Suzuki permanent 4WD problem.

My Suzuki Grand Vitara handbook says to use 4wd only in wet, snow, poor
terrain, etc. - but does not say why. What are the implications of keeping
it in 4wd permanently.
There is not one word of warning against this in the book.


Dan.

"Dan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My Suzuki Grand Vitara handbook says to use 4wd only in wet, snow, poor
> terrain, etc. - but does not say why. What are the implications of
> keeping it in 4wd permanently.
> There is not one word of warning against this in the book.

transmission wind up probably
if you dont know what it is you dont need to know, just do as the manual
says

Dan composed the following;:
> My Suzuki Grand Vitara handbook says to use 4wd only in wet, snow, poor
> terrain, etc. - but does not say why. What are the implications of
> keeping it in 4wd permanently.
> There is not one word of warning against this in the book.

If you leave it in 4wd when there's grip, like for normal road driving, or
even dry off-roading, then you'll get a lot of transmission wind-up, which
can and will break the transmission, shafts, gearbox, diffs etc.

Also, it will be much harder on tyres, and will be harder to steer,
especially at higher speeds. If you have power steering then you might not
notice this much, but the vehicle and steering components will.

Don't do it.

--
The Caretaker.
A balanced argument.
www.4x4prejudice.org

In message <[email protected]>, Dan
<[email protected]> writes
>My Suzuki Grand Vitara handbook says to use 4wd only in wet, snow, poor
>terrain, etc. - but does not say why. What are the implications of keeping
>it in 4wd permanently.
>There is not one word of warning against this in the book.
>
>
>Dan.
>
>
There's no centre diff on the Vitara, so 4WD can only be used on
surfaces where there will be some allowable tyre slippage.
--
Chris Morriss

> If you leave it in 4wd when there's grip, like for normal road driving, or
> even dry off-roading, then you'll get a lot of transmission wind-up, which
> can and will break the transmission, shafts, gearbox, diffs etc.

=================================================

Fine - but then why does the handbook not contain one single word of warning
of the above consequences ?

Surely if a new owner caused the above damage he/she would have a good case
in UK law for damages ?


Dan.

Dan composed the following;:
>> If you leave it in 4wd when there's grip, like for normal road driving,
>> or even dry off-roading, then you'll get a lot of transmission wind-up,
>> which can and will break the transmission, shafts, gearbox, diffs etc.
>
> =================================================
>
> Fine - but then why does the handbook not contain one single word of
> warning of the above consequences ?

What about personal responsibility? Responsibility for one's own actions?

It says, so you say, only to use 4wd in poor grip situations ... how more
explicit instruction do you want?

If you want chapter and verse, get a Landrover, it's all in the handbook,
along with other 'tips' etc to properly enjoy the vehicles off-road.

> Surely if a new owner caused the above damage he/she would have a good
> case in UK law for damages ?

Why?

The handbook says only to use 4wd in low-grip situations. Why does it have
to say why not? Surely that's enough unless the owner were stupid enough
not to take such advice.

Does an aeroplane say exactly why you shouldn't open the door in mid-flight?

--
The Caretaker.
A balanced argument.
www.4x4prejudice.org

Dan

You should really ask yourself 'Why the hell am I buying a four wheel drive
car when I know not what it does or does not'

Anyway, Vitara's are for hair dressers.





"Dan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>> If you leave it in 4wd when there's grip, like for normal road driving,
>> or even dry off-roading, then you'll get a lot of transmission wind-up,
>> which can and will break the transmission, shafts, gearbox, diffs etc.
>
> =================================================
>
> Fine - but then why does the handbook not contain one single word of
> warning of the above consequences ?
>
> Surely if a new owner caused the above damage he/she would have a good
> case in UK law for damages ?
>
>
> Dan.
>

On 2005-02-26, The Caretaker ... <[email protected]> wrote:

> The handbook says only to use 4wd in low-grip situations. Why does
> it have to say why not? Surely that's enough unless the owner were
> stupid enough not to take such advice.

While the advice would be enough to fend off law suits against the
manufacturer, does it not bug you how many times you're told what to
do with no reason why? It's not practical in all situations of course
but I find it very irritating when manufacturer's manuals tell you not
to do something but don't make any effort whatsoever to give any
reasons.

You can if you want just obey whatever you're told, but I find it so
much more respectful to be given reasons. In a complex off-road
vehicle it's even more important to know why you have to do something,
so the manufacturer should say why rather than leave it to
third-parties.

--
For every expert, there is an equal but opposite expert

"Ian Rawlings" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> You can if you want just obey whatever you're told, but I find it so
> much more respectful to be given reasons. In a complex off-road
> vehicle it's even more important to know why you have to do something,
> so the manufacturer should say why rather than leave it to
> third-parties.
>

You can hardly call a Vitara an off-road vehicle - apart from kerbs and
well-compacted verges.
--
Budgie
NB Reply to newsgroup. Email address will get you nowhere.

Ian Rawlings composed the following;:
> On 2005-02-26, The Caretaker ... <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> The handbook says only to use 4wd in low-grip situations. Why does
>> it have to say why not? Surely that's enough unless the owner were
>> stupid enough not to take such advice.
>
> While the advice would be enough to fend off law suits against the
> manufacturer, does it not bug you how many times you're told what to
> do with no reason why? It's not practical in all situations of course
> but I find it very irritating when manufacturer's manuals tell you not
> to do something but don't make any effort whatsoever to give any
> reasons.

I quite agree, but for the purpose of the law, he knew, If he read the
handbook, which is generally a requisite for warranty continuation, what he
couldn't do. His post saying "Surely if a new owner caused the above damage
he/she would have a good case in UK law for damages ?" suggests there may be
more to this post than there seems.

> You can if you want just obey whatever you're told, but I find it so
> much more respectful to be given reasons. In a complex off-road
> vehicle it's even more important to know why you have to do something,
> so the manufacturer should say why rather than leave it to
> third-parties.

I agree, but in this case, the information is freely available and
well-known to people who would normally use, and have a real need for, 4wd.
Trouble is, the Grand Vitara isn't really aimed at 'off-roaders', as such,
so I guess Suzuki think it prudent not aim them at mainly off-road use. In
this context, the advice given seems, to me, perfectly adequate for the
vehicles on-road, occasional off-road, aspirations.

--
The Caretaker.
A balanced argument.
www.4x4prejudice.org

Paul C composed the following;:

> You should really ask yourself 'Why the hell am I buying a four wheel
> drive car when I know not what it does or does not'

Quite.

> Anyway, Vitara's are for hair dressers.

Stereo types don't work. I know of a few Vitara's that are anything but
hairdressers cars, and can easily beat, in the right types of section, my
Landrover off-road. Of course, they aren't in standard trim ......

--
The Caretaker.
A balanced argument.
www.4x4prejudice.org

Budgie wrote:
> "Ian Rawlings" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> You can if you want just obey whatever you're told, but I find it so
>> much more respectful to be given reasons. In a complex off-road
>> vehicle it's even more important to know why you have to do something,
>> so the manufacturer should say why rather than leave it to
>> third-parties.
>>
>
> You can hardly call a Vitara an off-road vehicle - apart from kerbs and
> well-compacted verges.

Don't be *too* scathing - I've been on two very rough, muddy off-road
courses in a bog-standard Grand Vitara, and it was pretty impressive for the
spec and price - admittedly driven by an expert, not me. It went in and out
of a couple of crater type holes in the ground that I wouldn't have thought
it possible to do in anything but a major off-road vehicle.

Regards,

Bob


--
Remove "x" from address to reply by email.

> You should really ask yourself 'Why the hell am I buying a four wheel
> drive car when I know not what it does or does not'

==========================================


Because I now live in a country area with often bad, often narrow, roads.

Anyway I do know a little about 4wds, and the need for central diffs -- (but
not every user will understand), -- the point I was making was not only for
me, but for any user.
It is just not enough, in a £14K vehicle for the makers to say "-- do this
only when -- etc." - without spelling out the "why".

If there are really dire consequences, leading to possible disablement, of
using this vehicle in 4wd on dry roads - then the reason needs spelling
out - for reasons of driver safety if none other.
Does anyone want to be stranded on a narrow country road in the middle of
the night ?


dan

>
> The handbook says only to use 4wd in low-grip situations. Why does it
> have to say why not? Surely that's enough unless the owner were stupid
> enough not to take such advice.
>
> Does an aeroplane say exactly why you shouldn't open the door in
> mid-flight?

========================================

We live in an increasingly litigious society, where people really do need to
be properly warned.

e.g "do not jump of the end of the pier , the water is cold and deep, and
you may drown"


dan

Dan composed the following;:
>> The handbook says only to use 4wd in low-grip situations. Why does it
>> have to say why not? Surely that's enough unless the owner were stupid
>> enough not to take such advice.
>>
>> Does an aeroplane say exactly why you shouldn't open the door in
>> mid-flight?
>
> ========================================
>
> We live in an increasingly litigious society, where people really do need
> to be properly warned.

'Light blue touch paper and stand well back' Isn't followed up with
gruesome tales of burned hands and faces and the consequences of not
standing back, well, it might be nowadays thanks to ****wits who want
chapter and verse on everything or threaten legal action 'cos they can't
accept responsibility for their own actions. Ooh, does this ring a bell?.

From your first post "My Suzuki Grand Vitara handbook says to use 4wd only
in wet, snow, poor
terrain, etc" Isn't this a warning?

"There is not one word of warning against this in the book." What do you
think your first sentence was?

> e.g "do not jump of the end of the pier , the water is cold and deep, and
> you may drown"

Hahahahaha. What's wrong with simply "Don't jump off the Pier"?

If you have to state the possible consequences of every action there would
be so much **** you couldn't move.

Look at your example of the Pier .........

What about mentioning the chance of breaking a leg if the tide is out, or
partially out so it's still water, but shallow. The chance of landing on a
boat, landing on someone else on a boat, not hitting the sea, but hitting a
pier structure on the way down. Maybe someone might catch their coat and rip
it on the way down, maybe they might get caught up in fishing nets. Maybe
they just get knocked out, then lay under the sun for hours, get sunburnt,
heat-stroke and eventually skin cancer. Maybe they simply enjoy a nice
refreshing dip in the sea ......

You talk nonsense, as, I think, my nonsense sentence above shows.


--
The Caretaker.
A balanced argument.
www.4x4prejudice.org

"Dan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > If you leave it in 4wd when there's grip, like for normal road driving,
or
> > even dry off-roading, then you'll get a lot of transmission wind-up,
which
> > can and will break the transmission, shafts, gearbox, diffs etc.
>
> =================================================
>
> Fine - but then why does the handbook not contain one single word of
warning
> of the above consequences ?
>
> Surely if a new owner caused the above damage he/she would have a good
case
> in UK law for damages ?
>
>
> Dan.
>
when it is posted inside the cabin usually right next to the selector or in
plain sight you can have no claim for not heeding the warning, if it was
just in the handbook there is the "I didn't get a handbook" defence I can't
remember a selectable 4wd I have owned that did not have a warning notice .
Derek

In article <[email protected]>, Dan wrote:
>
>
> Because I now live in a country area with often bad, often narrow, roads.
>

How does a 4x4 help in narrow roads?

> Anyway I do know a little about 4wds, and the need for central diffs -- (but
> not every user will understand), -- the point I was making was not only for
> me, but for any user.


But you don't have a centre diff, do you, isn't it selectable four wheel
drive like the SJ's?


--
simon at sbarr dot demon dot co dot uk
Simon Barr.
'97 110 300Tdi.