Hello, hoping for some advice on diagnosing my girlfriend's 2001 Tracker, 2.0 4 cyl automatic. Intermittent problems suck to diagnose, maybe some insight from all of you Suzuki pros will help.
Car has occasional hard start issue, both hot and cold start. Crank and crank and no start, but starts eventually. Recently discovered that holding WOT and cranking (flood clear mode) will get it fired on the next try.
It also has an issue when at operating temp, it will start running poorly. Hesitating, cutting out, coughing, sputtering and popping through the exhaust, then it dies and won't restart, or starts and coughs, bucks, and sputters and won't rev up. After sitting, it will start and run fine. Both times it went though the running poorly event, it was popping through the exhaust and the converter got hot enough it was smoking.
The only code is P0440, it has been randomly giving this code for over a year.
I know the cam sensor is intermittent and heat sensitive. My instinct says replace it, but everything I read seems to say either the car runs or doesn't, not so much the barely running episodes. Her dad thinks the problem is a plugged cat. I just don't see how that would be intermittent. My guess is it got hot from unburned fuel dumping into the exhaust, and that's why it was smoking, but I really don't know. And wouldn't a plugged converter generate a code?
Any input on where to start would be appreciated. Do I need to just suck it up and take it to a shop for diagnosis?
P.S. - This car also has the buzzing solenoid issue (main relay, in the drivers kick panel). Sometimes it starts buzzing when shutting the car off, flipping the wiper switch on and off will make it stop. I've seen other reports of this online, but never a solution. I don't know if this could be related or not?
Car has occasional hard start issue, both hot and cold start. Crank and crank and no start, but starts eventually. Recently discovered that holding WOT and cranking (flood clear mode) will get it fired on the next try.
It also has an issue when at operating temp, it will start running poorly. Hesitating, cutting out, coughing, sputtering and popping through the exhaust, then it dies and won't restart, or starts and coughs, bucks, and sputters and won't rev up. After sitting, it will start and run fine. Both times it went though the running poorly event, it was popping through the exhaust and the converter got hot enough it was smoking.
The only code is P0440, it has been randomly giving this code for over a year.
I know the cam sensor is intermittent and heat sensitive. My instinct says replace it, but everything I read seems to say either the car runs or doesn't, not so much the barely running episodes. Her dad thinks the problem is a plugged cat. I just don't see how that would be intermittent. My guess is it got hot from unburned fuel dumping into the exhaust, and that's why it was smoking, but I really don't know. And wouldn't a plugged converter generate a code?
Any input on where to start would be appreciated. Do I need to just suck it up and take it to a shop for diagnosis?
P.S. - This car also has the buzzing solenoid issue (main relay, in the drivers kick panel). Sometimes it starts buzzing when shutting the car off, flipping the wiper switch on and off will make it stop. I've seen other reports of this online, but never a solution. I don't know if this could be related or not?
