50,000 Miles Kizashi Ownership Report

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DesRado
Posts: 440
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 10:12 pm

Hey Kuro, hows the trans fluid holding up? Was thinking about getting that MT-90 when I get my trans fluid replaced next week. 100 miles from 50k.
2012 Platinum Silver Kizashi GTS, 6SP

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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

DesRado wrote:Hey Kuro, hows the trans fluid holding up? Was thinking about getting that MT-90 when I get my trans fluid replaced next week. 100 miles from 50k.
I'm about to replace it soon. I've put about 40,000 miles on the MT-90 and will be replacing it at the next oil change. While I'm sure the fluid could hold up longer given it's a high quality synthetic, I wanted to try Red Line's MTL which I already bought. The reason I'm going for MTL instead of MT-90 again is because the specs for MTL is more along the lines of Suzuki's factory fill. While I don't think MT-90 is bad for the transmission (in fact, it falls under Suzuki's accepted fluid weights for the manual transmission), I wanted to see what kind of effect MTL would have over MT-90, if anything noticeable. If you live in a colder climate, I think MTL is a better choice than MT-90.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

I'm now at 75,000 miles on my Kizashi so I thought to update this thread.
In the 25,000 miles since the original post, the biggest event was that I drove my Kizashi cross-country in my move from Maryland to California.
In terms of repairs, not much has been done to the Kizashi given the durability and the reliability of the vehicle. Anyhow, here's the update:

Fuel Economy Figures:
I started using Fuelly to log my fuel economy since 58,786 miles which was back on October 26th of 2016. I've logged most of my fill-ups since but did miss some. Here is the data from Fuelly pertaining to my Kizashi:
Average MPG: 24.2 MPG. My estimate from my first 50,000 mile post was pretty much spot-on and hasn't change much since. 14,226 miles have been tracked by Fuelly. Total spent on fuel has been $1,583.26. Cost per mile average is: $0.107.
According to Fuelly, 24 MPG is the most common average seen with Kizashis, regardless of model year.

Problems or Issues Encountered:
This is based on memory, so it may be a bit inaccurate:
- Broke the LH fog light during the cross-country trip. Replaced by Toyota Yaris fog light which was a perfect replacement.
- Nail in tire. Plugged myself with a kit I carry in the trunk.
- Had someone hit my car in a parking garage but the damage was superficial to the bumper. Regardless, got that fixed on them.
- Broken clip in the trunk thanks to dildos who did the body work on the bumper. They ripped out a rare trunk clip near the tail light that's very hard to find a replacement for without paying a lot.
- Headlights get hazy from UV rather easily now. It's hard to avoid as I now always park outdoors in the California sun. I try to polish at every car wash which helps restore clarity but the headlight plastic does have a slight yellow tint instead of perfectly clear like when the car was new.
- I'm really struggling here to remember anything else. The Kizashi has been too drama-free to recall anything more.

Maintenance and Repairs:
- Oil changes about every 7,000 miles. I've used Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 until two oil changes ago. I switched to Mobil 1 5W-30 solely for the reason of availability and sales and no fault on the actual oil. I'm currently using a Purolator One oil filter.
- I changed my manual transmission fluid from Redline MT-90 to Redline MTL. Slightly lighter and easier shifting but otherwise not all that remarkably different.
- Engine air filter replaced.
- Cabin air filter replaced.
- Tire rotations at every oil change.
- Spark plugs replaced. This was probably the biggest thing done on the Kizashi since hitting 50,000 miles. I replaced the original spark plugs to NGK Iridium IX spark plugs. I want to note these aren't the OE Replacements. I didn't have to replace them at the mileage I did but I bought spark plugs for another car so I got them and changed them in the Kizashi too. I opted for the IX because they are slightly cheaper and have a shorter service interval than the OE plugs. I don't mind changing the plugs a little more often to maintain optimal combustion performance and efficiency.
- Replaced a front bumper side marker bulb with a PIAA LED. All running lights are now LEDs.
- Replaced the rear tail/brake lights with Sylvania ZEVO red LED bulbs.
- Clay bar, polish, and liquid wax treatment shortly before the cross-country trip.
Everything else has remained the same with the same brakes, tires, shocks, etc.

Accessories and Modifications Installed:
- Bought a Thule Force Alpine roof box. I use it occasionally which is more than I thought after my cross-country move. Overall, a good product that increases carrying capacity in the Kizashi by a lot but only up to 60 lbs.
- I also replaced the high beam bulbs with an ACME H7 LED kit. I later installed inline capacitors to stabilize flickering when used as DRLs.
- Fumoto oil drain valve added at the last oil change.
- I also upgraded my dash camera to a newer unit with higher resolution and better features.
- I've also bought a few 2.4A and Qualcomm Quickcharge 2.0 USB phone chargers.
- Purchased an Aukey 300W inverter but really got it for specific use so it's not used much at all.
- Installed a Suzuki accessory first aid kit in the trunk. It came with the car in the spare tire compartment, brand new in the original packaging. The previous owner must have bought it but never opened it. I left it unopened until a few months ago to have it ready to use. It has a velcro strip so it can stick to the side of the trunk out of the way.
- Got a few "kuro neko" (black cat) goodies for the car given my handle and also to commemorate an orphaned black kitten I found and adopted shortly before moving from Maryland to California. Got my very own living mascot now.
:mrgreen:

Since the last post, I have not taken the Kizashi in for any repairs, at a Suzuki service dealer or anywhere. All it has required was routine maintenance which was done by me. At this point with 75,000 miles on the odometer, I can say it's been the most reliable car I've owned with the fewest problems for the duration and miles I've driven it.
I'll report again at 100,000 miles but I'm sure Weshoot2 will beat me to that mileage... in his 3rd Kizashi... with only half those miles as of now.

Here are some related photos:
A perfect 75,000 miles:
KIMG2336.JPG
KIMG2336.JPG (99.01 KiB) Viewed 14550 times
At a rest stop in Pennsylvania on the cross-country trip:
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KIMG0804.JPG (313.61 KiB) Viewed 14550 times
At a scenic turn-out in Utah on the cross-country trip:
KIMG0863.JPG
KIMG0863.JPG (251.07 KiB) Viewed 14550 times
Roof box off once in California:
DSC01548.JPG
DSC01548.JPG (2.08 MiB) Viewed 14550 times
H7 LEDs for DRL/High beams:
IMG_1201.JPG
IMG_1201.JPG (319.51 KiB) Viewed 14550 times
Suzuki accessory first aid kit:
KIMG2328.JPG
KIMG2328.JPG (366.46 KiB) Viewed 14550 times
Black cat car pillow:
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KIMG2329.JPG (212.26 KiB) Viewed 14550 times
My actual black cat when he was still little:
kuroneko.jpg
kuroneko.jpg (66.83 KiB) Viewed 14550 times
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
WESHOOT2
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:37 pm
Location: Vermont

Nice car.
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Speed_Racer
Posts: 383
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:58 pm
Location: Salt Lake City

Nice cat.
'12 Kizashi,'03 SV650,'04 DL1000
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

WESHOOT2 wrote:Nice car.
Speed_Racer wrote:Nice cat.
Thank you both. Both the car and the cat are awesome. 8-)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

The miles are racking up on the Kizashi and I'm currently at 95,000 or so miles. I'm starting to get ready for the six-figure mileage point and the maintenance for then.

Here are some things I've already done recently:
- New front and rear brake pads.
- New cabin air filter.
- New engine air filter.
- Manual Transmission fluid change.
- Bled transmission clutch line.
- New windshield wipers (Hella).

Here are some things I plan to get done around the 100,000 miles mark:
- New spark plugs. Got some Denso Iridium TT spark plugs to try.
- New serpentine belt (Bando)
- New belt idler pulley.
- New belt tensioner.
- New PCV valve.
- Clean MAF sensor.
- Clean throttle body.
- Flush and refill brake fluid.
- Bleed all brake lines.
- Polish headlights.
- Oil change and filter replacement.
- Recall work (fuel tank replacement).
- Drain, flush, and replace engine coolant.
- Rotate tires.
- Wash, clay, polish, seal, wax.
- Fuel treatment (Gumout Regane).
- Replace upstream O2 sensor.
- Replace HID bulbs with new bulbs.

Anything I'm forgetting or should consider?

The Kizashi is overall running well but is showing some signs of age. There is a slight rattle from the exhaust. I have not been able to determine exactly what is causing it but know it's somewhere from behind the flex pipe. I'm thinking maybe the recall work will necessitate the removal of parts of the exhaust system so that may resolve the issue.

I also sometimes have a bit of a rough idle after starting. Idle isn't as smooth and quiet as when the car was new. I'm thinking that between the throttle body cleaning and the new PCV valve, things should be smoothed out.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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Quimicax
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2020 3:57 pm
Location: Dominican Republic

KuroNekko wrote:The miles are racking up on the Kizashi and I'm currently at 95,000 or so miles. I'm starting to get ready for the six-figure mileage point and the maintenance for then.

Here are some things I've already done recently:
- New front and rear brake pads.
- New cabin air filter.
- New engine air filter.
- Manual Transmission fluid change.
- Bled transmission clutch line.
- New windshield wipers (Hella).

Here are some things I plan to get done around the 100,000 miles mark:
- New spark plugs. Got some Denso Iridium TT spark plugs to try.
- New serpentine belt (Bando)
- New belt idler pulley.
- New belt tensioner.
- New PCV valve.
- Clean MAF sensor.
- Clean throttle body.
- Flush and refill brake fluid.
- Bleed all brake lines.
- Polish headlights.
- Oil change and filter replacement.
- Recall work (fuel tank replacement).
- Drain, flush, and replace engine coolant.
- Rotate tires.
- Wash, clay, polish, seal, wax.
- Fuel treatment (Gumout Regane).
- Replace upstream O2 sensor.
- Replace HID bulbs with new bulbs.

Anything I'm forgetting or should consider?

The Kizashi is overall running well but is showing some signs of age. There is a slight rattle from the exhaust. I have not been able to determine exactly what is causing it but know it's somewhere from behind the flex pipe. I'm thinking maybe the recall work will necessitate the removal of parts of the exhaust system so that may resolve the issue.

I also sometimes have a bit of a rough idle after starting. Idle isn't as smooth and quiet as when the car was new. I'm thinking that between the throttle body cleaning and the new PCV valve, things should be smoothed out.
Check Suspencion
Bushing
ArmControl
BallJoint
Any Rust
Engine Mounts

I Have One With 128K
My Real Fear Is The Cvt Transmission, Everything Is Fine But Who Knows
Kizashi GTS 2013 AWD
DRL Off / Foglights Without Headlights

Ford Explorer Sport 2013
350Rwhp

Nissan Xtrail 2017
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n8dogg
Posts: 215
Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:20 am

I always change thermostat and radiator cap when flushing cooling system...I've had them cause problems in other vehicles. Even if they don't full out fail, they do get worn and lazy.
'12 Kizashi SLS AWD w/RF sound
easy to chip Vivid Red and 25% window tint
Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus II
Power Stop Rotors and Pads
183,xxx miles and still lovin it!
PittsburghJoe
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:55 pm

Hey Guys,

I haven't been on for a long time but would you guys know where to buy the exhaust flex pipe? I need to replace mine. Thanks!
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