Suzuki›Equator›2009›4.0L/suzuki/equator/2009/4-0l/

2009 Suzuki Equator — 4.0L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2009 Equator 4.0L.

Body TRUCKEngine 4.0LTransmission Automatic 5-spd

The 2009 Suzuki Equator is a truck motivated by a 4.0L engine mated to an automatic 5-speed transmission, delivering EPA fuel economy of 15 city, 20 highway, and 17 combined mpg. Underhood servicing is straightforward, with the powertrain taking 5 quarts of 5W-30 API engine oil. In the context of the model's reliability history, this year is notably quiet, accumulating just 5 owner complaints and a single recall focused on the air bags—a profile that points to a relatively stable, low-risk choice for researchers evaluating used options.

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque98 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy15/20/17 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 24F · 550 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 24F · 550 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnPARKOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 5-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	220.9 in
Overall width	72.8 in
Overall height	70.1 in
Wheelbase	139.8 in
Curb weight	4519 lb
Track (front / rear)	62.2 / 61.8 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	55/45

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	15 / 20 / 17 mpg
Drivetrain	Rear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, SYNTHETIC · 75W-140 · GL-5 in the differential. Torque lug nuts to 98 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 25.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	Nissan Matic-S
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	10.9
Differential Gear Oil	SYNTHETIC · 75W-140 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	4.2 Pints
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt
Manual Transmission Fluid	75W-85 · GL-4
Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity	6.1

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts	65 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.3 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	11 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	11 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	25.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	98 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	26.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	26.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	101 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	625 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Ignition Timing	15, Not adjustable degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance	5 degrees
Ignition Timing Reference RPM	Idle rpm

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.43-1.65 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	100
Oil Capacity	6.10 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	24F
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	550 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	11-14 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	177-182 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	51.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance	11.1
Engine Compression	142-185 PSI @ rpm. 14 Maximum variation PSI
Engine Oil Pressure	14 psi @ Idle, 43 psi @ 2000 rpm psi
Intake Valve Lash	0.012 in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	20 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	136 ft-lbs / 76 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness	0.020
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.102 in / 0.709 in
Rotor Finish	1.024 μin / 0.63 μin

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

14 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

14 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

33 ft. lbs., step 2: 84

33 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

1	72 ft. lbs.	72 ft. lbs
2	Loosen all bolts in reverse order.
3	29 ft. lbs.	29 ft. lbs
4	90 degrees.	90 degrees
5	90 degrees; Check diameter of bolts at two points, 11 mm and 48 mm from the end. Whenever the difference between these two points exceeds the limit of 0.11 mm, replace bolts.	90 degrees

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

5 ft. lbs., step 2: 21 ft. lbs., step 3: intake collector: 8

5 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
At 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 105,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2009 Suzuki Equator exhibits specific vulnerabilities in its Air Bags and Fuel/Propulsion System, which account for the majority of its five documented complaints across top categories, though it notably has zero associated crash or fire incidents. When contextualized within the provided federal record, the 2009 model sits at the beginning of a documented arc that shows a downward trend in complaints for later years (2 in 2011; 1 in 2012), while recalls slightly increased (1 in 2011; 2 in 2012). This positioning implies the 2009 model bore the brunt of early-generation quality concerns before those issues were mitigated in subsequent model years. The data does not specify the root causes for the target year's airbag and fuel system complaints, nor does it provide records for the immediate years surrounding 2009. Given the higher concentration of safety-related complaints compared to the later years in the dataset, the 2009 Equator is a less favorable choice, and buyers should prioritize a later model year in this generation if possible.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 5 complaints on record, top 4 components.

Air Bags2

Fuel/Propulsion System1

Vehicle Speed Control1

Fuel System, Other1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 6 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
SUZ_016008	2022-07-08	Suspension	Reminder of the importance to conduct safety inspections for rust damage to suspension…
DOR-M9J4S-07	2020-06-03	Engine And Engine Cooling	These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication…
DOR-M3J3F-07	2020-06-03	Engine And Engine Cooling	These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication…
N-Q-G-045	2018-11-20	Suspension	This Service Bulletin was sent by Suzuki Motor Corporation to its authorized Suzuki…
SC-75R	2018-03-22	Air Bags	This is a revised version of a previously-issued bulletin providing Suzuki Service…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Equator. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 24F battery Vehicles taking 5 qt

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2009 Equator 4.0L take?

5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2009 Equator have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 4.0L get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 20 highway / 17 combined mpg.