Factory diesel Jimnys (DDiS) - all info about them

Hello!

I am a (usually) happy owner of a factory diesel Jimny ("DDiS" edition).
I live in Bosnia and Herzegovina (south eastern Europe).

Since DDiS Jimnys were never sold in UK, this forum has very little information about them.
On the other hand, I suppose that a lot of international Jimny owners read this forum.

Therefore, I decided to share everything I know about diesel Jimnys here, so that others can benefit from my knowledge and the effort that I spent on acquiring that knowledge.

I will gradually update this thread and post new information when I acquire it or learn it. I will do my best to write only confirmed and proven information.


For beginning:
There are SIGNIFICANT mechanical differences between ordinary petrol Jimnys and DDIS diesel Jimnys.
Therefore, maintenance of a diesel Jimny can be a headache, unless you do a lot of research, or unless you read the info which I write here!

Some general introductionary information about factory diesel Jimnys:

Factory diesel Jimnys are badged as "DDiS" editions. Production started in year 2003, and ended in year 2011.

There were two generations.

---

First generation was produced from 2003 to approx 2006, and it used an older Renault K9K 700 engine. Engine specifications: 1461 cm3 cubic capacity, power 48 kW / 65 PS, turbocharged, non-intercooled.
Second generation was produced from approx 2006 to 2011, and it used a newer Renault K9k 266 engine. Engine specifications: 1461 cm3 cubic capacity, power 63 kW / 86 PS, turbocharged, intercooled.

The shift from 1st gen to 2nd gen happened approx at the same time when petrol Jimnys had a major cosmetical and mechanical refresh with a VVT petrol engine, eletric transfer box, new interior dashboard and trim, new front bumper, etc.

---

First and second generation DDiS Jimnys are distinguished ONLY by engine types (weaker K9K 700 or stronger K9K 266), not by appearance.

Reason: there are some DDiS Jimnys with new dashboard, electric transfer box, new "deep" bumper, but with old 48 kW K9K 700 engine. There are also some DDiS Jimnys with old dashboard, mechanical transfer box, old bumper, but with new 63 kW K9K 266 engine. There are other combinations as well (for example: electric transfer box, new interior trim, old front bumper, old engine, etc.).

Thankfully, all these awkward combinations exist only for 2005 and 2006 model years, because that is when the shift from 1st gen to 2nd gen occurred (so Suzuki was probably clearing out old trim / bumper / transfer box parts stock through DDiS Jimnys etc.).

But these awkward hybrids are not common. All DDiS Jimnys made in 2003 or 2004 have everything old (dash, trim, bumper, transfer box) and weaker K9K engine. All DDiS Jimnys made in 2007 and later have everything new (dash, trim, bumper, transfer box).

---

The older (weaker) Renault K9K 700 engine (48 kW) is generally considered as troublesome, and is recommended to avoid it!
The main issue is with the bad quality of high pressure fuel pump. It produces metal particles over time, which eventually clog and destroy fuel injectors and cylinders. The damage produced is typically terminal - engine is good only for scrap.

On the other hand, the newer (stronger) Renault K9K 266 engine (63 kW) is generally considered to be fine, and the fuel pump which it uses is different than the one in the older engine, so no worries.

Conclusion:
There is absolutely no reason to buy 1st gen DDiS Jimny, with the older / weaker engine. Not only that you would get a weak engine, but you would get a destructive one!
On the other hand, buying a 2nd gen DDiS Jimny is perfectly good choice.

---

Although there is widespread belief that all DDiS Jimnys were made in Spain by Santana Motors, that IS NOT correct. My own DDiS Jimny was made in Japan (its VIN starts with "JSAxxxxxx").

Technical model designation of DDiS Jimnys is: JB53
Technical model type of DDiS Jimnys is: SN415VD-x ("x" defines internal manufacturer's version)

Therefore, VIN of a DDiS Jimny can start with one of the following two character sets:
JSAFJB53Vxxxxxxxx (these ones were made in Japan)
VSEFJB53Vxxxxxxxx (these ones were made in Spain)

---

As far as I managed to investigate, DDiS Jimnys were sold only in continental Europe, except in some eastern and south-eastern European countries, like mine (because of bad fuel quality).
DDiS Jimnys were most popular in Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Austria. In Germany, about every 3rd or 4th Jimny made between 2003 and 2011 is DDiS.

Both Renault engines which I mentioned are better known "in the mainsteram world" as "1.5 dCi".

As you probably know, there are many, many editions of 1.5 dCi engines, and these two (K9K 700 and K9K 266) are just another editions. Very similar engines were used in Renault Clios and Meganes of that era, and some other cars.

From my limited experience with engine maintenance in 2nd gen DDiS Jimny so far, I can say that parts for K9K 266 Renault engine are mostly compatible from other 1.5 dCi K9K engines, but you can not easily match them by part numbers or markings (because Suzuki obviously did not want Renault part numbers to be printed on engine parts).

So far, I have successfully changed oil filter, two glow plugs, as well as timing belt with spanners etc.
I first came to my local official Suzuki service garages, but they showed little knowledge nor interest to service the engine in my DDiS Jimny, first because they had no knowledge about it, and because DDiS editions were never sold in my country.
So I went to official local Renault service garages, and they refused to service a non-Renault vehicle.
So, I finally serviced the engine in an unofficial local Renault service garage. Servicemen's experience with 1.5 dCi K9K engines was crucial in determining which were the correct replacement parts needed.

Therefore, you have two ways of servicing the engine in your DDiS Jimny:
====================================================

1. "Official and expensive" method
- Get yourself a copy of official Suzuki parts database / catalogue (or use a Russian online edition at suzuki.afora.ru/), and use it to find out official Suzuki part number of your defective engine part.
- Then either search for the part online (but good luck for that!) or order those parts through your official Suzuki dealers, and get them replaced and installed somewhere else.
- If your local Suzuki dealer says that it can not order those parts because they are for DDiS Jimny, just tell them that Suzuki's main warehouse in Hungary (in Esztergom, where Suzuki's main European car factory is located) has all needed parts for DDiS Jimnys, and that they should check there.
- This method is expensive as you would be buying "genuine" Suzuki's parts, which Suzuki had essentially bought from Renault and resold over to you, or something like that. But sometimes the prices may be right, so it is not a bad idea to try this method first every time, to see the prices.


2. "Trial-and-error and cheap" method
- Drive your car to an unofficial Renault service garage which has good reputation for having experienced servicemen (or demount a defective engine part and take it to them).
- Have some experienced servicemen look at the issue or part and determine what is the exact matching replacement Renault or aftermarket part needed, and have them buy it and install it for you.



About computer diagnostics in DDiS Jimnys:
===============================
I do not have too much experience with this yet, but I know this for sure:

At one of local official Suzuki service garages, they managed to successfully connect their official diagnostic device to my DDiS Jimny's ECU (electronic control unit) and use all intended diagnostic and control functions through it. The device they used was the same device which they use to diagnose and control petrol Jimnys. They simply selected "SN415VD" edition of Jimny in device's menu upon establishing connection, and connection was successful. I was there when they were doing it, so I saw most of the "action". Then they performed complete diagnostic, and determined one of my glow plugs was defective.
I attached photographs of two screen readouts of that official Suzuki's diagnostic device, which I managed to photograph on that occasion.

I did not try to connect my Jimny to Renault's diagnostic devices in Renault service garages, so I do not know if that combination would work. But I will try that next time when I get an opportunity.

Finally, regarding engine power and transmission ratios:

My DDiS Jimny has the stronger K9K 266 engine, with 63 kW of power.

The engine has plenty of power for this car! There is absolutely no need to "chiptune" the engine for more performance, as the car itself too unstable anyway and would not benefit from it.

On one occasion, there were 4 male people in the car, with trunk full of luggage, and I had a 400 liter roof box full of luggage as well, as well as a towbar mounted bicycle carrier with four bicycles mounted. We drove on mountainous twisty and steep tarmac roads, with air conditioning on. The engine was still going strong. It was definitely working hard, but the car still had more than sufficient pulling power.
One advice when having 4 people in a Jimny: make sure nobody has even a mild claustrophobia ....


Technical observations about engine performance:
===================================

• Clutch behavior is relatively hard to master - when starting from standstill, you have to power up the gas before you press the clutch, and you have to be very well trained to time it well, otherwise it will stall (usually) or overrun (burn the clutch). But I found out that other 1.5 dCi engines behave similarly.
• Engine vibrations are definitely more pronounced than in a petrol Jimny, but they are far from being severe. They are MUCH lower than in old agricultural diesel engines found in many pre-2000 passenger cars and 4x4s.
• Engine sound is superb! This 1.5 dCi engine sounds much different in a Jimny than in normal Renault cars, like Clio or Megane. In Jimny, it sounds like a big nasty bukly 4x4, ala small Toyota Land Cruiser or small Nissan Patrol!
• Low RPM torque is quite good, but there is a severe power drop below cca 1600 RPM, when the turbo shuts off. Therefore, when offroading, sometimes 2nd low gear for going up a steep slope is not viable - as soon as it drops at cca 1500 RPM, you're dead stalled. That situation forces you to either go faster, or use 1st low gear, with higher risk of wheel slip. But clever driving can partially compensate for that, and these situations do not occur often.
• Car has excellent acceleration up to cca 60-70 km/h.
• In 5th gear, engine runs at 2400 RPM when going at 90 km/h, 2800 RPM when going at 100 km/h, and you will hit 3000 RPM mark at 110 km/h.
• 100 km/h would be a limit for pleasant driving on a highway. Over that, the engine begins working hard, but even more importantly, the car begins behaving insecurely.
• 120 km/h would be an upper limit for safe driving on a highway. Over that, you're driving fast and furious.
• I drove my Jimny over 160 km/h on a highway, and the engine feels like it could do much more if the transmission was not limiting it. But the car was a fast moving vibrating jumping grave at that speed!
• Diesel engine is much heavier than a petrol engine, and therefore a DDiS Jimny is aaprox 150 kg heavier than a petrol one. All additional weight is on the front of the car.
• The weight imbalance of a DDiS Jimny is even more pronounced than on a petrol Jimny. That means that the rear wheels will slip in 2WD mode on even a relatively mild slippery surface (like a wet tarmac or a bit of gravel uphill). It sometimes even happens that I can't start moving on a steep uphill DRY hairpin bend if I had to stop there to let another car pass. I have to go a few meters back to improve wheel contact with the ground. I gave the car to my father two times and he turned around twice (did almost an 180 circle) on a dry crossroad because he powered the gas in the middle of the crossroad.
• Fuel consumption is a bit below 6,5 l per 100 km on "open road" (motorway, out of town). That is with a roof box on the roof all the time (and with relatively rough AT tires). So it would probably be a bit lower than 6 l without the roof box, and with normal (road-biased) tires. If I use air conditioning all the time while driving on open roads, fuel consumption increases from 0,3 up to 0,5 l per 100 km.
• Fuel consumption in town is around 8l per 100 km, with the roof box on. It can also vary based on driving style, time of year, etc.
• Fuel consumption off road (hard gravel, rocky roads, mud, meadows, heavy snow etc.) when you are mostly going in low range, powering through, driving downhill on gas etc. can usually hit 10 l per 100 km or even more. But in those situations, you don't care about fuel consumption, you care about getting from A to B without hassle or damage.
• After doing 12 000 km, my total average fuel consumption is 6,7 l per 100 km. Consider that I have Goodyear Wrangler AT/SA all-terrain tires, that I have had a roof box on the car for 80% of the mileage, 1 or two people inside for 80% of the mileage, bicycles mounted on the tow bar 50% of the mileage, and driving on open roads about 70% of the mileage (and 20% off road and 10% in town).
• Additional remark about fuel consumption figures from above: When I say "open roads", I mean all kinds of tarmac "out of town" roads ranging from sleek highway to rural twisty tarmac roads, and also including good gravel roads where I can drive in 2nd high gear or higher. When I say "off road", I mean rough (hard) gravel roads, undulated gravel roads, harsh rocky roads, muddy forest roads, meadows, unpaved snow, etc. - anywhere where I have to use low range 3rd or lower gear. I have a normal driving style, or even a bit "lean". I definitely do not drive anywhere near "furiously".

Good read and thanks Bosanek, always wondered about the Diesel Jim.

Worth a Sticky

What Grego said a lot of work gone into that thread well done Bosanek

I was glad to write this as I believe it might be useful to someone!

All this was general information, but I also plan to write specific information about spare parts which are different from the petrol edition, and where to find aftermarket replacements for those different parts.

I am still in the process of researching and confirming about differing parts. It would be a significant help if someone would give me a VIN of an ordinary "tintop" petrol Jimny built in Japan between 2006 and 2011 (VIN starts with JSAxxxxx), so that I could compare its parts numbers with my Jimny's parts numbers in Suzuki's official part database. It would be ideal if the vehicle would be from year 2006 or 2007. If someone want to give me a VIN, you can send it through a private message.

---

Just a few more general information about diesel Jimnys:

Like I said, the 63 kW K9K 266 diesel engine has plenty of torque for the car. Here are the numbers:
1.3 petrol M13A VVT engine (63 kW) has 110 Nm of torque at 4100 RPM;
1.5 diesel K9K 700 engine (48 kW, old version) has 160 Nm of torque at 2000 RPM;
1.5 diesel K9K 266 engine (63 kW, new version) has 200 Nm of torque at 1750 RPM!


The "air intake bulge" on the front hood, which used to be a visual characteristic of DDiS Jimnys, has no function at all. No air can pass through it, as it is blocked by a solid plastic cap in its outer entrance. The cap can only be removed if you hammer it out.
The only technical reason why Suzuki used it, is because the K9K engine block is too high for Jimny's hood, so instead of redesigning the entire hood, they just invented a clever and smart looking way of gaining a few more centimeters of height on the center of the hood, so that the engine block could fit below the hood.

On the other hand, the "air intake" bulge on a DDiS Jimny does bring a certain visual flavor when driving the car. It gives the driver (and the front passenger) something of a subconscious reference point while driving (like having a three-spoke star sign on hood a Mercedes car) and it also gives you a feeling of driving a big nasty 4x4 (it complements nicely with the mean diesel engine sounds which I described earlier).

Another worthy thing to mention is that the "air intake" bulges on DDiS Jimnys are different than the "air intake" bulges of the latest petrol Jimny redesigns (2012 onward).

The bulges on DDiS Jimnys are separate pieces which are glued onto the hood (so the hood was originally cut out in the center in the factory, and they glued the bulge onto the center of the hood). On the other hand, the bulges on the newest petrol Jimnys are one part with a hood - they are pressed out from the hood at the factory, just like any other curve on the bodywork.
The DDiS bulges are shorter and narrower, but thicker (higher) and therefore more pronounced (especially because there is a clearly visible edge around the bulge). The new petrol bulges are wider and longer, but much thinner (lower) and less pronounced because there is no edge around the bulge.

My DDiS Jimny recently developed an extremely annoying issue with coolant distribution system. Through my research, I discovered that it is a common issue with DDiS Jimnys which have 63 kW K9K 266 engine.


The problem:
=============

The issue is simple in nature - one plastic three-way hose manifold in the coolant distribution system gets eaten out by the coolant over time (bad quality plastics), and starts leaking coolant. The leaking is minor at first, but after a few thousand kilometers it gets so severe that it requires replacing the manifold.

Suzuki part number of the original manifold is 17878-84A5.

My investigation shows that this manifold is used only in DDiS Jimnys with 63 kW K9K 266 engine (technical model name of the car: SN415VD Type 6 and 7). Earlier DDiS Jimnys with 48 kW K9K 700 engine (technical model name of the car SN415VD Type 5) have a completely different coolant distribution system.


However, there are two major issues with replacing this manifold:

1. Manifold is of special shape and design as well as pipe diameters, so it is pointless to try to find a similar one in car junk yards (believe me, I tried).
2. If you order the original replacement manifold from a Suzuki dealer, you will wait a long time, as it is not a standard stock item, not even in major Suzuki warehouses in Europe. Also, the replacement will have the same quality issue and will probably need another replacement after approx 100-150 thousand km.
3. Manifold is located behind the engine towards the passenger cabin, and it is very hard to reach. Essentially, you have to disassemble half of the engine to reach it and be able to manouver around it.

The solution:
=============

Considering all that was said above, I decided to make a DIY replacement manifold, with the help of a friend who is a professional installer of central heating systems.
Therefore, we made a DIY manifold out of copper pipes connected by tin solders. The same pipe connections are used to transfer hot water between radiators in central heating systems in homes and offices. This solution should have eternal longevity.

The only downside in this solution is that the manifold is larger in total size than the original one, as the copper pipe elements could not be shortened that much. But since half of the engine had to be disassembled anyway to access the manifold location, installing this larger one should not be so much more difficult.


I have provided all photographs which show the location of the manifold in the engine bay, the original manifold taken out (notice that two of its pipe connections are broken - in fact they were so worn that they crumbled during disassembly), and photo of the DIY manifold next to the original one.

I hope that this gets useful to someone.


P.S.: Here is a thread on a German Jimny forum, where a German guy had the same issue:
www.suzuki-jimny.info/showthread.php?237...eutschland-legal-%29

Was somebody smoking weed when they decided on a Renault engine

Dave cc wrote: Was somebody smoking weed when they decided on a Renault engine

Probably got a good deal. There are millions about, Nissan use them, so do Mercedes & Dacia (which is Renault anyway). The reason you think they are no good is because a few thousand have failed with turbo or fuel system issues, but as a percentage of the total running, it is nothing.



Bosanek, a good fix, but watch that the solder doesn't fail at low temperatures, these modern lead free ones are worse than the old types.

Dave cc wrote: Was somebody smoking weed when they decided on a Renault engine

Why do you say that?
It's actually a very well built engine that revs pretty good and with good performance.
It's a far better engine than the ancient 1.7TD Isuzu.

TomDK wrote: It's a far better engine than the ancient 1.7TD Isuzu.

Now that I disagree with, you won't get 250,000+ miles out of a K9K with only a quick thinning down of the valve shims to get the compression back like you used to with an Isuzu (NA it has to be said, I don't think there is a turbo ever made that would last that long)