Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

armtdm

sbcooke

thanks for the chuckle paison.

beer47

I call around to a couple different deals and $5.07 plus tax seems to be the MSRP. I called the place in Missouri and got 25% off by odering six. No tax, and free shipping. They also offered a deal on six air filters but I did not think I would need that many so I did pay full price for one. With the savings on tax and filters, I saved about $10, and I don't have to go out for it.

paisan

I did a K&N filter for about $45 it's re-usable.

-mike

sbcooke

After 500 miles on my rebuilt engine, I have not burned any oil and it is still very clear of any debris. Although, it starts great, but I have noticed a slight hesitation when I turn the key, as if it is out of sync?

john303

Hey guys, long time no post. The right front of my trooper has developed rather loud susp rattle. its mot noticable on uneven surfaces and off road. At the tire store we looked at the bushings, shock and susp pieces and couldnt find anything loose.

i know that the front drive/ susp on my trooper is independent. Therefore its got as transaxle and CV joints/shafts to the wheels? For some reason this noise reminds me of a worn CV joint on a FWD car.

Heck i dont know. Oh, also does anyone know of a repritable tire, susp, shop in the sacramento area. No one around here (auburn, calif) can finger out whats up at all. thanks and have a great/safe fourth.

viktoria_r

They now sell Mobil 1 synthetic in a 5-qt container for $17.88. I think it's cheaper as opposed to buying 5+ 1-qt containers.

mhiggins2000

viktoria_r

they have 5w30, 10w30, and something else

dchopp

Tire Gauge Accuracy Part 2. In Part 1, we did an evaluation of the cheaper pocket or pen type gauges. Part 2 consist of the more expensive heavy-duty double-headed type of gauge. Price range is in the $5.50 to $13.00 range. Basically the same names as indicated in Part 1 and a few new ones like ACCU. Most were purchased at local retail and automotive stores such as Napa ,Advance etc. We also tested some Analog or dial type of a gauge. Since these gauges cost more, we expected more from them and they didn't disappoint us. Since these gauges have a much larger range than the cheaper pocket type, we had to expand our testing to the 100lb. range. These gauges were tested at 25,35,45, (lower range) 60, 75, and 90 lb. range, which we called the upper range. Some where brand new, some where old like over 10 years. The gauges with the metal type indicators read about 1 to 2lbs long over the short range and about 1 lb. long on the higher range. Long means that for a known source of air pressure 35lbs. these gauges were indicating 36 or 37 lbs. Exercising the indicators did nothing to improve the accuracy. As these gauges start to get old (6 years and above) they tend to get a little sloppy on the higher end indicating as much as 3 to 5 lbs. higher. The shorter range still remained accurate within 2lbs. The newer type replaces the metal indicator with that of a white plastic dial much like the cheaper pen or pocket type. Easier to read I guess. These type of gauges read differently over the ranges, much like the cheaper ones. On the short range these gauges indicated about 1 to 2lbs. short. So for 35lbs. they would indicate 33 to 34 lbs. On the upper range they were very inconsistent with some reading 1 lb. short while others reading 1 to 2 lbs long, while down in the lower range they were all short. Exercising the indicators a few times improved some in the upper range but not in the lower range. Still overall the accuracy over both ranges was very good. The analog or meter type of gauges were very inconsistent but accurate. Some were short while some were long over the ranges and the brand didn't seam to matter. Two identical read differently. The 8 we tested were within 2 lbs in both the lower and upper ranges. Just remember to check to make sure the gauge reads zero before checking air pressure. Most come with an adjusting screw to do this. I dropped one on the floor and it indicated about 3lbs long. When in the first test, it indicated 1lb short over the ranges. After I zeroed the meter, it was ok. One analog type was reading all over the place as much as 8 lbs off. Here the meter had a static charge on the meter face. I rubbed a little Wd-40 on the meter face and it was ok after that.
The results show once again you get what you pay for. These types of meters showed pretty good accuracy over the ranges and age didn't seem to slow them down on the lower range.
Part 3 which consist of Digital Gauges will follow soon. One tested so accurate, I went out and bought one and tested it for repeatability and it indicated the same as the first. Which one was it? Stay tuned Until then---by
DCH

conman2000

http://www.pureisuzu.com/grille_guards.htm

Con

paisan

It's purely cosmetic IMHO. It curves in toward the body too much and is way too close to the body to provide any protection. How much is it going for?

-mike

PS: Nice Anniversary Edition Trooper

conman2000

$450 for it(ouch). Seems thicker steel compared to the thin Manik stuff but still no ARB bumper. Some people still like this look so atleast they have another option for the Trooper(Paisan, look how many SUV in NYC have them).

Cheers,
Con

boxtrooper

I have a 1995.5 Trooper-S 3.2L SOHC. This is the Trooper model that Consumer Reports lied about rolling over worse than any other SUV. It is also the one with the valve noise problem that only shows up after the warrantee period is over.

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I have been messing around with oil and filters to figure out what prevents the valve noise best. I have discovered that:

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1. dirty oil is the cause, towing makes it much dirtier much faster, clean oil is the answer.

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2. I can change the filter only to get a little more use out of the oil

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3. the Bilstien Oil Flush I allowed the Cadillac dealer to perform helped a lot, but the valve noise took 100 miles to go away. It stayed away for 4000 miles. I should have changed oil again after only 3000 miles, but I waited till 5000 miles and got the oil real dirty since the filter was bypassing.

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4. the oil gets really dirty really quickly when the oil filter clogs enough to bypass

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5. the stock oil filters are good for 3000 to 4000 miles after the Bilstien flush

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6. If replacing the oil and filter, the new filter will clog up right away if the old oil was dirty, then changing the filter again will help a lot to reduce valve noise. I am about to change the filter a second time and keep the same oil after 500 miles because of letting the oil get real dirty before the last change. Oil filters are less expensive than oil.

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7. http://www.redlineoil.com 10W30 seems to work best to get rid of the valve noise, but costs $6.75/qt. This oil is less expensive than the valve train overhaul.

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So, please tell me if you know of any way to improve the oil filtering ability of the 1995.5 Trooper. Specifically, has anyone found a location to mount a remote oil filter? What remote oil filter di you choose? Has anyone installed the Amsoil filter system?

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Second question: Is there an oil filter made that will spin on in place of the standard PH3593A filter? There is no more room for a large diameter filter, but there is plenty of room for a taller one, up to 3x as tall. What part number oil filter or what application oil filter is the same diameter and thread as the PH3593A and three times taller?

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In the mean time I am trying out the new FRAM oil filter that claims 70% more capacity for 7000 miles service life. This FRAM filter is the same size outside but uses a different filter media than paper.

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Thank You

conman2000

I am goig to change to Mobile1 at 3k miles cause of the benefits of syn oil. It cost a lot more but it seems worth it. So far, at 2,300 miles, I have burnt 1/4quart(regular oil) only so my engine seems tighter than most Troopers. I did not "baby" the car but also did not redline it either. Plus I put on those miles in under 6 weeks. I heard that some other car engines "break-in" better when not babied as well(Discovery is one). I am going to take it to the dealer for the oil change as they recommend M1 also. Lucky my dealer is a chevy dealer as well as they stock bottles of M1 for the vettes. the dealer uses factory filters which if you change your oil every 3k, I don't think any filter would be clogged by then. I don't want any valve problems so I will bite the bullet and change the oil with M1 every 3k until I know the engine is broken in and I can see for myself how long M1 can last. I heard of some people not changing their M1 oil until 7,500 miles so we will see.

Cheers,
Con

beer47

I am going 10K between MB1 oil changes. I recently bought the Isuzu filters from St. Charles in Missouri and will supply my own filters. Also, rotate tires at same 10K service. I plan on doing tranny/diffy fluid @ 50K. Also, will do air filter @ 50K. I believe the oil can hold up and I'm taking a chance that the filter will also.

sdc2

I have heard that 0W-30 Mobil One can help with the 3.2L hydraulic lifter noise.

There is one Wal-Mart in town here (Minneapolis) that sells Mobil One for $3.08/quart. Don't know why, none of the other Wal-Marts do it, but that one has been selling it for years at a big discount. Every time I go that way I stop in and stock up.

gpm5

I washed and detailed my trooper today. Used sbcooke's suggestion for armoral on the door gaskets. When I put armoral on the tires I noticed for the first time some (not extensive) very small cracks in the rubber near the rim--similar to dry rot cracks. This seems very early to be seeing this on tires on a '99 with 22k miles. Anybody notice that?

gpm5

I took it to a Bridgestone dealer who said that this cracking is a result of sun damage. That is likely true since the spare does not show it. One tire shows quite a bit on looking at it closer. I'm not sure this is an ok thing, even though the tire person said that this is only on the outside layer? He also said he has replaced up to 5000 Firestones and not seen cracking. That can't be correct because I've seen the hairline crack on the sidewall of Firestones near the tread myself. I looked at a bunch of tires in a parking lot (some with tread worn all the way down) and the only ones I saw with this spider web cracking were some Firestones. I may try Sears next.

raydahs

I have a 99 w/49k on them, but have no cracks. Could it be that your tires are exposed to alot of salt in the winter? l live and work on the coast in San Diego. Even though mine is garaged, I have to wash my truck weekly to get the salt/fog residue off, or things start to rust. Just a thought?

gpm5

Well I went to a Firestone corporate store. They say its due to sun and salt. They say all tires will get these. I did have them on BF Goodrich tires after about 6 years but that seemed to be somewhat normal. I never put armoral on those. It actually becomes apparent when you put on the armoral--otherwise not really noticable and they say that armoral which is supposed to be a UV protectant actually CAUSES cracking by drying out the rubber. I do not use it very often. I used it this time because I had sand/mud stains that I wanted to get wiped off. They say these surface spider cracks are only in the outside cosmetic layer and will not affect tire life. I find it odd how they did show up with the armoral though.

dchopp

Read an interesting article on car care and they sugjested not using this stuff on dashes or tires. It appears that they need moister to keep from cracking especially in the hotter climates. Armoral prevents the absorbtion of moister which results in cracking. They said the same applies to rubber surfaces also. I also read this from two different sources and I stopped using it.
Just my 2 cents.
DCH

gpm5

That's what these tire places said as well. I have only used 1 bottle of it (not even fully used) on the trooper tires over the past year. I doubt if this caused the cracking because it was used rather sparingly.

conman2000

Plus Armorall turns the tires brown.

Cheers,
Con

gpm5

I think someone in Arizona or one of the western states with a lot of heat commented on severe cracks in their tires. I'm not worried as long as they are surface cracks as they say. If the tire places say its fine and send people on their way to a blow-out that would be bad. I may need to go to my dealer and ask why a '99 purchased last year has these cracks and see what they will do.

sdc2

I prefer Wesley's Bleche White for tire cleaning. Leaves the tires looking like new rubber, NOT like shiny plastic such as Armor All does...

gpm5

I would not recommend purchasing any of their products. This company is is desparate straights. They are unwilling to deal with tires that are showing cracks and the dealer is unwilling to replace the tires. On closer inspection the one left front passenger tire has 1 inch fiber cracks all around the side wall PLUS deeper cracks in between the tread. It looks like I may be stuck holding the bag in gettting a new set tires.

sbcooke

That is interesting. I have had nothing but success with Armorall. I use it about twice a year on the weather-stripping on both of my vehicles. I started doing this when the sunroof in my 1995 Altima would not stop leaking air. It whistled like anything. 3 trips to the dealer did nothing. Wiping the weather-stripping once with Armorall immediately eliminated any wind noise. Also I find that it keeps it soft and supple, and it stops any water drip around the feet of my Thule rack.

If Armorall is bad for rubber? What do you suggest? I find that the weather-stripping gets dry and cracked regardless, also waxing the vehicle leaves some on the rubber and dries it out. I am not necessarily pro armorall, but it has proven to be a great anti air/water leak around doors and windows for me. I would be open to another comparable product?

dchopp

I have heard other people that use Armorall on there weather stripping and they seem to like it. What ever works. I was refering more to Vinyl Dashes and Rubber Tires. On my weather stripping I use a silicone lube treatment that comes in a can. It keeps the weatherstripping soft and plyable. I can't wait till they come out with the new polymere tire. Its in delevopment test mode right now. They outlast regular rubber tires 3 to 1 and never go flat, they also come in colors and you have a choice between satin, semigloss and gloss. Of course the rubber company's are fighting them.
DCH

gpm5

I don't think the armoral has anything to do with it. These 684s with 22k miles, especially the one front one, are looking like about 6 yr old tires when they are only supposedly 2 years old. Does anyone no if I got a new 684 whether with the new spare I can change two at a time on the front without having TOD problems. Thanks.

paisan

Measure the diameter. I have 25K miles on my Trooper and the 684s look great, never armor alled them or anything. Every set of tires I've armoralled has cracked and/or dried out pre-maturely.

-mike

PS: Sorry for the short posts, I'm on vacation this week.

gpm5

The spare appears to be at least 1/2 in larger due to unused tread. That's why I would go with two new on either the front or back. I wonder, if they are both similarly sized on front or back, but larger due to no tread wear, is that ok?

The armorall has nothing to do with the cracks in between the tread up front. Some of the tread blocks are cracking so that it looks like they may tear off in another year. I don't know if offroad has gotten the better of them or not.

conman2000

I plan on rotating my tires at least every 5k so the TOD won't whine when using on the street. So far I have not heard any whine noise from the TOD even on dry streets. I want to use all 5 tires cause I plan on changing them to the 265 size plus most likely go with another brand. I had B-Stone on my Sidekick and had no problems with cracking(using nothing on them). On my Isuzu Pickup with Pirelli, they crack and I think because I used Armorall. So far I have been using MEGUIARS tire stuff because the stuff does not turn the tires brown plus says it protects the tires from cracking. A couple of my buddies have been using this stuff for a couple of years and say it works and stop using Armorall period. For rubber seals you can use this or I use wd40 type stuff but silicone(some Napa type stuff I don't know who makes).

Cheers,
Con

sbcooke

I use meguiars wax/cleaner on the outside of my vehicles. It works great and cleans up a lot of the surface scratches I get off-roading. Maybe I will try their tire/rubber/dashboard cleaner? Except for the qt. of Armorall I still have sitting in a re-fill bottle.

Although I have not had cracking or dryness due to Armorall, probably due to the fact I use it twice a year only as a maintenance item, I wonder if all cleaners would cause this condition? Maybe it keeps those companies in business, the more you use, the more you need?

armtdm

On my 97 Rodeo with the 3.2 L I use an Amosil SDF 36 which is longer (1/1/2-2 inches) then the OEM replacement and Amsoil reps have a interchangeable filter list and if there is room I always opt for the larger filter, more oil and more filter capacity. So if you are looking for a larger filter this may be it. No other manufacturer seems to know which longer filter will interchange with the recommended one. By the way, with synthetic oil I go one year (about 12,000 miles) between changes, fitler at 6 months. No problems. I would never use the Bilstein flush on any engine that is in good shape, no sludge and running fine. Most people that sell the service will tell you it is a great money maker and marketing hype product to boost sales. A clean engine does not need it.

mtrionfo

BoxTrooper - This info was originally posted over at the ITOG and VMAG Trooper forums. Compliments to Mike for researching this possible alternative to standard Isuzu or Purolator filters. I haven't yet seen this filter in the stores, or read any manufacturer information about it, but it may be what you're looking for.

Rgds, Marty
95 Trooper LS

--- BEGIN ---

The stock Purolator PureOne filter is the PL14459, which is a 1/2 pint filter. The Xtra-Capacity PureOne is the PL24458, which is a full pint and has roughly twice the filter media as the stock filter. Its the same diameter as the stock filter but about two inches longer.

I checked the Purolator catalog for specs on the stock filter vs. the Xtra-capacity filter for correct pressures and anti-drainback valve. It is about two inches longer than stock but otherwise everything else is identical spec. The thread fitting is 20mm x 1.5 pitch, 8-10 psi pressure relief and anti-drainback valve installed.

--- END ---

ammie805

Hi! I'm currently leasing a 2000 Rodeo. It has 16K miles on it. I've been noticing that when I'm braking while going over a bumpy area, I can hear/feel my brakes grinding. I'm sure it's the ABS but is that "grinding" normal? This is my first vehicle with ABS. Thanks!

Ammie

paisan

The Isuzus when going over bumps will usually pulse due to the fact that the shocks aren't the greatest and cause the tires to loose grip resulting in the abs activating.

-mike

ammie805

Mike, thanks for the info! I do hate the feeling of the ABS because it feels like I can't stop in time because it's "skipping", sort of like when you are using a drill and the bit locks onto the head and the drill "clicks" because the screw is in tight. Does this make sense? I just wanted to make sure that this was normal and that there is nothing wrong with the brakes.

Ammie

paisan

I used to get it more often with my Trooper before I upgraded to gas-charged shocks. The shock upgrade is well worth the $ and I'd suggest it for anyone with a rodeo or Trooper.

-mike

sbcooke

Looking at the engine I noticed a little oil leak. Around the ignition wires on the passenger side of the engine there are small pools of oil. Not more than a few drops, but new. On my previous engine, I noticed the same, but not until a few thousand miles, so I couldn't be sure where it came from, i.e. mechanic spilling, etc..

The oil level has not gone down enough to notice on the dip stick, but some has definitely pushed past the plugs and ignition coils and is in the well there on the exterior of the engine.

lovingpc

The true value in ABS is the ability to continue to steer the car in an emergency situation - not necessarily to stop the car. In several driving classes I've been in, the instructor has pounded that in - KEEP STEERING - KEEP STEERING -

Although ABS will help you stop better than standard brakes in wet/slick conditions. Again, however, I think it is because you can steer the vehicle instead of the tires losing grip.

my 2 cents.

Andy
00 Trooper LTD 2WD

tommcnabb

No complaints here, just posting good news. I've got a 2001 4wd Rodeo with 4k miles and not one oil leak or any type of oil use. I changed to Mobile 1 synthetic with Mobil 1 syn filter at 1200 miles and plan on doing every 5k. I've read numerous posts about Isuzu's burning oil and I don't know if the Mobil1 helps, but I don't burn a lick of oil. BTW, the truck runs great. On another note, anybody know if K & N makes a air box / filter for this ride. My buddy put a K & N outfit on his new Chevy and he's getting almost two more miles to the gallon. Tom

paisan

Yep check out http://isuzu-suvs.com for a link to a place that has K&N filters for the Isuzus. I have one in my 2K Trooper.

-mike

dchopp

Tire gauge accuracy Part 3. The final report deals with the accuracy of Digital Gauges. We only had 8 gauges to test in this series, since most people use the gauges we tested in Parts 1and 2. Some of the brands we tested were Victor, Accutire, Majestic, and MG. Since these gauges had indicators up to 100lbs and more we tested them at 25, 35,45,and 50 lbs., which we called the low range. The high range indication consisted of measurements of 60,70, 85 and 100 lbs. All of the digital gauges tested were very accurate over both ranges. We caution you to read your directions carefully, since some of the gages required a self-calibration prior to using. If you don't calibrate them your reading can be off as much as 5 lbs on the lower ranges. The $6.00 gauges we tested were off only 1.5 lbs on the short range and about 2 lbs on the higher range usually 85 lbs. and up. The more expensive Gauges such as Accutire tested the best. The $14.95 gauge tested 0.5 lbs long on the low range and 1lb. long on the higher range. We tested the Accutire lighted background model $30.00 and it read perfectly in the low and higher ranges. It was off by 0.5 lbs (short) at 100 lbs. Every other pressure I tested it at read the correct pressure. I went out and bought one (Sears) and tested it for repeatability and it tested the same. Overall these gauges were very accurate and some do require a self calibration. They were all very easy to read. In time I feel more people will buy them. This concludes my report and I hope it was helpful.
DCH

tommcnabb

4 tire or 5 tire. What's your opinion? I do them every 5K miles usually. Tom

paisan

But with the '99->01 Troopers (some of them in 99) you can only do a 4 tire rotation due to the 5th wheel being steelie.

-mike

lanishaw

I own a 1996 Isuzu Rodeo 4wd with 44,000 miles. So far I haven't experienced any major problems, but I'm wondering how many miles I should expect to get out of this car. I've owned a Honda and Volvo in the past, both of which have excellent long-term track records and made it well beyond the 100,000 mark (closer to 200,000 and they're both still running strong). Is it reasonable to expect the Isuzu to run well over 100k miles or is it likely to die (relatively) young?

paisan

I had a '97 rodeo. It went 120K miles and never once saw the dealer for any repairs. Only maintenance I did was 1 set of tires, 2 sets of brake pads, and oil changes ever 3K miles.

-mike

pat_pending

I do a 5-tire rotation, and I do it every time I change the oil (Mobil 1) at each 5,000 miles. To me, it makes sense to get the maximum wear out of the tires, and leaving the 5th on the back will eventually result in it being larger than the other 4, and relatively useless. Plus, when it comes time to change the tires, I want all 5 to match by brand and size, and prefer not to have to discard a perfectly good spare just so it matches.

Disclaimer:
(1) It is easier that my Trooper is a limited, and came with a 5th matching alloy wheel. Most S models have a steel 5th wheel that of course does not match the other 4.
(2) I switched from the 'spider' luxury wheels to the 5-spokes, and keep the hard tire cover OFF the spare because I like the way that looks. Therefore, the tire rotation is that much easier. If I had not done this, it would be that much more of a pain.

-Ken