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Isuzu Rodeo

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Comments

  • doublee1doublee1 Member Posts: 2
    I recently upgraded the spark plugs to Bosch Plus Two Platinum plugs, and now the check engine light is on. The dealer said that it is because the ECM doesnt like bosch plugs, and they are causing a misfire. I like the plugs as the engine has more power, and my gas mileage is way up also. It recently got 23 MPG while driving up I-70 at 75MPH with a full load for a weekend of camping near Breckenridge. Does anyone have any suggestions, or do you think that i could be causing harm to the engine?

    Thanks,

    EE
  • ryanendresryanendres Member Posts: 122
    I have had the Drive line thump on my 00 Amigo since about 5k miles (now have 25K) when i took it to the dealer they said it was normal and sent me on my way. What is the dealer charging these days to "relube the slip yolk"

    As for plugs I have read this about 30X now about folks switching to Bosch Plus plugs and the ECM tossing a code. Solution is to not use Bosch Plus plugs.
    -Ryan
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    IIRC it's the 2->1 shift of the AT. THis is common on Isuzus and basically the hard drownshift will lead to a longer life of your automatic transmission. It doesn't slip the torque converter as long as domestic ATs.

    -mike
  • trophy201trophy201 Member Posts: 1
    OEM tires are Bridgestone Dueler p24570R16. Disatified with them. Very hard ride. Developed a vibration in veh at about 34000 miles. Had tires reblanced but one tire cannot be balanced. Developed a cord problem. Called a Bridgestone distibutor. He said nothing can be done because of mileage. They consider 35000 abou the life of this tire. Shows plenty of tread left. Now have 44000 on them with plenty more to go but considering replacing all 4.
    Anyone have comments on other tire brands they have used on their Rodeo. Thanks
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The tires are only good for about 30K tread-life or not, tires are shot at 30K especially if they are old.

    I switched over to Pirellis Scorpion ATs. Depending on your driving you can try some Yokohama Geolanders, or Scorpion STs. Bridgestone Dueller HTs are also highly reccomended.

    -mike
  • Boris2Boris2 Member Posts: 177
    All the Bridgestone OEM tires I've run on were exeptionaly bad in terms of life cycle. All of them had plenty of thread left but the performance was terrible after 30K mi.
    I got just under 20K mi and will probably have to replace the tires closer to 30K (hopefully not sooner). My local Discount Tire store highly recommended Pathfinders. I don't remember who makes them, but they are supposed to be very good. Also, 245/75 - 16 is somewhat unusual size, as I noticed, so you might have to go with a little bit wider or a little bit taller tires. It shouldn't make any difference (at least noticeable difference) to speedometer reading and performance.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    is the stock size tires on Rodeos and Troopers.

    -mike
  • karman1karman1 Member Posts: 25
    I replaced my original at 65k, they were pretty bad looking. I replaced them with Dueller A/T, They are great tires, 50k warranty, great handling. I had great improvement in handling ( although Rodeo don't handle at all, maybe b.c i still have OEM shocks witch are in good shape ,they suck, but are in good shape) also wet traction is much better.
    You can also read reviews for each tire model at www.tirerack.com
  • Boris2Boris2 Member Posts: 177
    yep, I meant 70 - not 75...
    75's are relatively easy to find while there are not too many 70's around. At least that's the information that I got from Discount Tire store
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    245/70 should be easy to find in an SUV tire? typically all 75 ratio tires are LT (Light Truck) series. They have stiffer sidewalls and can handle higher air pressure/loads. The different belt design (LT) also helps with the taller sidewall with a 75 ratio.

    I put 265/70R16 Dueler A/T's on my trooper recently. They handle great wet/dry. No offroad details yet. The only issue I had with larger than stock tires is that they are a little harder to balance than the stock size (larger tire with respect to rim size, etc). But not a big deal, just had to go back a second time to get one tire re-done.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Pirelli Scorpion ATs on my Trooper, so far so good.

    -mike
  • potstickerpotsticker Member Posts: 4
    I have a 98 2WD Rodeo, HATE IT. Had a 95 previously, and since I upgraded to the 98, I am on my THIRD Fuel pump, second filter, and the dealership has no reason why it keeps shorting out. I also experience the thumping or feeling of being hit from behind when I come to a stop, and also my exhaust system sounds like I don't have a muffler......... The dealership has no advice for me on what to do about any of these things. Anyone else having these same issues with fuel system?
  • karman1karman1 Member Posts: 25
    I have 98 2WD as well, i have the same problems as you except the fuel pump, I never touched or change the filter and I do have 70k on it. I do however clean the fuel system once a month. My advice is to stop using cheap gas if you are using it, had the same problem on my other car, changed gas brands and it went away. My friends also owns a 99 2WD, has problems with his engine( dealer said because he used cheap gas) My exhaust system also sounds funny ( only when i accelerate) but I think I punctured it when I went off-roading.
  • nctigernctiger Member Posts: 1
    I recently purchased a used 2001 Rodeo LS. Several weeks later, I read a review saying that this model came standard with remote keyless entry. Since I received no "remotes" with the vehicle this was somewhat of a surprise. Can anyone comment on this? Thanks.
  • jimmyp1jimmyp1 Member Posts: 640
    we only received one remote, and, though it was pricey, I just went to the dealer and they sold me one and programmed it for me.

    Jim
  • ryanendresryanendres Member Posts: 122
    Check on ebay, I see them for 10.00 all the time. The dealer with charge you +50.00 for one.
    -Ryan
  • cerulean99cerulean99 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1998 Isuzu Rodeo. I live in Texas and when it gets really hot, my air conditioner stinks almost like exhaust and it sticks to my clothing and hair even after I leave the vehicle. It is not the common musty smell some people experience. It is worse when it is on recycled air than on outside air. Of course, the summers here are too hot to leave on outside air. I have gone to two dealerships and followed suggestions such as Lysol in the intake and cleaning all carpets. Nothing has helped and I am tired of taking showers every time I get out of the car. Any suggestions??
  • karman1karman1 Member Posts: 25
    I also live in Texas , and had a similar problem, It had a musty odor when you first started the AC but went away after 10 min at full blast. I went to a dealer and they recommended a $180 cleaning service ( not intake) which would clean/kill the "fungus"( causes the smell) I have in the AC. Go to a dealer and ask them about the cleaning service, it involves drilling a hole some where and running some kind chemical( Cleaner I guess). Try that, as for me I didn't do it, 2 expensive and it kinda stopped now after a lot use, although does come up sometimes.
    Good Luck.
    Also can anyone recommend some good driving light to putt of the Brush Guard. Thanks
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Go to a dealer and ask them about the cleaning service, it involves drilling a hole some where and running some kind chemical( Cleaner I guess).

    I would guess that it's just hydrogen peroxide.

    tidester
    Host
    SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    programming remote should be simple. I just went through this with my MDX. Each remote has an fm signature. You probably have to go through a series of steps, like turning the on/off 20 times, and then you press the buttons on the remotes you want to program. I found the steps for the acura on google.com...groups. The dealer wanted $60-70 to program it for me.
  • zman92ttzman92tt Member Posts: 1
    Two weeks ago, I noticed that oil spots were continuously appearing on my rear bumper/back door and all over my spare tire carrier cover. I just had the 60K maintenance done, and they didn't find anything.

    When I get out of the car after driving, I also smell burning oil. Could this be a bad rear seal? If so, would the warranty cover the repair??
  • keepontroopinkeepontroopin Member Posts: 297
    I bought a remote for my Trooper off of ebay for $14 and it came with the programing instructions. The dealer wanted $75 so ebay is definatley the way to go. Be warned though that the programming is a pain in the butt, You must have patience.
  • potstickerpotsticker Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the advice, I will try to use a better grade of gas in the future, you mentioned you cleaned your fuel system once a month, how do you go about that? And what if anything have you done about the noise from the exhaust? (Did I mention I have only had this car a year?)
    Any input it appreciated.
  • catamcatam Member Posts: 331
    Well I changed the timing belt on my 95.5 Rodeo last weekend. Cost was $45 for timing belt and the 3 accessory belts. The job took about 4 hours, with an hour delay fighting the crankshaft bolt to main pulley. Finally had to call my brother and have him bring over his air compressor and impact wrench to break the bolt loose. This also forced me to pull the radiator to create some space.
    All things considered I can't complain, considering I saved around $400.
  • catamcatam Member Posts: 331
    Anyone know how to tell if I have a limited slip rear diff on my 95.5 Rodeo. I recently bought this vehicle used, and need to change the fluid. If I put limited slip fluid in a standard diff will it hurt it, I know it will the other way around, so I would tend to err on the side of caution and use LSD fluid if it won't hurt??
    Paisan, any help would be great.
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    The 99 Trooper's have a "G80" on the engine option panel in the back of the engine compartment. This signifies LSD. This is listed in my manual. I am not sure if this covers the 95.5 Rodeo, however, I imagine they were consistent with the codes over the years.
  • karman1karman1 Member Posts: 25
    You welcome, I go to Auto Zone and by those cleaners they seem to do the job, I also try to use Chevron gas, I get a much better gas avg, and its runs smoother, My car seems to hate Texaco. About the noise thing I just turn up my volume :) ( but now that you brought this up I will try to fix it, I will tell what I did ones I will fix it. ) I also had my car for about 1 1/2 years , I bought it used in 2001. My major problem with this truck is that the brakes suck. Now that the recall came out I will take it to the shop.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Chevron bought out Texaco a while back - wonder if they'll get rid of one of the "competing" brands at some point? My van seems to like the Techron pretty well but it'll run ok on the Big Star stuff.

    Steve
    Host
    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • karman1karman1 Member Posts: 25
    Did not know that, I do wonder if techron actually does something.
  • armtdmarmtdm Member Posts: 2,057
    Well, I use it once in a while in a few engines, seems to work fine. On others I use a squirt of Amsoil PI at every tankful. Oldest on this is 146,000 but never had an injector or fuel system problem in past ten years on any car. Do they work. Not sure, would I have not had problems if I did not use these cleaners, ????
  • potstickerpotsticker Member Posts: 4
    Ok, all this advice, I'm loving it. I will try the better gas and the fuel cleaning system,now I have another question. What is a serpantine belt? The dealership says I need it since my engine only runs on one belt?!?! Did they see me coming or what, I really don't trust them and don't really know any other reliable mechanics in the area. Help!
  • ryanendresryanendres Member Posts: 122
    http://www.mjw.com/amigo/images/belt.jpg


    I'm not sure how to post pics here but the above link is to a pic of your belt. These belts start to show wear (small cracks) at about 25K and should be switched out at about 30-35K. It is about 5 min job and the belt costs about 35.00 or so from www.stcharlesauto.com (Factory OEM Isuzu belt free shipping). The Stealer will charge you about 80 to replace this.

  • karman1karman1 Member Posts: 25
    Looks like time for a new belt for me.
  • karman1karman1 Member Posts: 25
    I own 98 Rodeo, and I'm thinking about putting in a K&N filter... my question to you is, is it worth the money... will I feel the diff?
  • ryanendresryanendres Member Posts: 122
    Most folks with Rodeo/Amigo's notice a slight decrease in MPG. What you will notice with the filter is the engine will sound a bit louder (a drop in filter or cone) and you will notice a little faster pickup.


    http://www.geocities.com/treading_lightly/knfilter.html


    The big thing is that a OEM filter (Fram or the like) cost about 23.00! I long for the days of my 3.00 S10 filter. So if you plan on keeping the truck another 3-5 yrs it will pay off. The only thing oyou will need to do is re-oil your filter once a year (10.00).


    If you do this mod make sure you disconect the battery for 15-30 mins to reset the the ECU, so the truck can relearn the new stuff that you have added.


    Now do I have a filter? Nope I'm happy with the stock power as it is.


    -Ryan

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I have the K&N in my trooper. Only noticeable above 3500rpms. It is great though cause I can wash it out after offroading or dirt roading. The cleaner kit is $10 and usually lasts 2-3 years.

    -mike
  • karman1karman1 Member Posts: 25
    paisan: do you have just the filter or their kits
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The panel drop in filter. Any cone filter is going to give you LESS performance or at best on par performance with restricted off-road duty. I don't suggest any cone filters on an SUV unless it's a bling bling one.

    -mike
  • sib715sib715 Member Posts: 15
    I have 00 LS and gas gauge just stopped registering and check engine light came on. Dealer says, they need to drop gas tank and replace sensor. I'm at 52200 miles, just over warranty. Any advice, previous users experience same problem
  • Boris2Boris2 Member Posts: 177
    Isuzu dealers are not the best ones as far as customer satisfaction goes (at least that was my experience). I know that some dealers would give you some slack if you just out of warranty. I'd ask them if they are willing to pay for labor if you pay for parts or something like that. Also, if you plan to keep the car for a while, it might be a good idea to get extended warranty, which will pretty much pay for itself on that single service.
  • willie340willie340 Member Posts: 59
    i just bought a 2002 rodeo.it has 500km on it.i bought it from a dealer,so this must be the suv everyone test drives.should i be worried about how this suv was driven during these test drives seeing that it should be broken in a certain way.it would be nice to hear from a couple of different people..thanks
  • armtdmarmtdm Member Posts: 2,057
    Not much you can do about it now anyway, except worry about it.

    Most engines today can take a huge amount of abuse. At least you know that the oil was not neglected (only 500 km on it). You should know by 8000 km if it was abused by then if any oil consumption etc. If it runs fine by then forget it. Also, you do have the warranty.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I bought a '97 Rodeo and a '00 Trooper. Both times I drove em like I stole em from day 1.

    So far the '97 wen 120K miles on only gas, oil changes 1 set of tires and 2 sets of brakes.

    The '00 is doing well at 42K miles.

    -mike
  • littleproclittleproc Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 Rodeo with automatic tranmission
    4L30. Has anyone changed their own trans.fluid and filter? how hard is it to get the fluid back in since their is no dipstick? and where do you fill the transmission back up at? The dealer wants $150.00 just to change the fluid, the filter would be extra.
  • bahmedbahmed Member Posts: 66
    I have a 98, 2W, Auto, 4dr Rodeo, it has 59K miles and from last few weeks, every time I have a cold start, the car jerks at every gear shift (up Shift & down Shift), once the engine warms up after driving 8-10 miles, every thing is normal. The dealership says I will have to change the Transmission Mode Switch, which will cost around $300 incl labor.
    The dealership wants $80 to install the Anchor Bracket for the Child Seat, the part cost $15, I tried to install myself, but the instructions came with the kit is very vague and it seems it requires drilling the holes too, which is not mentioned in the instructions.

    Please let me know of similar experineces, suggested fixes,advice, recommendations etc. Isuzu dealership seems to be expensive. I called the Isuzu owner relations, but they were not of much help.

    Thanks in advance
  • ziemannziemann Member Posts: 5
    I will apologize right now if these are topics that have been beaten to death. I did not find a response on my searches, so I will ask them now.

    On saturday, my wife and I test drove and subsequently bought a '00 Amigo, V6, 4WD, AT w/26K miles. We took a short trip with it on Sunday, and truely fell in love with this vehicle. This is our first Isuzu, and we had no idea that an SUV could be so much fun to drive. On Monday while finishing the paperwork on the '00 Amigo, the dealer talked us into trading our '98 Cherokee in on a second Isuzu: a new '02 Rodeo S V6, 4wd. So, now in the matter of 4 days, I have two Isuzu's and really don't know much at all about them (was a Jeep man, hehe) :-)

    Ok, now on to my questions:

    1. Where can I get a cheap yet complete service manual that covers these 2 vehicles? Does Chilson offer one? I do most of my own maintenance, and found the owners manual to be grossly inadequate.

    2. I have lived several frigid places the past few years. I have converted all of my vehicles to synthetic fluids (Amsoil/ Mobil 1)in the AT, engine, diffs, transfer cases, etc. Are there any known issues with synthetics in these vehicles- especially the AT?

    3. The seat material on both of my Isuzu's seems to be pretty light duty. Does anyone have a good recommendation for a "stock looking" seat cover for these vehicles??

    4. I tow snowmobiles all winter. Usually no more than 3000 pounds. Can anyone make a recommendation for a good hitch (non OEM) that I can use with my Rodeo? My Rodeo has the spare under the rear end of the vehicle (which concerns me)...

    5. My Rodeo S came with a stereo AM/FM cassette which seems to work ok...sounds ok....not great but not bad. I have seen that there is a Isuzu CD player that can be installed in the spot below this stereo...Is there a cheap place to get one for my '02 Rodeo? Is it worth it since I am on a budget? Or should I just scrap the whole OEM stereo concept for something different? Remember, I am on a budget!!

    Any help from you "experts" is invaluable!!!

    Ziemann
    (Wisconsin)
  • armtdmarmtdm Member Posts: 2,057
    I use the Amsoil ATF in Rodeo, no problems

    Now, as to changing the ATF fluid, a bear on the Rodeos with no dipstick. You have a drain plug and fill plug. First, test that you can remove the fill plug just in case. Drain fluid via drain plug and then (get a new rubber gasket becasue if the old one leaks you have wasted all of the fluid) replace the drain plug.

    Remove filler plug and with a fluid pump (available at most auto stores or equip stores) form a hook with plastic tubing that will hook into the filler plug hole (my filler hole is straight up, no angle on it so only a hook type of tubing would stay in) pump in new fluid until it runs out. Replace plug with old gasket. Drive for 10 miles and park, leave engine running and again remove filler plug,(yes, instructions require that engine remain running) no ATF will drainout. Pump in more fluid until it again runs out and replace the filler plug with one with new gasket., You are now finished.

    Not as bad as it appears, forming the hook out of plastic tubing may be the worse part of it. I have not replaced the filter as yet as there is a cross beamn in the way which has to possibly be removed first. I checked on the filter and pan gasket, this is about $100 by itselt. I may wait until 100,000 to replace filter, until then a drain and fill only.
  • ziemannziemann Member Posts: 5
    Thx for the info Armtdm.

    Ok, so my next question is:

    1. What percent of the fluid are you able to drain just by opening the drain plug? I know in some AT's, you only get 75% of the fluid out (because of remaining fluid in valves, lines, coolers, etc). If I am not able to get almost all of the fluid out in this manner, is it worth trying to convert to synthetic ATF?

    2. I see the drain plug on the bottom of the AT pan, as well as the drain plug for the transfer case. Hehe- Where in the hell is the fill plug??? I looked at the diagram in the owners manual....and it really isn't very helpful....

    3. Oh yeah, where can I get a service manual?

    As always, thank you to you all for your help! Sorry for the noob questions.....

    Ziemann
    (recovering Cheesehead- going to relapse in Dec.)
  • kobokokoboko Member Posts: 34
    Hello everyone,
    Does anyone know how much the 4x4 Rodeo LS is going for nowadays? I'm interested in the 0% financing, hopefully with additional rebates. The TMV on Edmunds seems to be pretty high, especially compared to what I've seen on isuzudealers.com & other advertisements. Can anybody tell me how much they've payed for their 2002 4x4 LS or 4x4 S with performance package (and whether u got 0% financing)? I live in the Chicago area and it would be extremely useful to get estimates for this area. I plan on going shopping this weekend, so any tips would be helpful!! I currently own a 2001 Trooper (love it!) and the Rodeo will be for my sister. Gotta get the family hooked on Isuzus! Really appreciate the help, thanks a lot.
  • Boris2Boris2 Member Posts: 177
    I usually go through www.carsdirect.com. I take their price (print it out with all the options) and take it to dealer. These guys take all the rebates into consideration when setting up their prices.
    In the past, when I was shopping for new cars I took these print-outs to dealer and told them that that's the price I can get it for and they can either beat it or I'll go to either different dealer or buy it from carsdirect. After that if they refuse to beat it, I'd settle for the same price. Make sure that you show them this print-out after you spend at least an hour - hour and a half driving the car around and negotiation. Otherwise, they will not be too interested :-)
    Good Luck!
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