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Isuzu Trooper

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    bstone3bstone3 Member Posts: 97
    Now my 01 LS 4X4 had aftermarket leather installed by a local shop before it was sold new to me - apparently some customer wanted it to make the deal and then backed out at the last moment - my benefit as I got it for free - was not included in the pricing of the vehicle. The drivers seat does tilt so no problem. For me and my wife the passenger seat is fine. High quality material and warranted by Isuzu for 5/50K - has ISUZU stitched in the seat backs of front seats - after 42K miles it still has that leather smell. I treat the leather regularly and it looks like new.

    Just changed the antifreeze myself - finding that drain valve was a trick. Used my wifes meat juice sucker upper (careful here) to get the fluid out of the cooling resevoir. I may redo it since I used water from the house - seems like you should use distilled water from what I have read.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The pre-mix means less for me to figure out with distilled/coolant.

    -mike
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    bsmart1bsmart1 Member Posts: 377
    no other Trooper I've driven. This one is a jewel. Yes I get 21 mpg on the highway in the flat lands at 70 mph. This engine is STRONG and responsive. I attribute it to the way it was broken in when new. I also believe the timing on it is slightly different to most Troopers, because it will 'ping' slightly when under an extreme load, with 87 Octane fuel, and asked to accelerate quickly. Only pings momentairly but my 99' never pings under any conditions or fuel types. There is a significant difference in the performance of the 2 vehicles.
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    tkevinblanctkevinblanc Member Posts: 356
    I agree that the passenger seat in the Trooper is too flat - I like the seat to come up a little under my thighs.

    I had an 86 Montero with a similar problem in the drivers seat - drove me nuts. I found the bolts that secured the front of the track to the floor, removed them, bought a set that was about 1" longer (being sure to stay with high quality bolts), spacered the front up with lots of washers, and reassembled (I loosened the bolts at the back of the seat track, too, then socked them all up.

    It worked great.

    The only reason it might not work as well on a Trooper is that the seat back doesn't angle up as far as the Monty did. Check that, first.
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    breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    IIRC you cannot readily adjust the newer Trooper seats as the bolts do not go down into the floor. Instead they go sideways into brackets. Thus you cannot simply go with longer bolts and spacers. You would have to fab up bracket extensions. I suspect they would have to be VERY sturdy to keep the seat from bouncing around when going down the road let alone if you get in a wreck.
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    jd38jd38 Member Posts: 4
    Does anyone know if the rumor about them releasing the trooper in 2005 with a twin-turbo diesel is true? Also, why can't I find the 3.0 litre turbo-diesel engine for the trooper here in the USA? Is there a regulation against it or what? All I find is the 3.5 litre V6.
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I have a slight rattle in my driver's side rear door. It is right up by the lock. If the window is even 1/8" open it won't rattle?

    I am going to take the panel off this afternoon and look for something loose. Has anyone dealt with the insides of the Trooper doors or had a similar problem?

    What concerns me is working around the inside plastic seal. I don't want to break the plastic seal and not be able to get it to seal again? Any suggestions?
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    sdavitosdavito Member Posts: 71
    The same door on my 2000S Trooper does the same thing. Please let us know if you find anything wrong with yours.

    David
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    leedavidyoungleedavidyoung Member Posts: 102
    That's a great idea on the seats. I have the after market leather and my only complaint is the lack of support under my legs. I may try the spacers up front this weekend.

    On another note, I just finished moving last week. The Trooper's cargo capacity always amazes me. Our moving "fleet" consisted of a Grand Cherokee, a Volvo S60 and the Trooper. The Trooper could match the Jeep and the Volvo combined in capacity.

    I would like to try to make Uwharrie this year, what are the dates?
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    I get 21MPG on the flat at 70 MPH also with my 2001 Trooper 5 Speed. And the amount more power compared to my 1995 is a big difference. I get the tires to break loose (not slide sideways, but rubber squeeling) when accellerating hard out from a stop sign into traffic and I have limited slip. I get about 17 MPG around town.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Oct 10-12! :)

    We are currently over at Planet Isuzoo Planning it. So far looks like I'll be making Clam Sauce and Italian Sausage on Friday night! Sat night someone is going to roast a Pig!!!!

    -mike
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    Down here in the Carolinas pig roastin an servin'em up to friends is called a "pig pickin"
    ..
    I guess the Italian sausage can be thought of as an "inside out pig pickin".
    ..
    I will make a big effort to come out for this one. Do I need to bring a feast?
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Nah, just bring some $ or offer to cook breakfast! It's gonna be a BALL! So far the NY/NJ crew has at least 4 trucks heading down. I know of at least 4 from VA/NC and 4 from FLA. That doesn't include the tons of others likely to show up!

    It truely is fun, when you get guys from the deep south sitting around a campfire with guys from NY/NJ it becomes an animated evening! :)

    -mike
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    breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    My rattle was on the front door. At first it only rattled when the window was slightly down. Eventually it started to rattle all the time. Two of the nuts holding the window in the track had worked themselves almost off. I thread locked all the nuts while I was in there.

    As for getting behind the plastic, prior to doing the work my plan was to use some good packing type tape if the plastic tore. As it turned out the adhesive on the plastic let loose and went back on with no problem.
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    ostazostaz Member Posts: 80
    I finally found a junk yard that had a pair of fog lights for my 99 Trooper. I cut out the plastic factory cut-outs, and to my surprise, the lights were smaller than the hole. Am I missing a trim piece?

    Also, the circuit was pre-wired from the front end, but on the switch side, the switch wasn't connected to any wires. Is the wire taped somewhere? And do I have to remove anything to find it and connect it?

    Thanks
    Sam
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    dmuzykadmuzyka Member Posts: 31
    I replaced the original Duelers on my 2001 LS at 45,000 about a month ago...I bought Michelin X's at Sam's for around $550 out the door (and a free DVD player!!). I cannot believe the difference in the ride (slightly softer yet more supportive, especially in the corners) as well as the decibal level (MUCH quieter!!!). I highly recommend them! Between the new tires, the Monroe Reflexes, and the poly bushings, this thing is finally manageable!
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    ostazostaz Member Posts: 80
    I bought the Michelins from Sam's too. OK tires, the problem is, no traction in ice and snow. The rubber get so hard when in it bellow freezing, that even a small amount of snow makes it loose traction.
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    dnestrdnestr Member Posts: 188
    Trooper with 3.0 "common rail" turbo-diesel engine has good dynamic specs and a big torque, I've tested. It's more "sportive" than 3.0 TD Toyota prado (the same size truck like 4runner). Here in Russia the 3.0 turbo-diesel Trooper isn't popular 'cause it needs very pure diesel fuel but ours has too much sulphur. The old 3.1 turbo-diesel Trooper was able to "eat" any fuel without problems.

    I would sell my '99 3.5 and purchase '01 3.0TD which my buddy offers. Would you tell me your experience if you use the diesel?

    Thanks in advance.
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    cracoviancracovian Member Posts: 337
    ...when it comes to sulphur in our diesel (our gas is not much better either.) This will change in a couple of years though. We will then see all kinds of fancy diesel engines from VW and, hopefully, from others.
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    jd38jd38 Member Posts: 4
    I used to have a Chevy Diesel Suburban here in the states. It ran like crap, however. It also had constant problems with it's glow plugs that were unsolvable by the dealer. I would love to see a diesel Trooper introduced here in the states. Isuzu is well known for their diesel engines, I wonder why they can't make the 3.0 Turbo-diesel run more like the old 3.1
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I got the panel off yesterday and could still notice it if I hit the door right by the lock with my hand. If the window was completely up it rattled. Even an 1/8" down and it wouldn't? So I played around trying to find something loose, to no avail.

    I ended up not removing the plastic because I couldn't find anything. After I put the panel back on...the rattle was gone. So for now I am not going to worry about it. That is a good idea about using some kind of tape to repair any tears. The glue seemed soft enough, so if I need to dig further (I'm sure its not gone for good) I will try removing the plastic and rooting around in there.
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    flin4flin4 Member Posts: 3
    I have an 94 Trooper which recently developed an intermittent ticking sound in the engine. The vehicle has 164,000 miles on it.
    It starts to tick after it warms up. When you are idling it will stop ticking then start then stop and so on. The closest dealer is 400 miles away and I am not comfortable driving it that far at highway speed. The oil is changed regularly (just recently). The muffler needs to be replaced as it is rusted out badly.
    Has anybody else had ticking from their 3.2L DOHC.
    #8128 sdc2 you mentioned about a ticking noise, any suggestions.
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    bsmart1bsmart1 Member Posts: 377
    a very common issue with this Trooper engine. The dealer recommends using Mobil 1 0W-30 oil to clean out the lifters. I tried this remedy and it worked for a while, but it typically returns. The engine will not be hurt by the 'tick', it just becomes a nuisance noise. Run the thing, it won't be a problem.
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    bsmart1bsmart1 Member Posts: 377
    etc. Does anyone know if every Trooper is pre-wired to accept this accessory? I would like to add the overhead light up front to my 01' S Trooper. I saw they were standard equipment on the 02' S model.
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    I fought that battle with reasonably good results. I was always able to get rid of the ticking by using very clean oil. Lighter weight oil helps and it seems like synthetics help too, at least when going to a lighter oil, in my opinion it is a good idea to get whatever extra protection a synthetic can offer.
    ..
    Here's what I would do if I bought your ticking 94 Trooper and wanted to get rid of the tick for myslef:
    ..
    I would use one brand of oil, Mobil1, RedLine, or Valvoline. I grew up with Valvoline and it costs half as much as RedLine so that is my favorite. If you have a favorite, use it, just that I think changing oil brands can cause extra reactions in the oil that I want to eliminate the effect of.
    ..
    I use a larger filter Purolator Pure One PL24458 is an inch taller than standard and that translated to 50% more filter paper in my estimaton. The Pure One is a top line oil filter to start with and it has a lot of surface area to hold the dirty particles.
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    I would change the oil every 500 miles until the ticking stops. Then if the ticking returns change the oil again. Eventually, I almost always was able to get back up to 3000 miles between changes.
    ..
    I towed a heavy trailer, I would change the oil before each significant over 150 miles towing event. Towing makes the oil get dirty quicker, so I make sure to start clean.
    ..
    To make all this possible I adjust my attitude by reminding myself that except for the ticking the Trooper is awsome and that lots and lots of oil changes are still way less expensive than a lifter rebuild ($3200 installed). Also, a by product of the frequent oil changes is that the engine will last a very long time.
    ..
    I hope that helps.
    ..
    I have used the Bilstien Oil Flush where they hook up a machine where the oil filter goes and run the engine until the oil is clean, but since my oil was already clean, it did not do much.
    ..
    Be patient, getting rid of the tick can take new oil up to 300 miles in my experience, then the ticking may return earlier than 3000 miles the first time it goes away, keep at it.
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    dnestrdnestr Member Posts: 188
    I've been thinking all my life that nothing is able to win the lifter ticking except as the complete replacement of 24 hydraulic lifters. Now I'm not so sure 'cause have seen the excellent(!) Boxtrooper's report.

    Flin4, please let us know here if it helps.
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    sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    I could be wrong, but my understanding is the hydraulic lifters are only found on the SOHC 3.2, not the DOHC...so your problem could be something else, such as the timing belt tensioner bearing, or any number of accessory (alternator, water pump, etc.) bearings. A mechanic with a stethascope can sometimes hear where the ticking is coming from.
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    flin4flin4 Member Posts: 3
    Fist let me say thanks to the ones offering me advise to help solve this ticking.
    I had the vehicle in the garage to see if they could pin point the problem. They listened with a stethoscope and couldn't come up with any distinctive area the noise was coming from.
    This was not the dealership as there was none in the small town. Seeing as nobody could tell me with any certainty what it was I decided to just go for it, and drove the car 500 miles back to the city. That way if I made it I could take it to the Isuzu dealership and maybe they could determine what it was. Which is going to be difficult as I already told them they should be wearing masks because they're a bunch of crooks.
    Anyway I made it back, the engine ran fine except it sounds just like when we used to clip a piece of cardboard on the spokes of our bike with a clothespin.
    Just like Sdc2 said it doesn't seem to hurt the engine.
    Boxtrooper - I think I will try your idea. I used to use synthetic oil, but I was changing my oil every 3,000 miles and it was gettin quite expensive. On the other hand I never had any ticking noise when I used the synthetic - hmm.
    I am using High Mileage oil, as the vehicle has 265,000 miles on it.
    So I'll go back to it and try that filter. Hopefully I can stop it without having to go to those unmasked bandits.
    Thanks again guys for the help.

    flin4
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    beer47beer47 Member Posts: 185
    Hey flin4,

    If I had an engine that gave me 265K I wouldn't care if it ticked, clicked or occasionally played the theme from "I Love Lucy"!! How far do you expect this thing to go? Good Luck, I hope you make to 300K. You might want a change of pace by then!
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    There is a Valvoline High Mileage Dino Oil, There also is a separate bottle of additive that will allow you to add the High Mileage juice to your synthetic oil. I found this out by asking Valvoline support if they had a synthetic high mileage oil. Then I found it in the auto parts store and did not buy it because I just don't like the idea of oil additives.
    ..
    Then my 1995 Trooper was rear ended by a large Volvo which bent the volvo front end and roof like a tree fel on it and only left a small bow in one rear fender on the 1995 Trooper, but it set off the Trooper's air bags which is a $6000 event so that my 1995 was totalled.
    ..
    Now I have a 2001 Trooper with 32K miles and it is using Valvoline Synpower even though it is not lifter tick prone. The previous owner used synthetic oil since the first 3000 mile change, but only changed it every 5000 miles.
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    champapugchampapug Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for your suggestions. To avoid ejecting my passenger seat(and my wife) in the event of wreck, I am going to try a aftermarket modifications shop (The dealer said that they could not help me, but gave me numbers of recommended shops who could). I will update when I get this issue resolved.
    JP
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    bawbcatbawbcat Member Posts: 118
    5k miles is a perfectly reasonable change interval for synthetic oil. I've read posts in other forums about people who feel it's safe to push synthetic out to 10k. I think it's safe to say that 5k is nothing to be concerned about.
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    dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    I can now say that the coolest (no pun intended) Troopers I have ever seen are in Iceland. The quality of the lifts was excellent. The extended body flares (4 inches all around I would estimate) were seamless and of OEM quality and color.

    http://www.4x4mountainsport.com/

    http://www.arctictrucks.is/ (doesn't look like they do Troopers from the web page, but they had some nice looking rigs on the road)

    On another note, the Nissan Patrol is a sweet vehicle and I wish they would have brought it state side. The Terrano II didn't do it for me though. It looked like a mini-van with a one inch lift. I thought it looked better in the pictures than in person :-(
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Did a trip up to Watkin's Glen International Raceway this week. ~300 miles each way. Trooper was towing about 5000lbs up some decent sized hills. Managed to get about 10mpg @ 80-103mph, AC on.

    On a long uphill straight managed to get to 103mph with the 5000lbs, AC and all! :)

    The Air-lift Airbags help out nicely as well.

    -mike
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    jd38jd38 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2000 Trooper Limited. I need to replace the duelers (I have 50,000 miles so I am past due) I was thinking of Michelen CrossTerrian SUV or Dunlop Grandtrek TG27. I saw the X's and need better traction for the winter then they provide. Also, any shock suggestions? I do primarly on-road driving, with limited off-roading on weekends. I am looking for a softer ride.
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    for the Michelin CrossTerrain tire. The tire made for the way Americans drive their SUVs... on the road 99.99%. I expect that you will love Michelins from what I have read about them and what my tire dealer says about them, but they are expensive.
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I have the Michelin Cross Terrain's on our MDX. They are very good. Great around town, they did very well in snow 10+" deep, although a lot of that may be due to the AWD system.

    In general the Trooper is a snow cat, from my experience, so with almost any tire you shouldn't have problems in deep snow, it is the slippery stuff that is probably the most important.

    I went with Bridgestone Dueler A/Ts 265/70s on my Trooper for replacement, they are good also, I like the Cross Terrains for primarily onroad driving.
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    sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Hey, any of you guys ever look at the Nitto Terra Grappler? I like the looks of that tire, and it seems to be cheaper than BFG ATs or Revos.
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    bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    we have just over 40k miles on the Michelin LTX M/S 245/70/16 tires on our 98 Trooper. No complaints. Tires are wearing very well and have easily 30-40k more miles in them. No off-roading. Moderate amounts of snowy driving here in Michigan, though not as much as I'd like.

    When looking at tires a couple years back, I could not justify the high price of the Michelin Cross-Terrains. Our set of 4 LTXs was about $450 installed, including lifetime rotation and balancing from Discount Tire. That's a pretty good price for some pretty good tires.
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    bstone3bstone3 Member Posts: 97
    No matter what tire you choose upgrade your size from 245-70-16 to 265-70-16. Less than a 0.1" increase in ride height but the wider footprint (over an inch) is a real plus - much better cornering. Just made this change on a new set of Dunlop A20's - to replace the Duelers at 40K miles - as for making the ride softer - I don't know about that one - I did the poly bushings and Rancho 5000 gas shocks to firm it up - not harsh but definately firmer and more controlled.
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    Not a huge difference, but I think the 265/70s give about a 1/2" in ride height (1.4cm) and about 3/4" wider (2.0cm) After tire wear the difference in height over brand new stock obviously decreases.
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    96_i30_5sp96_i30_5sp Member Posts: 127
    Has anyone measured the mileage penalty for going with 265 vs 245 tires?
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Lost about 1mpg give or take. I gained in lower RPM @ highway cruising and lost on acceleration power so it's a wash IMHO.

    -mike
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    ilitilit Member Posts: 71
    My 99 S Trooper has Rancho RS5000 and Michelin XTerrain. They give my T a totally new ride; especially the Xterrain. They are $144/pc from Discount Tire. These tires carry 60,000 mile warranty. I guarantee you'll like them; you'll tell the difference from the Dueller immediately in all aspects: smooth ride, traction, cornering, etc...

    For the Rancho shocks, if you don't plan to change the damping setting which built on RS7000, than RS5000 is good. If you have some extra cash, you can get the RXS which is sort of designed for automatically changing the damping over big bumps.
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I went from 13-14 around town to 10-12 around town.

    I have been thinking about trying to upgrade my spark plugs to get to 14-15 around town. In general my mileage has always been poor.
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    I had the DirectHits on my 1995 Trooper and the towing MPG went from 9.9 to 11.2 and the engine sounded a lot happier pullling a 4000 lb. trailer.
    ..
    Around town the MPG did not change much because I drove it more agressively taking avantage of the much smoother power across a wider range of RPMs. particularily fun was driving just after unhooking the trailer, since with the trailer I was used to manual shifting at high RPMs, when shifting at those high RPMs without a trailer my 1995 Trooper felt kinda sporty.
    ..
    Directhits requires non-resitor spark plugs and low resistance wires for best results. I bought the kit.
    ..
    Directhits will have a kit for my 2001 coil over plug 3.5L engine sometime in 2004.
    ..
    http://www.directhits.com
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    send your questions to Dr.Spark on the web page.
    ..
    Other things critical for Trooper performance are intake and exhaust breathing. So use a K&N drop in filter
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    tkevinblanctkevinblanc Member Posts: 356
    You really think these things work, huh? They always seemed like snake oil to me.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I tend to go with the snake oil theory.

    especially on newer direct-fire engines like the 3.5l isuzu.

    -mike
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    Do you think I should attempt to change them myself?
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    amigo_johnamigo_john Member Posts: 107
    Sounds like they make your engine run like a coil-over-plug system. That's the whole purpose of coil over plug, to eliminate resistance over the wires, right? On a computer controlled engine without coil-over-plug, I'm sure you'd get something extra but the question is: how much and is it worth the $200+ dollars? The off-road.com article on the directhits website seems convincing but EVERY gadget claims to give you an extra mile per gallon + 10 extra HP. My other concern is, with a leaner fuel mixture, the pistons and catalytic converter are going to run hotter. Will this affect engine life? Hmmm.

    John
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