4WD system

I am struggling to acquire accurate information about my 2007 Jimny's 4WD system.  My local dealership have told me, after having the car for a month and a given budget of £1500 to sort the system and the hubs that it is not cost effective to do the work.

My trawl through YouTube suggests that adding free wheeling hubs is not expensive and a simple solution although I would prefer a fully working system but does the vacuum system need to be fully functional to engage the half shafts to facilitate the 4WD system.  If so how do I check that it will do whatever it should do in the differential.
Where might I source reliable info regarding re-piping or whatever the vacuum tubing?

Having been under the vehicle for 2 days I am appalled at the amount of rusty panels and must wonder how the dealer got the vehicle through its pre sale MOT.  The brackets holding the front valence on are completely rusted through and the bodged job around the headlights has to be seen to be believed.  Is there a source of inner wings and brackets which secure the valance and the lower lights which are barely hanging on.

Sorry this is so long but it is a measure of my frustration and how little confidence one can place on the dealerships selling for Suzuki.
John Killingbeck 

If your car has so much rust then I would take it back to where you bought it and demand they fix it, that is if you can.

The vacuum lines are a complicated arrangement of steel and flexible pipes and either rust through or become blocked, at which point the front hubs won't engage. It is my understanding that the hubs don't often fail although they can stick.

There are a few options:

1) If the vac hubs are OK, check the vacuum system and if it is the lines replace with new Suzuki parts (expensive) or run new vacuum tubing from the solenoid valves to the hubs. I would put the T-piece at the top and run a separate set of lines to each hub. Flexible vac pipe is not expensive.

2) The alternative is manual hubs, these are about £160, you just take off the old vac hubs and fit them in place. Then block the pipe from the closed/lock solenoid valve to fool the system in to thinking the hubs are locked (or short out the pressure switch) and then the transfer box should work as normal.

I went manual hubs when my vac lines became blocked last Xmas, I have never looked back.

If it's not the vac lines or hubs, but is the transfer box, this is a bigger job.

The BigJimny Wiki is the best resource for information.

Robin

I followed the elders advice in this forum in a similar situation and ordered manual hubs. Check my resent thread on this!

If the problem is leaky hoses then the genuine parts are expensive and not worth fitting. This is how I replaced the entire vacuum hose system for £15 using 4mm id PVC hose and some cable ties. It took about an hour and is a big improvement over the original hose routing.

 

wrote:

If your car has so much rust then I would take it back to where you bought it and demand they fix it, that is if you can.

I would think it would only be good will from the dealer. Highly unlikely you'd have a legal claim on a used vehicle.

wrote:

Having been under the vehicle for 2 days I am appalled at the amount of rusty panels and must wonder how the dealer got the vehicle through its pre sale MOT.  The brackets holding the front valence on are completely rusted through and the bodged job around the headlights has to be seen to be believed. 

Sorry this is so long but it is a measure of my frustration and how little confidence one can place on the dealerships selling for Suzuki.
John Killingbeck 

Rust is not automatically an MoT failure, esp on a ladder chassis vehicle. To really be an MoT concern it would either need to be presenting sharp edges on the exterior of the vehicle. Or be within a certain distance from a seatbelt/body mounting point. Non structural rusting is generally perfectly acceptable from an MoT stand point.

If it is as bad as you think & you suspect it was done by a 'Friendly' garage of the dealer report it to VOSA

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions, the photographs are particularly helpful. Reassuring re rust! The dealer suffered a heart attack and has retired.

May I ask a further question? Can one check the other parts of the 4WD system or is it a case of replacing the pipes, stripping and cleaning the hubs then hope everything is OK
Stalker

Yes everything can be checked. What was the indication of the initial fault? A flashing 4wd light?