Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

paisan · May 2002

It should be that easy but I don't think it is

I don't know of anyone who has been able to do this. If we find out that would be nice.

-mike

savvas_e · May 2002

Just found this web article re speedo calibrations. Sounds like you may need a specialist instruments shop to do the calibration, however it doesn't sound like it's difficult to do.

http://www.autospeed.com.au/A_0346/P_1/article.html

PS ... In the article you will come across the term "pork pies". It is Australian slang for "lies".

bluedevils · May 2002

Bigger tires keeps the odometer reading lower than actual, which could come in handy at resale time ;0) I know, I know. The folks here are an honest bunch, and nobody would ever actually SELL his/her Trooper.

savvas_e · May 2002

In Australia, we have a crazy taxation system. My car is supplied to me as part of a salary package. As a result it attracts something called a fringe benefits tax.

The rate of taxation varies according the kilometres travelled. However if you travel 14,999km or less in a year, the rate is 27%. I'm doing 15-16,000km per year, which attracts a 20% rate. So a 3% reduction in speedo accuracy by going to larger diameter tyres, could cost me a lot!

Did you ever think that taxation bureaucracy can change your mind about 4x4 tyre sizes?

bluedevils · May 2002

"Did you ever think that taxation bureaucracy can change your mind about 4x4 tyre sizes?" Uh, no!

If anything, I'd expect the taxation to work the opposite-- the more you drive, the more tax you pay. But that would be too logical.

Hey, what time is it over there?

savvas_e · May 2002

2:14pm Wednesday

paisan · May 2002

It must be like wed night over there and I've just started my wed

-mike

breakor · May 2002

I don't know if the process will work for us Trooper owners but here is the way to correct the speedometer in a manual Amigo - http://club.vmag.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000677.html

paisan · May 2002

It only works on MT versions of the Isuzus. On the AT versions there aren't any speedo gears that we can replace, at least none I know of.

-mike

savvas_e · May 2002

It's 8:05am now on Thursday. It's also dark, cold, windy and raining.

Our trails right now are generally to slippery and muddy to do any reasonable 4wd'ing. So enjoy the summer months!

paisan · May 2002

Although it will soon be hazy hot and humid here in NYC

but I'll be heading up to the mts. often

-mike

beer47 · May 2002

At what mileage is everyone changing their Fan Belt that seems to run everything.....50K? 75K? As needed?

bluedevils · May 2002

Is it even mentioned in the owners manual? I don't remember.

Our Trooper is nearing 65,000 miles and I think it's time for a few maintenance items-- finally get a good transmission service (replace fluid, new filter, drop pan, etc.), brake inspection, another coolant service, etc.

paisan · May 2002

On my '97 rodeo it went 120K w/o a problem. I figure I'll check mine around 50K and see if there are any cracks.

-mike

amigo_john · May 2002

I changed mine at 30k. It had some cracking and one split about 7mm wide so I slapped a new one on.

beer47 · May 2002

I don't think we have Dexcool, the 100K stuff like GM uses. My trooper is 23 months old with 62K and I think it may be time to change coolant to be on the safe side. Perhaps a fuel filter also. Still on original brakes though!!
Cheers to all!

bluedevils · May 2002

Had it changed on our 98 Troop around 30k miles. I figure that's a good interval-- works out to about 18-24 months. Not too long so as to be risky, but not too short so as to be overkill.

paisan · May 2002

my rodeo had the original stuff @ 120K!

I plan on doing it at 50K on the Trooper though.

-mike

amigo_john · May 2002

My Amigo owner's manual said to do it at 30k. I'm sure the alcohol portion of the antifreeze at 30k miles is fine but the additives lose their ability to prevent corrosion and the lubricants probably don't keep the water pump lubricated as well any more. So by pushing it you are risking plugging up the innards and losing the pump. The damage takes a long time to show up but if you're planning on keeping it for 10yrs/200k miles I'd go every 30k unless you have the DexCool. (I still think every 30k with the old stuff is better than every 100k with the DexCool.) If you do it yourself, use distilled water or the minerals in the tap water will slowly clog the radiator too.

drmp · May 2002

I have a '99 Rodeo with 38k miles (80/20 city/highway miles) and I hear occasional high pitch brake noise. Is this the typical sound of a worn out brakes?

Another question, how many miles before you replaced your front pads?

Also, how many miles before you replaced your rear pads?

The last time I checked my pads, both front and rear had about equal wear (same thickness left).

sbcooke · May 2002

Is an indication of a brake problem, not necessarily worn out. Squeeking under light braking and goes away when you step hard on them is probably warped rotors, or uneven wear on pads. $150 at a trusted shop can re-surface them and fix it up right quick.

Squeeking every time you use the brakes, or getting progressively louder as the days go bye, could be the wear indicators on pads.

Either way, I recommend a local mechanic, not midas. Midas it will cost $500. You will need everything. And think their warranty is good, they cover pads, when you go back under warranty forget it, another $300. A local shop won't scrap your rotors just because you need a brake job. I think midas sets their minimum rotor width wider than necessary, so anyone who gets new pads...needs rotors. I had a warped rotor problem with my old altima, entire brake job and re-surfacing rotors...$180. I guess you know how I feel about midas.

radman6 · May 2002

The high pitch noise you're hearing is likely just brake squeal caused by dirt, grit, sand, rust or other contaminants (often brake dust) getting between your brake pads and rotors. And some disc brakes just seem to do that even without the contaminants. It's annoying but usually not harmful. Next time you rotate tires you can check for the above and clean your brakes with a specialized aerosol brake cleaner to see if it helps. Even a high presure wash may help. You won't have good brakes for the first couple pumps if you wash with water so be careful.
A simple inspection of your pads will tell you if your pads are worn out. You can compare them to new pads at the auto parts store and figure out the % of wear left.

Brake wear is highly variable between drivers. I'm easy on brakes so mine last a long time (100 K on my pickup). Others have to replace every 30 K. If you live and drive on lots of steep hills and do a lot of hard braking - your brakes could very well be worn out.

People who have posted on this board seem to like the Isuzu OEM pads versus the aftermarket ones.

radman6 · May 2002

I agree with sbcooke - if you need a brake job, stay away from the big chains. They are a major ripoff and operate unethically as far as I'm concerned. Find a good local independent instead.

I'm amazed at what some shops charge as it is a fairly simple process to replace pads / shoes, turn rotors, and repack wheel bearings. I've done it myself on several vehicles - took the rotors to a machine shop to be measured and turned on a brake lathe. The parts and machine work are all relatively inexpensive to a shop that does any volume.

As far as warped rotors go, I can't say I've ever had a problem with squeal, but did notice a pulsing in the pedal in a few vehicles when I applied the brakes. On inspection it turned out to be warped rotors.

Good luck!

drmp · June 2002

Thanks for your very helpful answers on brakes. I'm actually easy on my brakes.

My other question is how imperative is it to do the front bearing repack?

My owner's manual says repack when replacing pads. I called a local Honda dealer (mine is actually a Passport) and the service guy on the other line was surprised and said that he never heard of bearing repack on a Passport.

Has anybody gone over 100K miles without repacking your front bearings?

Any special skills to do the bearing repack?

Thanks a lot in advance and more power to you guys!!!

drmp · June 2002

Hi again. My '99 Passport used to consume a lot of oil. About 3/4 - 1 qt per 1k miles. Talked to Honda dealer and was told that it's normal. Seems that Honda got away from that issue since my warranty is up.

My question is how do I check for source of oil loss? Spark plug jacket? Exhaust manifold?

How much are the parts and how hard is it replace the valve cover gaskets?

Thanks.

boxtrooper · June 2002

I went over 100K after repacking the bearings once at the recommended 30K on my 1984 Trooper. Then on New Years Eve about a decade ago, I was driving on a highway in Michigan with patchy ice. It was real cold below zero. When on ice, the passenger side front wheel would stop turning, then screech and pull to the right when it hit dry pavement again. Up till that moment I had no idea that the bearings needed attention.

Since it was cold enough for steel tools to cause frostbite in a hurry and I did not have a garage, the next day I took it to a shop where the bearings were replaced. The passenger side bearing came out in lots of small pieces of discolored metal. The drivers side was discolored too, but intact. All that needed replaced were the bearings, the races were in good shape.

On my 1995 Trooper I waited 89K miles before the first bearing repack, and I do 30K intervals since.

boxtrooper · June 2002

Unless you see an oil slick where you park. It is being burned in the engine. The spark plug wells don't amount to much, half a teaspoon each maybe. I think the buring of oil is a from oil geting past the piston rings and oil mist in the crank case getting vented into the intake.

If it was a real bad amount of burning oil it would leave a cloud of smoke.

If it was valve guide seals it would leave a cloud at certain times, watch an old dodge minivan drive around, they are known for valve guide seals lasting only 70K miles or less, when they take off from a light they blow a lot of smoke.

If it was leaking out of a gasket on top of the engine, and not reaching the ground to make a slick, then it would probably be dripping on the exhaust manifold and you would have smoke coming from under the hood and the stench to go with it.

My 1984 used 1qt or so per 1000 miles all the way from 30K miles to 201K miles with no problems. My 1995.5 only seems to consume oil when I am towing.

cknott · June 2002

FYI:

1999 Isuzu Trooper Auto/TOD 52k. Havoline 10W30

Folks, My truck was previously burning around one quart every 2,000~2,500 miles. I recently added an engine oil cooler and began using a Puralator pure one filter. My oil consumption has gone down to one quart every 5,000 miles.

I recently studied oil properties and characteristics. It is my personal opinion that the source of most engine oil loss is due to engine oil vaporization above the heads upon which the PCV valve picks it up and burns it. If you keep your oil clean and cool it will not vaporize, thereby reducing the oil loss. Synthetics have a higher vaporization temperature thereby allowing them to have a lower loss as compared to petroleum oils in the same engine.

Therefore, if you have a cheap oil, or even a reputable oil, but with a low vaporization temperature, and you push your engine hard, especially in a hot environment, high oil loss will result.

Chad

paisan · June 2002

When I switched to Mobil 1 I went from 1Q ever 2K to 1Q ever 5K in my 2000 AT TOD

-mike

mkaye · June 2002

3 Trooper's since 96 (2000 was stolen) and never had an oil burning issue. Change my oil every 3K/3mos and use Castrol 10-30w. At most, maybe 1/4 qt. between oil changes if I am doing a lot of freeway speeds (trips w/300-400miles a day). Generally remains right on top. Maybe there is something to this vaporization issue?

drmp · June 2002

Thanks for the prompt responses. Anyway, I made closer attention on the noise and it turned out that in 9 out of 10 the brake noise came from other cars. My real brake noise only came about once or twice per day and sometimes none at all. I will eyeball the pads on next tire rotation.

paisan · June 2002

Anyone know what the front warning sound that is made by the metal shims for the pads? I'm pretty sure I'm on them as they are making noise. Also how did the people who ordered pads from St. Charles go about it and how long did it take to get them?

-mike

cmuniz · June 2002

Paisan - It's a high pitched metal-on-metal sound that comes on only when you put on the brakes. The best way to verify that it is the brakes is to step hard on them and release them. The noise should coincide with you stepping on the brakes and goes away when you release. It was pretty obvious when it happened to me.

beer47 · June 2002

I just called up and odered them with year/model with the guy at St.Charles. They are very helpful and I had them in under a week IIRC. There is a difference in price for front and back. I ordered both and have them in my reserve stash with my air and oil filters and extra fuel filter.

paisan · June 2002

Mine makes a racket when I'm not on the brakes, and grinds pretty bad when I'm on them. I'm gonna order pads and pull the wheel tonight.

-mike

keepontroopin · June 2002

I ordered my brakes by phone and got them in three days. The shipping was free and St. Charles uses FedEx ground. I think I paid $44 and some change for just front pads. I too thought my pads were going (since I now have almost 50,000 miles) and ordered the new ones without even checking the old ones. When the new pads came in I went out to do the install and to my surprise found that the old pads still have 60% or more of their life left. So I put the old pads in the "Some Day in the Future File" and that was that. I did however notice that the brake fluid level was pretty low so I added some additional fluid.

I would recommend that you check them before you change them.

paisan · June 2002

Interesting. Mine are grinding pretty bad, so if it's not the pads themselves, then it is a bad caliper or a warped rotor

I'll order em and see what happens.

-mike

keepontroopin · June 2002

By the way is the package in the mail?

paisan · June 2002

Went out saturday via USPS priority (2-3day?) service so you should have it today or tomorrow at the latest.

-mike

keepontroopin · June 2002

paisan · June 2002

Well my grinding was in fact the rear pads. One pad was down to the metal and digging into the rotor.

So now I will probably wind up buying new rear rotors if they aren't too expensive as well as pads. It was nice to use my Sears electric impact wrench and just took me about 1hr to get the tire off pull the pads, caliper and rotor and put them all back and clean up!

-mike

savvas_e · June 2002

Mike,

If you are getting new rotors, you should investigate getting slotted rotors. I have a friend who put these in his Landcruiser, and the difference in stopping power and resistance to fade is amazing. He did all 4 though, and the cost was the same as the OE rotors.

Don't know what there is available in the US, but have a look at www.dba.com.au to see what I'm talking about.

Interesting that the wear indicators didn't sound. Are these just on the front brakes?

paisan · June 2002

if possible. Replacements are like $150 each for OEM ones.

-mike

cwmoser · June 2002

I went to the local discount tire shop and got some quotes on tires. How are these prices for tires?

Bridgestone Dueler H/L $122
Michelen LTX $155

both were 265-70-16 and the price did not include sales tax or disposal fee of old tires.

sbcooke · June 2002

I got them to come down further by referring to tirerack prices. $130 Dueler A/T's to $105 installed (valve stem and balance extra). Compared to Tire Rack $91 + $8 shipping per tire + $7 charge to mount + Valve stem and Balance, it was about break even.

You could definitely get them to go lower.

paisan · June 2002

Mounting and balancing? If so they are very good IMHO. Although I'm comparing them to ATs not HTs.

-mike

paisan · June 2002

Wow I thought I was getting a bargain @ $10/tire @ Costco. Around here aluminum wheels cost $17/tire to mount and balance.

-mike

paisan · June 2002

I hear they are about $145 each so I'm gonna probably get the ones I have turned and get some replacement pads from St. Charles.

-mike

paisan · June 2002

Just ordered my pads from st. charles. $99 for all 4 corners + $12 shipping since I wanted them overnight. Not too bad considering that the pads are OEMs and the rears lasted 40K miles, and the fronts are still going strong at 40K.

-mike

sbcooke · June 2002

$7 to mount + valve stem and balancing. About $17 altogether. $3 valve stem, $3 balance weight, $4 balance labor.

With the $105 a tire, I got the mounting fee included, because I bought the tire from them. If I had gotten from Tirerack, I would have also had to pay $7 on top of valve stem and balance.

I went to a Firestone shop. They were willing to match prices, without much haggling. There is obviously a decent amount in profit, because they dropped the price $25 without much effort.

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