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Isuzu Trooper

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Comments

  • gadkins1gadkins1 Member Posts: 29
    I'm now scheduled to take delivery of my Trooper S tomorrow morning. After what I went through with the Suzuki XL7, pray for me.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Don't worry, I'm sure the Troopa will be smooth as silk. Did you get an AT or MT? Good deal? I can't wait to welcome you to the crew!

    -mike
  • boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    I did it in about 2 hours. Half hour to agonize about drilling holes in my Trooper and an hour for the install. Someone not squeemish about making holes and with experience could do it in a half hour.
    ..
    All you do it unscrew the trim bracket at the back door so you can lay the drill template over the bare floor. Mark the holes and you have some flexibility where the holes go to position the seat slightly to one side or front to back a little bit. Mark the holes again after measureing everything again. Then drill the holes. Install the brackets from under the floor there is plenty of room under there to reach the bottom of the floor. The brackets will stay put even if you unbolt the seat from inside, that is the "Easy" remove for cargo space feature still requires you to remove four bolts. Put the carpet and trim back down and cut holes matching where the holes in the floor are. Place the seat in its final resting place and reach under the seat inside the Trooper to bolt it down with the four bolts. The seat works great.
    ..
    The dealer can do it or any body shop would do it probably for less than the dealer. Maybe you have a mechanically inclined neighbor that could use a six pack of beer in trade for some hand holding or doing it for you.
    ..
    Then the final half hour as the kids and mom ooh and aahh over the new seats and pose for pictures in it. My kids love my Trooper. They always prefer the Trooper over the minivan even though the minivan has more space to strech out.
    Robert
  • gadkins1gadkins1 Member Posts: 29
    I appreciate your confidence paisan. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
    Thanks for the step-by-step install instructions for the seat boxtrooper. What sealant or silicone product did you use on the bolts where they went through the metal floor? I am going to try it myself (with help from my drag racer brother--69 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet). I'm going to try to get express delivery service from littlepassengerseats.com. Then, I'll be in the market for a flip-down TV and video cassette or DVD package.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Can you take some pics of the install and possibly do a write up for the how-to section of http://isuzu-suvs.com ? Thanks


    -mike

  • vivayovivayo Member Posts: 32
    I'm once again impressed by Isuzu's thoughtfulness when designing this truck. As I've recently posted, I now have a travel trailer I tow with my Trooper (at least until I replace my S-10 pickup with a 2500HD). Apart from (or as a result of) the trailer's weight and length vs the Trooper's HP and wheelbase, I'm concerned about overworking the auto transmission. One of the standard recommendations is to install an auxillary transmission cooler. In fact, the Trooper has an internal-to-the-radiator transmission cooler and the service writer I talked to at a local dealer said that should be sufficient. Well, I was still concerned as I don't want to wear out my Trooper prematurely. I turned the ignition key in the "on" position the other day and realized that one of the idiot lights that came on says "A/T Oil Temp". While it isn't a temp gauge, at least I'll get some warning if the A/T overheats!
    5,500 miles and 10 months after buying it, I'm still finding things on this truck that make me glad I bought it.
    Regards,
    Charlie
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    And good news, you may not need to give up your trooper for towing afterall. Strong rumors from a few sources are saying the new lineup of SUVs from Isuzu *may* look like this:

    2004 Rodeo:
    Tralblazer chassis
    Trooper/Axiom Drive-line
    Isuzu Body/Interior

    2003 Trooper:
    Yukon/Tahoe SWB chassis
    Isuzu V8 possible diesel option.
    TOD/Isuzu driveline
    Isuzu Body/Interior

    -mike
  • toddswagnertoddswagner Member Posts: 33
    I took my Trooper S into the dealership this morning and they upgraded the bios on the computerchip. It seems to have more power now, and I haven't driven it long enough to see if the pings have returned.
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    I had my alignment checked after the OME spring/T-bar lift. The camber was fine, no adjustment needed. Apparently 1.5" lift isn't enough to throw off the camber. They DID "adjust" (aka "screw up") the toe-in, though that had nothing to do with the lift.

    BTW I just received my Sway-A-Way torsion bars, haven't put 'em on yet though, weekends are booked...
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Is this something anybody can get, or is it just in response to pinging? Is it for specific years/models?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    When I had 4 or 5 CE lights. They had to change the EGR Valve, and at the same time, they re-programmed the ECU, and adjusted the Throttle sensor. I have a 2K Trooper.

    -mike
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    This is interesting. I have never distinguished between the two. I wonder whether the "spark knock" I can hear from our 98 Trooper (53k miles) is pinging from pre-ignition problems or knocking caused by valve lifter problems.

    paisan, did your EGR valve fall under warranty? If not, what was the cost to replace it? I've heard from a few folks that a bad/plugged/etc. EGR valve is a common cause for pinging/knocking.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm under warranty and it was replaced under warranty. I'm not sure how much the part is, you might check st. charles auto or Horton Isuzu in Atlanta for a price on the part.

    Replacement should be easy, it's right on top of the engine against the firewall.

    -mike
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    I guess my real question is, will a computer re-programming do anything for my Trooper (always can use more power :-) ), considering I have no problems (pinging or check-engine lights) at present?
  • bsmart1bsmart1 Member Posts: 377
    is fairly easy to determine. The two definitely have different sounds. The pinging due to pre-ignition, is a lighter sound and more rapidly occuring, sounding than a lifter tapping (knocking). This is because its happening to all cylinders. The pinging is usually only noticable when the engine is under a significant load (heavy acceleration, steep hill climbing etc.) On the other hand, the lifter tapping or knocking is pretty constant and can even be heard at idle. Good method of listening to it would be use a metal rod or long screwdriver, as a stethoscope while the engine is idling in the garage. Place the end of it on the valve cover and the other end to your ear. You can even determine which cylinder is causing the noise by moving your "stethoscope" up and down the valve cover to detect the loudest tapping. Hope this helps.

    I'm too am curious about the reprogram of the computer for less pinging and more horsepower. Is it specific to certain year models?

    Oh, one last note. What kind of mileage are you folks with 2WD Troopers getting? My new 01' went on a trip to the Ozark Mountains with me last weekend and I can't believe the numbers. This was my first trip out with it on the open road, and boy am I pleased with how it drives. Takes the hills beautifully, handles very solidly in the curves, and has plenty of passing power. Road noise was minimal, windshield noise very low. Made this trip most enjoyable. I couldn't believe how quickly the miles blew by and how quickly I arrived at my destination. I really wanted to just keep on driving, even though I had been on the road a couple hours! Happy Trooping !! ;->
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Just went down to NC for an off-road trip to Uwharrie.

    I had it in 2wd going down and back with no speeds less than 77mph most cruising was done in the 85-90mph range. Got around 17.5-18mpg which isn't bad for that speed.

    -mike
  • glaforteglaforte Member Posts: 1
    How difficult is it to change plugs on a 96 Trooper?
    Thanks...
  • ryanendresryanendres Member Posts: 122
    PING

    The soultion has been to use Concentrated Chevron Techron for 2 tanks of gas. The higher octane gas works for awhile but all your doing is masking the real problem.


    PC

    I think that the PC upgrade is good for all +98 Troopers, VX's and Rodeos. I know paisan has had his PC flashed already. More HP??? I don't think so. Help with PING??? didn't help mine.


    Check here for an easy trick to increase your MPG


    http://club.vmag.com/ubb/Forum15/HTML/001125.html

  • toddswagnertoddswagner Member Posts: 33
    The acceleration is a lot more fluid now since the computer upgrade. I think it helped quite a bit. I got on it a few times to see if there was a difference and I could tell. My wife didn't understand what I was doing, but she isn't the most technical person. She once had a flat tire and tried to jack the car up with the jack upside down. Someone came and helped her. I guess her blondness was showing that day.
  • bsmart1bsmart1 Member Posts: 377
    It's not really all that difficult, if you have the right tools. I've changed the plugs on my 97' and it shares the same engine as the 96'. The coil is built into the spark plug connector and it seems a bit funky the 1st time you remove one. The actual plug is about 8-10 inches down in the hole, once you've removed the coil/connecter assembly. You will need a 12" socket extension to reach the plug. When I did mine, there was a bit of engine oil that oozed around the valve cover seal and down into the spark plug hole. Not really a problem, just a bit of a surprise, since I'd never done on like this before. You will want to be sure your plug socket has a firm rubber insert in it, to hold the plug as you draw/pull it out of the hole. If the plug drops off down in the hole, it's not easy to get something down in there to remove it. The hardest part comes when you get to the plug on the rear of the engine on the drivers side. The vacuum booster for the brakes is right in the way of where your socket extension needs to be to get a straight shot at the plug. Here you will need one of those universal joint swivels to easily get this plug out. I was able to do it without having the proper tool, but it was a bear. It must have taken me about an hour on this plug alone. If you have all the right tools, I'd say allow yourself about 3 hours to do the whole job. You will want to have some lubricant to put on the plug threads. Mine were NOT real free and smooth to get out, a dead giveaway lubricant is needed. My plugs had about 51000 miles on them and the center electrode was significantly erroded away. The plug gap had grown to probably .80 but the engine was running like a top. It didn't show any signs of plugs needing to be replaced. I'll try to find my original post of doing the plug change and refer you to it later. Happy Trooping !! ;-}
  • schulhofschulhof Member Posts: 71
    Ditto, what he said.

    It did not take me 3 hours though, more like just over 1 hour. The passenger side was easy,
    the drivers side rear was difficult.

    It was hard just to get the "coil pack" screw off to get to the plug. Then I think I used a
    socket, long extension, short extension, 3/8 to 1/2 converter and ratchet to get just the
    right length to get it out.... Good fun.

    The plugs I removed had the center electrode worn away to a thin point too! I have never seen
    this before? Any ideas why this happens on Isuzu engines?

    I replaced the plugs with Denso's, same that came out, and the electrode was significantly
    missing from the old plugs.
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    bsmart - aren't you glad you did them now instead of waiting till 100K like the maintenance schedule suggests (for my 99 anyway)? A plug that has been in there 6 or 7 years is a real bear to get out, I have heard.

    Plugs are cheap, and relatively easy to swap on Troopers, so why not do them at 50K or even 30K intervals.
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    image


    ...at 7-8pm Pacific/10-11 pm Eastern. Hope to see you there!

    http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/isuzuchat.html

  • breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    Now you have got me looking at changing my plugs.

    Where did those of you who already made the change get your new Nippondenso plugs and about how much did you pay? The only source I can find is St. Charles at about $6.50 each. For some reason only one local auto parts chain even carries Nippondenso and they cannot (will not?) order the platinum plugs.

    Does anybody have a suggestion for another brand? I have read that the Bosch Platinum 4's are a bad choice for the 3.5L. I don't know if that is correct but would appreciate any feedback.
  • erinsquarederinsquared Member Posts: 178
    Hey Paisan,

    Nice meeting you at the Uwharrie meet. Guys, if you ever get a chance to do one of these trips, I strongly recommend it. Great group of people. Anyway, I've got the OME's and after installing them, I cranked up on the front torsion bars to get even lift. Somehow, I got things out-of-wack and the truck started pulling to the left on the interstate. I had an experienced tech adjust the height and alignment and now it rides great.

    After spending the weekend spinning my stock Goodyear Wranglers in the greasy clay, I got the itch to put on something more agressive for the GA clay I encounter. Does anyone have experience with going with 31's - 35's with 15 inch wheels or is it better to stick with something like a 265/75R16 on stock rims. Since the stock rims are 7 inches wide, this limits the size of tires that will fit the monstrous wheel well. Looking for a tire that I can also cruise on the road without driving me crazy, so the swamp boggers are out. Tires that come to mind are the Pirelli Scorpion's, BFG T/Ako, and Yoko Geoloander's. Any experience with how these affect the trooper ride, drivability, acceleration? I don't want to add too much unsprung weight, so if I replace the rim I want to go with an alloy wheel.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Nice meeting you too! Definitely have to have some more meets down there.

    I was pretty hell bent on the Pirelli Scorpion ATs in 275-70-16 on the stock rims, but after last weekend I'm thinking of 265-70-16 Yokohama Geolander ATII+ cause jason did very well with them on his Migo.

    -mike
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    I doubt that Scorpions or any other AT tire will do very well in clay. The tread is just too fine, for mud and clay you need big open lugs that will fling out the mud as the tire spins. This, of course will be a noisy tire on the road, which you don't want.

    I would scour the brands for a compromise MT tire that isn't TOO aggressive, but has a more open tread pattern than an AT.
  • chomama1chomama1 Member Posts: 15
    Local dealer in Glendale, AZ has two '01 Troopers, auto, 4x4 at about $30.5K each. I can get a flat $8K off the sticker which sounds pretty good to me. No financing though. Can I do even better or is this a good deal? Thanks for opinions.
  • g159g159 Member Posts: 23
    Hey has anyone changed a timing belt on a 98? Any idea how much the dealer charges? Should I change it every 75k miles? Thanks. (in case this was recently posted...I looked. I swear.)
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Every 75,000 miles sounds like the interval specified in our 98 Trooper owners manual. Ours hasn't been changed yet (only 53k miles) but I've gathered 2 notes from previous posts. One person received a quote of $325 from dealer for t-belt replacement and another $75 for fan belt replacement. Another received a $440 quote for t-belt and tensioner replacement.
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    22.5k is a decent price on a new trooper S 4x4. Hopefully, you can get low financing as well.
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    What size is the socket you need for the trooper plugs?
  • boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    My 1995 3.2L SOHC Trooper-S uses a 5/8 inch spark plug socket. The rubber insert is vital since the plugs are down a deep well. A tight fit to your socket extention is also needed. You will need a long extension on your socket wrench to reach down the well and high enough to give room to turn the rachet handle. On the passenger side it is very easy access. On the drivers side the air intake and power brake actualtor are in the way. On the driver side a socket flex adapter will be helpfull.
    Robert
  • chomama1chomama1 Member Posts: 15
    No, no special financing. There are a lot of 2001 Troopers on the lots, may wait a week or two and see if situation improves. I would rather have a Tacoma 4 dr, but my wife has her heart set on the Trooper. It's an ok vehicle and a good value.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Just got back from towing a ~3500lb boat at 75-80mph on the interstate with considerable hills. Towed it nearly effortlessly, although it did drop to 3rd more often than usual, but didn't have a problem doin 75-80 though. Obtained 11mpg on this trip, compared to my usual 17mpg for the same trip, not bad considering it had almost 2x the normal weight. Also had heavy cross-winds as well.

    -mike
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    You may do better on financing outside the dealer with the way interest rates are dropping. It is more of a hassle than going through the dealer though.
  • bsmart1bsmart1 Member Posts: 377
    would be a BIG mistake in my opinion. No way would I wait that long to replace them. There might not be any electrode left, the way it was eaten away. I went back with Bosch Platinum, but they were the single, not the 4X's. I've also heard on this board that the 4X's don't work correctly with the ISUZU computer. I don't know the details. Someone else on here had a good explaination for it several months ago.

    Now about that mileage I mentioned last week that surprised me. I have around 1100 miles on the new 01' and I'm not babying the engine. I understand babying it can lead to oil consumption down the road. Anyway, I'm seeing 20mpg on the road and about 16/17 in town right now. I'm pleased with it. Happy Trooping !! ;->
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I have "100k" plugs in my minivan. I am going to have them inspected at 60,000 (soon to come). Good point about the electrodes, but I'm also concerned about them "freezing" in place. Pulling them will at least insure that they'll come out, even if they turn out to be in good shape.

    Steve
    Host
    Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

  • schulhofschulhof Member Posts: 71
    I recently changed the Plugs and noted the eroding electrodes.

    I assume I changed the plugs back at 60k miles when I did the timig belt, etc. So that would mean these plugs were withering away at 32k miles?

    Prior to changing the plugs I was getting just over 14 mpg. After changing - back up to
    16.1 mpg on my last fill up.

    The attitude of the driver is good for AT LEAST 1.5 mpg (which in 10%!). My wife (the lead foot) who fears-not the gas pump, gest >15 mpg. I was babying the car and got 16.1 in a mix
    of street and highway driving.

    Edelbrock shocks still good! New tires coming....
  • breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    Too hot a plug will cause the electrodes to prematurely wear away. Is it possible this is a problem with Troopers such that we should consider using cooler plugs? Or, is the problem simply that the 100k mi. factory figure is way too optimistic and/or the original Denso plugs aren't up to the job?


    For those of you who already did a plug change, was the rest of the plug condition consistent with overheating (for a plug condition chart see - http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/engine/plugs.html)?

  • grucelagrucela Member Posts: 19
    I MIGHT HAVE TO SELL MY TROOPER. ITS A 2000 LS, IF ANYONE IS LOOKING LET ME KNOW.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    To access Edmunds.com's Used Vehicle PowerShopper to buy or sell a car, please visit http://applications.edmunds.com/products/ups/.

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  • radman6radman6 Member Posts: 81
    For those thinking of switching to Bosch platinums, I've had problems with them before. Check out the size of the electrodes. The contact point where it emerges from the ceramic is tiny. With minimal surface area they foul very quickly in vehicles that have higher mileage and burn a little oil. I had to toss a set at less than 3000 miles when they fouled and my engine developed a combination miss / hesitation when accelerating. Took a while to troubleshoot it to the plugs. I replaced with Autolite platinums and have had no problems since. The mechanic that helped me troubleshoot the miss had a bucket full of Bosch platinums he had pulled out of other rigs after they failed prematurely.
  • bsmart1bsmart1 Member Posts: 377
    Just got a call from my dealer service department. My 97' Trooper is in for a couple things. Engine has developed a lifter tapping noise, approaching a knocking noise. Also still having some vibration out of that rebuilt rear end. And I asked them to price me a timing belt change if they opened up the engine. Also the issue I've had with the voltage dipping from about 14 v to 12 v under quick acceleration, I asked them to investigate as well.

    The news I have so far is....the voltage dip is normal by design on this year model. It's there for maximum acceleration purposes. There's a slip clutch or something in the alternator that unloads it under acceleration unless you have your lights on. Sounds wild to me, but they were adamant about it. I know this was the case on my 1988 model, so I guess its true.
    As far as the rear end goes, they admitted it needed more LSD additive, which they installed and its working fine!
    The theory on the lifter tapping is excessive varnish on the valve lash adjusters. They quoted a service bulletin on this one. We'll see. The fix is run the vehicle at 2000 rpm with Mobil 1 0W-30 weight oil for 30 minutes. The oil costs $54 for 6 quarts!!
    On the timing belt replacement, the price quoted was $459.69 which includes the tensioner pulley. This price can be adjusted if they have to open the engine to do something to the lifters.

    On the Bosch Platinum plugs, radman6 is correct about the center electrode size. It is tiny. But, I've had a set of them in my 1988 Trooper for years now and they have performed just fine. That is what I put in my 97' as well earlier this year and they have been working great. So I don't know that I would panic if you have them in your engines and they perform correctly. If you have symptoms like he mentioned, it would be worth investigating. Happy Trooping !! ;=>
  • schulhofschulhof Member Posts: 71
    Please post the service bulletin info. My 95 has had an on and off tap,tap,tap,tap from the
    valves for (god knows how) many miles now!

    Please share the info.

    Thanks!
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    You can get 0W-30 Mobil One at Wal Mart and the like for less than half of that price!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Styling: Does function trump style?

    image
  • boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    The most beautiful style is also the most functional. To me they are the same since looking good is a function also.

    Unless to you style is glamour as in women's high pointy heel shoes which are stylish to some peoples eye but universally painfully disfuctional.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Spikey heels rule! :)

    -mike
  • radman6radman6 Member Posts: 81
    I second bsmart1s comments. If you already have Bosch Platinum plugs and they're working fine - I wouldn't change them before the normal maintenance interval.

    If you're having problems with miss / hesitation and you're running these plugs - you might check them for fouling and try a different brand of platinum plug.

    If you're looking for new plugs for a higer mileage engine that burns a little oil - there are probably better choices out there for the same money.
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