Parts supply on jdm imports

I am the proud owner of a jdm gen 4 Jimny. First service is due so I think I'll get the genuine parts, oil and pollen filter, front and rear diff oil, simple? No. There doesn't seem to be many Suzuki parts people with any product knowledge. Computer says no! How would they have ever managed in the old days when it was books and microfiche before an epc came along and worked it all out for you. After a month of being told they'll have to contact Suzuki and go through Japan I eventually found some one helpful. Even Suzuki customer services were brainwashed into thinking you couldn't look parts up. All they need to do is take a look without the vin number input. I have worked in parts for over forty years and cannot believe the shocking standard of parts people today. If any one has the same issues then I can recommend the parts man at the dealer in Leeds.

For the bulk of parts they are the same as the current UK models, dont be put off by incompetent dealers.

Good ones can get any parts you want.

And for purests who say "I only fit genuine Japanese parts" - the ones from the dealers are the genuine Japanese ones. I sell the parts and I know of a couple of Suzuki dealers happy to service JDM cars.

Axholme Lion 1 wrote:

All they need to do is take a look without the vin number input. I have worked in parts for over forty years and cannot believe the shocking standard of parts people today. If any one has the same issues then I can recommend the parts man at the dealer in Leeds.

I wish life was really this easy - unfortunately, sourcing spares for vehicles built for a different market has it's challenges, and if a commercial business in the UK were to ignore the VIN and order, just for example, a BCM, to be fitted to a JDM JB74 Jimny, there's a very high probability of getting the wrong part, at which point, they're stuck with it.

JDM JB74 Jimnys have a different "feature set" to the UK market models, a fact that I'm sure you're aware of, since you apparently have one, assuming I'm right on that, your car probably has keyless entry, keyless start - the BCMs are different.

Maybe your car has a conventional ignition switch, so keyless entry, but not keyless start - it's still not the same BCM, because the BCM & the key communicate via a radio transmission, and the JDM models use a different frequency to the UK models.

Over the years I haven't run into a variety of challenges - another example - this one is Suzuki, but not a Jimny.  the front discs on a 1992 Swift GLX, depending on the market can be either a solid rotor or a ventilated rotor.

Care for another one?  A JB420 Grand Vitara for the export markets ships with rear disc brakes, the same JB420 Escudo (JDM market) gets rear drums.

In some cases the VIN is used as a "break point", vehicles before this VIN use part number ABCD, after this VIN, use part number EFGH - let me know if you want a specific example, I'll find one in my EPC.