Isuzu Trooper

tkevinblanc

I don't believe the K&N air filter affected my mileage, or affected it slightly positively. I drive gently. It certainly didn't decrease it.

boxtrooper

My drop in K&N filter was from a mail order place. The local store has K&N filters for everything else in stock and could order one for the Trooper, but if I must do a special order I might as well shop for price on line.

Performance was noticeably better, especially towing. MPG is still all in how you drive it.

paisan

The K&N allows more air to pass through it, more air passing through = more fuel gets dumped into it = more fuel burned. Plain and simple, higher flowing filters will yield lower milage for the same driving conditions. I mostly like the K&N cause I don't have to replace it every 10K miles, just clean it out.

-mike

savvas_e

I was convinced to go to a foam filter when I drove through a plague of our infamous Bogong moths in southern NSW. The paper filter was absolutely clogged with dead moths. So I replaced it with a two stage Finer Filter, at close to the same cost as a new paper filter. Have never looked back.

I use only one stage for around town and drop in the second stage when I go off on a trip.

Like tkevinblanc, I didn't get a drop in mileage. Didn't get an increase either. But there was a noticeable performance boost.

mwwst

Just bought my first Isuzu yesterday. my2000, w/ 20k miles, auto, tod, 6 disc cd, tinted glass (must have been after market, mike, see earlier post), bug deflector, etc. for $16k. This truck is in immaculate condition. I love it. One question though, I can easily move the shifter into/out of drive without pushing in the shift button. Is this normal or should I bring it in to have it fixed? Thanks.

silverghost

I presume you're referring to moving the shifter from N to D and back, or from D to 2 and back. Besides my '01 Trooper, I've owned about 50 cars mostly automatics. None, to my knowledge, had a lockout detent between N and D. From D to 3 (or D to 2, depending on the transmission) there may or may not have been lockouts. But not for D to 3 in the Trooper.

silverghost

stever

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mwwst

This the first time I've ever owned an automatic and most of the ones I've ever drivn in the past have had the column shifter. Now I know.

thanks

paisan

Do you have a radio antenna in glass or in window? If it's in window then you have factory tint and it was probably a fleet vehicle or it's an LS.

-mike

bluedevils

I've read/heard good things about some of the Dunlop models. Actually, I planned to go with Dunlops but ended up choosing Michelins due to:

1) got a real good price on the Michelins, making the premium vs. others much smaller.

2) Dunlops are not as widely available, at least around here. If I get a flat, there's a better chance the shop will have the Michelin in stock.

tkevinblanc

Paisan, I don't think that's right. Normally aspirated engines draw air, the air isn't forced in. Fuel is metered to correspond with the air being drawn in. A filter with less restriction will simply allow the air to flow into the engine with less energy spent on producing the required vaccuum.

K&N claims to improve fuel efficiency. I can't see how it would decrease fuel efficiency. Except that you might like the extra power and plant your foot harder, and more often.

paisan

I noticed a decrease in mpg and slight increase in throttle response @ 4K rpms.

-mike

tkevinblanc

You were probably right (footed), with your foot mashed to the floor enjoying that extra power at 4K. :0)

sdc2

I take it your Trooper is 2000 or newer? Because a 99 or older would not be under warranty at 56K miles...

pinoy99

have 5 yr/60k powertrain warranty.

bawbcat

I think tkevinblanc is right on this on one. A higher flow air filter should provide equal or better fuel efficiency for a given level of engine power output. Less energy is wasted creating vacuum, and therefore the engine is more efficient. It may be an imperceptible difference though, and is more likely to occurr only at higher RPMs when flow is high. The only reason for a MPG drop is if you are asking the engine to deliver more power than you did before. If you drive at a fixed throttle position as opposed to fixed power output, then the new filter might let in more air = more fuel but you should then also get more power.

A related question: I live in a dusty environment and am more concerned about filtration quality than about maximum airflow. Does anybody have any sources of info to compare filtration ability of different filter types?

Lastly, here's a link to a new K&N-style filter that claims to "outperform the competition". There is no mention of any Isuzu applications on their web page, but I emailed them and they do make the proper fit.

http://www.mrgasket.com/mainpage.html

tkevinblanc

I think the K&N would do at least as well in a dusty environment as a standard filter, probably significantly better. It seems to work great on my truck. And along the middle Atlantic states, everything is dust now. :0)

paisan

My right foot is ALWAYS planted on the floor, at least up to 115ish which is the max I've had the trooper.

I'd say it's better than paper cause in a dusty area you can elect to clean it more often.

-mike

breakor

My experience with a K&N was that I cleaned it much more often in dusty areas. The oil on the filter became discolored very quickly in such environments. Maybe this was nothing but my concern was that the fine dust particles were reacting with the oil to form an ultrathin mud layer that was restricting air flows.

paisan

Well it's better to clean it more often than to have the dust go into the engine. I've had the filter stop water from going into the engine and muck when I've been hood deep in mud! A paper one would have given up the ghost by then.

-mike

savvas_e

The ultrathin layer of dirt you talk about is actually a design of these style of filter. The build up of dirt improves the level of filtration by restricting the passage of more dirt.

It does also reduce the airflow. But you will find that a K&N or a Unifilter or Finer Filter, that has a little dirt on it still has better airflow characteristics than a new paper filter.

As Paisan states though if it gets too much, just clean it.

savvas_e

115'ish??? That's 190km/h!!! Around 4600rpm in top gear. So how was it handling?

I've had mine to 160km/h (100mph) on a nice straight piece of road. I knew there was some more left but didn't get the opportunity to open it up further.

I find 120-130km/h (about 75mph) a good cruising speed. It's sitting on max torque at 3000rpm and if you need to get an acceleration boost to get passed something, it's only 500rpm from the variable intake changing the manifold length to keep the torque up.

mwwst

Mike,

It has the mast antenna, so I know its an S. Also, the front driver and passenger side windows are also tinted. I don't think Isuzu does these windows. So I'm sure its an S model. Where ever the former owner had the windows done, they did a good job. You can't even tell that the tinting was done aftermarket.

mwwst

bluedevils

Yes, the driver's window and front passenger's window on unmodified newer Troopers do not appear to have any tinting (or it's so light in comparison to the factory-tinted other windows that it appears untinted).

breakor

I know that the oil layer is a design feature. It seemed to work fine under normal driving conditions. However when I started daily driving on dusty dirt roads this layer looked more like a caked mud layer. As I noted before, it sure looked like it was impeding the air flow. My seat of the pants and mpg also told me I had taken a minor performance hit at these times. I was washing and re-oiling the filter about every 1500 miles to restore the filter's function.

We have since gotten the Trooper and I have no intention of getting a K&N for it. Instead, I change out the paper filters per the manual. However, in between filter changes I also knock off the excess dirt and vacuum the filter every second or so motor oil change. I find this to be just as effective and much more convenient than the K&N.

This is just my anecdotal history, YMMV.

savvas_e

I haven't seen caked mud on mine. If that's your experience, then by all means I'd stick to the paper too. 1500 miles is way too often.

Down here though, the price of the paper filter is the same as the washable filter (about $70AUS). So it would make sense in our conditions to have the washable filter. I can also get the recharge kit ($20AUS) for the washable filter more readily than I can get a paper filter anyway.

Is the K&N a cloth filter or foam?

paisan

Yep sounds like an S.

-mike

paisan

I ran out of safe road or I'd have seen what it could do. It handled pretty good for the aerodynamics of a brick wall. This was back on stock tires and no lift, but all the windows and roof were open. Most I've had it up to with the 275-70s and lift is about 105-107 on the speedo (about 110-112 actual) it was about stock handling there. This was on a relatively closed road and semi-professional driver.

-mike

breakor

IIRC it is a stainless steel mesh.

gsupstate

I'm new to these message boards, but thought this would be a great place to ask about this....
I have a 2000 US-spec Trooper Limited. I have seen some equipment on European Troopers that I would LOVE to have installed on mine. Specifically, the rear fog lights in the bumper and the headlight wipers. In my non-mechanically-inclined mind, it would seem fairly simple to have done, if I can find a dealer willing or able to order this from the manufacturer. Can this be done???? Thanks!

bawbcat

The K&N filter medium is a cotton gauze material sandwiched between 2 layers of wire mesh. The Accel "Kool Blue" filter that I mentioned the other day is very similar in construction. I am concerned about some statements I've read saying that these type of filters sacrifice some filtering ability in exchange for better airflow. I have no idea if that is true, since it's difficult to find any objective info on this ubject. I'm thinking I'll stick with paper and follow Breakor's cleaning suggestions for now.

paisan

The only way to get em is to order the parts from overseas (rear bumper and headlight assemblies + wiper motors plus switches plus wiring harness possibly) My guess is that it's way too costly to do for wipers on your headlights and a rear fog in the bumper. For the rear fog you can put in a fog on the little step int he bumper, for the wipers, can't help you there.

I tried to get a few dealers to order them but to no avail.

-mike

bawbcat

For those who are interested, here's the "official" info explaining why the K&N filters are the best thing since sliced bread.

http://www.knfilters.com/facts.htm

mwwst

Anyone out there install an Overlander Expedition roof rack on their Trooper. I'm thinking of ordering one for my my2000 S. This rack installs in the factory holes on the roof instead of using the rain gutters like the Yakima or the Thule. I'm avoiding the rain gutter mount only because I had a similar rack on another car and over time the rack destroyed the door seals (I know I'm suppose to remove the rack when not using it per the manufacturers recommendation, but who really does that?) Any one else had either good or bad experience with the overlander rack or some other rack, or is there anyone who thinks they can convince me to go with a Thule or a Yakima which would save me about $100 ($170 for cross bars and towers vs. $270 for expedition rack and Trooper mounts w/shipping). thanks for your input.

mwwst

stever

We also have a dedicated K&N Air Filters, bolt-on power? discussion you may want to read.



Steve

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elopez99

Hi everyone,

Been away for a bit but could always use the expert advice here. Some of you may remember I recently purchased a used 99 Trooper w/ 46K miles a couple of months ago. Everything is fine but I now have 49,100 miles and have a couple of issues I'd like to try and take care of before my initial 50K warranty is up.

When I start the car in the morning, I sometimes get a momentary fuel cutoff when I accelerate from a stop. Various levels of fuel in the tank. It's like the troop skips a beat then picks up. This happens about 40% of the time and stops occurring after about a mile or so of driving. Any thoughts on what may cause that?

Also noticed a strange humming/rubbing noise from the front right wheel well. Strange thing is that starts to happen once I hit 20 mph and above, never at speeds below 20. Thought it may be the brakes but when I step on the brakes, the noise doesn't change. Don't know about that one.

And finally (thanks for still reading ) I get a real strong vibration on the freeway as soon as I hit 80 mph....again, never before but at exactly 80 and above, maybe the tires..Michellin LTXs.

Anyway, do I just take it to any isuzu dealer to take a look? (Purchased it used at a Toyota dealer) Any tips would be appreciated.

thanks again,

eric

breakor

I don't know how a warranty works for other than the original purchase. IIRC, 99s have a 3-year coverage limit that may also come into play.
As to your problems, the vibration is most likely a tire balance issue that will not be covered by Isuzu or Michelin. Instead, if the dealer verifies this as the problem, go to a good tire shop and get the tires balanced. You might as well also have the tires rotated while they are at it.
The rubbing noise could be something in the front hub or wheel bearing. Do you have the same or worse symptoms in 4wd? Alternatively, you could have a damaged cv. Does it get worse when turning and is it more of a fast clicking noise? Depending on the problem (torn cv boot?) and the state of your maintenace records (no wheel bearing grease receipt?) the dealer could try to make you pay for this one.
Lastly, the fuel cutout has me even more baffled. If there was some sort of blockage (e.g. plugging filter) then I would expect you to have much more severe problems during your 80+mph runs. Its almost like some sensor or ignition component has gone haywire and the ecu cannot control the idle when cold. However, I would think the computer would be flashing a check engine light if that was the case.
In any event, good luck and let us know what happens.

bluedevils

Make sure you take it to a dealer. Report all of these problems and have them take a look at it, assuming you are still within the 3 years / 50,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper warranty. Make sure that each of your concerns is documented on the paperwork from the dealer. This is important even if the dealer doesn't identity and/or fix the problem on this visit - this way, you have the concern in writing so if they figure it out AFTER the warranty period, it should still be covered.

I know that's not very Isuzu- or Trooper-specific advice, but it's just something to keep in mind.

poppadoc1

Hi All, I would greatly appreciate any input on this matter. I've been searching online for a 98'/99' Trooper LTD and have noticed that prices are unusually low in the Texas area. Are there any significant regional differences in price. If so where are the best deals. Also I seem to recall major flooding in the Texas area in the past few years. Could this be a factor? Would past flood damage show up on a vehicle history report? And finally what is the warranty for those model years? Does any portion transfer to the new owner? Much thanks for any information.

bluetrooper

2002 S... auto/tod.. in that really weird blue color (just liked it, dont know why)

$20,600 you think its a good deal??? I thought so, considering the $30,718 sticker.. anyways, absolutely love the truck... wonder how long im going to keep it stock for

tidester

Congrats and welcome aboard!

tidester
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bluetrooper

A few questions for you fellow trooper owners:

-i want to swap the stock tape unit for a pretty standard $100-150 CD headunit.. how easy is it?? can i tackle it myself, or should i trust the install to pimply best buy/circuit city stereo boys?

-I want two protective accessories almost right away - a cheap grill guard/nudge bar, and a rear bumper protector (worried that rear end is supposedly prone to get messed up in case of rear end collision.. I like the stuff paisan has, are there other GOOD alternatives?

cmuniz

If I remember correctly, my 2000 Trooper used to hesitate when it was cold and the idle would be a little erratic. The fix was for the dealer to reprogram the PCM. I believe there was a technical bulleting out on it, but can't remember which one. If that is the case with yours then the dealer should fix it at no cost very easily. The tires I'm sure are a balance problem not covered by the dealer like breakor said.

silverghost

I have a similar hesitation in my '01 LS. Haven't felt it was irritating enough to take it to the dealer, yet.

I reset the ECU yesterday, so if that doesn't clear it up, I'll have it checked out and post results here.

breakor

Go to Autotrader.com and do some zip code based searches to see regional price differences. I personally would stay away from the rustbelt.

As for uncovering past flooding, no doubt in some cases the records are there. The question is can you find them? For example, in the case of a salvaged title that no doubt should be picked up by Carfax. Or, if a dealer replaced wet seats and changed all the fluids that should be in the dealer's computer network presumably with a flood damage notation. Again, I assume Carfax has access to this information. Alternatively, if the owner bought seats and did the install himself I doubt that would showup anywhere. Similarly, if a Jiffy Lube type place replaced all the fluids does Carfax have that info let alone a notation that it was flood related?

As for buying out of state, make sure you understand both states' rules regarding licensing and sales tax. You might be able to dodge your state's sales tax or unexpectedly have to pay one to the state where you buy.

beer47

oil usage. Just checked my 2K "S" with 71K and change. I added a half of a quart in 2300 miles since change. To me, no big deal. I add it and keep movin'(MB1). Racing Paisan to 200K (:^)! Just kiddin' Mike. Cheers to all.

elopez99

Thanks all for the responses and suggestions. Fortunately I'm still under the 3 year/50K period because the car was first titled new in Nov. of 99 and the warranty states that it is good for original and ALL subsequent owners during the duration of the warranty period. So with that in mind, and all the suggestions, I'm going to take it in tomorrow to let the dealer take a look at the fuel cutoff/hesitation issue.

Breakor, I drove in 4WD and the front right noise didn't really change or get louder so you're probably right about the bearings. There really isn't a clicking noise, more like a wheel that's not greased. Noise isn't overbearing, just noticable when the cabin has no activity.

Thanks again, I'll let everyone know what happens.

-eric

bluedevils

Was that a straight deal, or was a trade-in involved? If a straight deal, it's pretty impressive - I thought people were getting $7-8k off MSRP, but your deal was more like $10k.

bluedevils

I installed a Blaupunkt CD head unit in our previous Trooper, a '96. It was a pretty easy job, and that's coming from someone who is extremely non-handy. Most of the relevant dash layout from the '96 is probably the same as the '02 Trooper.

If I remember correctly, most of the middle console had to be removed, but this was easy to do and easy to re-install.

I'm pretty sure I still have some Crutchfield installation instructions. I'd recommend ordering from them, but if you don't I could probably send you the instructions. Email me if you're interested. Remove the 'no spam' from this address: white_shoes_white@no spam.yahoo.com.

The stock speakers are also pretty easy to replace. Personally, I think the Polks in our Trooper are noticeably better than the stock speakers and were a worthwhile $200 upgrade.