I can't believe how bad this car is.

[04Epica]

I have owned my 2004 Epica LT since September 07. it has 130,000 km's on it now and has no warranty. Here is a list of things that have gone wrong with it thus far:

Front right brake caliper seized onto my wheel when I was driving. Had to be replaced.

A few months later my wheel bearings went on that wheel.

Climate control Module, resistors, and relays died.

windshield cracked for no reason when i was driving, not really the cars fault but it still cost me money.

Throttle body cleaned twice so far, engine is still idling low and dips down to 200 rpm's and then ramps up to 1000 rpm's while idling.


ABS and TCS lights are on in the dash, havn't had it checked yet, not sure how much that will cost me.

If I am parked and I turn my air conditioning on my engine shudders, dips waaay down in rpm's and sometimes dies.

My car doesn't always start when I turn the key. Most times I turn the key, it turns over, ramps up to 1500 rpm's and then down to 0, dead. After the 3rd or 4th time it goes down to 200 rpm's and then levels off and away I go.

Where my oil goes is a mystery. I have to check it almost daily and top up. There are no oil spots in my driveway or my parking space at work, and I can't imagine it's burning that much.

My engine ticks like crazy. even when the oil is perfect. I have been told that it is normal for GM but there's no way it is. A garage told me it could be dirty injectors but I doubt it.

I'm sure there are some things i'm forgeting, sorry for the long post, just needed to vent.

I'm gonna have to sell this thing, cut my losses and get something more reliable.

**Forgot to mention that I had to replace all the sway-bar links, and I havn't been able to use my alarm for months because it goes off 60 seconds after I set it.**

[ewetho]

Originally Posted by 04Epica

Throttle body cleaned twice so far, engine is still idling low and dips down to 200 rpm's and then ramps up to 1000 rpm's while idling.

If I am parked and I turn my air conditioning on my engine shudders, dips way down in rpm's and sometimes dies.

My car doesn't always start when I turn the key. Most times I turn the key, it turns over, ramps up to 1500 rpm's and then down to 0, dead. After the 3rd or 4th time it goes down to 200 rpm's and then levels off and away I go.

Probably a throttle is needed, but check compression and MAP sensor for contamination. Also BG oil flush for sticking rings. Also check the engine wire harness for exposed wires from embrittaling and insulation shrinkage.

Originally Posted by 04Epica

ABS and TCS lights are on in the dash, haven't had it checked yet, not sure how much that will cost me.

Probably LF wheel bearing

Originally Posted by 04Epica

Where my oil goes is a mystery. I have to check it almost daily and top up. There are no oil spots in my driveway or my parking space at work, and I can't imagine it's burning that much.

My engine ticks like crazy. even when the oil is perfect. I have been told that it is normal for GM but there's no way it is. A garage told me it could be dirty injectors but I doubt it.

Check your intake and see if you have lots of oil in their. If so your oil is coming in via PCV from the rocker shafts having the oil grove mis-machined and spraying oil down the shaft. Nead a new head or at least rocker shafts.

[Isuzuzuki man]

Wow is all I can say, the wheel bearing is a result of the brake caliper seizing most likely, sounds like the idle control is messed up, sorry don't know much about this car, but as a technician I tell people, don't sell a car that going to require 1,000 bucks to fix up, after you have spent $950 on it, thats usually the case. Dump it early or commit to fixing it.

Who makes the engine in it?

[SuzukiDon]

Ewetho covered your issues with 100% accuracy.

A call to Suzuki customer relations may result in some free repairs or least half cost.

[ewetho]

Engine is a Daewoo/Porche design from what I a told.

[04Epica]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had the wheel bearing replaced and that got rid of the abs light, good call ewetho.

The engine is getting worse, taking it into the garage on saturday. Ewetho you think it would be a throttle and not that the fuel injectors need to be cleaned? Yesterday the check engine light came on so they can probably run the diagnostic for it, although that will cost me extra.

[ewetho]

Without first hand experience of your exact problem hard to tell.

Common problems of rough running include

Spark plugs 30K chang on '04
carbon build up in rings, use BG109 and change oil
Fuel injector service needs, try Redline SI1 fuel injector cleaner
Check the injector/coil harness for insulation shrinkage and cracking leading to shorts

If an 04 into early 05 models check for oil pooling in the intake which could indicate need for head replacement due to mismachined rocker shafts. Sometime leads to oil starvation in the #1 cylinder rod and can loose a bearing.

Check for oil contamination of the MAP sensor
Throttle is also sometimes a problem due to TPS sensors.