Kizashi Club

In the last 2 days, my '10 XLS had been hard to start. It didn't crank at all. You try again and it would crank very slowly then stop. Then youd try again and it would crank slowly then start. Would drive fine but noticed all the data it had gathered on MPG and Avg Speed etc had all been wiped out. Even the range readout.

There were no battery warning indicators, but once I did get a "service start system" error on the dash readout.

Turns out, even though the battery warning was not showing that it was the battery failing. Took it to my service centre today. They tested the battery to find it was nearly dead. Also, I am not sure if this is just in Australia, but it turns out if you bought the car new, if the battery that was in it fails in the 1st 3 years, Suzuki pay for half the battery and half the labour for a suzuki dealer to test and change it. The whole thing only cost me $44 and a 15min wait. Luckily my car is still 2 weeks out from being 3 years old!

Anyway - thought it interesting how the issue presented / presents itself in case anyone else finds the same issue. At first I thought mine may have been an electrics or fuel issue given the lack of battery indicator and the other error presented.

Thanks for sharing. Good info.

Wow, I'm surprised Suzuki paid anything towards the battery as most car manufacturers only cover them for 12mths. I know my engine isn't too fast in the cranking department (compared to other vehicles I've owned), so I'm expecting the battery to not last too long.

Yes thanks for that. If it happen close to 3 years into ownership I would have assumed it was just a consumable and paid for it myself. Now I know to check.

Shaneous wrote:Anyway - thought it interesting how the issue presented / presents itself in case anyone else finds the same issue. At first I thought mine may have been an electrics or fuel issue given the lack of battery indicator and the other error presented.

The battery light on the dash is to tell you that the battery isn't being charged, it's actually an alternator light. This is normal for all cars, there's no easy way to predict a battery going flat. Most show 12V just fine until you lay the heavy load on it, then it folds.

Ahh ok cool- thanks.

The battery was not dead.. the car was still cranking.. just very very very slowly and for a long time. I guess because the only error raised was the yellow exclamation mark and "service start system" error which in the book is rather non-descript (just says to take it to a dealer), that I didn't 100% assume it was the battery to start with. Glad it was though!

Good to get some warning / know the signs in any case I guess (in an odd way.. this behaviour is predicting a dead battery.... sort of). All my previous cars have just been working fine one day and not starting at all the next when the battery goes.

Woodie wrote: The battery light on the dash is to tell you that the battery isn't being charged, it's actually an alternator light. This is normal for all cars, there's no easy way to predict a battery going flat. Most show 12V just fine until you lay the heavy load on it, then it folds.

Exactly. In all the other cars that I owned, when the battery died, there was no warning light. I actually saw it lit up and stay lit for the first time in a co-worker's car when her alternator died. Despite a good battery, the light was on and we tested her alternator and saw that it was not powering the car when the battery was disconnected.

Woodie, I think I saw you drive by tonight. I saw a silver Kizashi drive by on Rhode Island Ave and turn left at Edgewood around 7:30pm. I'm the guy who walks two white terriers around the area.

That's about the time I was coming home from Phil's, probably was me.

The battery has an indicator light(GREEN) if charged.

hyper gear wrote:The battery has an indicator light(GREEN) if charged.

Where?