Apparently a tire blew on the 93 Rodeo and the tread separated. I just can't understand how all 6 people (two kids included) were ejected from the SUV. Were they wearing seatbelts at all?
Was the tire that is blamed for this accident the same Firestone as on the Ford Explorers that rolled? Was it a hot day and high speed on an under inflated tire? .. I agree it is another coffin nail in the extinction of Isuzu SUVs in the USA.
I saw on the news this morning and they said it was an amigo. Also they said the culprit looked to be a firestone tire, they had a closeup of the tire...the blowout caused complete separation of the tread from the rest of the tire, all that was left on the rim was the sidewalls.
I also read that the RAV4 and CRV are dangerously easy to tip. I believe it's due to their (relatively) light weight, short wheelbase and high center of gravity.
Thanks for the info. I removed the coil pack wires easily, then unscrewed the coil pack. But the coil pack wouldn't be removed with moderate pressure, and I was nervous about pulling it fairly hard. Is it better to pull it straight out with some decent force, or try to twist it (counterclockwise?) on the way out? It doesn't seem to want to twist, and I'm thinking straight out is the right choice.
I installed a new PCV valve tonight in our 98 Trooper. It was easy to do, even for me. $4.59 at Murray's Discount Auto Store. Fram, part # FV384. Looks to be all plastic.
I still can't tell if the OEM PCV valve was in good working order when I removed it. It rattles just a little, but not as much as the new one. The OEM also sounds like it has liquid in it; is that normal?
Is anybody willing to let me mail the OEM PCV to you so you can take a look and let me know what you think?
My wife called this a.m. on way to work and said Troopy (98 w/75k miles) running rough. She couldn't describe it very well, but says it doesn't sound the same when idling. She claims she mentioned this to me weeks ago, but I don't remember.
She dropped it at an Isuzu dealer near her office 2 minutes ago. The advisor on the phone told me it's probably the intake manifold gasket. But I know it hasn't been running really rough, missing, or stalling in the past few weeks. Our truck had those symptoms around 50k miles ago, and we had the intake manifold gasket replaced (at a different Isuzu dealer) under warranty.
Any other ideas on what it might be? I drove the truck 40 miles yesterday and all seemed fine. Last night I installed a new PCV valve - hard to screw that up. I also tried to pull one of the spark plugs but couldn't get the coil pack to come out of the hole. I reconnected the coil pack wires and screwed the coil pack down w/the 2 screws. Is there anything else I needed to do - e.g. make sure the internals reaching down toward the plug were seating properly or something?
The coil packs are integral with a short, stiff "wire" that goes straight down to the plug (assuming your 98 is the same as my 99). If you have ever swapped plug wires before you know the wire does not come off the plug very easily. Just pull straight up and it will "pop" off of the plug. It will take some force...and is the only way to do it in any case.
Maybe you pulled it partway off the plug so one cylinder is misfiring?
The problem isn't a misfiring plug - it was a screwdriver left in the engine bay last night (by me). I'm still waiting on the dealer to tell me what went wrong, but the advisor says there is NOT catastrophic damage.
Here's a rollover rating chart from the Government which does NOT bear out what I reported before about the little Utes. It has the small SUVs in the middle of the pack. I stand corrected and apologizing.
Unfortunately, the Trooper is not rated. But the Rodeo is, and it does okay. What the chart bears out is, I guess, what you'd expect: low and wide rolls less than high and narrow.
I wish there was a logical explanation, such as too many beers. Alas, I don't like alcohol. It was just plain sloppiness. Dealer noticed no damage other than the serpentine belt, which got chewed up. But that needed to be replaced anyway.
So, Isuzu's advantage that is supposed to save the Isuzu brand SUV in the USA is a better warrantee than GM. If that is the case, then Isuzu should go back to 10yr/120000miles and get GM to agree to honor the warrantee in the event that Isuzu SUVs in the USA go away. I think GM took advantage of Isuzu and owes them a good deal like that. .. I think the slightly lower price is nice, but the risk of not having any Isuzu dealer support very soon offsets that. .. Long ago I read that the Isuzu version of this well spread around SUV/"socker mom car" was supposed to be more "off road oriented" than the others. I guess GM forgot about that part and just gave Isuzu a carbon copy SUV. I'll be reading about this year's round of auto shows. When is the last time an established SUV company did not have anything at the auto shows and survived?
I have a 2001 Trooper S with about 15K. The upholstery on the back of the driver's seat, where the cloth attaches to the seat bottom, has detached. This is below the rear pocket. I have never seen this area come apart in any car. Evidently, Isusu uses staples to attach the cloth.
As the car is only 1.5 years old, I plan on asking the dealer if it is covered under warranty. Does anyone know if the upholstery is covered?
So far, I have not been impressed with Isuzu service. I have a buzzing heat shield which I have brought back to the dealer 4 times and it still rattles.
I also have an intermittant problem with the ignition key. Sometimes when I stop the car I cannot turn the ignition tumbler all the way off and thus cannot remove the key without first restarting the car. The dealer claims that since this is an intermittant problem, they cannot fix it because it has not done it for them.
Both of these ought to be covered by the warranty. We had the same key problem with our 2002 LS, and our dealer also did not fix it the first time. The 2nd time they did. Apparently this is something that can be affected by the gearshift lever sensor, which needs to "see" that you are in Park before it allows the ignition switch to rotate all the way back. I believe our dealer gave it a "wall job" the first time, and actually took some things apart and made adjustments when we came back the second time.
For those who don't know what a wall job is, it's a very common car dealer service strategy, especially for warranty work. The service writer listens politely while you describe the problem, writes it down, then parks your vehicle by the wall after you leave. When you return he gives you back the keys and tells you the problem is fixed. Apparently this is effective for some customers.
cdanschwartz - there is an ignition/shift interlock that prevents the ignition key from being turned off unless the transmission is in park. Most if the time, if you have this problem, just push the shift lever forward a little bit--this will disengage the interlock. This problem went away for me when I disassembled the center console to run speaker wire.
I feel as if I am getting a fair dealer from our dealership here in Denver. They have 12 2002 Trooper S models that they apparently bought from a rental car place (I am a bit nervous about this fact). Anyway, I have talked them down to $18,000 for a Green one that has 10,000 miles. I am thinking about paying an extra $200 to get a silver one with 6,000 miles. Either way I want to know what you all think of the price. The trucks all appear to be in good condition. I think that I am being helped by the fact that Isuzu in Colorado currently has a deal on the 2003's were they are taking $8,000 off of the sticker (the S models new are going for $22,500). What do you all think of $18,000 for a 2002 Trooper with 6 - 10,000 miles?
Sounds like a decent price. I presume you are talking about S 4x4, not S 4x2? Is it an automatic trans? If so, does it have the shift-on-the-fly 4WD or the preferred Torque on Demand 4WD?
Did the dealer tell you that these Troopers were used by a rental car company? If so, that $18k price sounds okay but not that great. To me, $18k for a demo or a used one-owner vehicle or a vehicle used at the corporate HQ would seem pretty decent. There should be a pretty decent discount built into the price since it was a rental. I don't think $18k reflects a real big discount.
I would gladly pay an extra 200 bucks to get the one with 4,000 fewer rental (hard) miles on it.
3 years we bought a 98 Trooper that was a year old at the time. It had 7,000 miles and was used by Isuzu's U.S. HQ in California so I presume it saw pretty light duty, not the rough treatment that many rental vehicles get. The cost was about $3,000 less than the best going rate for a new 99 similarly equipped. It sounds like you are seeing about a $4500 spread between these used rental 2002s and the new 2002s. Note that the new ones can't be 2003s, since Trooper's last model year was 2002 (your post said 2003).
Yesterday my CD changer would not work. The only thing it would do is whir some and then display the E-MECHA message on the radio display. I checked the owners manual and it said to hit the reset button only it did not show where the reset button was. This morning on the way to work I decided to listen to the radio, turned it on and the last thing that I had used was the CD player. The CD player turned on and started to play. I ejected all of the CD's and turned the thing off. I am not sure what I will have tonight. Has anyone had this problem? My radio and CD stacker in the 2002 Trooper Limited is the Nackimiechi.
The warranty doesn't list the TOD system or any specific part as covered or not covered? It does say that the axles, differentials and internal parts are covered. I think you might have a chance at getting this repair covered.
Did 4-low work even when the TOD system would not?
I wouldn't pay that price for that vehicle. With ISUZU leaving the US market, that is NOT a fair price for that vehicle. If they would discount this same model below the price you're now being quoted more than a year ago, your price is no bargin. They should be pricing that vehicle to you at about 13500 by todays standards. Note others on this board have gotten much better deals than what you are discussing. I'd wait until the dealer decides to REALLY deal on those leftover units.
Anyone got a preferred method for ensuring both torsion bars are set up to equal amounts of tension side to side. I'm convinced you can't just measure the height of the vehicle on each side to get it right. What other methods should be used? Any ideas, or does the Official Shop Manual discuss this in any detail?
I just got home from test driving a '99 Trooper with the luxury package. It has it all...heated seats, cd, fog lights, power side mirrors, sun roof, compass,alt computer, tod, 4x4....etc....it is white with silver and is excellent shape...it has 50K on it. They are asking 14,995.00 - is this a fair price? I checked kbb and edmunds and they gave a similar price. Thanks, Sara
The torsion bars are under the same "tension" wherever they are set for ride height. Except for minor variations due to suspension geometry, you are only adjusting the resting height of the suspension, not changing the force (tension) on the bars.
Or put another way, wherever the ride height is set, the SAME downward force (mass of the vehicle pulled downward by gravity) is applying tension to the bars.
I was "lurking" in the Ascender board and someone posted that the the Trooper will still be available in Canada for the 2003 model year. They wont be getting the Ascender or the Axiom this year, per their web site. If so ,would it be possible to buy one up there and register it down here? I hope so, the Trooper has been a great favorite of mine since the mid 80s. Unfortunately, I wont be able to buy one until the end of the year. Can anyone confirm this??
Yes, your post is a great deal of help! I bought the one with the lesser miles (approx 7,000). It looked much better than the one with 10,000. I know what you mean about rentals but this particular one looks like new. They even threw in a roof rack (but would not install it). As I was talking to service about installing it (just prior to driving it off the lot)we noticed that one of the drip moldings (on the top of the car) was missing (somebody probably took an original roof rack off prior to selling to dealership and took the molding with it). The dealership promptly paid to have it fixed (it costs $95 for the molding and 1 hour of labor - this is an unbelievable price for something so cosmetic).
I purchased a silver one and it cost me $18,000. However that included the tax (I told them that I would not pay a penny over $18,000 - I based that decision upon your email so the cost was really more like $17,250). The list price on the sales person's sheet was actually $23,350. I wonder if anybody ever really pays that price (I hope not).
The real test comes tomorrow. I bought it for my wife who had to fly to NY for her grandfathers funeral. I had to stay home and watch the baby (and the dog). She does not know that I bought it for her. She had a volvo V40 (which was way too small for her -- she was constantly complaining that she wanted a truck). Anyway, as soon as she left town I went over to the dealership and began working on the surprise Trroper. I am going to bring her home from the airport tomorrow and have it waiting in the garage with a red bow on it. I am just worried about whether or not she will like the color. However, the dealership was also very cool with that. They gave me until Wed. to come back with her and swap it out for another color if she does not like the silver (I have never heard of a dealership that was willing to do such a thing).
As for your comments about the 2003. I did not know that they would not be doing a 2003. They made it sound as if the 3 new ones on the lot were 2003s. However, it now makes sense to me as to why they are marked down $8000. I could have gotten a new one for approx. $22,000 but they were not willing to eat the tax. Therefore, the difference between one of the rentals and the new ones was close to $5,000 which was worth the savings to me. By the way, why are they discontinuing the Trooper? I hope that Isuzu is not going out of bussiness. They seem to be doing well in Denver as I see allot of Rodeos and Troopers.
I plan on reading the manual tonight. However, your question about the 4wd has me thinking. I know that my Trooper has TOD because it has the TOD sticker on the back window. The sales person also told me that it had TOD. It also has a button to push to put it into 4wd (we are in Denver so it is a necessity). Anyway, I am not really sure if I get the difference or even why I would need the button in the first place if TOD is making sure that there is no slippage. Can you explain this system to me (in laymens terms)? I also have a button for power, that one I think I understand (I think that it is what Volvo called winter mode where the car will start in a higher gear to prevent slipping).
Finally, as this is my first Trooper I am interested in hearing about others experiences. We have a neighbor who is on his second Trooper and really speaks highly of them. What are the pitfalls to look out for (it sounds like the upholstry is one).
TOD: You have 3 settings on the 4wd unit for the Trooper with TOD. RWD (Auto 4wd button off), TOD (Auto 4wd button on), and 4-lo (lever engaged). RWD is 100% torque to the rear wheels, TOD is 15/85 torque split that will vary up to 50/50 depending on slippage, 4-lo is for snowy or muddy off-road situations and locks in at 50/50 the torque split and gives you more power to get un-stuck.
Power Button: Moves your shift points to redline.
Winter Mode: Starts the vehicle in 3rd gear to eliminate wheel spin from a dead start.
Congrats on the Trooper. I know bsmart1 thought the price of this vehicle should have been around $13,500 and his is a respected opinion on Trooper matters, but I think that's way too low. I think $17,250 sounds like a pretty decent price on that vehicle, especially since it seems to be in better shape than a typical rental and it has the TOD.
paisan summed up the different drivetrain modes your Trooper has. The benefit of a Trooper with TOD instead of a Trooper with shift-on-the-fly 4x4 High is that the 4x4 High is not intended for all-the-time use; it should be used only when there's enough slippage (snow, mud, loose gravel, etc.) so the axles don't bind or whatever. I'm no 4WD expert but I hope that helps. I'm oversimplifying here, but your TOD Trooper can be considered to have AWD all the time when the "4WD Auto" button is on. The Troop will automatically transfer torque between front and rear axles as necessary when it detects (or anticipates?) slippage.
Most of us here think Isuzu is definitely on its way out of the U.S. market. The Trooper never sold well here, and that's probably the main reason it was discontinued after the 2002 model year. My guess would be that Troopers are more plentiful in Colorado than most other areas due to the snowy weather there. Here in Michigan, we have plenty of snow but it's Big 3 country so Troopers are pretty uncommon.
Sounds like you have a pretty good dealer there. Hopefully they will be as cooperative and responsive to your service needs, although you probably will need very little except routine maintenance.
Do you know if you got the 10yr/120k powertrain warranty? You'd have to be considered the first owner of the vehicle, and since it was previously owned by a rental company, you might not qualify. Still, 5yrs/60k miles is pretty decent powertrain coverage.
I think a vehicle that is bought in one country/market and titled/driven in another is what is meant by the term "gray market vehicle." You could easily do this and drive your Trooper in the U.S., but I have heard that manufacturers are really starting to crack down on this. They don't like honoring a warranty in one country when the vehicle was intended for use in another. I'm sure a dealer, or the automaker, can easily determine the vehicle's intended market based on the VIN.
You might call Isuzu U.S.A. and see what they tell you. I'm sure the official position is that you cannot or should not do it, or if you do it that your warranty will be voided.
Personally, I wouldn't risk doing this due to the warranty concerns. But you never know - a dealer might do warranty work on your truck and not notice it was a Canadian-market truck. I don't know how automakers reconcile repair records with their dealers regarding warranty repairs. There might be some controls in place that will catch this sort of thing. If there are, then most dealers are probably smart enough to check the vehicle beforehand so they don't get stuck making a repair free of charge and then get refused the reimbursement from the manufacturer.
To me, that sounds like a pretty decent price. You might want to check autotrader.com for other Luxury Package Troopers around '98 and '99 to see what other folks are asking.
At 50k miles, the vehicle has just gone out of bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage. Personally, a vehicle with 5k miles more B-to-B warranty is worth a good bit more, since you have a chance to get any problems fixed that the previous owner didn't tell you about. At 50k miles, this truck should still have 10k miles of powertrain warranty, though.
sfreedman, bluedevils offers sound advice on your potential purchase. That is a FINE vehicle, but your resale value is now gone compared to NEW. I think I saw a posting a month or so back were someone picked up a similar mileage, same package Troop for 11995, which I thought was an awesome price. I purchased one about 6 months ago and paid way too much for it. It seemed like a fair price at the time, but things changed quickly in the auto market shortly after that. I knew exactly what I wanted in my Trooper, and the selection in this area was 1 (one). Oh well, I plan to keep it 10 years so resale value is no problem.
kwamedog, congrats on your Trooper!! You will likely be glad you bought it. These are excellent vehicles, built for the long haul. They rarely have significant mechanical problems if treated right, and IMHO are quite nice looking, simple vehicles. I shot a bit LOW on the price I mentioned. I was thinking 2WD basic S model. Sounds like you got a few more goodies than I was pricing toward. Good choice, hope the wife LOVES the color. My wife chose the Silver 2 tone over, White, or Dark Green, when we bought hers. Its been a goodin' so far. 1 year old 24K miles on it. We come out your way from time to time to enjoy the Rockies, thus the mileage. Its a great road trip car, er I mean truck.
Serrano is right on the money regarding the shift interlock. My Trooper does this all the time. The ignition won't turn all the way off unless the transmission is locked into park. On mine, when the key won't come out, I just push shift lever forward gently until I hear a click. Then the key comes out. I understand there is a simple adjustment in the console if you're willing to remove the cover. I haven't tried this yet.
Someone else mentioned a rattling heat shield that the dealer had been unable to fix. Does anyone know where the heat shield(s) is/are located? My Trooper frequently makes a metallic rattling/vibrating sound when accelerating, and it sounds like a heat shield that is loose. Any suggestins on where to look?
My '99 trooper made this sound under acceleration. My dealer replaced the muffler heat shield under warranty. Service manager diagnosed the problem over the phone, sight unseen. I was told it was common with '98 and '99 models.
My wife got home yesterday and was surprised! As we pulled into the driveway and the garage door opened she was speechless. She had wanted a Trooper for a long time. I had made the mistake of denying her and subsequently had her purchase (in the last 5 years) a Discovery and a Volvo V-40. Lo and behold she seems much happier with the cheaper of the 3 (the Trooper of course).
As for the price, it seems as if 4wd vehicles are much more expensive in snowy CO. However, if value is what people are willing to pay then I would say that $17,250 is more than fair for a truck of that stature.
As for the state of Isuzu. I went back and spoke to my sales person about your posts. He indicated that GM has taken a large stake in Isuzu and that there are all indications (in his opinion)that they are in the midst of a restructuring. He believes that the Trooper's demise is part of that process. He told me that he has heard that Isuzu is set to come out with a diesel 4wd truck to replace the Trooper (next year). He believes that Isuzu is groping to find a niche. Either way he told me that rumor has it that whether it is a diesel or not the Trooper will be reconfigured and will reamerge in some form (after a model year off the market).
Also, this particular dealership is a combination VW, Nissan and Isuzu dealership. He stated that Isuzu is the only one of the dealerships that does not allocate money for advertising and that this has hurt them. They rely on the local dealerships to promote cars. He stated that this is a big change from the tact that Isuzu took in the middle 90's. He sincerely believes that Isuzu will survive and that he sees all indications that they are trying to reconfigure their line up after several failed attempts at finding a niche (the vehicross and now the axiom). He told me that all of his info is coming from the regional rep and that he is not really sure how much of it is truth or simply the reps wishful thinking. As he stated "the car bussiness is full of rumors."
The dealership had 12 (now 11) used 2002 Troopers on the lot. He stated that all of the Colorado dealerships are making an attempt to round up as many Troopers as they can because they are in demand here. I would agree with him, they are everywhere in Denver. There are 4 in our neighborhood alone. The guy up the block was cleaning his as I was on the way to buy one. He told me that it was his 3rd Trooper and that he loved it (it only solidified my decision). Another guy around the coorner just purchaased a used 2002 from a different dealership.
Anyway, it looks like Troopers are going to be collector's items. That being the case I am happy that we purchased a used 2002 instead of leasing a new 2002. The wife is happy and in the long run that makes me happy. I also believe that she and my 9 month old daughter are safe in the ratehr large confines of this truck.
Our 2000S has been a great vehicle and Spokane WA is littered with Troopers. There are several in our neighborhood. We live in snow country and TOD is tough to beat on bad roads. Folks in the Northwest tend to live "full sized lives" and the Trooper is good fit for that lifestyle. I hate to see the current model discontinued and hate to think of how far our Trooper has depreciated - even though it has less than 20 K and is in perfect condition. I feel better when I think back on the great purchase price and how long I plan to drive this vehicle. On a value basis it blows every other SUV on the market out of the water. It's interesting that other Trooper owners often approach me and want to talk about their trucks - and they're all enthusiasts. These things are beloved by their owners and it seems that most owners could be sales reps for Isuzu. I'm looking forward to many years of cruising the highways and trails of the PNW with our Trooper. I'm even tempted to buy another one, a 2003, just because they're such great deals!
Comments
-mike
Look for new seatbelt legislation! ;-)
tidester, host
It's a terrible accident. I'm wondering, though, if the Rodeo has a higher rollover incident than the average minivan.
I saw an article somewhere that showed that the worst rollover candidates were some the new crop of car based utes (Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV).
Drive safely!
..
I agree it is another coffin nail in the extinction of Isuzu SUVs in the USA.
Got a link?
I still can't tell if the OEM PCV valve was in good working order when I removed it. It rattles just a little, but not as much as the new one. The OEM also sounds like it has liquid in it; is that normal?
Is anybody willing to let me mail the OEM PCV to you so you can take a look and let me know what you think?
She dropped it at an Isuzu dealer near her office 2 minutes ago. The advisor on the phone told me it's probably the intake manifold gasket. But I know it hasn't been running really rough, missing, or stalling in the past few weeks. Our truck had those symptoms around 50k miles ago, and we had the intake manifold gasket replaced (at a different Isuzu dealer) under warranty.
Any other ideas on what it might be? I drove the truck 40 miles yesterday and all seemed fine. Last night I installed a new PCV valve - hard to screw that up. I also tried to pull one of the spark plugs but couldn't get the coil pack to come out of the hole. I reconnected the coil pack wires and screwed the coil pack down w/the 2 screws. Is there anything else I needed to do - e.g. make sure the internals reaching down toward the plug were seating properly or something?
Maybe you pulled it partway off the plug so one cylinder is misfiring?
Unfortunately, the Trooper is not rated. But the Rodeo is, and it does okay. What the chart bears out is, I guess, what you'd expect: low and wide rolls less than high and narrow.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/hot/rollover/200109Rollover.html
They seem to like the truck, and especially the engine, a lot:
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=5638&sid=181&n=157
..
I think the slightly lower price is nice, but the risk of not having any Isuzu dealer support very soon offsets that.
..
Long ago I read that the Isuzu version of this well spread around SUV/"socker mom car" was supposed to be more "off road oriented" than the others. I guess GM forgot about that part and just gave Isuzu a carbon copy SUV. I'll be reading about this year's round of auto shows. When is the last time an established SUV company did not have anything at the auto shows and survived?
It's disappointing, but I think Isuzu is beyond saving at this point. It's only a matter of time.
I know very little about off-roading, but I don't see how a vehicle as long as Ascender could be very good off road.
I have a 2001 Trooper S with about 15K. The upholstery on the back of the driver's seat, where the cloth attaches to the seat bottom, has detached. This is below the rear pocket. I have never seen this area come apart in any car. Evidently, Isusu uses staples to attach the cloth.
As the car is only 1.5 years old, I plan on asking the dealer if it is covered under warranty. Does anyone know if the upholstery is covered?
So far, I have not been impressed with Isuzu service. I have a buzzing heat shield which I have brought back to the dealer 4 times and it still rattles.
I also have an intermittant problem with the ignition key. Sometimes when I stop the car I cannot turn the ignition tumbler all the way off and thus cannot remove the key without first restarting the car. The dealer claims that since this is an intermittant problem, they cannot fix it because it has not done it for them.
For those who don't know what a wall job is, it's a very common car dealer service strategy, especially for warranty work. The service writer listens politely while you describe the problem, writes it down, then parks your vehicle by the wall after you leave. When you return he gives you back the keys and tells you the problem is fixed. Apparently this is effective for some customers.
Tom
Did the dealer tell you that these Troopers were used by a rental car company? If so, that $18k price sounds okay but not that great. To me, $18k for a demo or a used one-owner vehicle or a vehicle used at the corporate HQ would seem pretty decent. There should be a pretty decent discount built into the price since it was a rental. I don't think $18k reflects a real big discount.
I would gladly pay an extra 200 bucks to get the one with 4,000 fewer rental (hard) miles on it.
3 years we bought a 98 Trooper that was a year old at the time. It had 7,000 miles and was used by Isuzu's U.S. HQ in California so I presume it saw pretty light duty, not the rough treatment that many rental vehicles get. The cost was about $3,000 less than the best going rate for a new 99 similarly equipped. It sounds like you are seeing about a $4500 spread between these used rental 2002s and the new 2002s. Note that the new ones can't be 2003s, since Trooper's last model year was 2002 (your post said 2003).
Hope this helps.
It's a 99 and I thought the sensors were part of the drive train?
Anyone had a similar problem?
Did 4-low work even when the TOD system would not?
The service advisor just called to say the only function affected is the ability to determine slippage, if I keep the TOD off all else is well.
Where are these sensors located?
Or put another way, wherever the ride height is set, the SAME downward force (mass of the vehicle pulled downward by gravity) is applying tension to the bars.
I purchased a silver one and it cost me $18,000. However that included the tax (I told them that I would not pay a penny over $18,000 - I based that decision upon your email so the cost was really more like $17,250). The list price on the sales person's sheet was actually $23,350. I wonder if anybody ever really pays that price (I hope not).
The real test comes tomorrow. I bought it for my wife who had to fly to NY for her grandfathers funeral. I had to stay home and watch the baby (and the dog). She does not know that I bought it for her. She had a volvo V40 (which was way too small for her -- she was constantly complaining that she wanted a truck). Anyway, as soon as she left town I went over to the dealership and began working on the surprise Trroper. I am going to bring her home from the airport tomorrow and have it waiting in the garage with a red bow on it. I am just worried about whether or not she will like the color. However, the dealership was also very cool with that. They gave me until Wed. to come back with her and swap it out for another color if she does not like the silver (I have never heard of a dealership that was willing to do such a thing).
As for your comments about the 2003. I did not know that they would not be doing a 2003. They made it sound as if the 3 new ones on the lot were 2003s. However, it now makes sense to me as to why they are marked down $8000. I could have gotten a new one for approx. $22,000 but they were not willing to eat the tax. Therefore, the difference between one of the rentals and the new ones was close to $5,000 which was worth the savings to me. By the way, why are they discontinuing the Trooper? I hope that Isuzu is not going out of bussiness. They seem to be doing well in Denver as I see allot of Rodeos and Troopers.
I plan on reading the manual tonight. However, your question about the 4wd has me thinking. I know that my Trooper has TOD because it has the TOD sticker on the back window. The sales person also told me that it had TOD. It also has a button to push to put it into 4wd (we are in Denver so it is a necessity). Anyway, I am not really sure if I get the difference or even why I would need the button in the first place if TOD is making sure that there is no slippage. Can you explain this system to me (in laymens terms)? I also have a button for power, that one I think I understand (I think that it is what Volvo called winter mode where the car will start in a higher gear to prevent slipping).
Finally, as this is my first Trooper I am interested in hearing about others experiences. We have a neighbor who is on his second Trooper and really speaks highly of them. What are the pitfalls to look out for (it sounds like the upholstry is one).
Thanks for the help!
Brett
Power Button: Moves your shift points to redline.
Winter Mode: Starts the vehicle in 3rd gear to eliminate wheel spin from a dead start.
-mike
paisan summed up the different drivetrain modes your Trooper has. The benefit of a Trooper with TOD instead of a Trooper with shift-on-the-fly 4x4 High is that the 4x4 High is not intended for all-the-time use; it should be used only when there's enough slippage (snow, mud, loose gravel, etc.) so the axles don't bind or whatever. I'm no 4WD expert but I hope that helps. I'm oversimplifying here, but your TOD Trooper can be considered to have AWD all the time when the "4WD Auto" button is on. The Troop will automatically transfer torque between front and rear axles as necessary when it detects (or anticipates?) slippage.
Most of us here think Isuzu is definitely on its way out of the U.S. market. The Trooper never sold well here, and that's probably the main reason it was discontinued after the 2002 model year. My guess would be that Troopers are more plentiful in Colorado than most other areas due to the snowy weather there. Here in Michigan, we have plenty of snow but it's Big 3 country so Troopers are pretty uncommon.
Sounds like you have a pretty good dealer there. Hopefully they will be as cooperative and responsive to your service needs, although you probably will need very little except routine maintenance.
Do you know if you got the 10yr/120k powertrain warranty? You'd have to be considered the first owner of the vehicle, and since it was previously owned by a rental company, you might not qualify. Still, 5yrs/60k miles is pretty decent powertrain coverage.
You might call Isuzu U.S.A. and see what they tell you. I'm sure the official position is that you cannot or should not do it, or if you do it that your warranty will be voided.
Personally, I wouldn't risk doing this due to the warranty concerns. But you never know - a dealer might do warranty work on your truck and not notice it was a Canadian-market truck. I don't know how automakers reconcile repair records with their dealers regarding warranty repairs. There might be some controls in place that will catch this sort of thing. If there are, then most dealers are probably smart enough to check the vehicle beforehand so they don't get stuck making a repair free of charge and then get refused the reimbursement from the manufacturer.
At 50k miles, the vehicle has just gone out of bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage. Personally, a vehicle with 5k miles more B-to-B warranty is worth a good bit more, since you have a chance to get any problems fixed that the previous owner didn't tell you about. At 50k miles, this truck should still have 10k miles of powertrain warranty, though.
kwamedog, congrats on your Trooper!! You will likely be glad you bought it. These are excellent vehicles, built for the long haul. They rarely have significant mechanical problems if treated right, and IMHO are quite nice looking, simple vehicles. I shot a bit LOW on the price I mentioned. I was thinking 2WD basic S model. Sounds like you got a few more goodies than I was pricing toward. Good choice, hope the wife LOVES the color. My wife chose the Silver 2 tone over, White, or Dark Green, when we bought hers. Its been a goodin' so far. 1 year old 24K miles on it. We come out your way from time to time to enjoy the Rockies, thus the mileage. Its a great road trip car, er I mean truck.
Someone else mentioned a rattling heat shield that the dealer had been unable to fix. Does anyone know where the heat shield(s) is/are located? My Trooper frequently makes a metallic rattling/vibrating sound when accelerating, and it sounds like a heat shield that is loose. Any suggestins on where to look?
As for the price, it seems as if 4wd vehicles are much more expensive in snowy CO. However, if value is what people are willing to pay then I would say that $17,250 is more than fair for a truck of that stature.
As for the state of Isuzu. I went back and spoke to my sales person about your posts. He indicated that GM has taken a large stake in Isuzu and that there are all indications (in his opinion)that they are in the midst of a restructuring. He believes that the Trooper's demise is part of that process. He told me that he has heard that Isuzu is set to come out with a diesel 4wd truck to replace the Trooper (next year). He believes that Isuzu is groping to find a niche. Either way he told me that rumor has it that whether it is a diesel or not the Trooper will be reconfigured and will reamerge in some form (after a model year off the market).
Also, this particular dealership is a combination VW, Nissan and Isuzu dealership. He stated that Isuzu is the only one of the dealerships that does not allocate money for advertising and that this has hurt them. They rely on the local dealerships to promote cars. He stated that this is a big change from the tact that Isuzu took in the middle 90's. He sincerely believes that Isuzu will survive and that he sees all indications that they are trying to reconfigure their line up after several failed attempts at finding a niche (the vehicross and now the axiom). He told me that all of his info is coming from the regional rep and that he is not really sure how much of it is truth or simply the reps wishful thinking. As he stated "the car bussiness is full of rumors."
The dealership had 12 (now 11) used 2002 Troopers on the lot. He stated that all of the Colorado dealerships are making an attempt to round up as many Troopers as they can because they are in demand here. I would agree with him, they are everywhere in Denver. There are 4 in our neighborhood alone. The guy up the block was cleaning his as I was on the way to buy one. He told me that it was his 3rd Trooper and that he loved it (it only solidified my decision). Another guy around the coorner just purchaased a used 2002 from a different dealership.
Anyway, it looks like Troopers are going to be collector's items. That being the case I am happy that we purchased a used 2002 instead of leasing a new 2002. The wife is happy and in the long run that makes me happy. I also believe that she and my 9 month old daughter are safe in the ratehr large confines of this truck.
Hope all is well!
Brett
Sounds like the noise might be the spring under the gas pedal?
21mpg consistently on the highway? I doubt it unless you are doing 55-60mph on flat land with cruise on, and very few items/passengers.
-mike