Isuzu Trooper

sbcooke

By 2007 I might be ready for an upgrade, well maybe I will wait until 2009 and keep mine for 10 years.

cracovian

I don't know why but I'm very sensitive to that topic. Maybe it's because the oil companies (especially Exxon) are suddenly coming out with reports of the highest profits in years while there is NO shortage of fuel whatsoever... The heating oil supplies might have been affected by the Venezuelan strike but high gas prices are all due to price speculation and mainly to the collaborated effort by the oil companies to keep them artificially high. Even though the Saudis have filled in the production gap, the rest of the Americans agree that they should be paying more because of the "war" and the "crisis"... This whole situation makes some people very rich and it ain't the American consumer...

bluedevils

I hadn't heard the Saudis had filled the production gap left by the problems in Venezuela. I heard some lady on the radio, not an employee of an oil company or oil industry, explaining that the Venezuela thing IS one of the reasons gas costs more right now. I guess I believed her. Think she worked for AAA or something.

boxtrooper

Isuzu has the opportunity with the 2006 Trooper to use one of Isuzu's major advantages: The diesel engine. Imagine promoting the 2006 Trooper Diesel or Diesel Hybrid as the first "truck based" 7 passenger SUV with 25 mpg city and 31 mpg on the highway, 30city/40hwy mpg for the hybrid.
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GM if you are listenning, this will be a great place to allow Isuzu to test the concept of a high mpg SUV, which GM can copy if succesful.
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Isuzu go for the diesel and hybrid models, it is your only hope to stand out in such a tight market.

leedavidyoung

Don't believe the hype in reference to Venezuela problems raising fuel cost. Most oil produced in Venezuela is of a quality to low to refine into gasoline. It is shipped to the U.S. for use in hot mix asphalt and roofing shingle production. I work in the asphalt paving industry, and %90 percent of our liquid asphalt comes from Venezuela. I only mention this because each time there is a "crisis" in the middle east, our liquid asphalt suppliers (citgo & amoco) jack up the cost of their product. During Desert Storm, our Venezuela oil doubled in price. This increased our total cost by 30 percent. All of our %20 profit paving contracts became %10 losses overnight.

Troopers burn alot of oil so I guess this is relevant subject matter.

boxtrooper

The 2006 Trooper needs to be bigger inside and smaller outside than the competition.
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Both my 1984 Trooper and my 1995 Trooper are big inside and small outside. The 1995 can carry a 18.5 cubic foot refrigerator with the back seat folded and the doors closed. It does not touch the roof or either side when and there is room left over to drive with one up front passenger. Yet, my 1995 Trooper takes less parking lot space than a Camry car, actually only slightly more than a Corolla. And Trooper has more cargo space than a Hummer H2

schweikb

I was taken back by the two Isuzu stories to the right of the one the Autoweek link took me to (the one re: new Thai-built Trooper). Both stories to the right of that one discuss Isuzu's possible withdrawal from the US. Apparently they are selling their interest in the Indiana plant (that makes Rodeos) to Fuji Heavy Industries; also, GM is dropping its ownership of Isuzu from 40% to 12%. Also comments by head of Isusu that they are not leaning on SUV's, but rather trucks for their profit ability.
Am I the only one that saw some bad future news for Isuzu in the US?

leedavidyoung

Dear Isuzu Motors,

Please Keep:
Big sunroof, TOD system, superior build quality, large cargo area, utility truck status (frame on body design), all standard features currently offered.

Please Improve or Add:
CD changer, intake manifold gasket, headlights, lumbar support, shocks, cup holders, D/C outlets.

Also, remember to sue consumer reports in advance for their inevitable slamming of your new product.

Thanks in advance,

Lee

ateixeira

BTW, I didn't say we were in a fuel crisis - yet.

How much worse could Isuzu be hurt by a fuel crisis?

That's just it, the final pin in their US coffin. They might become the world's premiere diesel manufacturer though.

-juice

96_i30_5sp

Isuzu will be hurt disproportunately higher by rising fuel prices simply because they sell only SUVs.

wildbuc

I was at a transmission shop today and talked with several workers about when transmission fluid should be changed in auto transmissions. To a man they all recommended that it not be changed so long as the color does not appear brown or burnt. They noted that after a person changes fluid, they often have transmission problems. I must say that my experience supports their view. I have had transmission problems with only 2 of my cars, and this was within 20K miles after changing the fluid. When I didn't change the fluid in other cars, even though I abused those cars in my youth, I never had any problems. What do you guys think?

stever

One theory is that people only change the fluid when they notice problems with the tranny shifting or clunking or whatever.

They get a fluid swap as a cheap attempt to fix whatever may be wrong, but often the tranny fails anyway.

I'm a deferred maintenance kind of guy myself :-)

Steve, Host

sbcooke

I notice that when it is below 20 degrees out, my truck drives very slow for the first mile or so. Should the transmission behave this way? Is it the fluid being too cold so it doesn't provide the proper fluid coupling/lubrication for the truck to get going? The engine usually doesn't seem effected by the really low temperatures. Is this because the oil has 2 different viscosities and the trans fluid doesn't?

breakor

Like Steve the HOST noted changing fluid will not cure all ills. It will however cure many.

As to new fluid, in theory it has to be good otherwise they would sell used fluid instead. In practice no doubt there could be some instances of new/old fluid incompatibility or cases where people did the change wrong (e.g. too little added, bad pan gasket reseal, etc.). However, I fail too see the logic of new fluid causing problems by definition.

No doubt changing fluid just as it starts to darken/change smell is the ideal from a fluid purchase standpoint. In a vehicle with an AT dipstick this is easy to check. However, given the lousy Isuzu no dipstick design, routine checking is not so easy. Therefore my practice is to flush about every 3 yrs. Given the price of the fluid and my time versus the cost of a new AT, this just seems like cheap insurance to me.

Just my $.02.

greenmax

I haven't experienced that, perhaps your ATF needs a change. The new high quality ATF fluids have viscosity the equivalent of 0W-20.

sbcooke

hmmm...I just had my 30K service done and I believe they changed it then. I will have to check the repair slip. Even though it says it, that still is no guarantee that it was done.

breakor

Could be that they reset your fluid a little low. That no dipstick design can easily confuse some shops. You might want to get the shop to recheck the level. My experience is that if they set it with the engine off it will be about 1 qt low.

FWIW my AT shifts at a slightly higher rpm from cold starts. I assume this has something to do with the computer control system rather than the ATF properties.

It is intuitively hard to believe that ATF has a multiviscosity rating. There are after all no coiled polymers blended into the fluid are there? Natural skeptic that I am I guess I will research this one some more for myself.

sbcooke

I don't think so. The shifts are smooth and there really isn't anything else I notice. It is just when it is super cold out, it takes a mile or so until the truck really runs without resistance? For now, I am chalking it up to the temperature. I am also getting 8.5 MPG with TOD engaged. I am also betting on the cold temps and short trips (my commute is 12 minutes, so it is difficult to get accurate numbers). The next 40(+) degree day I am planning a day long trip to see if I can get the performance I expect.

emiura

I've read on a Japanese board that it's possible to lock the TOD in 50/50 torque split. Dealers in Northern Japan came up with this method, and they said that 50/50 split works better in snow/icy road condition. Here is the info:

There is a TODECU unit under the driver's seat.
Cut the connector wire for "Front Speed Vehicle Sensor". The wire number depends on model year, so you must find the correct wire number for the front speed sensor for your vehicle model year.
By cutting this wire, when TOD is switched on, torque will be split to 50/50 as soon as the vehicle starts moving. Split is 0/100 when stopped.
Putting a toggle switch there allows you to select between normal TOD mode and 50/50 split mode.

Cautionary note: When the vehicle comes to a stop in this 50/50 split mode, you'd feel a light shock/knock. Also, when TOD is swtiched to 50/50 mode (cutting off normal TOD), the check light under the TOD display flashes and recorded as an error. Both symptoms would not cause any problems according to the dealer.

I don't have a manual, but if someone can help me to identify the wire number for my '99, I'll make this mod as soon as warranty expires.

Here are some wire number info listed in the original message:
UBS73 ('98.5) wire #24 (green/white)
UBS73 ('00) wire #12 (green/white)
UBS69 (unknown yr) wire #16 (green/white)

...Eiji...

cwp2

Per a few websites, it appears that you can go 10k to 25k miles between oil changes with the right synthetic oil and filter. With an oil that won't breakdown and a filter that works down to 10 micorns, I don't know why you couldn't get at least 7k miles between changes. Needless to say, it all depends on how well the filter is doing its job. I use the PL24458 filter and Mobil 1 oil. Is anyone else using this combination or a blend? If so, what is your experience?

It seems to make sense to use a high quality air filter (K&N) and oil filter (Purolator?) to keep the system as clean as possible. From there, the oil has the best chance of doing its job.

breakor

Per the 99 manual, it looks like the front speed sensor wire is the same as the 98.5 (namely #24 - green and white). Note: the TOD ECU is under the passenger seat not the drivers seat.
I have no idea if the mod will work. I guess it depends on the default setting on the TOD. It if goes to 50/50 when the front speed sensor is lost I guess it would.

Let us know what you find out.

sbcooke

That would also be a good hot fix if you have problems with the sensors on a trip somewhere.

I would be interested in how a toggle switch would work. Good info, thanks.

emiura

breakor, you're right about the TOD ECU is under the passenger side. I just translated the original message and forgot about their drivers seat is on the right side.

Thanks for checking the wire location for the '99. Not ready to do the mod yet, but if it's connected directly to the front speed sensor, would disconnecting the sensor do the same thing? Where is the connector location for the sensor? If it's easy to access, I can try disconnecting it and see if it works. It's safer than cutting the wire at the ECU.

Have a question to those who are familiar with this type of mod: Do we have to consider what kind of switch or additional wiring to use for this mod? Do we have to worry about noise interference, etc, as it's connected to the sensor?

Did some checking last night and found a message by a owner of '00 model: He confirmed that the wire number is #12 G/W. Detail: There is a silver TOD unit with two connectors under the (passenger) seat. One with 12 wires and the other with 18 wires. Looking at the larger male connector (B-68), bottom row, 4th wire from left is the #12 (white stripe on green). It's easy to work if you cut tape wrapped around those 18 wires. He's put a switch on the lower side cover below the seat (held by 3 screws).

I saw quite a few messages thanking the guy who posted the modification information and reporting that they'd done the mod, but I did not see any messages reporting problems.

savvas_e

If you want to make the installation look like it's "factory installed", purchase a "4WD" dashboard switch from a shift-on-the-fly model Trooper and install it next to the "4WD AUTO" TOD switch.

Emiura .... This is great news. Can you post the link to the website? Actually, is it in Japanese or English?

flyinlow

Of course it's good to use high quality oil and filters, but I think it would still be a mistake to go much beyond the change interval listed in the owner's manual (whichever comes first, time or miles). There are other considerations besides dirt buildup and viscosity breakdown of the oil: acids and water can build up in the oil over time, especially with short trips where the oil doesn't heat up enough. I shudder to think what will happen if people start doing oil changes once a year. It's fine if you're going to get rid of your car every few years with only 50-80k miles, but that's not what Trooper owners do. It's also bad if you're the unlucky second owner of that car.

ostaz

I own a 99, and I believe that grade logic is only on 2000+ Troopers. But I noticed that going down hill, the vehicle slows down.

I am just imagining?

Sam

sbcooke

I went out last night to see how the truck would do in over a foot of snow. TOD works absolutely amazing in snow. Some spinning going through snow drifts and intersections where the plows came by. No surprise, but in 4 low it pulled right through everything. I think my Dueler A/T's have much better pulling power, as well as the extra clearance with the 265/70's improves deep snow performance.

re: '99 grade logic...with TOD engaged, it will slow down when off the gas. The design applies power to the wheels all the time, so when you are off the gas it doesn't coast...so when you need power, the wheels have traction/power and can go.

sdc2

Yes, tires make a HUGE difference in the snow. Many years ago I thought I could make it through the winter on some fairly worn tires, not bald but probably 20% left. After all, I had 4WD!

And yes, I never got stuck or anything, but I one time I did slide and slide down a shallow hill in the snow and have minor fender bender. After that I got new tires, and the difference was AMAZING. I was able to drive quite a bit without 4WD where it was required previously, and braking was hugely improved. There is no doubt in my mind that with better tires I wouldn't have hit that guy.

So these days I don't go into a winter without pretty good tread on my tires, it just ain't worth it to skimp.

sdc2

When it is very cold, everything is more sluggish for a while after starting. If you haven't experienced below-zero temps, you have no idea. Every fluid in your vehicle, from oil to tranny to diff to grease, is stiffer in those temps.

When it is very cold here in Minnesota I make sure to drive gently for a couple of miles to let everything warm up.

sdc2

Hi Eiji, good to see you around again. Will you be at ZuZoo VI?

Thanks for the TOD info, we always suspected there was a way to do that (4HI 50/50 lock). By the end of 2003 I will be out of warranty, so maybe I'll give it a try.

Maybe you should post this info on 4x4Wire also?

Steve

jimmyp1

a 2002 4wd S w/ 8k miles that appears to be in perfect condition (as you would expect for such low mileage)? Have a 1998, just found this one and it's appealing.

Jim

mbednorz

Wow! I didn't check back for a few days and there's already 3 pages of posts. Nice to find an active forum. Here's a rapid-fire response to some of the follow-on posts on the Reflexes.

RE was I Saudi military: Nope, I was an engineer for Saudi Aramco in Dhahran. We had a good life, but it's good to be home in the U.S. again.

RE the Landcruiser: If they weren't so ridiculously overpriced here in the U.S., I'd buy another one. For me, they're the holy grail of SUVs. In Saudi in 1999 you could buy a brand-new 1998 base model GS Land Cruiser(latest body style with independent rear suspension) for $24k new. Cheapest in the U.S. was $40k. You can still find 2002 models for around $30k over there, and I can't get a used 2000 for that her in the U.S.! Even adjusting for the difference in the standard equipment, that's huge. And yes, I thought about bringing one back with me, but the U.S. has really cracked down on the gray market vehicles. So, I went for a Trooper.

RE Monroe Reflexes adjusted to Trooper: I seriously doubt if they're tuned to the Trooper specifically. My feeling is that the rears are a tad too stiff, especially on jounce. My wife rode in the back seat a couple of days ago and felt it was a little too "jiggly". IMHO the KYB Monomax's could be a better match to the Trooper.

Hasta la posta.

emiura

but here is the link if you're interested:

http://www.bc.wakwak.com/~zig/bbs/index.htm

Someone mentioned there that TOD 50/50 split info is on YahooJAPAN message board, so I did search with "bighorn".

...Eiji...

emiura

Yes, I'll see you at Moab. This year I'll take my wife and a baby (born on 12/29), so I won't be camping like last two years.

Re: TOD 50/50 lock, I've always wanted to have this setting, too. I'm glad that I saw earlier exchanges on this topic which prompted me to do searching.

I'll copy the post to 4x4Wire.

...Eiji...

greenmax

I think it depends on the area you live in, the price would be obviously higher in the North but I would say on average $17k-18k would be a good deal for it.

cwmoser

Today I was 'playing' in the snow with the 4WD and TOD. I was in 4WD lo, stopped and shifted to 2WD. As I started movign the TOD indicator was blinking. I pushed the TOD button and it still blinked. I turned TOD off and the indicator was still blinking. Remembering the old Troopers that you backed up to disengage the 4WD, I then stopped, put it reverse and backup up a bit, then put it in Drive and now the TOD indicator stopped blinking. Is this normal?

cmuniz

When you shift out of 4WD lo the truck has to be stopped and in neutral. On occasion I have been in a hurry and thought I stopped long enough for the shift to take place, but apparetnly didn't. The lights started blinking but after another stop and shift all was ok. Once I even heard a whinning noise that scared me, but after stopping and going thru the process again all was ok. My guess is that the gears where not quite finished changing when you started your motion again. Now I make sure that I stopp long enough and have not had the blinking lights or noise again.

boxtrooper

You probably had some left over load on the drive train which was causing too much friction for the TOD to be able to move its disengagement parts. Backing up allowed the load to change directions passing through zero which allowed the TOD mechanism to move freely.
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The Trooper (at least my 1995 Trooper) has no middle differential so differences in front and rear drive shaft speed must be resolved at the wheels. This is why you don't want to drive on dry pavement in four wheel drive. Full time 4wd systems have a differential so they don't bind up. I use my 4wd in patchy ice and snow by stop, engage 4Hi, move forward to engage the auto hubs, while still moving in one direction I then shift in and out of 4Hi/2Hi at any speed. Just make sure the front and rear driveshafts are going the same speed by driving in a straight line and letting off the gas and no brakes applied. I use this method for highway driving. It keeps the front hubs engaged all the time so MPG goes down a bit.

sbcooke

That is fairly normal. It happens to me often when I am beach driving in the summer. Backing up seems to resolve it the best. I have even put it in park and back with the same result. The leftover load on the drivetrain sounds like a good theory.

paisan

Well just a quick note for now. I got stuck in 4-lo but not 1x in TOD.

-mike

tkevinblanc

I got stuck at the bottom of my driveway. I've been snowed in for days because the county won't send the plow down my street and we have 30" of snow on the road...

You wouldn't expect I could get through that, would you?

paisan

Shouldn't be a problem with good tires

We got about 24-30" of snow here and with my 1.5" OME Lift + 275-70-16 Pirelli Scorpion ATs I have been plowing through/digging in the snow. I had to bust through several 3'+ high walls of snow that the plows nicely left for me!

I found that with 4-lo I would get into a situation where I'd just be spinning all 4 wheels and not gripping. With the TOD I found that If I kept on the gas it would shift around the power allowing the wheels to grip and dig til they found traction.

Can't say enough good stuff about the TOD. I did some nice drifts on turns as well

-mike

paisan

I know that on the subies, right in the manual it states that the gears will be held longer and it will not shift to 4th gear when the ATF temp is below 50 degrees.

I notice this on my Trooper ATF 4L30 unit as well.

-mike

sbcooke

feature again. For fun it is good, but with the grip we get w/TOD there really isn't much use for it.

cwp1

I agree with you, but I think the quick lubes places are the ones pushing the 3,000 mile oil change for their own benefit. I use a good oil and filter and usually change around 5,000 miles, which is about 4 months for me.

Have you seen the Amsoil synthetic oil info? If true, it is pretty impressive stuff.

gao16

I was wondering if it would be possible to rig full time 50/50 hi on TOD Troopers also. What about the transfer case lever? There has to be some sort of electrical switch as well as the mechanical lever to go to low range. Couldn't that be rigged with a separate switch to make the electronics that control the torque split front/rear think that the xfer case lever had been pulled without actually pulling it? Would that achieve a 50/50 hi split?
        Just some possibilities I've been pondering, but I don't have a service manual to go any further with it.

                               Greg

paisan

The "lever" is not really mechanical, it just signals to the electronics and vaccum lines I think to change to 4-low. The best bet I think is what they were saying about the front sensor on the TOD unit. Also on my diagrams in the service manual there appears to be a lead on the connector for the control unit of the TOD that would allow it to be in 4-hi as a test mode of sorts, this lead I think if you put 12+ volts on it might activate a 50/50 split in hi.

I still don't see any reason to need a 50/50 split over 40mph, 40mph in 4-low is not that bad.

-mike

serrano

Paisan - Are you saying that the 4-low lever on the floor is not mechanically connected to the transfer case? If that were true, why put a lever at all? Another button would work fine.

Although I got in trouble for guessing before, I would be willing to bet that the lever mechanically changes the gear ratios in the tranfer case. You can feel it change when you move it, and when you move it while moving it grinds a bit as the gear teeth mesh. I think you're wrong about this.

Tom

paisan

I know what you are saying about it "feeling" mechanically connected. But I was pretty sure that it was only controlling the vaccum-line that engaged the 4-low. The Axiom has push-button for 4-low and it has the same transfer case IIRC. It may not be an electronic control that the lever actuates but it might be a control for a vaccum.

You may be 100% correct though, I'm not convinced of my own conclusion on this one.

-mike

sbcooke

I agree with Paisan, I am fairly certain it is just attached to something that engages vacuum lines that in turn activates the center locker. Nothing mechanical at all. However, I don't have any hard evidence, just what I remember reading about. I think the lever is just for show. It does hold baseball caps well, especially in bad weather, when you need to grab a lid quickly.