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Andy
Posted on: Sunday, March 5th, 2006, 2:50:06pm Report to Moderator
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The Cappuccino is a very solidly engineered car on the whole with its main downfall being rust.  They never had much in the way of standard rust proofing at all so unless this has been done it is something you will want to have done.  The rear arches are usually one the first places to succumb.  The other main places to check are the sills and the front inner arches around the suspension mountings. If possible a thorough check under the carpets is a very good idea. The floorpan to sill and rear bulkhead to floorpan joints are common areas for rust to be starting.  Again if possible try to inspect under the car for signs of rust especially along the sill to floorpan joint and around the rear suspension frame mounts.  That said a properly treated car should be very solid so once any repairs have been carried out make sure it is well treated and it shouldn't be a problem. 

A knocking from the rear when accelerating and/or stopping is usually caused by worn diff mounts.  These can be replaced with original Suzuki items or uprated Suzuki Sport ones. 

The rear callipers also have a tendency to stick, usually due to fouling by grit in winter.  This can cause a couple of problems.  One is that the handbrake can stick on or off and the other being that the pads don't contact the disc fully and you end up with a 'rust ring' around the inside or outside edge.  There is a 'How to...' detailing the work that needs to be done to refurbish the rear brakes. 

If a ticking can be heard from the engine which disappears as the revs rise this is probably the Idle Air Control valve (IAC).  This is also referred to by Suzuki as the Idle Speed Control valve (ISC).  To cure this you well need to follow the instructions in the 'How to...' thread. 

The Cappuccino likes to be serviced regularly with particular attention paid to oil changes.  They also need their timing belts changed every 60,000 miles or 5 years.  This only applies to the earlier (Type 1 and 2) EA11R F6A engined cars.  Later (Type 3 imports) EA21R K6A engined cars have a chain driven camshaft. 

Obviously being a convertible the roof can leak but it shouldn't overly do so as it is a very good system.  Check the carpets for damp areas and inspect seals for suppleness.  Seals can and should be treated with a silicone lubricant to revive them and keep them in good condition. 

Window motors are now becoming more of a common problem too.  If the window doesn't move at all then it may be due to a worn gear within the motor mechanism and replacement of the entire motor is probably needed, unless you can find a suitable replacement gear of course. It is worth checking the wiring and switch first of course. If neither window works then it could well be that the breaker simply needs resetting under the dash.  If the windows work, albeit slowly, then lubricating the runners with silicone spray works wonders. 

Being small the Cappuccino does get a few parking bumps.  The front bumper supports are quite thin and do tend to deform quite easily.  Also the bonnet is made from aluminium so will bend out of shape and can be difficult to put right. 

The gearbox can be a little notchy in certain gears.  This could be down to the clutch or low/old oil in the gearbox.  Castrol Syntrax Universal is highly regarded and recommended for both the gearbox and the differential. 

The alloys on the Cappuccino are pretty much unique fitments.  If the originals are damaged then this could cause problems.  If after market wheels have been fitted then it is important that checks are made that they are indeed the exact same specification to the originals.  Other wheels will fit and look ok but won't necessarily be the correct specs. 

Any of the above can be used to negotiate on the asking price and could actually work in your favour.  In addition to the above checks you should of course carry out the standard vehicle checks too.  As with any car a HPI check is always worth doing to check on outstanding finance, mileage, previous recorded accidents and whether it has any police interest.

Drop me a PM if you would like to be added to the ClubCappo Member Map.  More details can be found here.
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Last modified Friday, May 11th, 2012, 10:28:09am by Andy
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