This is a beater and i do not mind rigging itĪlso it usually runs pretty strong but sometimes it will just lose all power (even on completely flat terrain). sometimes it will crank without the clutch in, sometimes it wontĪlso cheap fixes if you think you know the problem would be awesome.sometimes i can turn the key from off to start 50 times and it won't crank but on 51 it will (you get the idea) ( this sounds like the starter though).doesn't crank but sometimes if i let the key in the ignition slide back towards me a little (we are talking mm's here) but still in the cranking spectrum it will start.sits for about 30 secs up to 2 mins with the key turned then cranks or doesn't ( works the most often).starts right away or doesn't ( usually will start when it is cold or has been sitting out of the sun, maybe of no connection).When I turn the key it does one of the following: Looking around for a small 4x4 this winter, Id really like the convenience of a 4 door but this is primarily going to be a bush buggy so off road capabilities are just as important. I have owned this piece of crap for about a year and this problem has more recently surfaced. I do not think it is the starter (starts strong when it starts) or the battery (no voltimeter here, i don't want to pay 40-80usd for one so i have to wait for the gf to bring it down with her). I am thinking maybe it is the ignition switch or a cable somewhere is not making a great connection or it has some serious electrical gremlins surfacing. Some cosmetic damage but no mechanical issues. Low miles and a fun little car with great gas mileage. Some recent work done due to sitting including new clutch and new rear end, all done by a mechanic. Recently this truck has developed a very strange starting problem. 1998 Suzuki Sidekick in lebanon, OR Suzuki Sidekick runs and drives great. Not long afterward, Suzuki retreated entirely from the U.S., convinced there was more profit to be made from focusing on. This is my Caribbean truck so I do not have all my tools or diagnostic equipment available to me here. By the early 2000s, the mini-ute’s day had passed, with the two-door version of the Sidekick (now named the Vitara) fading out in favor of a larger four-door edition that would eventually up-size itself out of the equation.

Suzuki sidekick forum