Worked at a lube oil change shop for about four years back in the '90s. Tip: always remove the fill plug first on diffs and transfer cases. If you can't get the fill plug out (stripped or seized) then you'll be in a world of hurt if you drain the fluid and can't get new fluid back in...

That thing is SUPER clean underneath for 172k miles! Maintenance isn't glamorous, but vehicles always feel like they drive better afterward, whether they actually do or not, and the peace of mind is great.

My OCD watching you drain the front and rear diff, and transfer case without removing the fill plug had Me clawing my eyes out

Back in 2007 i baught my wife a 2002 XL7, it was silver, the dealership had ordered some chrome rims for it , we baught it right before it snowed, noticed the 4 wheel drive wouldn't lock in , the roads were iced over , we lived way out in the country, and i guess i had left the selecter in 4x4 , the back wheels spun i went through someone's front yard and side swiped a tree , totaled it , if i had a little bit more room i rhink i could have missed it but nope . I was taking it in to get the unit looked at . I did a 360 and a 180 , still have the factory rims though .lol it was a cool little rig though, till it wasn't

Seeing your suzuki brings back found memories ,my grandfather had a 96 grand vitara his neighbor made fun of it till he pulled him out of the ditch in the blizzard of 97.

Yeah silver, especially light silver like that makes you invisible. Had an ol ram that was about that color, and folks pulled out in front of me all the time, I finally realized it was the same color as most roads.

I had a late 90's sidekick that I adored. My daughter borrowed it and rolled it..... I have been very impressed with Suzuki cars and SUVs. Well built machines.

Thought for sure this was gonna be sponsored by manscaped when I saw the thumbnail 😂

I've always loved these chassis. Basically the same as the 2000s Chevy tracker/Suzuki Vitara but a touch longer. 5 link rear, boxed frame rails, and everything tucked up above the frame/crossmembers is so rad for this era. I don't think there are many small SUVs that will put up with the abuse these can take.

Watching someone do maintenance on a vehicle is a great way to learn the basics. I’ve brought my kids into the garage to help me out many times. It’s good to have a basic understanding of how things work.

Looks in really good shape, nice fluids, etc. Imagine what kind of Jeep you would have gotten for the same money, zero frame, zero fluids, no brakes, blown u joints, the works!

Dave I swear by these suzukis man! And maintenance is the key to em. I had a 94 sidekick jlx 4 dr 1.6 16 valve i got it in 2000 with 58000 miles on it it died in 2013 with 572000 miles on it and all i ever did was basic maintenance and timing belts when they were due the only other thing i ever had to replace was the ecu cuz well they were a problem on em back then lol the only reason that beast game up the smoke was because i missed a belt change and it broke i was religious about it for years and the one time i was lax in upkeep boom it got me.......................

Motoring!! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Love dirt Thx

I see you check for balance on your lift with every vehicle you bring in, which is very smart…. Just a tip for someone that works on their back to Nader jack stands lol. Mark your lift points with a paint pen so you can lift from the same proven spot everytime.

Fun little rig. Its always a good evening when we get a new vid from the Dirthead Shed..

I can’t believe how clean that is underneath. Here in coastal Maine it would be rotted out.

I'm one of "those" people. I actually pour a half quart into the engine when the drainplug is still out, just to push out that much more spent oil. Yep, one of those guys LOL. Love your channel Dave!!

Glad to see a video that didn't require $3k in parts. Though we love the "builds" sometimes its nice to see everyday stuff that i have to do to my vehicles. It helps keep me motivated to do the little stuff.

Nate and you are going to be such an awesome team

god dave your shop is so sick. another tour soon please.

You know all I have is high mileage jeeps and trucks. I honestly prefer it. Once you have it and been thru it then you know what to expect. Keep the cheap maintenance up and keep rolling

Cool suki!! I wish my isuzu had coils up front!!!

Such a cool daily rig. As soon as you brought that home I started diving into finding one. This thing is rad

Safe travels

I want to see more of this thing, if it wasnt for the timing chains these things would be way more popular. I drive my xl7 the most out of my 4 vehicles, gotta love them with lift and tires. Try making a hiden winch plate so you can give me some ideas .

That rig is clean for the mileage on it…wow!!!!

Dave you always place your tools in the most weird spot ever, that's the first thing they teach you at tech school 😅😅

Raddest maintenance manly man on the KZfaq!

I did a super sick uhmw lined skid plate on mine. Made it slide over boulders (small boulders) with ease, and no worries of hitting those tender bits underneath.

I can't wait to see this thing get cool bumpers and winch

That thing is crazy clean! They don’t exist in my part of the world anymore.

Tip for the newbs, open fill location before drain location. Also recommend synthetic gear oil. Better especially in colder climates. Ymmv.

After seeing yours I've been looking for one for my family, I've loved my other suzukis and didn't realize the xl7 was pretty legit for a newer vehicle, thanks!

Great video, brother. This is important stuff ro keeping your ride up to date with new fluids to get a long life out of our rides. Have a great and safe adventure, brother.

Good job

Good video.

WOOHOO 'ZUKI CONTENT!!!!!! I'm telling ya dave, bake those head lights open and paint the chrome black. It'll make the front end look more mean and less....."mom".

Thanks for sharing. I enjoy watching your videos

Hope you had a great trip. Looking forward to seeing more on it later!

Pretty clean underneath, way better than mine. My rockers are almost none existent 😅

Dude..shoip looks pretty organized..for now. Keep up the good work.

There is a huge gap between our jalopies lol, I didn't get under mine till there was a problem and that was caused by a tacase motor dying and a front diff that was about to catch fire!..

Ah.. the Ol 172k, I’ve started many new to me journeys at about 172K.

Looks great under there.

Nice

My 97 just got a new small block larger pistons and the engine totally rebuilt. Im definitely maintaining my junk its only got 250,000 miles 😅

Put over 415,000 miles on a Chevy Tracker which is the same as a Suzuki with different badges

I'm trying to get the motivation to do timing belt, water pump, and stupid valve stem seals on my old Montero Sport.

Its funny the rear end looks like a Toyota rear end...... and you said something about it being like a toyota you read my mind

Man our Toyota is sitting at 267,107 right now. Got some basic stuff to do by end of the month then hitting the road for another 5k mile road trip

How do you like your all terrain tires? Will you be doing an engine rebuild video on the yellow yj?

If this was a 5 speed it would be perfect

How do you like the ironman lift? Bought a couple of their camping things and found quality and customer support lacking.

I saw you struggling with a poor quality measure tape while fabricating rock sliders. Can I send a new Milwaukee 16 ft?

🦅🇺🇸💪🤠👍

Which Falken tires are those? I'm looking something a little more aggressive for my old Ford Ranger.

Why not the front diff fluid?

What about the front diff?

Puddin collaboration?

For everyone that isn't aware, you can vote in the onX challenge every 12 hours!

I thought that was your wife’s car.

If you would be interested in an f350 4x4 door in Spokane. Give me your email

Wow that thing is pretty well set up! Now I got another thing to scour facebook marketplace for 🫠