The winter was long – and we finally had snow again.

Actually, perfect conditions for the Vitara. But as you noticed last summer vacation, we had some problems with the steering. And unfortunately, they couldn’t be fixed quickly.

In order to get to the affected parts, a lot had to be dismantled. The idler pulleys of the V-belt were also on the agenda – and to get to them, the radiator had to be removed. However, it was so seized up that it gave up the ghost. So a new radiator went straight in.

A few months later, the good news: Adrian has worked his magic again.

The steering shaft was replaced and the Vitara steers like it did on the first day. The old shaft was still lubricated at the top, but was as good as solid at the bottom – this also explains the stiff steering and this slight “click”.

So technically everything is tip-top again? We’ll see.

In any case, we have resolved to move the Vitara regularly now. A so-called moving drive – simply driving so that everything keeps moving and no damage occurs.

No sooner said than done. We set off on a frosty day – on one of my classic motorcycle tours towards Köterberg. Through Minden-Lübbecker Land, past Hessisch Oldendorf, through Hameln and Bodenwerder, into “Rühler Schweiz”.

The weather was rather average. Where normally wide views invite you to linger, there was fog in the air on this day. The snow-free flatlands slowly turned into a wintry landscape with snow-covered roads around Holzminden. Not spectacular – but somehow just right.

On the way, we had coffee and homemade muffins before continuing up the Köterberg. We are familiar with weather conditions like this from our vacations – but we are usually high enough there to drive above the clouds. Here, at just under 500 m, we were right in the middle of it. Still: almost no wind, a calm atmosphere, a beautiful moment.

So back down from “Monte Wauwau”, through the serpentines back towards home.

And then – suddenly – a loud, metallic noise. Short, hard, unidentifiable. I stopped immediately, checked the outside of the car – nothing suspicious. So we drove on.

A few days later, at the TÜV, we found out that the right spring on the rear axle was broken. You drive over the wildest tracks on vacation – and the spring breaks on a normal country road in the Weserbergland of all places. In hindsight, however, it was a stroke of luck.

Without this movement, the spring would probably have broken later – perhaps at a higher speed or somewhere on the highway. So we knew immediately what was going on.

The rear springs were renewed and the leaking exhaust clamp replaced. TÜV passed. The little monster is ready for new tours again. And the best thing: The Vitara was expressly praised by two TÜV inspectors. Well maintained, well preserved – a great car. I think we will enjoy it for a long time to come.

Or maybe not? Because the next “little thing” is already looming: The high-pressure pump seems to be leaking slightly …

And what is the old lady actually doing?

It is currently still in hibernation. But the electronics problems we had last year in Switzerland and France were anything but normal. There is also an ABS issue that we still need to address.

Old technology has its charm – no question about it. But it also takes its toll. Anyone can sit on a new motorcycle or get into a modern car. But if you continue to live with technology from the 2000s today, it’s a different world – an honest one, but sometimes also an expensive one.

I’ll tell you what happens next with the Vitara and the old lady in the next post. And I can already say this much: it’s guaranteed not to be boring.

Vitaralino should have been ready to go long ago. Everyday life had other plans. Now it is – and so are we: stage down, heading southwest.

Before that, however, there was an unplanned season of “Screws & Amazement”. It started back in February/March: gearbox out and bearings replaced, new clutch – a big show under the car. While we were at it, we put in fresh oil and a new battery on top. The plan was clear: tick off, drive, smile. But liking plans has never made a car suitable for a road trip.

Then, in May, reality set in with a small puddle. The Vitara was leaking fluid somewhere – not a lot, but enough to make us frown. At the end of May, Adrian (our main mechanic and calming influence with a torque wrench) took a closer look: a bit of valve cover, a hint of EGR – nothing serious. Everything cleaned, everything tight. In the process, a silent saboteur fell into his trap: the clutch slave cylinder. It was no longer holding pressure. So new, bled, pedal again with a clear pressure point – clean.

Then, in mid-June, the result with the cliffhanger: suddenly a lot of coolant gone. Diagnosis after a quick search: thermostat housing. And because every workshop story needs its “This can’t be true” moment, we found it too – in the form of a piece of tin from a Coke can that someone had misused as a seal at some point. Yes, really. We won’t ask any more questions at this point.

The hunt for spare parts was… let’s call it “sporty”. After a long rummage on the net, we found what we were looking for, and Adrian saved the day: he pulled seals out of his magic drawer (part number unknown, convincing effect) and closed up the site properly. Incidentally, he also discovered that the wrong antifreeze had been filled in beforehand – fortunately he noticed this early enough before anything could clog up. System flushed, filled correctly, test drive: dry.

We would have left it at that – if it hadn’t been for the week before departure. New tires fitted (the bank statement mumbles something about €460), a quick check in the yard – and there’s a grinding noise in the front left wheel arch, but only at full lock. Just the moment when you can feel the vacation beckoning and then disappearing behind the next cloud. The suspicion was obvious: when the steering gear was replaced in 2023, someone had probably not hit the center position properly. Result: more steering angle on the left than on the right – and therefore contact with the rear wheel arch fold.

Here comes the lifeline: the rental workshop in Hille. Between “actually full” and “come over quickly”, the steering universal joint was loosened, the steering column was set exactly to the mechanical center position again and the track was adjusted symmetrically on both sides. This was followed by a wheel alignment with report, the values are now where they should be. The old grinding point in the wheel arch was given stone chip protection – flat, smooth, no edge that could be dangerous for a tire sidewall. Test at ride height, full left turn: no contact. That’s exactly how we wanted it.

All in all, this was less a series of breakdowns than an honest spring clean with a reality check. A straight steering wheel is not automatically a centered steering gear. “Tight is tight” only applies if someone has not previously sealed it with tin cans. And it takes a bit of luck to find a garage that not only “looks at it” at the last minute, but also solves it.

So: Thank you, Adrian – without you, “vacation” would very quickly have become “permanent parking space”. And thanks to Frederic from the Minden rental garage – last-minute joker pulled, problem solved, vacation saved.

Now Vitaralino can get back to doing what we love him for: Collecting kilometers, looking at mountains and carrying us safely from hairpin bend to hairpin bend. We take a watchful eye with us (check the coolant level when cold, keep an eye on the clutch feel, take a look at the inner left tire sidewall after the first hundred kilometers) – but above all we take one thing with us: Anticipation.

Everyday life had other plans. We have better ones.

….and second than you think! Right?

Well, in our case, we had planned to spend New Year’s Eve 2024/2025 in London. The accommodation was booked, the car was registered in London (what a disaster – but that’s another story!) and the anticipation was great. But there was one thing that was bothering us – even before our last Balkan road trip in 2024.

Because when we were out and about in the Südheide nature park, the clutch squeaked strangely, but worked normally. It was just a bit annoying. So I just asked Sergej, who took the opportunity to have a look. And that’s what started the whole drama: Because the squeaking wasn’t actually a problem at all, but something else, much more dramatic! The car has a noise from the engine compartment when stationary (when cold) which disappears when you depress the clutch. We never noticed it ourselves before, but if you pay attention, you can hear it clearly. Well, what could it be? Sergej suspects the release bearing or something in the gearbox, but unfortunately didn’t have time to look himself. Admittedly: Removing and dismantling the gearbox is no easy task. The next step was to find a dealer who had the courage to do it. Not so easy, three rejections. Even Suzuki told me they didn’t have time at the moment. Disappointing! But when I spoke to Alexandro about it – our window cleaner (from Romania, by the way ) – he told me about his cousin. His name is Adrian and he’s a screwdriver – and what a screwdriver he is! So we quickly made contact and were soon able to bring the car over. Shortly afterwards, the gearbox was removed and dismantled. See for yourself:

The clutch: burnt (blue)
The release bearing: defective
The gearbox bearings: four defective

In addition, some shaft seals (oil seals) need to be replaced. Originally, the car was supposed to be ready before Christmas. But there was a problem: the gearbox bearings cannot be found. Last resort: ask Suzuki. 650 later, they were ordered, but it took about a week for them to arrive. Ergo: Our adventure in London is canceled. Our little Vitara is now at Adrian’s, who now has all the time in the world to repair the gearbox and clutch.

Due to the high repair costs, we have now decided to only set off a small adventure rocket on New Year’s Eve.

Stay tuned for more adventures soon!