Kizashi Club

Hello, everyone, have had my 2011 SLS AWD sedan for 3 years now and except for an initial electrical connector issue during the first month of ownership has been rock steady and reliable, no quality issues what so ever, unlike some other members experiences. The issue that I'm having is the noisy, stressed sound that the motor makes when accelerating onto the highway or when using the paddle shifters. It reminds me of my previous Honda Civic Si that needed to be rung out to get some acceleration and that got old after 2 years. I was hoping that this car would be a keeper since it meets our needs in most ways but right now I'm not sure. I am seriously looking at a Cadillac ATS sedan which combines good handling, a quiet and refined V6 and luxurious appointments. I am not looking forward to getting back into debt but life is short and am tired of settling. Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.

It would be a pity just to sell because of noise, but understandably things like that can really play on your nerves.

Some things that come to mind:
- Have you got an undetected exhaust leak, or a muffler / cat on the way out?
- Have you tried running the highest octane fuel to see if there's any difference?
- What viscosity/ brand oil are you running?

PS: Would a GM product really be a better long term keeper?

The better question is:

Would an un-godly overpriced GM product really be a better long term keeper?

The Kizashi's engine is definitely louder as the RPM's climb up, but that's the nature of pushing a 180hp 4 cylinder.

What's your mileage and maintenance like? Maybe a tune up will help

What's the mileage of your car?
Like Bootymac, I'm thinking a tune-up is key here. Also, I believe the Kizashi calls for a valve clearance check at 90,000 miles in the owner's manual.
Check the spark plugs and air filter. Change the oil if due.
See if these measures make the engine perform better.

Personally, I like the Cadillac ATS, but it can get pricey when optioned with the better drivetrains like the V6 or turbo 4. It's been critically acclaimed and some reviews have said it handles better than a comparable BMW 3 Series. Given Cadillac is not selling too well (they even replaced their CEO recently) maybe there are good deals on them.

That being said, I think your Kizashi may just need a tune-up and if that restores performance to your satisfaction, you'd be saving so much money over getting something like an ATS.

Fellows,
thank you all for your thoughtful responses and questions. The car has 33k miles, serviced faithfully, running reg gas, just had 30k mi service May 31, running a K & N drop in filter. New spark plugs, fluids changed and just had an oil change yesterday, 8/24/14. Maybe I should put the stock air filter back in to minimize any increased intake roar (noise). Honestly, as all you all well know the Kizashi is such an excellent, underated car for so many reasons. I was on Edmunds.com reading 42 reviews on the Kizashi where it averaged out to 5 stars and reminding myself what a good car it is. I think I'll just suck it up and accept it for what it is. And I agree re: the GM products, the cost of ownership, depreciation is awful per Intellichoice and other reviewers had also commented on how the powerplants were also loud and unrefined.

red rider wrote:Fellows,
thank you all for your thoughtful responses and questions. The car has 33k miles, serviced faithfully, running reg gas, just had 30k mi service May 31, running a K & N drop in filter. New spark plugs, fluids changed and just had an oil change yesterday, 8/24/14. Maybe I should put the stock air filter back in to minimize any increased intake roar (noise). Honestly, as all you all well know the Kizashi is such an excellent, underated car for so many reasons. I was on Edmunds.com reading 42 reviews on the Kizashi where it averaged out to 5 stars and reminding myself what a good car it is. I think I'll just suck it up and accept it for what it is. And I agree re: the GM products, the cost of ownership, depreciation is awful per Intellichoice and other reviewers had also commented on how the powerplants were also loud and unrefined.

Yeah, 4 cylinder engines in cars weighing over 3000 lbs (like the Kizashi) can get noisy when pushed. That being said, many reviews stated that the Kizashi's 2.4 liter engine was rather decent compared to its competitors' normally aspirated 4 cylinder engines.

KuroNekko wrote:

red rider wrote:Fellows,
thank you all for your thoughtful responses and questions. The car has 33k miles, serviced faithfully, running reg gas, just had 30k mi service May 31, running a K & N drop in filter. New spark plugs, fluids changed and just had an oil change yesterday, 8/24/14. Maybe I should put the stock air filter back in to minimize any increased intake roar (noise). Honestly, as all you all well know the Kizashi is such an excellent, underated car for so many reasons. I was on Edmunds.com reading 42 reviews on the Kizashi where it averaged out to 5 stars and reminding myself what a good car it is. I think I'll just suck it up and accept it for what it is. And I agree re: the GM products, the cost of ownership, depreciation is awful per Intellichoice and other reviewers had also commented on how the powerplants were also loud and unrefined.

Yeah, 4 cylinder engines in cars weighing over 3000 lbs (like the Kizashi) can get noisy when pushed. That being said, many reviews stated that the Kizashi's 2.4 liter engine was rather decent compared to its competitors' normally aspirated 4 cylinder engines.

I looked up sound level figures from Edmund's for the hell of it:

2010 Suzuki Kizashi
@ idle (dB) 34.1
@ Full throttle (dB) 66.9
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 58.1

2012 Toyota Camry
@ idle (dB) 39.4
@ Full throttle (dB) 69.7
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 63.7

2014 Mazda 6i
Sound level @ idle (dB) 40.6
@ Full throttle (dB) 73.8
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 62.8

2013 Honda Accord
Sound level @ idle (dB) 40.6
@ Full throttle (dB) 72.4
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 63.8

2013 Nissan Altima
Sound level @ idle (dB) 39.3
@ Full throttle (dB) 70.7
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 62.2

Isn't it every 3dB increase appears as twice as loud to the human ear? That puts a new perspective on the noise levels in some of those other vehicles!!!

Regarding what KuroNekko mentioned, the valve clearances may be the issue. I know with the J24B there was a huge outrage on Suzuki Forums at the requirement to have the valve clearances adjusted with certain model Grand Vitaras. Apparently the earlier J24B engines had full hydraulic tappets but Suzuki for some reason went back to manual set clearances with the GV. I thought I'd read they'd gone back to hydraulic again and just figured that was what was fitted in the Kizashi?

On my service sheet- from last week- it did have noted "Valve clearance check (audible only)". But that may be just a generic list they print off for all Suzuki models?

Yep, manual valve clearances (from the service manual):

Valve Lash (Clearance) Inspection
Inspect intake and exhaust valve lashes. Adjust them if necessary.
Refer to Valve Clearance Inspection and Adjustment for valve lash inspection and adjustment procedures.

I'd be guessing that could be the source of any excess mechanical noise.

The manual specifies to inspect clearances every 30000km/ 18000 miles under the "normal" schedule.

The "adjustment" procedure also involves removing the out of spec tappet, doing a calculation to work out the size required and then replacing the tappet with the closest available size.... So you'd need a big selection of tappets on hand to do the procedure.