Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • cknottcknott Member Posts: 61
    Mike,

    I actually do not know what applications the radiators were from. They were examples of good radiators gone bad...why you need to change antifreeze on some frequent basis. They were also examples of repairs that could be made and what the inside of a radiator looked like if you never changed the fluid.

    The issue was that this was the typical design used by manufacturers, just a tube passing through the radiator.

    As I posted earlier, I changed the fluid at 45k for the first time. It was needed based on the difference in color between the old fluid and the new fluid.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I figure I'll change mine around 50K or so, although my rodeo went 120K and I never even added a drop to it.

    -mike
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Which filter does PureOne list as the proper size for newer Troopers? Is it the PL24458 or a different one? I was thinking the PL24458 was a larger overall filter and that the PL14458 (or something like that) is what PureOne actually "recommends" for the newer Troopers.

    I don't feel like going to the Purolator web site and looking, but I did want to throw the question out there. That doesn't excuse the fact that the add-on oil cooler leaked, but it might explain things a little bit more.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Our 98 Trooper just passed 62,000 miles. I'm wondering if there is any reason to have the brakes inspected. The truck has never had any brake work and the brakes are currently working quite well. Can/should I wait until I notice some telltale signs that something needs fixing (e.g. squealing, slightly diminished performance, etc.) without risking additional damage to the brakes, or should I have the brakes inspected now?

    I don't mind spending the 20-30 bucks for a brake inspection now, but I'm trying to determine if it's necessary now or it can wait until later.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    My rodeo went 70K in the rear and 80K in the front for pads. But if it isn't broke, don't fix it would be my way to go on those.

    -mike
  • cknottcknott Member Posts: 61
    Bluedevils,

    The recommended oil filter is PL14459(L14459). The larger filter PL24458 can also be used. Both of these filters have the same seal diameter which is too small for the oil cooler adapter, but works great for the standard oil filter mount. When I was at the auto parts store investigating a filter that would work correctly with the oil cooler, I compared the filters by Fram, Purolator, and AC Delco. All of them had similar seal sizes. The difference in the stock seal diameter and the seal diameter that I am using is about 12 mm.
  • armtdmarmtdm Member Posts: 2,057
    Does anyone know if the automatic transmission on a 97 Rodeo, 2WD has a filter in the pan somewhere. My repair manual does not seem to address this. This tranny has no dipstick, the ole drain and fill plug from underneath.
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Most of the Isuzus just have a screen rather than a filter...don't know about your specific vehicle though.
  • cknottcknott Member Posts: 61
    I have a 99 Trooper. It does have a filter. You will see this filter once you remove the pan. I am fairly confident that a 97 Rodeo has the same transmission and filter. To verify, go to your local auto parts store and ask for a transmission filter kit for a 97 Rodeo and see what they provide you. For all practical purposes, the "filter" is simply a fiberous "screen" that is crimped within a plastic housing.
    Hope this helps.
  • breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    I just replaced the radiator cap on my 1999 Trooper. Instead of failing in the pressure mode it was not allowing coolant from the overflow tank back into the radiator during cooldown. The main symptom being a lower radiator hose that partially collapsed after sitting. Opening the cap would break the vacuum and the hose would spring back to normal.

    I assume this is not a common problem but if you want to be on the safe side you will check your cap and hose every so often.
  • zman21zman21 Member Posts: 46
    I have 4 vehicles. Isuzu Trooper 01 & Rodeo 02 and Toyota Sienna 01 & Corolla 97. These babies all use Mobil 1 Synt. Oil with OEM filters. I have noticed that the oil from the Isuzus is dirtier/darker compared to the Toyotas which looks like brand new oil all the time. Also the Isuzus consume oil (minimal for me) whereas the Yotas don't at all.

    Thanks in advance for any comments.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Hey all, just figured I'd weigh in on my oil consumption. With 36K miles I now am only burning about 1 quart per 7500 miles using Mobil 1 5w-30, for the first 10-15K it was 1 Quart per 2500-3000, just figured I'd let you know it gets better with time.

    -mike
  • boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    I have observed that oil consumption changes with load. If I tow a heavy trailer a lot then my 1995 SOHC consumes about a quart in 3000 miles. I usually dump in a new quart if it is low even if I will change the oil very soon. I think it helps get the engine cleaner when I do change the oil. If I don't tow the consumption is less than 1/4 inch on the dip stick between oil changes. I use Valvoline 5W30 Synpower full synthetic.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I really wish our 98 Trooper's oil consumption had decreased dramatically with the switch to synthetic oil, but it hasn't. I can't explain why paisan's experience and mine differ so much.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    the same reason that some people have no burn v. us who had a lot. What weight are you using? I'm running 5w-30 with a puralator filter.

    -mike
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Our 98 Trooper has 62,xxx miles. A while back I drained about 2 quarts of trans fluid (just removed the drain plug, nothing else like dropping the pan or a flush or whatever). I thought I was pretty careful about adding as much as was drained, plus I checked the level. Slow drip out of the fill plug indicates proper level, right?

    Well, I've noticed something about 3 times this week. From a stop, when I give moderate throttle, sometimes it feels as if the Trooper is spinning its wheels. Sometimes this happens when the rear wheels are on a painted stop line. That's the sort of feeling I am getting. It's like the truck is jumping ahead a little bit. That's not much of an explanation, but it's all I can come up with.

    Any ideas on what this might be? What else should I do, besides removing the fill plug and checking for the proper fluid level?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Or are the revs going up w/o movement?

    -mike
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    IIRC, the tranny fluid needs to be checked with the engine running and the tranny in drive. Obviously, that makes it a two-person job (PITA).
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I need to pay more attention next time it happens. I don't think the wheels are spinning. The revs are going up, either without movement or with less movement than you would expect given that the revs jump up to 2500-3000 RPM pretty quick.

    It's almost like the engine is getting ahead of the transmission or something.

    I thought the fluid level check was with the engine running, but I didn't remember anything about the "trans in Drive" requirement. That's not how I checked it last time; maybe that meant my reading was off?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    In Park after having shifted into F-N-R a few times.

    -mike
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    The last time we went around in circles re: the 3.5L timing belt interference/non-interference issue, where did we end up? I know some folks thought interference and some thought non, but I don't remember the "insider" info we were gathering. Seems that a couple folks spoke with Isuzu dealer mechanics, someone called Gates the belt makers, etc.
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    To my recollection, and I believe Paisan's, If it's a DOHC it's interference, if it's SOHC it's non. The 3.5L is DOHC, so it's an interference.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I don't remember it being boiled down to such a simple rule. Just to confirm, "interference" is the type that would suffer more engine damage in the event of a timing belt break, right?

    At almost 63k miles, our 98 Trooper will be staring at the 75k timing belt change interval within the next 9 months or so, which is why I'm trying to refresh my memory on the topic.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    In Isuzu engines the DOHC engines are Interference, the SOHC ones are non-interference. This is common for most manufacturers but not a "rule". Also 99 or 00 and newer have a 105K mile interval due to CA emissions requirements. What the timing belt has to do with emissions I have no idea but apparently CA emissions laws require 100K interval/warranty on all emissions related items which happens to include the timing belt. So most manufacturers put in a heavy duty one to last 100K miles.

    -mike
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    means that if the valvetrain is allowed to spin freely with respect to the crank shaft (timing belt has busted) then the valves will into contact with the piston as the timing belt is what has kept the two apart.

    Apparently it does boil down to such a simple rule, atleast for the Isuzu V-6...3.2 and 3.5
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    good information.
  • wlbrown9wlbrown9 Member Posts: 867
    Here is a link to the Gates guide page... There is a picture illustrating what is called interference :-). Down at the bottom of the page is a link to a PDF file that shows many engines and if each is an interference engine:


    http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=981&location_id=540


    If the above wrapped, copy and paste both lines intor your location window on your browser.

  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I opened the pdf file and viewed it; it does not have 2002 model year engines listed yet (not a problem for this discussion). For Rodeo and Trooper, NONE of the 3.2L and 3.5L engines for any model years is marked as an interference design (noted in the table by an asterisk).

    This is the same problem the last time we had this discussion-- the Gates site did not seem to provide the correct information about which of the 3.2L and 3.5L Isuzu engines are interference and which are not.
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    if it's a DOHC it's interference, if it's SOHC it's non when concerned with the 3.2/3.5L Isuzu V-6. Gates does not distinguish between the SOHC and DOHC for 92-97 engines in the Trooper, although, IIRC, the DOHC for 92-97 were interference, and the SOHC for 92-97 were non. I would not take one reference at there word. If you really want to know, call up Isuzu. They were helpful the last time I called them up and told them that their web page, which had been taken over by Joe Isuzu, sucked :-)
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    that the 3.5L is an interference design. I feel no need to call Isuzu. At this point, not even the president of Isuzu could convince me 100% that the engine is non-interference. Therefore, I will simply have the dealer change the t-belt near 75k miles and not try to stretch this interval just to save a few bucks.

    Chances are that the belt will look brand new when it's removed, but you never know.
  • sdavitosdavito Member Posts: 71
    I have a 2000 Trooper. If the manual say to change at 105k miles, I won't be changing much before that. If the belt breaks before, it's on Isuzu's dime.

    BTW, breaking early could actually be a blessing in disguise, I would probably have all the valves re-seated, and or have them do a complete valve job at the same time.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well I dunno if I'd trust a dealer to do the valve job properly, but that's just me. I will probably do mine around 100K.

    -mike
  • sdavitosdavito Member Posts: 71
    I'm pretty sure that most dealers would send that type of work out to a (specialist) machine shop.
  • breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    If it is interference, at a minimum you will be getting a new valve or two, maybe a piston and/or head. Of course the hassle factor, depending on when and where it goes, can be a major issue. As to Isuzu paying the tab, good luck. I suspect they will find some fine print about routine maintenance/"severe service" that requires you to have had the belt changed 5000 miles earlier.

    As to being interference, I personally called Isuzu. I told them about the confusion and asked them to please check to be sure about the design. After being on hold for a couple of minutes I was told the 3.5 IS interference. An ITOG poster around the same time called and got put through to an engineer who swore it is NOT interference.

    FWIW my plan is to change the belt as noted in the manual. I don't want to be stranded by a broken belt let alone take the chance that it is interference and will do serious damage if it goes.
  • sdavitosdavito Member Posts: 71
    I have first hand experience dealing with Isuzu on an out of warranty item. They actually covered a repair on my truck that had gone over the allotted warranty miles by 4.5k.

    I agree that sever damage most likely will occur when the belt breaks. Other than the inconvenience, you might make out in the end.

    To each his own I guess.
  • viktoria_rviktoria_r Member Posts: 103
    What is "life expectancy" of rotors under normal conditions? The reason I am asking: the rear rotors were re-done at 20.7K (warranty). The front were re-done at approx 27K (no warranty, we paid). Now (29.8K) BOTH went bad, but repaired under warranty, + front brakes ($160). Is this typical?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I think your dealer has been screwing you all along. This isn't the first problems you've had with this used vehicle...

    -mike

    PS: 100K or more is not uncommon for rotors. I'm still on original stuff at 37K miles with lots of hard braking and towing.
  • viktoria_rviktoria_r Member Posts: 103
    Does this mean they purposely installed bad rotors so I would be back? I don't think so. The reason we took it in is because it was making all sorts of strange noises when braking. I remember my Chevy brakes had "squeal pins", so when brakes started to squeal, i knew that soon it would be time to change pads. This one does not squeal - ever.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Our fronts have brake pad wear indicators. The rears do not. What I'm saying is that there is something wrong with your brakes, like bad calipers/pistons that may be causing excessive wear on the pads and rotors. I believe in earlier discussions we figured out your car *may* have been a flood victim before you bought it, which could cause the piston/caliper problems as well.

    My personal opinion is that you are taking it to the wrong dealer, I'd strongly urge you to try a different dealer in the area, for you to be on your 3rd set of rotors is VERY VERY wrong and possibly a mis-diagnosis by your dealer.

    -mike
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    There is definitely something else wrong with your brakes, beyond the parts that your dealer is replacing.

    Our 98 Trooper has 63,000 miles and not only are we on the original rotors, but we're still on the original pads!
  • boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    I went over 200K on the original rotors on my 1984 Trooper. 1st brake pad change on my 1995 Trooper was around 90K and the originals still had 1/3 pad thickness left.

    My 1984 Trooper lived in salt. The disc brake calipers move on pins/rods. When those pins/rods get rusty they stick. So you apply the brakes, the brakes stay partially applied until the pads wear off a little more. This very very quickly eats pads. Rotors would also go pretty quick. My 1984 rotors were in need of repair but I did my own brake work to correct the sticking pins/rods and made due with groovy rotors eating pads real quick. Frequent pads done at home was less expensive than a new set of rotors and calipers for a old rusty 1984 Trooper near 200K miles.

    The rusty sticky pins/rods fits right in with a flood car type symptoms. Your mechanic that works on the brakes should notice right away when taking the brake pads off (since you have to move the calipers back on the pins/rods) whether they are sticking and tell you what to do about it. This could be a very expensive repair, make sure to get the warrantee or the seller of the flood car to pay for the work and parts.
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    My '95 Trooper with 85k has had two front pads and one rear pad change IIRC. The rotors are still original, and haven't been turned.
  • breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    Another typical cause of prematurely failed rotors is over tightened lug nuts. Sounds like maybe your dealer or some tire shop along the way could have caused this latest problem.
  • beer47beer47 Member Posts: 185
    When is everyone doing their belt replacement? By eye or by the book. I closing in on 60k on my 2k "s" and my belt is looking a little dis-colored with a few small cracks.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I haven't looked at my owners manual lately. Is there some sort of "engine belt" or are you talking about the timing belt?
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Last night I tried to replace some of the power steering fluid in our 98 Trooper via the "suck the old stuff out of the reservoir with a turkey baster" method. Unfortunately, the plastic reservoir, although it has a large opening, is designed in such a way that you cannot stick anything far enough in to get at the liquid. I was disappointed.

    Anybody else tried this? Any suggestions? What's a fair price to pay a shop to flush and refill the P/S fluid? My 98 Trooper calls for Type 3 ATF fluid; is there any good reason why I should or should not use Mobil 1 synthetic ATF? I have several quarts of it in the garage and I'd like to use some of it.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Our 98 Troop has 63,000 miles and it's about that time for us to do a few mid/major maintenance items. I know I could read the owners manual or do everything under the sun, and if I really wanted to bend over I could take the truck to the dealer and have them do the 60,000 mile service. But I'm looking for suggestions from you folks on what the important items are.

    Here's a brief status on the truck's current maintenance/wear items:

    * Brakes are 100% original. No issues (squeaking, reduced performance, etc.) at all.
    * Front and rear differential fluid and TOD system fluid were replaced around 50k miles.
    * Power steering fluid - never changed.
    * Automatic transmission fluid - I removed the drain plug about 10,000 miles ago, drained about 2 quarts, and added 2 qts new (Mobil 1 synthetic ATF). This probably wasn't much help, since the capacity is 9+ quarts.
    * Coolant has been changed once (at dealer), but it was probably about 20-30k miles ago.
    * Oil change is current.
    * Tire rotation is current. (Bought new P245/70/16 Michelin LTX M/S at 53,000 miles and rotated 'em around 61k).
    * Air filter probably needs to be changed in another 5,000 miles or so.
    * Fuel filter has never been changed.

    Here are the items I'm thinking might be wise at this point:
    * Fuel filter - replacement
    * Power steering fluid - flush and refill
    * Auto trans fluid - flush and refill
    * Coolant - flush and refill
    * Timing belt - I'll probably wait until pretty close to 75,000 miles.
    * Other items that would be wise to do at same time as timing belt either as good maintenance or to save on labor costs (e.g. water pump - is this necessary?)
    * Spark plugs - replace? I can't remember if the interval in the owners manual is 75,000 miles. Seems like 60-70k miles on a set of plugs is about all you can expect.

    Also, what other things should I be examining on the truck to make sure all is well? I'm talking about underbody stuff, engine compartment, etc. I'm not knowledgeable, so I don't really know what to look at and what it should look like.
  • armtdmarmtdm Member Posts: 2,057
    If you have a fine mesh filter on the fluid reservoir it comes out and you can get to the bottom after reomving the screen. It just pops out
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    It didn't feel like a mesh screen; seemed more like a solid disc or something. I suppose it may have been a screen so I'll take another look. Thanks for the idea.

    The whole reservoir thing is pretty weird-looking; different from the standard setup that I've seen on other vehicles. It's more of a cylinder, and longer, and not so much a big squarish container. The top unscrews and is the size of the entire cylindrical reservoir, as opposed to the standard setup I've seen where the reservoir is 6-8" square with a 1-2" black screw top.

    armtdm, does this sound similar to the P/S reservoir on the Rodeo you maintain?
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