What Did You Do With Your Kizashi Today?

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kizashiNY
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2023 7:07 pm

just loaded the gas tank with royal purple fuel injector cleaner, contemplating cleaning the throttle body and wondering if I should replace the ignition coils since i just did plugs..... decisions decisions.
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SAEED_KIZZY
Posts: 507
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:31 pm

today I changed my car radiator cap @180,000Km I noticed some color degradation in the upper washer also the spring inside of the old one can be easily pressed down but the new one is much harder to press.
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n8dogg
Posts: 215
Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:20 am

Good preventative maintenance item! I've had a couple cause me issues when they stopped holding pressure.
'12 Kizashi SLS AWD w/RF sound
easy to chip Vivid Red and 25% window tint
Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus II
Power Stop Rotors and Pads
183,xxx miles and still lovin it!
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SAEED_KIZZY
Posts: 507
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:31 pm

Yes, n8dogg indeed it is :) holding higher pressure in the cooling system makes the boiling point of the coolant go higher. and that's good for the engine. today I checked my car with diag to see car parameters like the ECT temp sensor I was surprised to see that the engine fan comes on at 103 C(218F) at this temperature car needs good coolant and also good pressure hold.
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KIZAWDinKC
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2010 1:53 am

2010 Kiz, 119,000 miles. Still driving it to work every day. It's just my "drive to work" vehicle. Original owner, bought it back in 2011. I thought for sure the car was about ready to die 3-4 years ago when it sounded bad and was smoking from the hood. It was just the valve gasket that needed replacing. I replaced it myself, and after that it's been running ok. It just has a terrible clunking sound activity from the back of which I tried to remedy years ago with new links, shocks, new upper mount . Probably the bushings, but the car is too old and obsolete to mess with that stuff further. All bolts in this vehicle are seized. Can't really work on the car any more.

But here I am am over 10 years later in 2023 still driving the Kiz. It's more comfortable than a 2023 Audi I drove this year as a rental when I was out of town. I'll just keep driving my kiz until it dies. The drivers seat and how the vehicle fits me better than any other is what has kept me from getting rid of it. It would just go straight to the junkyard anyhow.
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n8dogg
Posts: 215
Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:20 am

Freshened up the interior with some new front floor mats...my heel had long wore through. As old as my car is, It still looks good to me so I didn't want to cheapen it with ill fitting universal mats so I was glad to find Avery auto mats on Ebay. They are made to order (In the US!) so you can get them however you want! I had no idea I could find other than universal for our cars! I got the cheapest optioned ones. They feel very heavy, rubberized backing, not Velcro like originals, but they do have the grommets for the floor clips (they were off a smidge, but still work.)
'12 Kizashi SLS AWD w/RF sound
easy to chip Vivid Red and 25% window tint
Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus II
Power Stop Rotors and Pads
183,xxx miles and still lovin it!
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SAEED_KIZZY
Posts: 507
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:31 pm

my car first flat tire after 180,000km on the road and use my old YOKOHAMA OE tire and it works :)
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

So I've had a string of bad luck with my Kizashi this week.
It first started when I returned from my recent trip to Japan and washed the car. I then checked the engine and discovered that some animal crawled up on the engine cover and took a shit before walking over it, likely during the time I was gone. I was going to post a pic but decided to spare you all. Fortunately, it did not smell at all and the animal did not appear to have chewed on any wires or hoses, leading me to think it was likely an opossum. I then bucket-washed the engine cover and areas that were soiled with water and castille soap with a rag. I didn't use a hose thus the engine was exposed to less water than when I use a degreaser and rinse. I then started the engine and after a short duration, turned it off. Given the 90 degree weather and dryness here in Southern California, figured I'd let things air dry.

The next day, the car exhibited stalling at RPMs under 1000, which in retrospect now, I realize occurred often after I washed my engine. I'm now convinced the Kizashi's engine (at least mine) is very sensitive to water exposure and some component or sensor retains moisture that causes the issue. The way I cure this issue is disconnecting the battery to reset parameters but I'm realizing components drying out is also the fix. I've had this issue a few times before and realize now it was sometime shortly after an engine wash. I'm just a bit surprised given I didn't expose the engine to much water this time as I mostly washed the soiled cover with a bucket and rag. From now on, I'm going to idle the engine for a while immediately after so the engine heat dries things out.

And they say it comes in threes and it did. My electronic trunk latch started to malfunction the next day. I wanted to make sure it was not just a fluke as I might have locked the car with the remote while the trunk was open. I was able to get it to close and lock after many tries but it's now inconsistent. In fact this morning, I had to drive to work with the trunk not properly shut thus I used an elastic strap to hold the trunk closed from the inside. Sometime during the drive, the trunk latch must have locked by itself because it's now properly latched. However, after three tests in which the latch failed to lock properly, I decided to replace the latch. A search here revealed a claim by someone with latch issues years ago that the Kizashi uses the same trunk latch as a Toyota Yaris. My search revealed the 2011 Toyota Camry also uses the same latch and looking at it, it looks identical to the Kizashi's in design. I opted to get an aftermarket latch for a Camry for $20 on Amazon. I'll report back regarding direct replacement and performance.

The past year or so has been very busy for me due to family matters and I haven't been able to put in the time I want to care for the Kizashi or contribute to the forum. I'm hoping to get back to it soon and get the car into more of an ideal condition.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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SAEED_KIZZY
Posts: 507
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:31 pm

@KuroNekko I had the similar issue but the problem was not the lock assembly for me the trunk latch is damaged and not locked properly so I order a new part 82651-57L00 from Megazip and the problem was solved. also, there is an adjustment bolt for the trunk latch.
and for under-the-hook cleaning, thanks for sharing your experience personally I just use compressed air to remove dust and never washed the inside of the engine bay.
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

SAEED_KIZZY wrote: Sat Jul 22, 2023 3:19 pm @KuroNekko I had the similar issue but the problem was not the lock assembly for me the trunk latch is damaged and not locked properly so I order a new part 82651-57L00 from Megazip and the problem was solved. also, there is an adjustment bolt for the trunk latch.
and for under-the-hook cleaning, thanks for sharing your experience personally I just use compressed air to remove dust and never washed the inside of the engine bay.
I was not aware of the adjustment bolt for the trunk latch. However, I suspect that my issue was beyond adjustment. For $20, it was definitely worth replacing the entire latch with a new and reliable one.

I don't typically wash an engine but my Kizashi's valve cover gaskets leaked a while back thus some of the engine got oil on it, which then collected dirt. The only way to really clean it effectively was to degrease the engine and rinse it off with water. I've also cleaned engines in most of my prior cars and never had an issue. I think the Kizashi likely is more sensitive to water/moisture and the best practice is to idle the engine for 10~15 minutes immediately after the rinse for the engine heat to dry the engine bay. I'll certainly be more careful next time.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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