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Comments
Bert
thanks.
Can you be more specific about the model number for the KYB rear shocks? This would be a great help to me! I think you mentioned contacting KYB directly, which I could also do, but it would be a great help to know the exact model number you used.
Also, did you install them yourself, and how difficult was it if you did, or did you get a local shop to do it for you? Last, but not least, what did you do with the old electronic sensor modules? Did you bag and seal them and just leave them or did you remove them? What worked for you?
Thanks again for the info. Awaiting your reply....
Removing the shocks can be difficult. I just cut through the top of the valve front and rear. Also the sleve that goes over the bottom bolt and through the rubber grommet will probably be stuck to the bolt and you can't remove the bolt. I carefully torched off the shock, removed the rubber and again carefully torched through the sleeve not heating or damaging the bottom bolt. I just left the valve wires and plugs hanging and of course the shock warning light came on but there isn't really any problem with this as there is no feedback loop to tell the car that there is anything wrong or different.
Regards
Bert
I don't see any reason why you cant just clean up the wires, slide a piece of shrink tube over them (individually), solder them back together shrink the tube and be on your way. Get the shring tube with the sealer inside as this makes a better seal on mission critical parts.
Regards
Bert
http://tinyurl.com/6gde8y
But, what is suspect about the KYB Support answer is that these shocks are listed as fitting a 2002 Axiom WITHOUT the Active Electronic Suspension, and as you point out, there is a difference in the length of the rear shock that may be important.
In fact, there is no way to know, even on the front shocks, without taking one off and comparing it to a replacement unit in hand, and the restocking fee at Shockwarehouse.com is 30%, which is pretty punitive.
With a leaking front shock already, I am willing to risk the front ones and restocking, as the model number you listed does not compute with Tech Support.
This all leads me to this question: Was it a few years ago when you did your replacement?
Thanks, though, for trying. I hate to reinvent the wheel - some pun intended.
You are so right! My 2002 Axiom suspension is a POS. Are these replacement shocks plain R&R? I was informed they are fed by a hydraulics or are they electricly activated?
My AXIOM is a 2002 with 43000 miles on it and all 4 shocks are shot. I called up Isuzu directly and they said "your out of warranty" anything else I can help you with"? I told the rep yes, please direct me to the closest Toyota Dealership!
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Inspired by Bert's report, I bought the Axiom service manual online, researched the shocks, and a buddy of mine and I successfully changed mine out about 2 weeks ago. I have been testing them out to make sure they are working great and I am thrilled to have my old shocks replaced!
So, I now have non-active shocks and have gotten rid of that overpriced, farcical joke of an active "intelligent" suspension system. All in all, it was not that hard. I will attempt to detail the steps for those who are interested in trying it.
But, I can say that I now have a normal ride - no more sproingy ride- just a normal SUV ride. And no more of that stupid downshift klunking either, when going downhill.
The steps to do this task (at your own risk of course) are as follows:
1. Remove the fuse that controls the Active Ride system. It is located under the hood in a black plastic box on the LH side of the engine compartment. It is orange colored, 30 Amp fuse, I believe. It pulls right out. Put it in your glove box for safekeeping.
2. Disconnect the battery positive + terminal.
3. Disconnect the electronic connectors to each of the two front shocks. There are two gray connectors on each side (4 connectors total for the front shocks - 2 per shock). You can locate them in the engine compartment. The two on the RH side are hard to reach, but it is possible to unplug them. Wrap the connectors (car side) up in waterproof duct tape or black electrical tape.
4. Remove the two black KYB dampening actuators that sit on top of the two front shocks. Believe it or not, there are only two phillips head screws on the top that have to be removed and the actuator assembly comes right off the top of the shock. Then there are two more nuts that have to come off. Remove the top nut and the U-shaped actuator bracket.
NOTE: IF YOU ARE GOING TO ALSO REMOVE/REPLACE THE FRONT SHOCKS YOURSELF - then you can remove the lower nut. If you are NOT GOING TO REPLACE THE SHOCKS YOURSELF, then just remove the top nut and take out the U-shaped actuator bracket and then put BOTH nuts back on tight and let the mechanic deal with the rest of it. But after both nuts are removed, you can then remove the rest of the shock JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SHOCK ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE. All of the electronics on the front are gone once the actuator is unscrewed from the top of the shock assembly. This is the easy part.
5.The electronics on the rear shocks are a completely different design from the front. There is no easy-to-remove actuator assembly, instead it is all a one piece assembly . But, there is just one electronic connector, and it is attached to the car's frame a foot or two away from the shock. You will need to trace back the cable to the connector and unplug it. You will get dirt in your eyes, so wear goggles. As I recall, I had to unsnap it from the frame to work on it. You then should wrap the male connector up with waterproof duct tape or electrical tape to keep the dirt out of it (in case you ever sell the car and someone wants it back to original condition).
Now, here's the rub: the connector and cable assembly for the rear shocks stay attached to the top of the shock - there is nothing you can remove beyond unplugging the one connector to the shock, until you remove the entire shock. However, ignoring the cable and connector, removing the rear shocks are just like removing any other rear shock, which means that the job is still a pain in the [non-permissible content removed].
6. To remove the shocks we used my friends' air powered ratchet tools and his excellent and complete wrench and tool set. The front ones came off easy and were easy to replace as well. The rear ones were a bear, really, and we had to use a lot of muscle. This is mainly because the nut on the top of the shock has to be wrenched off for quite a long distance and it does not want to come off at all. It will seem like it is cross-threaded. So, if you have time, use some nutbuster on it a week before you do the job, to save yourself some grief.
At one point, we actually got the nut part way off and could go no further, even with both of us working on it - and my buddy is really stout. Plus, the rear shock will try to turn (rotate) as you try to undo the top nut, and you have no way to prevent this. So, one person has to grip the shock tightly with both hands while the other guy uses all his might to get the nut off with a hand wrench from underneath. Not fun. Not fun at all. But, if you can get the nut most of the way off, you can carefully hack saw the threaded rod to complete the task, if needed - we got lucky and started to hacksaw the threaded rod and then managed to get it off with a wrench instead. This will all make sense once you try it yourself, but I would say that because of this issue alone, IF YOU HAVE NEVER CHANGED OUT SHOCKS BEFORE OR DO NOT HAVE THE PROPER TOOLS, just pay your mechanic to do it for you. It was an extreme hassle to remove the rear shocks, and was the hardest part of all.
7. We used Monroe Sensatrac shocks on my 02 Axiom. Monroe actually lists a replacement shock for "non-electronic" Axioms, and this set of shocks fit and work just fine, once you get the electronics disconnected/removed.
The EXACT Monrote Sensamatic shocks I used are 37159 (front) and 37160 (rear) - I have the boxes here in hand. There are no extra parts/pieces required. Just these two pair of Monroe shocks. I got a quote from Sears to do it for $260, if I disconnected the electronics (which no one seems to want to touch), so keep that price in mind. The shocks themselves cost about $140 USD with tax, and given the difficulty, if I had it to do over, I would pay someone to do it. Plus, you get really dirty, and there is a risk of injuring yourself when working on shocks.
8. Which brings me to the safety point: we were extra careful, used jack stands and safety precautions and no one got hurt. If you are not competent at shock removal, or are careless, you could get hurt, so be careful.
9. After replacing the shocks, reconnect the battery + cable and reprogram your radio. You're done, and now your Axiom will ride like a normal vehicle.
10. Also, because the so-called "Intelligent" Suspension system is now unplugged (deactivated), including the stupid G-force sensors mounted on the frame, you will not experience that annoying downshift when you go down a steep hill. I never liked it anyway, and don't miss it a bit. Also, because the ISC fuse is removed, there is no shock indicator lamp that lights up on the dash either, as this was controlled by the same ISC system.
Hope that helps. Email me if you need diagrams or more information, but it works and it works well. Also, you can probably use other brands of shocks, if you want to cross the Monroe numbers above - just keep in mind that the rear shocks are longer by about 3 inches or so. You can check the
I washed the windows with soap and water then rinsed. Then I took a small wet sponge and sprinkled it with Barkeeper's Friend and gently rubbed all the windows down and immedieatly rinsed them off. They were absolutely clean right down to the original glass surface. Havent been that clean since the car was new.
Barkeeper's Friend can be found in the supermarket right next to Comet and other kitchen scouring powders. Gently rub with the wet paste, rinse right away, and you wont believe the results.
Regards
Bert
I could use some help with a long term brake noise problem, if anyone can help. I apologize for the length of this post, but this is a problem that has some depth to it. Here goes:
I have had tons of problems with the brakes. The problems started with squealing, squeaking and other noises, including a louder heavy almost like "rubber-on- metal" sound coming from the front disc brakes every time I used the brakes.
Took my 02 Axiom to a local quality mechanic - he said rotors were warped- resurfaced the rotors and replaced the pads and inspected rear drum shoes and hubs, which were fine. One month later problem was back only worse. So, a buddy and I replaced the front rotors with some premier drilled and slotted racing rotors and some high quality new pads and made sure they worked properly. A few weeks later the noise returned again. Arghh!
Noise always comes from the front. It is very noticeable the very first time you apply the brakes, as if moisture is at first part of the problem, but occurs often and frequently thereafter, particularly if it is downhill slope or downhill slant braking. But, also happens on flat ground, too, only less frequently.
A guy at the auto parts store tells me that the issue is that the front calipers need to be removed, opened up, cleaned out completely and re-lubbed with white lithium grease. He suggests I also sand (score) the new rotors with 40 grit sandpaper and make sure that the pads are flat, sand them flat or replace them.
(Now, keep in mind that the rotors and pads are practically brand new - replaced in the last 3 months, so I am sure that the rotors are not warped.) AutoParts Guy says the issue is that the caliper is probably sticking and the pads are not landing against the rotor properly, which is causing all this noise and headache for me.
This is driving me bananas, and so far I have spent about $450-500 on this problem, not to mention the time, and the problem is NOT fixed... Arghh!
Any advice on whether AutoParts Guy's suggestion sounds right and if anyone has actually cleaned/repacked/repaired their front calipers? I now have a copy of the workshop/technical manual, with all the factory details on this task, but have never done this repair. I am brave enough to try it, but could use advice from anyone else who might have done this already.
Any help on this question would be greatly appreciated.
Check out the tips in the Healing Hazy Headlamps Guide for your headlight lens.
I take it you haven't tried Barkeeper's Friend on the headlights?
Let us know how it all turns out.
Regards
Bert
Thanks for the post. Now I just hope the computer doesn't complain when I go to get it inspected.
Glad to have all that behind me for sure - it was the main problem I experienced with my Axiom.
But, I also had tranny problems at about 40K miles. The seal on the side of the tranny blew out by the side of the road at Disneyworld in Orlando, believe it or not. Half the tranny fluid leaked out right there. Got it replaced under warranty, and they claimed there was no permanent damage done. But at 75K, I had the tranny fluid replaced with synthetic tranny fluid, just to be sure. With no dip stick, this is a task that only your mechanic can do for you - it's a big pain. But, mechanics I have spoken with actually told me that the Borg Warner tranny in the Axiom is an excellent transmission- so I am left to wonder why there are so many tranny problems reported with Axioms and if the side seal issue is the root cause of everyone's problem, and I just got lucky. In the meantime, at 88K, I am keeping my fingers crossed on that, as there are no local dealers to do Isuzu service within a 50 mile radius.
Still, my plan, given this awful economy, is to make good use of the Isuzu Axiom service manual I bought, and patch this vehicle up and continue to drive it until it hits like 160K miles and is completely falling apart - it's the only way to recoup my investment, since I bought this one new from the showroom, and not at any super discount. Besides, I like its features and how it looks - it is still very stylish - and my golden retriever rides in the front seat with me, which is not something I would do with a new SUV.
But, to be sure, my next vehicle will be a Toyota or a Honda.
Take care and stay safe!
Hmm. Ok.
1st Transmission in 02 Axiom was replaced at 200 miles.(long story but I found out that a dealer that had lost their medallion used mine as a parts car then sold it to another dealer who I bought it from).
2nd transmission was replaced at 86000 miles.
Currently at 118k and this is the _last_ transmission. When this one goes, the vehicle is getting towed away for $100 and hopefully crushed into a little square. It's in good shape, but enough is enough.
I do intend to get the tranny fluid changed soon though. Perhaps it will make it to 150k.
Regards
Bert
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Glad to see you are getting the most out of your vehicle, since as you know, the Axiom has a near-worthless trade in or resale value. I still use and like mY 02 Axiom, and have been fortunate not to have too many problems so far, with 91K on it right now.
As for the A/C compressor, if you have 200K miles that is about par for a new A/C compressor. In fact, it is much better than average for the life of an A/C compressor, even for a Honda or Toyota. And, since replacing the A/C compressor requires specialized tools and a license to handle refrigerants (generally speaking), your best bet is to shop around. On an 89 Cougar I used to own that I bought showroom new, the A/C compressor went out at about 106K (see what i mean), and I got quotes in 1995 that ranged from $600 to $1000 to replace it. The $600 quote came from a place that did nothing but auto A/C repair work and they did a fine job. So, it pays to shop around. The highest quotes came from Tuffys and Pep Boys, by the way.
As for the shocks, you did not say if yours were electronic or not. I recently took out my electronic ones, as did Bert, and I detailed the procedure and the model numbers of the Monroe shocks I used to replace those crappy ISC shocks with. Those details are posted in this forum: Isuzu Axiom maintenance. The Monroe shocks are not that expensive and are something I do not recommend that most owners try to do themselves (the old shocks are a bugger to get removed).
Hope that helps. Awaiting your reply.
The red "up" button for the heat control will not stay put. Anytime i hit a bump in the road it will fall off. Is there anyway to fix this without messing anything up short of buying a whole new stereo system. I assume this is all one piece... the stereo system/heat adjustment... correct?
There might be a break out of the parts your looking at.
Regards
Bert
I ran through two sets of Goodyear tyres on my Axiom. Both got about 54K and they were the original tyres the car came with (first set). I just put on a set of LEMANS Pathmaker H/T's. They are a discontinued model (I got a great price) P235 65R17.
I can't believe the difference they made in the ride and steering is even more effortless. Between the shock changeout and these new tires the Axion is finally riding in an acceptable fasion. Lemans probably still makes this type tyre or one close to it and better yet if you can find a set of discontinued Pathmakers (check the age of the tyre and ask for a BIG discount if they are over 2 years old).
Regards
Bert
Regards again
Bert
Thank you.
i am also trying to figure out the best trailer hitch to install.
Any thoughts?
I think the highest it will take is a class 3 but i am not sure..:
Regards
Bert
I got the Draw-tite. I don't think it's any different from the hidden hitch ones.
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.eea3cbe/2416
I suspect that a new unit would set you back about $300, but you can check around on the internet for a lower price from an out-of-state dealer. Good luck!
As for the C/E light, if you live in the US, you can take your car to Autozone and one of the sales assistants will hook up a scan tool to your car for free and tell you what the code is that is causing the C/E light to stay on. You can then post the code here for us to comment on, or do your own research on Google.
If it turns out to be a code related to the EGR valve, which you said you replaced already, BEFORE you pay to replace it again, be aware that you can remove it and clean it yourself (which fixed my EGR without having to replace it and I have used it for 50K miles since without a problem!). There are two bolts and one connector to get it loose, which is easy. If it has a lot of hard black carbon on it, you can soak it in engine parts cleaner, or some acetone, and use a small wire brush to get the gunk off of it. If that doesnt work, you can always buy a new one, but they are not hard to clean and it seems silly to replace something that CAN be cleaned... the gunky buildup comes from using cheaper brands of gas in my opinion. I have used BP or Shell since with no problems, and the price is only about 1-2 cents more than the really cheapo gas.
Hope that helps.
Odd that there is no filter, considering it is made in the same plant as the Subarus in Indiana, yet the subarus have replacement cabin filters. So, you may want to get one of those canopys from King Canopy (which is what i have) to keep out the leaves, dust and debris. Living in Florida, I have never even had a mold problem with my Axiom, and I would notice it, too, as I am highly allergic to mold. So, if you keep it under a roof or cover, it should not be a problem for you.
URL: http://www.kingcanopy.com/product/c1020pcs
(I got mine at Sams Club for much less than this price.)
But, equally important is the little seal on the side of the tranny. There is a device called a modulator on the side of the transmission and the seal on the modulator is very prone to failure. Mine made a thunking noise, and the seal "popped" at 42K miles, right in the middle of DisneyWorld in Orlando, (literally), and during peak exit time traffic. The effects were immediately noticable, as the tranny began to shudder and shift really hard. Pulled over a, spotted the leak, and then we limped home (remember - there is no way to fill the fluid on this model). Should've had it towed instead, but there was no long term damage that I can tell, and the repair was covered by warranty. Now at 92K miles on synth. fluid which I changed at 70K, and will do it again around 105K.
Moral of this story is to check that modulator seal regularly and change fluid often - it's the best money you can spend on your car and the best prevention against tranny failure (other than not hotrodding the vehicle).
Hope that helps.
Let us know why the miles are soooo low please.
Regards
Bert
Now on the 4L30 transmission; With the exception of the side accumulator seal failures I think this transmission is probably the most robust part of this crappy car and is a reliable transmission used by many high end car vendors. Granted the accumulator seal failure is a failure but it's a simple one to fix. I think the biggest problem is that it leaks while you are driving so you never see an oil stain for a warning. Couple that with no trans dipstick and it's a setup for failure.
Regards
Bert
The codes in question and the definitions are:
P1125 Isuzu Electronic Throttle Control Limit Performance Mode
P1221 Isuzu Throttle Position Sensor 1-2 Circuit Performance
P1295 Isuzu Electronic Throttle Control Power Management Mode
P1515 Isuzu TP Sensor To MAF Sensor
Correlation
Still looking for a Isuzu Master List.
Regards
Bert