Vitz 2007 KSP90 3 cyl. 1000cc engine vibration story

[Monkey King Stu]

Just wanted to share my experience with vibration on my Vitz 2007, which seems to be very common with most 1000cc models.

Got the car in 2010 directly from Japan with 42k odo reading. It's pretty much the only car i've driven except a Honda Fit, and BMW hatchback, and it's hands down the most easiest one to drive! Was really happy with it until the vibration started around 6 months on and i was only getting around 8kms/ltr. At first most people i talked to said that it was normal for a 3 cylinder and common in Vitz so just ignore it and not worry about it. But i knew it wasn't normal because i didn't experience it for 6 months! I just wanted to fix any problem before it got worse. But i was a first time car owner and driver so nobody really took me seriously and since I wasn't the owner (gift from dad) i really didn't have much say about it, so i just ignored it for a few years.

Then it got worse... mostly when A/C on, on hot days, on idle at stops (it kinda goes crazy!...) But by this time i had money on my hands so i decided to take it to the most reliable place possible, Toyota Lanka... Oh boy was I wrong!!! ?Those idiots looked at it and said that a full tune up and new spark plugs should solve the problem. Having no idea about any of that stuff i just went ahead with it but the vibration was still there! Fought with those idiots and returned the spark plugs for full refund! But i was no back to square one...?

So over the years i tried several different places but nobody could solve the problem permanently... at best i could get rid of the vibration for about 3 months but even then i couldn't isolate what the problem was. After trial and error it seemed to come down to either all or one of the following: proper tune ups, engine mounts, injector cleaning, maf sensor cleaning, throttle body cleaning. Never really was able to isolate to any one these issues because i never made the time to do only one of them at a time...

Fast forward to 2019, 88k on the odo (42k over 9yrs), getting closer to 7+kms/ltr, vibration at it's worst, shocks dead (can feel metal clanking noises on bumps), less pulling power. Yes I know i should have sold the damn thing by now ? but for the cash... Heard about A**o F***e which is close to where i live, and i knew it was gonna be expensive but after seeing all the racing cars they were working on figured they might know what they were doing so i decided to give it a go.

I went in and have been never so freaking happy that they actually figured out what was wrong with the vibration! The tech did a simple test by hoisting the engine on a jack so the weight was off the mounts and it was running smooth! So long story short we changed shocks and mounts, then decided to do an engine gasket overhaul and service the head because the car was woefully under-performing by now as well, and i was also wary of what kind of damage the vibration might have done. Also ended up replacing piston rings, main+thrust+bigend bearings, and cleaned out sludge buildup, among other repairs.

The owner (and racer!), Sajaad Zuhair, is a great guy and a good businessman, just talking to him made me want get all this work done... ?

I've only driven very conservatively within Colombo for 3 days for 75km so far and i have to say that so far, God bless, the vibration is gone. There were even a few moments when i didn't even realize the engine was on! ? Don't get me wrong, there is still some vibration in the engine but i believe that's whats normal for a 3 cylinder, not when it used to shake the entire freaking car! As for performance, well i don't really expect much with this engine but to gauge effectively i'll have to wait for a hot day.

Here's a few things i learnt from the whole experience:

• Don't drive right away on a cold start! Always give it about a minute.
• Don't wait for a year to change engine oil... even if you don't drive much (4700km avg a yr in my case) change in 6 months or less (this may vary with type of oil, climate, etc)
• Don't go fast on bumps and potholes just because your shocks are doing an awesome job and you don't feel it! You are just wearing out your shocks faster...
• Don't let an idiot makabaas poke your gel mount with an effing screwdriver!!! ?
• Don't take the risk with a makabaas if you plan to use the car for a long time! Heck even if you are gonna sell it, don't be a cheapskate and earn the buyer's curse!
• If you can't afford to get your work done at any reputable and responsible garage, then sell the car use public transport until you save up some money... ?

 

*Update after 200+ kms:

• Vibration at minimal levels ?
• KYB shocks softened up (was stiff after initial install), much smoother ride now! ?
• Noticeably improved acceleration and pulling power, overhaul seems to have paid off! ?
• Unfortunately fuel efficiency shows no indication of improvement so far, will update with proper number after a few more refuels.

Edited November 16, 2019 by Monkey King Stu
update

[RWD]

Nice to hear you got your issue sorted out. And +1 for a*to f****e. I have been getting my cars fixed by them for years and have always been satisfied with their mechanical work. 

[kush]

Sad to hear about your story, generally Vitz is a very reliable car. My BIL had one a 2004 imported in 2008 with 24K on the clock. He used it for 9 year ran 135k with no major issues. Just routine maintenance apart from shocks around 80K and engine mounts 120K which is expected with age and mileage.

 

[Monkey King Stu]

11 hours ago, kush said:

Sad to hear about your story, generally Vitz is a very reliable car. My BIL had one a 2004 imported in 2008 with 24K on the clock. He used it for 9 year ran 135k with no major issues. Just routine maintenance apart from shocks around 80K and engine mounts 120K which is expected with age and mileage.

 

I think maybe that's what i did wrong, late on the engine mount change, who knows what kinda damage the vibration had done over the years... same with the shocks i guess because i could clearly tell when i started noticing the shocks were gone... Well i guess there's no better way to learn... ?

[hrm]

Engine mounts and suspension components wear out faster in 1000cc Vitz due to its inherent engine vibration. Had a 1300cc Vitz for 4 years and I only did regular servicing.

[Monkey King Stu]

7 hours ago, hrm said:

Engine mounts and suspension components wear out faster in 1000cc Vitz due to its inherent engine vibration. Had a 1300cc Vitz for 4 years and I only did regular servicing.

?This makes a whole lot of sense!

Edited October 25, 2019 by Monkey King Stu

[iRage]

Thanks for sharing your experience....yes...just because a label says things do not need to be done for Xkm it does not mean it is always the case or that it is a fixed thing. Its quite circumstantial and one should follow a service routine that is adviced to his/her car under the conditions suited for his/her car. Unfortunately not many places in SL can offer that advice to general users in SL.

The 1L engine is a dead beat engine. Its been around for ages and was purely put in to the Vitz to hit the in city fleet owners and new drivers (who want a small car larger than a kei car but cheap to run) 

[kush]

I used to to my regular service every 10k km / 6 months for the petrol/ 5k km/3 month on diesel  on my previous vehicles

Now go by the agent recommendation as they are on warranties

I feel even the agents just go by one schedule may be generalized for typical conditions they are not at all flexible.

For instance i had to service my previous Picanto every other month as it was clocking 2500km month, on part highway and urban (never on heavy traffic) when i suggested 10k service as per the service schedule in the owners manual they never even bothered to give an explanation. I felt it was totally unnecessary and they just wanted to make money by servicing.

Needless to say I changed the car as the servicing cost was substantial. Now I look at the service interval when I change the car (daily runner)

 

Edited October 26, 2019 by kush

[AVANTE]

Genuinely happy to hear you have sorted the issue out!

Also how are these agents getting away with all these incompetencies and scams? A friend's swift had alot of white smoke emitting from the exhaust. Inspection by A*W concluded that an engine overhall was due (somewhere north of 150k), when in reality the problem was that it needed a new gasket & valve stem seals (which only cost him 15K)

Same for my FZ, when my dad had an accident 6 months back. Our local Yamaha dealer (also supported by A*W) quoted 35K for total repairs. They were trying to sell us SETS of parts instead of the specific bits.(finally did it for 11K through a trustworthy mech)

Edited October 26, 2019 by □AVANTE□

[iRage]

1 hour ago, □AVANTE□ said:

 

Same for my FZ, when my dad had an accident 6 months back. Our local Yamaha dealer (also supported by A*W) quoted 35K for total repairs. They were trying to sell us SETS of parts instead of the specific bits.(finally did it for 11K through a trustworthy mech)

Actually..this cannot be helped...the agents follow the manufacturer's recommendation for how the repairs should be done...thus some components are bundled together when the agents sell the parts as the parts are bundled to do the repair.  Even over here when I go to the Toyota dealership and request a part they ask what the repair is and he initial quote has all the parts that are required for the repair (its linked to the EPC) so I have to go break it down.  Whilst most can be broken down in to components some simply cannot. FOr example, control arm bushings...in most cases the part has a separate part number but when you ask for the part your only choice is to buy the entire arm.

[AVANTE]

You're right, it's their system (trick) and obviously it sucks. If not for the 3rd party vendors and suppliers, I guess the car culture in sri lanka would be pretty dim/reserved for richies hobby by now.

[Sampath2617]

On 10/24/2019 at 10:53 PM, Monkey King Stu said:

Just wanted to share my experience with vibration on my Vitz 2007, which seems to be very common with most 1000cc models.

Got the car in 2010 directly from Japan with 42k odo reading. It's pretty much the only car i've driven except a Honda Fit, and BMW hatchback, and it's hands down the most easiest one to drive! Was really happy with it until the vibration started around 6 months on and i was only getting around 8kms/ltr. At first most people i talked to said that it was normal for a 3 cylinder and common in Vitz so just ignore it and not worry about it. But i knew it wasn't normal because i didn't experience it for 6 months! I just wanted to fix any problem before it got worse. But i was a first time car owner and driver so nobody really took me seriously and since I wasn't the owner (gift from dad) i really didn't have much say about it, so i just ignored it for a few years.

Then it got worse... mostly when A/C on, on hot days, on idle at stops (it kinda goes crazy!...) But by this time i had money on my hands so i decided to take it to the most reliable place possible, Toyota Lanka... Oh boy was I wrong!!! ?Those idiots looked at it and said that a full tune up and new spark plugs should solve the problem. Having no idea about any of that stuff i just went ahead with it but the vibration was still there! Fought with those idiots and returned the spark plugs for full refund! But i was no back to square one...?

So over the years i tried several different places but nobody could solve the problem permanently... at best i could get rid of the vibration for about 3 months but even then i couldn't isolate what the problem was. After trial and error it seemed to come down to either all or one of the following: proper tune ups, engine mounts, injector cleaning, maf sensor cleaning, throttle body cleaning. Never really was able to isolate to any one these issues because i never made the time to do only one of them at a time...

Fast forward to 2019, 88k on the odo (42k over 9yrs), getting closer to 7+kms/ltr, vibration at it's worst, shocks dead (can feel metal clanking noises on bumps), less pulling power. Yes I know i should have sold the damn thing by now ? but for the cash... Heard about A**o F***e which is close to where i live, and i knew it was gonna be expensive but after seeing all the racing cars they were working on figured they might know what they were doing so i decided to give it a go.

I went in and have been never so freaking happy that they actually figured out what was wrong with the vibration! The tech did a simple test by hoisting the engine on a jack so the weight was off the mounts and it was running smooth! So long story short we changed shocks and mounts, then decided to do an engine gasket overhaul and service the head because the car was woefully under-performing by now as well, and i was also wary of what kind of damage the vibration might have done. Also ended up replacing piston rings, main+thrust+bigend bearings, and cleaned out sludge buildup, among other repairs.

The owner (and racer!), Sajaad Zuhair, is a great guy and a good businessman, just talking to him made me want get all this work done... ?

I've only driven very conservatively within Colombo for 3 days for 75km so far and i have to say that so far, God bless, the vibration is gone. There were even a few moments when i didn't even realize the engine was on! ? Don't get me wrong, there is still some vibration in the engine but i believe that's whats normal for a 3 cylinder, not when it used to shake the entire freaking car! As for performance, well i don't really expect much with this engine but to gauge effectively i'll have to wait for a hot day.

Here's a few things i learnt from the whole experience:

• Don't drive right away on a cold start! Always give it about a minute.
• Don't wait for a year to change engine oil... even if you don't drive much (4700km avg a yr in my case) change in 6 months or less (this may vary with type of oil, climate, etc)
• Don't go fast on bumps and potholes just because your shocks are doing an awesome job and you don't feel it! You are just wearing out your shocks faster...
• Don't let an idiot makabaas poke your gel mount with an effing screwdriver!!! ?
• Don't take the risk with a makabaas if you plan to use the car for a long time! Heck even if you are gonna sell it, don't be a cheapskate and earn the buyer's curse!
• If you can't afford to get your work done at any reputable and responsible garage, then sell the car use public transport until you save up some money... ?

 

*Update after 200+ kms:

• Vibration at minimal levels ?
• KYB shocks softened up (was stiff after initial install), much smoother ride now! ?
• Noticeably improved acceleration and pulling power, overhaul seems to have paid off! ?
• Unfortunately fuel efficiency shows no indication of improvement so far, will update with proper number after a few more refuels.

Machan how much cost did you incur for engine overhaul..?

[Monkey King Stu]

4 hours ago, Sampath2617 said:

Machan how much cost did you incur for engine overhaul..?

You can find more details in my other thread:

Engine head service + Gasket Overhaul kit + labor was over 50k. I'm not sure if that constitutes a full engine overhaul...

Edited March 15, 2020 by Monkey King Stu

[Sampath2617]

Machanla.. when i hardly accelerate my vitz ksp90, i heard kreeing noise.. I showed it to few garages but no one find the issue yet.

Do you know about..?

[AVANTE]

Open the hood, ask someone to Rev the engine and hold it at a steady and check to see from which point the sound is coming from. Does it come only when driving or even at standstill. Is it like a squealing sound like how Jerry from Tom and Jerry laughs like a high pitched hehehehe when Tom bangs his head. 

I was going to say check your pulleys but not sure what your Vitz year is and whether you have a timing belt or chain. 

[hrm]

15 hours ago, Sampath2617 said:

Machanla.. when i hardly accelerate my vitz ksp90, i heard kreeing noise.. I showed it to few garages but no one find the issue yet.

Do you know about..?

How was your engine/serpentine belt condition? What's the yom and mileage?

[Kavvz]

On 4/19/2020 at 6:58 AM, Sampath2617 said:

Machanla.. when i hardly accelerate my vitz ksp90, i heard kreeing noise.. I showed it to few garages but no one find the issue yet.

Do you know about..?

When you accelerate only? And you showed the car to a few garages but they couldn't find anything? That's a bit weird: Its a pretty common issue to have a whining noise (or similar high pitched squealing noise) when your belt is worn or slipping only to have it go away at certain RPM's. A good mechanic would be able to very quickly sort that out for you...

Quick question: Is your belt shiny on the ribbed side by any chance? 

 As most of the above members have mentioned it does seem like a belt or pully issue but: Regardless, I wouldn't drive it till you get it fixed / diagnosed. Having a belt break or having a broken pulley is nasty.

I broke my serpentine belt once because I didn't change it, and felt like an idiot when it wrecked a bunch of pulleys' in the process. The car was laid up for days till the parts were shipped (the pulleys were suprisingly expensive and hard to source!) and I got lucky that it didn't damage anything other than some pulleys, it could have been much worse...

Edited April 20, 2020 by Kavvz

[Sampath2617]

23 hours ago, AVANTE said:

Open the hood, ask someone to Rev the engine and hold it at a steady and check to see from which point the sound is coming from. Does it come only when driving or even at standstill. Is it like a squealing sound like how Jerry from Tom and Jerry laughs like a high pitched hehehehe when Tom bangs his head. 

I was going to say check your pulleys but not sure what your Vitz year is and whether you have a timing belt or chain. 

Its ksp90 2007 1000cc model..

110000km done.

it come only when driving machan..

According to my knowledge this one have a timing chain.

[Sampath2617]

22 hours ago, hrm said:

How was your engine/serpentine belt condition? What's the yom and mileage?

Its ksp90 2007 1000cc model..

110000km done.

it come only when driving machan..

i already changed serpentine belt.

[Sampath2617]

6 hours ago, Kavvz said:

When you accelerate only? And you showed the car to a few garages but they couldn't find anything? That's a bit weird: Its a pretty common issue to have a whining noise (or similar high pitched squealing noise) when your belt is worn or slipping only to have it go away at certain RPM's. A good mechanic would be able to very quickly sort that out for you...

Quick question: Is your belt shiny on the ribbed side by any chance? 

 As most of the above members have mentioned it does seem like a belt or pully issue but: Regardless, I wouldn't drive it till you get it fixed / diagnosed. Having a belt break or having a broken pulley is nasty.

I broke my serpentine belt once because I didn't change it, and felt like an idiot when it wrecked a bunch of pulleys' in the process. The car was laid up for days till the parts were shipped (the pulleys were suprisingly expensive and hard to source!) and I got lucky that it didn't damage anything other than some pulleys, it could have been much worse...

Its come only when driving machan..

i already changed serpentine belt.

How can i identify bad pully..?

[Kavvz]

12 hours ago, Sampath2617 said:

Its come only when driving machan..

i already changed serpentine belt.

How can i identify bad pully..?

Pretty easy for a mechanic to do: They usually just take of the belt and spin / feel each pulley for bad bearings and repalce the ones that are worn out. I'd take it to a decent mechanic and him tell them to check the serpentine belt tension and then the pulleys etc. These are all pretty basic stuff that gets looked into when you change the serperntine belt so I am supprised this is an issue if you changed the serpentine belt recently...

Also: Is your car down on power by any chance? 

[Kavvz]

15 hours ago, Sampath2617 said:

Its come only when driving machan..

i already changed serpentine belt.

How can i identify bad pully..?

 

3 hours ago, Kavvz said:

Pretty easy for a mechanic to do: They usually just take of the belt and spin / feel each pulley for bad bearings and repalce the ones that are worn out. I'd take it to a decent mechanic and him tell them to check the serpentine belt tension and then the pulleys etc. These are all pretty basic stuff that gets looked into when you change the serperntine belt so I am supprised this is an issue if you changed the serpentine belt recently...

Also: Is your car down on power by any chance? 

Checkout this post on a different thread as @Davy and @varotone are discussing something similar...

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by Kavvz

[Sampath2617]

11 hours ago, Kavvz said:

Pretty easy for a mechanic to do: They usually just take of the belt and spin / feel each pulley for bad bearings and repalce the ones that are worn out. I'd take it to a decent mechanic and him tell them to check the serpentine belt tension and then the pulleys etc. These are all pretty basic stuff that gets looked into when you change the serperntine belt so I am supprised this is an issue if you changed the serpentine belt recently...

Also: Is your car down on power by any chance? 

Yes machan.. i recently changed serpentine belt.. (it has run about 1500km)

I recently bought this car and I have no previous experience of the power of this type of car..

Anyway i'll go for inspection of belt and pulleys.

[Kavvz]

5 minutes ago, Sampath2617 said:

Yes machan.. i recently changed serpentine belt.. (it has run about 1500km)

I recently bought this car and I have no previous experience of the power of this type of car..

Anyway i'll go for inspection of belt and pulleys.

Sounds good: Ask the garage guys to take it on a test run as well if there is nothing amiss with the pulleys or belt just incase its a vacuum line (but its more likely its just the belt or one of the pulleys).

[Davy]

On 4/19/2020 at 8:58 PM, Sampath2617 said:

Machanla.. when i hardly accelerate my vitz ksp90, i heard kreeing noise.. I showed it to few garages but no one find the issue yet.

Do you know about..?

The Yaris, Belta and Vitz are notorious for the cold start belt squeal which is really annoying. Google "Yaris Belt Squeal" and you will be showered with results about it.  However, this squeal/chirp goes away when you drive like 50m. I knew quite a few Beltas that had the issue and it stops temporarily after new belts are installed. From memory, it was just a pulley issue, but using genuine TOYOTA belts help a bit. 

Your issue seems to be different because you experience the sound as you drive the car as well. If the belt is not adjusted properly (about 10 mm of slack for a new belt at the mid point between pulleys that are furthest apart). So the first thing to check is to ensure that the belt is properly adjusted. You can check this yourself as explained above.

The next is a bit of a controversial one to check if the noise is due to belt slippage. While the engine is stopped, spray a tiny bit of WD40 (or even a bit of water) to a point where the belt meets a pulley. The key is to ensure that the liquid only touches the inner side of the belt and that it doesn't go into any of the pulleys (if it does, pulley noises might also stop and our diagnosis is in vain). Then start the car and drive for a bit. If the squeal is due to belt slippage, the WD40 would have lubed up the belt enough to get rid of the noise.

If none of the above checks stops the noise, it's likely to be a bad or misaligned pulley. I suspect alternator. Note that the WD40 method might also stop a squeal that is generated by a misaligned pulley. So careful inspection by a good mechanic does help.

Good luck!

Edited April 22, 2020 by Davy