one of the most rare cars suzuki ever made. (its like an early grand vitara, it is a nice car, but bad CONSUMER REPORTS , articles killed sales .. roll over claims, bla bla bla. history)
tiny production numbers. in low thousands, in CAMI Canada plant.
Most mech, go, what? (and will get worse each day ,due to usa,canada suzuki bug out.)
Suzuki/Isuszu/YUGO/DAEWOO) all share the same fate, bugged out. (no new cars sold now. here) Suzuki is very successful world wide but not here. nor canada.
New cars not sold, but parts are, but most of the suzuki overthe counter sales stores are gone.
here is one. of the two I know. (there parts list on line are, mostly lame, missing most the parts they have, horrid , like Isuzu , horrid)
About 100th the quality of online TOYOTA, or JEEPS. (Jeeps rule)

https://www.suzukicarparts.com/parts/199...searchText=

why worry:?
why not just do the tuneup, all cars are the same. this regard, (oldest story there is , a tuneup, or as they say now, SERVICE POINTS)
filters.
spark plugs.
spark plug cop boots, are recommended by me now, this old, the car uses COPS. the 1996 cops are not same type as later years.
COPS = coils over plugs , then bottom ends can get nasty (carbon fouled, and need new boots, just like modern cars all do) just like V6 in Grand vitaras have.

the spark plugs/cops are just like new cars, in the engine, even 40million Toyota, 4a/4a engines, used cops. and all cars now, mostly, (usa laws caused)
EPA here mandated hotter spark, and COPS do that. that is why they exist, some cars run a huge coil pack, and pass regs.
the air filter is super easy to change, is like all cars, and sold in all autostores. snaps out, snaps in. easy.

This engine runs just like all cars 1996 and newer, in USA< that has a MAF sensor, yours is in the Throttle body.
This car scans just like all cars made in uSA 1996 and newer, and reads the same and uses the same cheap universal scan tool used on all car here 1996 a newer called OBD2.
In fact we invented OBD2, so that is why our tools all work plug in and play here.
why are you so worried that this car is magic technology, it is not, it works like all modern cars and has way more power. too.
not only that kiss good by that crappy cam belt on the G16s, yours runs a long lasting chain.
in fact it works 10x more like newer cars that any G16 1995 ZUK runs.
not only that the EGR on your engines is 10x more simple and easy fix, and less likely to fail. way better with a pure electric EGR.

why not just find a good ASE shop, they know how to fix cars and engines.
please let them, tell them is almost same as 1999 plus, Grand Vitara....
http://www.ase.com/Landing-Pages/Car-Own...cator.aspx


rockauto and suzuki sell parts for this car. as to vast other stores, brick or not.
ask for help here if a part is hard to find.


here is my old j18 page
shows lots of facts on this transitional car.

http://fixkick.com/one-point-eight.html

[fixkick]

what is hard, is finding a mech, to fix the ZUK, G16s pre 96 year.
OBD1, some new mechanics, never seen one. much less read one book on them. Most have no idea what OBD1 is.... nor wish to learn. (relic, wonder puters)
The G16s are nothing like modern cars. for sure the 8valve, that is now EPA banned, this TBI technology , is dead here.

The G16 prior to 1996, , you cant scan them , Suzuki never published the scan protocol then. 89 to 95. (cept to one company long long gone, and dead, Tech1 scanners)
so most mechanics will throw up hands on G16s, can you blame them?

my point
the opposite is true from J18s. its like a SUPER NORMAL ENGINE. to any mechanic..... it is.
normal engine
normal OBD2 scans.
super normal.

[Bayouzukie]

Thanks for the advice. I'm feeling better about things.