Suzuki Jimny SZ5
Discussion
webstercivet said:
To add to that: the Jimny's low weight is actually a problem.
The EU emissions penalties are adjusted by weight -- a heavier car is allowed to emit more before it gets fined. This is an absurd bit of policy design, but was introduced as a sop to European manufacturers (I assume as the big German brands make a lot of heavy SUVs and saloons).
So the relatively light Jimny is penalised for its emissions more harshly than a heavier SUV (all else equal).
lol, well i guess it goes to prove that on the whole, most governments don't really care about emissions and pollution and it's all about the £/$ value of charing people to pollute.The EU emissions penalties are adjusted by weight -- a heavier car is allowed to emit more before it gets fined. This is an absurd bit of policy design, but was introduced as a sop to European manufacturers (I assume as the big German brands make a lot of heavy SUVs and saloons).
So the relatively light Jimny is penalised for its emissions more harshly than a heavier SUV (all else equal).
150bhp said:
Does your brother have a thread for his Renegade Trailhawk, would be interested to see his opinions on it? Love your Jimny btw, if only they made a 5 door model I’d be all over it!
No he doesn't. But it is very impressive. It's comfy and quiet and fairly rapid. Lots of grunt and the gearbox is very smooth. I also love the look of them. Surprisingly capable off road too.300bhp/ton said:
No he doesn't. But it is very impressive. It's comfy and quiet and fairly rapid. Lots of grunt and the gearbox is very smooth. I also love the look of them. Surprisingly capable off road too.
Yeah I’ve seen a few YouTube videos on them and they look quite impressive off road. Love the colour of your brothers too. Cheers. 150bhp said:
Yeah I’ve seen a few YouTube videos on them and they look quite impressive off road. Love the colour of your brothers too. Cheers.
Considering how nice it is on road, as in it is very comfy, quiet, corners flat, rides pretty well and is actually quite fun to drive. Off road it seems very capable indeed. Ground clearance is good and approach/departure angles are impressive. Many softer roaders suffer with both of these big time.There is a dedicated Low mode too, not a proper low range, but 1st of the 9 speed box is super low. So very akin to a low range ratio. The diesel engine and auto box combined with this make it very easy to crawl at super low speeds. It does lift wheel quite a bit, but is a lot smoother than you'd think off road. And the TCS/HDC work very well.
US models ride a little higher than UK ones and on slightly taller tyres I believe as well as having the front recovery points, which are sadly missing on UK/EU spec variants.. Although there are some lift kits available if you so want.
Nothing too much new to add at the moment. The lockdown and uncertainty has put hold to a lot of things.
I have added the rear rubber load liner. The backs of the seats are fine, but being hard plastic, stuff slipped and slid about quite a bit on them. Hoping the liner will prevent this.
Turned up in just a few days of ordering and fits straight in.
You do need to have the belts clipped to the seat backs however.
Had a bit of a play off road, but still having issue with it jumping out of low range. Fairly sure it is just the linkage, but the dealer has been shut for a couple of weeks now. So unable to get it looked at.
I have added the rear rubber load liner. The backs of the seats are fine, but being hard plastic, stuff slipped and slid about quite a bit on them. Hoping the liner will prevent this.
Turned up in just a few days of ordering and fits straight in.
You do need to have the belts clipped to the seat backs however.
Had a bit of a play off road, but still having issue with it jumping out of low range. Fairly sure it is just the linkage, but the dealer has been shut for a couple of weeks now. So unable to get it looked at.
300bhp/ton said:
lol, well i guess it goes to prove that on the whole, most governments don't really care about emissions and pollution and it's all about the £/$ value of charing people to pollute.
Car still looks great, they really stand out on the roads. Is it RWD unless you can lock it into AWD?Totally agree about that the emissions rules are nonsense, but it's because the German manufacturers have lead EU emissions regulations around by the nose to suit their product plans. It's why every city in the EU stinks of diesel fumes.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 21st April 10:05
Still not much of an update. Sadly not found anyone to fit my tyres yet. Hopefully next week as places are opening again.
In the meantime I have Dinitrol'd the underside.
4941 on the chassis rails, arches and floor pan. And ML in the chassis rails and cavities. This is the first time using Dinitrol, I've had lots of success with Waxoyl over the years, but it is messy to apply. The Dinitrol is much easier and cleaner in this respect. And doesn't need heating up first either. Hopefully it will perform as well or better too.
Poser shot in the field with my p38 Range Rover and my brothers Ninety:
In the meantime I have Dinitrol'd the underside.
4941 on the chassis rails, arches and floor pan. And ML in the chassis rails and cavities. This is the first time using Dinitrol, I've had lots of success with Waxoyl over the years, but it is messy to apply. The Dinitrol is much easier and cleaner in this respect. And doesn't need heating up first either. Hopefully it will perform as well or better too.
Poser shot in the field with my p38 Range Rover and my brothers Ninety:
So there hasn't been much to update on with the Jimny. The lockdown and social distancing have meant I've done a lot less miles. And not been too many places.
Some bad news, the dealership I bought my Jimny from. Progress Suzuki in Milton Keynes have now closed permanently
This means I'm forced to use another dealership instead. Time will tell if they match the friendliness of Progress.
I also still haven't fitted my AT tyres that I bought about 8 weeks ago!!!! Looking to do this next payday however.
During the lockdown I did treat myself to a Mavic Mini drone. Hoping to use it to get some good off road and green laning footage. For now here is a 'Where's Jimny' photo.
On to more pressing matters. I mentioned a couple of months ago that I was having issues with the Jimny jumping out of low range when off road. Unfortunately this all happened right at the onset of the lockdown when the dealership closed for social distancing reasons. I had been in contact with them, patiently waiting for them to re-open. But now they are permanently closed it has delayed this being looked at.
My 'new' local dealership has had the car in and reported no issues found. Although it is going back in a couple of weeks for a further look. I believe they have a technical request in with Suzuki UK in the meantime.
Here is a video of the problem. As can be seen, it could be quite dangerous. When off road you need to rely on the vehicles abilities and it to do what it is meant too. If this was more extreme terrain with far bigger drop offs, having the vehicle suddenly and without warning loose drive and engine braking, could spell disaster of the highest order.
Some bad news, the dealership I bought my Jimny from. Progress Suzuki in Milton Keynes have now closed permanently
This means I'm forced to use another dealership instead. Time will tell if they match the friendliness of Progress.
I also still haven't fitted my AT tyres that I bought about 8 weeks ago!!!! Looking to do this next payday however.
During the lockdown I did treat myself to a Mavic Mini drone. Hoping to use it to get some good off road and green laning footage. For now here is a 'Where's Jimny' photo.
On to more pressing matters. I mentioned a couple of months ago that I was having issues with the Jimny jumping out of low range when off road. Unfortunately this all happened right at the onset of the lockdown when the dealership closed for social distancing reasons. I had been in contact with them, patiently waiting for them to re-open. But now they are permanently closed it has delayed this being looked at.
My 'new' local dealership has had the car in and reported no issues found. Although it is going back in a couple of weeks for a further look. I believe they have a technical request in with Suzuki UK in the meantime.
Here is a video of the problem. As can be seen, it could be quite dangerous. When off road you need to rely on the vehicles abilities and it to do what it is meant too. If this was more extreme terrain with far bigger drop offs, having the vehicle suddenly and without warning loose drive and engine braking, could spell disaster of the highest order.
So at last something to actually update with.
I decided to fit a new front bumper.
I'll start at the beginning.
I was initially very interested in the ARB bumper. I contacted ARB who put me in touch with a supplier in the UK. Sadly despite lots of comms, mostly one sided. I was unable to find out sufficient details, price or availability on the ARB item.
My search didn't stop there however.
Ultimately I was looking for a way of getting a better front recovery point and more importantly improved approach angle. As it is evident the stock front bumper impacts the ground. Taller tyres and lift would undoubtably help, but the approach angle or lack there of would always be a concern.
I wasn't overly fussed about a winch. I've never owned one and thus far never needed one either. However having one does sort of appeal. But it wouldn't be a deal breaker.
My search continued. I'd dismissed the Jimnybits front recovery points, despite liking how they attach, it meant hacking up the stock bumper, which looked like it could easily end up looking untidy. And of course didn't address the approach angle. Other bumpers available in the UK just didn't seem to look very nice to my eye. I did find something in New Zealand and another in South Africa that could both have been candidates, but the shipping costs and lack of UK support ultimately put pay to these being dismissed also.
Then by huge luck I stumbled across a small article in an 4x4 magazine:
The offered two styles. Making it a tough choice:
However, from this point on, my mind was reasonably set. An Ironman 4x4 bumper was my pick.
I managed to contact the UK importer; West Coast Off Road. A bit of toing and froing with emails and confirmation of price and I was booked in.
Sadly West Coast Off Road are about 190 miles from me, however I was very keen to get the bumper installed. And as they are the importer for the UK, I thought it made sense. I just needed to commit some time to make it happen.
On the flip side, this gave me the opportunity to drive the Jimny long distance for the first time. In all I did about 400 miles yesterday in two stints. And I have to say, I found the Jimny extremely comfortable and pleasant for such a journey. I did not feel fatigued or eager to get out it at any point. Despite my back playing me up this week.
It managed just over 38mpg for the round trip. I'm sure it could have done better, but to be fair I stuck to the speed limits. It was nearly all motorway and the traffic was light enough to make good progress. Therefore, assuming there wasn't a speed restriction for roadworks, I was running with the speed limiter set to 72mph, which seemed to actually show 73/74 on the speedo and a GPS speed on my phone of exactly 70mph.
I found the vehicle was no problem to drive at these speeds, although I'm certain 60mph would have yielded over 40mpg. 70mph is approx 3500rpm.
While I've found the standard 2 speaker stereo to be more than adequate running around locally and lower speeds. I will admit the additional road noise at 70mph meant I did have to turn the volume up a little. But the Jimny was still quiet enough to make a handsfree phone call at these speeds.
I think if I was to regularly do high speed motorway trips, I would invest in the rear speaker upgrade and upgrade the fronts to 13cm. More sound, rather than just louder is probably the way to go.
So, onto the front bumper!!!
First off, I'd like to give a shout out to West Coast Off Road. They are based in Southport not far from Preston. I found them to be very helpful and pleasant. And despite the distance, I will be returning for some further upgrades in the future.
https://westcoastoffroad.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/westcoastoffroadcenter/
Also, if anyone is interested in the Ironman4x4 range, they offer some interesting items:
http://www.ironman4x4.com/
The guys at West Coast work on many types of 4 wheel drives, although Toyota's seem to be their preferred and main focus. Some rather interesting vehicles parked up there. They are also in the process of building a new showroom too.
Right, so before diving in further. I'd like to take a step back. Normally I work on my own vehicles, especially the 4x4's. In fact, just last week I was modifying my Land Rover bumper and front recovery points.
The reason I say this is, it is unusual for me to get stuff installed or done by others. It is also worth noting that the Land Rover bumper is held on with only 4 bolts; 2 per side. And is a one piece bumper. Having read the install instructions for the Ironman4x4 bumper, it was apparent, things were quite different...
The Ironman4x4 bumper also incorporates the factory headlight washers, factory DLR units and an additional set of combi light units which cater for DLR/Side/Indicator. These were all things that were a 'must' when I was considering bumper options.
The install starts with the front grill and bumper removal. Which all seem to be attached largely by plastic clips. The stock bumper truly is just a lightweight plastic shell.
The new bumper centres around the winch tray. I didn't go for a winch this time round. But will probably look to get one later in the year.
Essentially the winch tray/cradle is secured to the main frame and front structure. It utilises existing holes, some of these need drilling to enlarge them, as well as a good number of extra holes being drilled. It then uses a great many 8.8 and 10.9 high tensile bolts to secure to the front end. Some of the holes cannot be drilled until other parts are in place.
Going back to my Land Rover with only 4 bolts holding the bumper on. I counted at least 19 bolts holding the winch tray onto the Jimny. I think you really could hang the vehicle off of it!
Once the tray is in place, the main bumper then affixes to the tray. This is the bit that you'd remove to install the winch. Again this used a lot of bolts, somewhere between 6 and 12. I lost count if I'm honest.
With the main bumper on, you can clearly see how much improved front approach angle there will be.... looks like some trimming of the plastic inner arches will be needed.
With that on, the electrics and washers could be sorted out, plumbed in and wired.
The bumper has some openings for a high lift jack, if that is your desire. Personally never been that found of them.
The last bits to go on are the integrated skid plates to protect the bottom of the rad opening and some side sections which box in where the electrics are. These again use about another 20 bolts to affix.
Being a winch bumper does mean it has made the vehicle longer and ultimately the bumper sticks out a little further. But only in front of the radiator, as this is where the winch tray is. However, due to the design, even here the approach angle is much improved also.
And finally all done and back together.
The guys at West Cost 4x4 worked tirelessly. The install did take nearly 5 hours in total, but to be fair. This is the first one they have installed on a Jimny. These bumpers are pretty new and there were things to learn. Not to mention many many bolts! Therefore if I understood correctly, I'm probably the first person in the UK with one of these bumpers on their Jimny.
Very pleased with the fit and finish of the bumper. It has a lovely matt texture which is nice to the touch and also matches the wheel arches very well. The fit it superb and follows the lines of the Jimny brilliantly. Although the stock tyres are looking a little weedy! New tyres going on next week thankfully.
Clearly this bumper is far more substantial than the stock plastic one. And to be honest, you can tell it is hanging on the front of the vehicle. Not in a bad way particularly. But as soon as you pull away you can tell the steering is a little heavier. And in the bends you know you have some weight out front. But I might be being picky, none of this is a detriment to how it drives. And I suspect many people wouldn't even notice the subtle change in driving characteristics.
Next I need to try it off road and see if it has indeed solved the problems of hitting the bumper into the ground.
I decided to fit a new front bumper.
I'll start at the beginning.
I was initially very interested in the ARB bumper. I contacted ARB who put me in touch with a supplier in the UK. Sadly despite lots of comms, mostly one sided. I was unable to find out sufficient details, price or availability on the ARB item.
My search didn't stop there however.
Ultimately I was looking for a way of getting a better front recovery point and more importantly improved approach angle. As it is evident the stock front bumper impacts the ground. Taller tyres and lift would undoubtably help, but the approach angle or lack there of would always be a concern.
I wasn't overly fussed about a winch. I've never owned one and thus far never needed one either. However having one does sort of appeal. But it wouldn't be a deal breaker.
My search continued. I'd dismissed the Jimnybits front recovery points, despite liking how they attach, it meant hacking up the stock bumper, which looked like it could easily end up looking untidy. And of course didn't address the approach angle. Other bumpers available in the UK just didn't seem to look very nice to my eye. I did find something in New Zealand and another in South Africa that could both have been candidates, but the shipping costs and lack of UK support ultimately put pay to these being dismissed also.
Then by huge luck I stumbled across a small article in an 4x4 magazine:
The offered two styles. Making it a tough choice:
However, from this point on, my mind was reasonably set. An Ironman 4x4 bumper was my pick.
I managed to contact the UK importer; West Coast Off Road. A bit of toing and froing with emails and confirmation of price and I was booked in.
Sadly West Coast Off Road are about 190 miles from me, however I was very keen to get the bumper installed. And as they are the importer for the UK, I thought it made sense. I just needed to commit some time to make it happen.
On the flip side, this gave me the opportunity to drive the Jimny long distance for the first time. In all I did about 400 miles yesterday in two stints. And I have to say, I found the Jimny extremely comfortable and pleasant for such a journey. I did not feel fatigued or eager to get out it at any point. Despite my back playing me up this week.
It managed just over 38mpg for the round trip. I'm sure it could have done better, but to be fair I stuck to the speed limits. It was nearly all motorway and the traffic was light enough to make good progress. Therefore, assuming there wasn't a speed restriction for roadworks, I was running with the speed limiter set to 72mph, which seemed to actually show 73/74 on the speedo and a GPS speed on my phone of exactly 70mph.
I found the vehicle was no problem to drive at these speeds, although I'm certain 60mph would have yielded over 40mpg. 70mph is approx 3500rpm.
While I've found the standard 2 speaker stereo to be more than adequate running around locally and lower speeds. I will admit the additional road noise at 70mph meant I did have to turn the volume up a little. But the Jimny was still quiet enough to make a handsfree phone call at these speeds.
I think if I was to regularly do high speed motorway trips, I would invest in the rear speaker upgrade and upgrade the fronts to 13cm. More sound, rather than just louder is probably the way to go.
So, onto the front bumper!!!
First off, I'd like to give a shout out to West Coast Off Road. They are based in Southport not far from Preston. I found them to be very helpful and pleasant. And despite the distance, I will be returning for some further upgrades in the future.
https://westcoastoffroad.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/westcoastoffroadcenter/
Also, if anyone is interested in the Ironman4x4 range, they offer some interesting items:
http://www.ironman4x4.com/
The guys at West Coast work on many types of 4 wheel drives, although Toyota's seem to be their preferred and main focus. Some rather interesting vehicles parked up there. They are also in the process of building a new showroom too.
Right, so before diving in further. I'd like to take a step back. Normally I work on my own vehicles, especially the 4x4's. In fact, just last week I was modifying my Land Rover bumper and front recovery points.
The reason I say this is, it is unusual for me to get stuff installed or done by others. It is also worth noting that the Land Rover bumper is held on with only 4 bolts; 2 per side. And is a one piece bumper. Having read the install instructions for the Ironman4x4 bumper, it was apparent, things were quite different...
The Ironman4x4 bumper also incorporates the factory headlight washers, factory DLR units and an additional set of combi light units which cater for DLR/Side/Indicator. These were all things that were a 'must' when I was considering bumper options.
The install starts with the front grill and bumper removal. Which all seem to be attached largely by plastic clips. The stock bumper truly is just a lightweight plastic shell.
The new bumper centres around the winch tray. I didn't go for a winch this time round. But will probably look to get one later in the year.
Essentially the winch tray/cradle is secured to the main frame and front structure. It utilises existing holes, some of these need drilling to enlarge them, as well as a good number of extra holes being drilled. It then uses a great many 8.8 and 10.9 high tensile bolts to secure to the front end. Some of the holes cannot be drilled until other parts are in place.
Going back to my Land Rover with only 4 bolts holding the bumper on. I counted at least 19 bolts holding the winch tray onto the Jimny. I think you really could hang the vehicle off of it!
Once the tray is in place, the main bumper then affixes to the tray. This is the bit that you'd remove to install the winch. Again this used a lot of bolts, somewhere between 6 and 12. I lost count if I'm honest.
With the main bumper on, you can clearly see how much improved front approach angle there will be.... looks like some trimming of the plastic inner arches will be needed.
With that on, the electrics and washers could be sorted out, plumbed in and wired.
The bumper has some openings for a high lift jack, if that is your desire. Personally never been that found of them.
The last bits to go on are the integrated skid plates to protect the bottom of the rad opening and some side sections which box in where the electrics are. These again use about another 20 bolts to affix.
Being a winch bumper does mean it has made the vehicle longer and ultimately the bumper sticks out a little further. But only in front of the radiator, as this is where the winch tray is. However, due to the design, even here the approach angle is much improved also.
And finally all done and back together.
The guys at West Cost 4x4 worked tirelessly. The install did take nearly 5 hours in total, but to be fair. This is the first one they have installed on a Jimny. These bumpers are pretty new and there were things to learn. Not to mention many many bolts! Therefore if I understood correctly, I'm probably the first person in the UK with one of these bumpers on their Jimny.
Very pleased with the fit and finish of the bumper. It has a lovely matt texture which is nice to the touch and also matches the wheel arches very well. The fit it superb and follows the lines of the Jimny brilliantly. Although the stock tyres are looking a little weedy! New tyres going on next week thankfully.
Clearly this bumper is far more substantial than the stock plastic one. And to be honest, you can tell it is hanging on the front of the vehicle. Not in a bad way particularly. But as soon as you pull away you can tell the steering is a little heavier. And in the bends you know you have some weight out front. But I might be being picky, none of this is a detriment to how it drives. And I suspect many people wouldn't even notice the subtle change in driving characteristics.
Next I need to try it off road and see if it has indeed solved the problems of hitting the bumper into the ground.
Not sure the interface to the front wheel arch is particularly good.
How does this affect insurance? Bull bars aren’t illegal, but the Department of Transport state ‘It is not illegal for vehicles to be fitted with bull bars, but the Department for Transport doesn’t recommend it unless it has been shown that they don’t pose an additional risk of injury to other road users.’
As standard, the Jimmy actually scores ‘good’ (52%) in EuroNCAP for pedestrian protection, but that will no longer be the case with all that metalwork. If the worst were to happen and you hit a pedestrian in a vehicle modified in this way, I suspect the outcome won’t be good...
Did you get the transfer box sorted?
How does this affect insurance? Bull bars aren’t illegal, but the Department of Transport state ‘It is not illegal for vehicles to be fitted with bull bars, but the Department for Transport doesn’t recommend it unless it has been shown that they don’t pose an additional risk of injury to other road users.’
As standard, the Jimmy actually scores ‘good’ (52%) in EuroNCAP for pedestrian protection, but that will no longer be the case with all that metalwork. If the worst were to happen and you hit a pedestrian in a vehicle modified in this way, I suspect the outcome won’t be good...
Did you get the transfer box sorted?
Managed a little off road today, the Jimny drives as good as ever. And while on road I did notice the bumper being there at first. You really wouldn't know it is there when off road.
All apart from the fact it has no witness marks like the plastic standard bumper did that is. Approach angle is much improved.
As a reminder to where the front bumper used to get caught up:
All apart from the fact it has no witness marks like the plastic standard bumper did that is. Approach angle is much improved.
As a reminder to where the front bumper used to get caught up:
Transfer Box Update:
So I went back in to the local dealership today to follow up on the transfer box jumping out of low issue. Thankfully the dealer is local and I have access to some off road terrain near by. So I had pre-arranged for a tech to come and see the problem in action.
And sure enough after only about a min and half off road it jumped out of low. So I'm pleased it is being consistent. They want to have the vehicle in for a couple of days and take the transfer box out and strip it down. Booked in for next week. So more to follow on this.
I still haven't heard of anyone else having this issue. Although it does make me wonder if others are affected and just haven't been driven off road. I know there are some good YouTube vids of people off roading these. But I'm willing to bet a good proportion stay firmly on the tarmac. Or only go down a gentle lane or track. I'm pretty sure a normal green lane would not show this issue up on mine. It's down to the fact I'm getting the suspension fully flexing, lifting wheels and making the traction control work that has shown up the issue.
So I went back in to the local dealership today to follow up on the transfer box jumping out of low issue. Thankfully the dealer is local and I have access to some off road terrain near by. So I had pre-arranged for a tech to come and see the problem in action.
And sure enough after only about a min and half off road it jumped out of low. So I'm pleased it is being consistent. They want to have the vehicle in for a couple of days and take the transfer box out and strip it down. Booked in for next week. So more to follow on this.
I still haven't heard of anyone else having this issue. Although it does make me wonder if others are affected and just haven't been driven off road. I know there are some good YouTube vids of people off roading these. But I'm willing to bet a good proportion stay firmly on the tarmac. Or only go down a gentle lane or track. I'm pretty sure a normal green lane would not show this issue up on mine. It's down to the fact I'm getting the suspension fully flexing, lifting wheels and making the traction control work that has shown up the issue.
My old Defender 90 popped the transfer lever into neutral a couple of times. Not much fun on a roundabout at rush hour to suddenly lose drive! Took a while to understand what had happened the first time.
Only seemed to happen the day after I had used low range, so I suspect I’d not fully re-engaged high range. Are you sure you’ve pushed the lever all the way when selecting?
Only seemed to happen the day after I had used low range, so I suspect I’d not fully re-engaged high range. Are you sure you’ve pushed the lever all the way when selecting?
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