L84sky

Twenty years ago today (01-13-2001) I drove away from the local Chevrolet dealership in a
brand new 4WD "Chevy" Tracker. At the time I was so naive I didn't realize I had just purchased
a rebadged Suzuki Vitara. Chevrolet kept selling the Tracker through 2004 after which Suzuki
switched from the Gen 2 "Grand Vitara" to the Gen 3 Vitara. That's when Tracker parts started
getting hard to find. When Suzuki declared bankruptcy in 2013 Chevrolet dealers stopped
stocking Tracker parts altogether.


Before I drove off the lot, I walked back to the parts department and ordered the factory service
manual. It arrived in three volumes. It was the smartest $120 I ever spent on the car.


Since then I have acquired the dealer tool kit for the Tracker,


the GM Tech2 scanner with TIS 2000 programming software,


and the Suzuki service manuals for the 2001 Grand Vitara.


Two weeks ago I purchased 10-year-old Suzuki parts-catalog software. https://www.epcatalogs.com/light/suzuki/



GM part numbers are virtually worthless now but Suzuki part numbers can still be found on Amazon and eBay.
The Suzuki equivalent to my V6 Tracker is the SQ625 (E28,E33,E60:MY 2001). By comparing Owner's Manual
part numbers I was able to deduce that E28 is the Canadian version, E33 is the California version and E60 is
the Puerto Rico version.


My car has never been worked on by a professional mechanic. It spent its first two years under
a carport and the last eighteen in a garage. The paint has a few rock chips but still looks good.
That's a reflection of a cloud on the hood.


The car is mostly stock. I added a trailer hitch,


manual locking hubs,

L84sky

and a homemade cover for the footrest. It matches the position and angle of the gas pedal.


I also blanked out power to the front amber running lights. I wanted the turn signals to go
on-and-off rather than bright/dim at night.


I replaced the yellowed headlight lenses with new ones. The difficult part is removing the front
grill. The blue tape indicates where to pull.


A tool like this Craftsman cotter key puller really helps.


Replacement grill fasteners are available online.


I eventually gave up using the Delco battery that came in the car. A helpful tech at
NAPA found a 60-month battery (6524F) that would fit in the Tracker's battery tray.
The "F" (Ford) means the battery terminals are reversed so they match the layout
of the Tracker's battery cables. It's been a much better battery than the Delco.


I retired in 2010 and since then I have spent my time learning everything I can about the car's design and operation. I have amassed
4,000 photos, scans and screenshots in 400 different categories. I'm trying to upload the pertinent stuff so the information remains
available even after I'm gone.


With 150k on the odometer the car runs good but has an annoying oil leak. "Leak" is a euphemism.
Oil is actually being pumped out of the engine. See video at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4z25tkzz6l...video.mp4?dl=0


The o-ring between the lower crankcase and the block needs to be replaced. I've been putting
it off because the engine has to be removed from the car to get to the o-ring. That's a big job
so for now I'm just adding oil.



The same week I bought the Tracker I paid $400 for a set of used steel wheels mounted with
four new studded snow tires. Ice is a rarity here so I don't use them often. I read that wheel
spin is caused by excessive torque. One way to reduce torque is to start off in second gear.
My Tracker's automatic transmission makes that possible by setting the power/normal switch
to "power" and placing the shifter lever in "2." Using 4WD LOW increases torque and the
likelihood of wheel spin.