mlevk, I'll be happy to try to answer any question you might have re: my TOD problem. Ask away.
Not so sure your problem is same as mine; I never had a clunk to deal with, and mine wouldn't engage while the motor was running, regardless of temperature.
Search this thread for 'power steering basket' or something like that. There was some discussion of the P/S reservoir a while ago, and the term 'basket' was used to describe the plastic thing that sits on top of the reservoir and prevents easy access to the fluid there. This basket can be removed without too much trouble - even I was able to do it.
The previous discussion(s) may be in the Isuzu Maintenance & Repair topic, if you don't find it here in this topic.
I was just taking about you. Wondering if you got anywhere with the rear bumpers.
Brake fluid absorbs water, as it absorbs moisture and water, it becomes more "squishy". What happens is that as you heat up your brakes, it will transfer the heat from the pads to the calipers, to the fluid. The more moisture in the fluid, the more of a chance of "boiling" the moisture in the fluid. When you boil the fluid, the moisture bubbles and causes air pockets. Thus the squishy feel afterward.
I personally feel for normal use 1x ever 2 years your brakes should be flushed. The proceedure is basically to connect up a tube to the bleeder which is basically like a nipple on the caliper and you put an open ended wrench on it. At the same time you open your master cylinder resivoir and pour in new fresh fluid on top. You have someone pump the brakes til the clean fluid comes through the caliper. Then you go to the next one. We usually use the method of the caliper furthest from the resivoir (pass rear) then move closer and closer to the res. My brakes are nice and firm now
Today in the morning I decided to add a brake fluid because "brake" lamp showed sometimes. It was an idiotic idea: I Went to my garage and took an open jar there was written DOT3 but didn't check it. Fool. So, a very small amount of motor oil is inside. What shall I do now, to draw off all from the fluid top by a syringe or to pump the brakes by new fluid ?(as Paisan advised today, he shouldn't have done this, no matter - I'm joking)
Get a syringe and suck out the fluid in the resivoir. Then flush with clean Dot 3 or 4 or 5.1.
I forgot to tell you also never ever put in any fluid to your brake system that doesn't come from a NEW container. Once it's open for more than a few hrs it is going to have absorbed moisture in your garage in the open container.
I hope my mistake won't assist any serious problem. By the way, what the fluid amount I need to have brake system to be full? 3 x 250ml Castrol DOT 4 is enough? Thanks again.
Anyone know why the system disengages the front wheels below 5 MPH? It seems like the "preemptive" application of torque to the front would be just as useful at 0-5 MPH as at higher speeds.
I haven't bothered bleeding the brakes on my Trooper but I've bled the disc brakes on my old BMW motorcycle many times. Things to know:
1) Brake fluid is one of the best PAINT REMOVERS ever devised. Don't drip it on anything, especially paint! Cover everything near that master cylinder as sometimes the cylinders burp out a bit of fluid as they're bled.
2) If you're going to bleed the old fluid out through the caliper nipples as did Paisan, it is advisable that you run a piece of clear tubing from the nipple into a partially filled jar of brake fluid, so that as you pump fluid through the brake lines you won't pull air back into the system. Bubbles are the enemy here. Keep the tube submerged at all times in the brake fluid at the bottom of the jar and that provides for some rise & fall of the fluid as you pump. Just as important, don't let the master cylinder get close to being empty! That just brings air in from the top. If that happens, you need to keep putting in fresh fluid until you see, and then stop seeing, the bubbles come through the tube on the nipple.
3) Fresh fluid is absolutely what you want. And don't use DOT 5 unless your system calls for it. It has a silicone base, as I recall, and is not compatible with DOT 3 or 4.
4) I've been told by one competent tire store that they wouldn't bleed my Trooper brakes because the Trooper has another master cylinder 'underneath the car.' They may have meant the ABS system, which of course is tied into the brakes. Not sure if/how the bleeding works on that part of the system. It probably can't hurt to bleed through the caliper nipples from far to near as Paisan states, but I think you might be bypassing part of the brake fluid trapped in the ABS system. Any thoughts on that?
Dot 3,4 and 5.1 are non-silicone based. DOT 5 is Silicone based and shouldn't be used cause it wrecks your seals.
I think you are supposed to bleed the ABS system as well, but if you clear it out every year or 2 then you'll eventually get the ABS stuff cleared out as well.
TOD will engage the front wheels under 5mph in the following conditions:
Slippage Occurs Weight is shifted to the front axle TPS senses a hard punch of the accelerator pedal
The reason it is not engaged normally is due to <5mph is when you are doing parallel parking and tight turns. If power was going to the front wheels then you'll get binding.
Absolutely right, Mike. Anyone ever drive a Quadra-Trac equipped Jeep Grand Cherokee? The system is biased toward 4 wheeling, so the thing binds and scrubs the front tires like crazy in tight turns.
You stated "Considering that this Trooper has 79k miles, I am amazed at how tight the structure is with only one squeak coming from the rear when I take a tight turn on a bumpy street."
We have a 1999 Trooper with 50K miles and a 1999 Toyota Sienna with 60K miles. Like you, I have found my Trooper to have tight and solid feel - much more than our Sienna. I think these last Troopers are as well built a vehicle as any. We bought the Sienna because of the perceived notion that Toyotas were the highest quality and we bought that Sienna over other more preferrable vans plus paid more for it than other comparable vans. But quality and reliable was the deciding factor. But, we are a little disappointed in our "perceived" view of Toyota. We expected more and its probably because we have the Trooper to compare which seems more close to the solid feel of its new state than the Toyota. The Toyota seems loose and even the closing of doors on the Toyota do not have the solid feel of the Trooper doors. Course, the one thing on the Trooper that has that "Toyota feeling" is the Trooper Cargo Door :-)
Don't get me wrong. I think the Toyota Sienna is a nice vehicle but we purchased it because it was perceived to be so much higher quality than other vehicles and like I said expected more. I think the Sienna was marketed that way and a culture/myth surrounds the Toyota products as being 'the quality vehicles'. This in contrast to the Isuzu products that are in *reality* truly high quality and very well built but there was no marketing perception created in the publics mind. Perhaps, our knowledge of the quality of Isuzu products is a secret that only a few people like all of us on this forum can really know.
I'd buy a used '88-95ish Camry or Accord over a 95-03 version of the vehicles any day of the week. I think that the bean counters realized that Honda/Toyota quality was great and this is what has stuck in people's minds, I'm sure they have studies that show that H/T people will return and buy the cars no matter what the future quality is "because my '92 accord lasted 200K miles". The bean counters figure they can cut costs and increase profits while retaining 95% of their previous customers they'll be in good shape. That is one reason I like up-coming car companies or smaller ones like Subaru/Isuzu/Kia/Hyundai They all HAVE to produce good cars or else they get panned and loose a good % of their semi-loyal owners and also need to try to gain owners so they build em quite well.
I'm very impressed with the new Tiboron very nice solid car IMHO along with the Sorento and a few other Kia/Subaru/Isuzu/Hyundai vehicles.
We have 99 Trooper. It was my idea to buy it. The other car we have is a 92 Toyota Tercel, a base model even without power window. Since 1999, Trooper stalled about 8-10 times in the middle of the traffic, Toyota: 0 time. I have sent the Trooper to the dealership for 6-7 times for repair etc. (Repair! NOT for regular maintain) For the 92 Toyota, just twice, for a new O2 senser and a alternator. I like the Trooper. But the facts make me to decide my next car will be a boring Toyota.
I have found the opposite of what you experienced regarding quality of Toyota Sienna versus Isuzu Trooper.
Our 1999 Sienna has been in several times for door adjustments, had to have the steering column replaced because of steering problems, got letter from Toyota about 'oil sludge' tendency with engine and recommends more timely oil changes (search internet for details), flip down visor mirror broke, and has cost us $500 to have the driver side electric window replaced.
Our 1999 Trooper = nothing wrong. Just routine maintenance.
Interesting discussion on Toyota vs. Isuzu vs. whatever. Keep in mind, though, that just because YOUR Toyota or YOUR Isuzu stalls or breaks often, it is not necessarily representative of the group as a whole. To buy based solely on your individual experiences is rather shortsighted. I have friends who bought more than one Jeep because "the last one I had ran forever." Guess what--based on the collective experiences of Jeep owners, your luck will run out far sooner than the person who bought a vehicle based on the big picture. Some people just don't care, though--check out Corvette owners. In the big picture, Corvettes are rather miserable to keep running correctly. However, 'Vette owners are collectively happy only because they own a Vette.
This board serves a vital function in getting the collective word out. The posters on this board are generally happy with their Troopers. Not so on discussion boards for other vehicles.
I second that! My wife had a '93 Jeep Cherokee when we met, and overall it was a good vehicle though with more quality issues than my experience with Japanese vehicles and my '83 GTI. However, we then got a '99 Grand Cherokee to replace the first Jeep and had nothing but trouble. When I bothered to check Consumer Reports I found out that everything going wrong was entirely predictable based on their owner survey stats. If you talk to Jeep owners, most will say they love it despite problems. They're a lot like Harleys vs. Japanese bikes that way. We really loved the design, function and off-roadability of it, but ultimately got Daimler-Chrysler to buy it back. That's how we stumbled on the Trooper after finding nothing else that met our needs. Now we (esp. wife) love it. We just hope our dealer stays in business and we can get the full warranty benefits.
I keep up with several vehicles on this forum. My favorites include Jeep and Land Rover. The Jeep owners have a few common issues and the Land Rovers have a list a mile long. But both groups are very loyal to their respective brands. Like the Trooper board, there is a huge amount of information that includes great ideas from regular contributors that really know their stuff. Other boards have a few brand loyalist, but include nightmare after nightmare on a large variety of service and repair issues.
Whenever a friend ask me about a possible car purchase, my first step is to recommend some research on Edmund's town hall. Reading 3000 post on this message board makes for a very educated consumer.
Thanks to everyone on this board for all your help and advice.:)
I too am satisfied with my '96 Trooper which now shows 125,000 on the clock.
It has had one unscheduled repair. It failed to start once in 7 years/125k miles and I replaced the OEM battery.
The maintenance every 60k miles, the expensive rotors, and the poor mileage make it more expensive to own than my BMW and (of course) my Miata. These cars too have flawless maintenance records.
The Trooper performance/reliability/value has been legendary. It is going to give way to a new Honda Pilot very soon, I can only hope the Honda will approach the quality and reliability of the ole' Trooper.
Rather atypical isn't it compared to other vehicle make / model forums. Concerns are posted on all boards despite being fanatical about the product they drive - just human nature. It's just that there are very few issues that develop in the Isuzu Troopers - on this board or the others. I could talk quite a bit about issues surrounding my 2 SHO's but that's done within my board support group family to exhort their virtues & their failings. With my '00 Troop., I've only had 2 defects. A rear pinion seal leak & an accelerator sensor both repaired under warranty, & a rattle in the rear door latch which is easily solved w/ a dab of wheel bearing grease...that's it. I thought about a 2nd Troop but I decided to just weld the 4 cam sprockets on my Gen III SHO instead to satisfy both of my driving needs. I wasn't looking for a Troop as a 3rd vehicle - was looking at Jeeps, Toyota's, Nissan's & other 4wd's to serve the utilitarian needs I had to fill. Through a lot of research on this forum & others, I found a match - just glad I did! Boards / forums are an invaluable guide.
They replaced the SOTF and a front Speed Sensor on the TOD unit. The Speed Sensor was what was leaking the dampness I saw, I had thought it to be a front axle seal.
the only thing that has gone bad on my 1995 Trooper with 140K has been the rear dome light bulb burned out because with the rear facing seat the kids leave it on all the time. And I put a hose clamp on an exhaust heat shield when it started to rattle a little. .. We also keep a minivan, but trade out of it before the warrantee is up. 1st minivan 26 repairs in 45K miles many of them major like new transmission or the dashboard fell off. 2nd minivan only a half dozen repairs in 15K miles, and nothing major yet, only radio replaced three times and tires at only 19 miles on them and some adjustments, possible oil leak around valve covers. .. Through all the minivans the Trooper is the one we depend on for most outings. Minivans carry more for really long trips.
One can't make any judgement based on a small group of enthusiasts' anectotal reports. That'd be silly.
I think that folks that post negative comments on the Edmunds boards I follow get slammed too often (some of them are trolling and deserve it, but you clearly weren't).
I think so far you've just gotten one counter argument (anectodal, like your original statement) and one helpful comment (the intake manifold gasket is a frequent problem).
The best thing these boards can supply is an overall impression of a vehicle, a community, and a source of help.
Peter, there are problems and they do get reported here. I personally have had some issues with my Trooper...and posted them. My problems have not been major drivetrain though. Paisan just reported about his SOTF problem and how it was fixed.
I think more problems exist here due to a poor dealer network than major problems with the truck/drivetrain.
I am not sure about Toyota vs. Isuzu quality? I agree with some posters that the sludge issue is a black mark for Toyota. The Trooper itself seems to be historically a fairly solid/reliable vehicle. I am not sure about the Rodeo/Amigo/Axiom (US made Isuzu's).
Currently I have a problem with my steering...major annoyance with slack on center that seems to be more related to a problem with the steering gear rather than adjustment. My main problem is getting it fixed and the dealer...not starting and driving to work each day.
So I have found that finding a vehicle that is known for reliability is 1/2 the battle, the other 1/2 is interviewing dealerships and finding a good support network to fix any issues that come up along the way.
I have lurked here on and off for about 50k miles or so. I recall discussing quite a few Trooper quirks including:
Oil use, some do some don't
Excessive tap,tap,tap noise
Mine makes the tap,tap,tap but doesnt use much oil. However, it has made the noise for 65k miles no with no other drama.
I think this forum gives a fair image of the cars reliability.
I will tell you this much, go over to Land Rover or ML320 and they arent chatting about lousy mileage, tap,tap,tap and oil use. They have much more serious issues that a large number of the posters share.
I'm looking at get some progressive rate coils in the rear. One Jackaroo owner here installed some TJM progressive rate coils in his truck and once he lowered the truck to the ground and the weight came on to the coils, the progressive section of the coil closed to the point where only the linear section was working anyway.
How do you find the ARB's? Do you have standard load or heavy load and how do they ride compared to stock?
I have the OME 912s in there now. The ride is slightly better than stock. What I like about them is that they don't sag as much as the stockers did. Essentially I can be at stock height with my "std" load of equipment in the back. This usually includes ~200lbs of stuff. I did notice when I loaded up the boat or car trailer that it sat higher than the stockers did and didn't hit the bump stops as easily.
I'm going to upgrade to the 919s which are a bit stiffer than the 912s in a few months.
Mine is a 1995 SOHC 3.2L Trooper engine. I got the tap tap tap first time about three years ago while towing. Since then, I have done battle with that noise a bunch of times. I have successfully got the quiet back by being very very watchful of the oil cleanliness. I use Valvoline Synpower with Purolator PL24458 filter, but have tried Mobil1 with the Mobil1 filter (Mobil1 were in/on when the ticking first started). I have also tried RedLineOil and it is great, but too expensive. I have searched for a location to mount the Amsoil secondary type oil filter, but not found a good spot for it. .. What works if it is ticking is to get the oil really clean by changing the oil and filter after a very short time I have run clean oil 1/2 hour at various RPMs then changed it again. Or drive a day or two and change it again. Then use your choice of synthetic oil and a high quality filter and the noise should go away in less than 300 miles. To keep it noise free change every 3000 miles or at the first sign of the tap tap tap returning. .. Works for me. My engine runs great is very quiet and passes emissions by a very wide margin.
I think there is some non-anecdotal evidence about the Trooper, too: wasn't it rated just behind the Toyota 4R for reliability in the last applicable J.D. Powers?
And say what you will about Toyota. That sludge thing might be a real issue. But the 100K warranty they issued to cover the engine, requiring only minimal proof of maintenance was a shot in the arm for us Sienna owners. I guess that speaks to the manufacturer/dealer side of the dichotomy. Of course, I'll never have to use that warranty, because it's still a great engine and I use synth...
The long-term reliability in the mid-size SUV segment went to the Trooper right behind the 4-runner in the 2001 or 2002 JD Power & Associates Survey/Study.
Hmm the 912s are not any softer IMHO than the stockers. If you want I'd say go with the soft OME shocks. The urethane bushings may give you a harsher ride actually.
I've probably expressed it incorrectly. I want less vibration which I expect will come from a more controlled ride.
The problem with Jackaroo suspensions in Australia is that the rear end can easily be thrown off line when travelling at speed on rough or unsealed roads. I have had the rear try to overtake the front once or twice. It can be controlled easily enough, but it would be better if it didn't happen in the first place.
It's only 11:20 on Friday night here. My client logged a call with us to restore some files at 5pm today. If they're not available by 8am tomorrow, they stand to lose $10m.
That's why I'm up and thinking about what I'd rather be doing...shocks, coils, wheeling!
Don't have bushings. I put them on my sway bars, ordered them from JCWhitney. There is a writeup on http://isuzu-suvs.com Most upgraded aftermarket shocks come with poly bushings for them.
Has anybody had trouble with tail light bulbs burning out? I had a 96 Rodeo(lost to a fire) and a 92 Rodeo(sold to my little brother) and it seamed as though I was replacing the passenger side tail light bulbs on these trucks about every 6 months. I bought my 2000 Trooper in December and now I have to replace the passenger side tail light bulb. Cost of replacement is low:
$0.97 for the bulb 3 minutes labor(dealer) at $75 per minute=$225
Is this a known Isuzu problem or is it just me? It's just me right........
Did you know that as part of spy Robert Hanssen's(former FBI agent) plea agreement, his family got to keep their 92 Trooper! Strange but true Trooper fact.
Comments
I think that the trooper got really refined cause they had ~10 years to work on all the little bugs in the body design
For your rear squeek, you might need to adjust the rear door. I think if you do a search you should find the procedure in here.
Also be sure to check out http://isuzu-suvs.com/ for pics and what not of troopers
-mike
Not so sure your problem is same as mine; I never had a clunk to deal with, and mine wouldn't engage while the motor was running, regardless of temperature.
Craig
What's involved in flushing the brakes? I've never heard of doing that but with 75K miles on mine, I might attempt. Thanks. John
The previous discussion(s) may be in the Isuzu Maintenance & Repair topic, if you don't find it here in this topic.
Brake fluid absorbs water, as it absorbs moisture and water, it becomes more "squishy". What happens is that as you heat up your brakes, it will transfer the heat from the pads to the calipers, to the fluid. The more moisture in the fluid, the more of a chance of "boiling" the moisture in the fluid. When you boil the fluid, the moisture bubbles and causes air pockets. Thus the squishy feel afterward.
I personally feel for normal use 1x ever 2 years your brakes should be flushed. The proceedure is basically to connect up a tube to the bleeder which is basically like a nipple on the caliper and you put an open ended wrench on it. At the same time you open your master cylinder resivoir and pour in new fresh fluid on top. You have someone pump the brakes til the clean fluid comes through the caliper. Then you go to the next one. We usually use the method of the caliper furthest from the resivoir (pass rear) then move closer and closer to the res. My brakes are nice and firm now
-mike
What shall I do now, to draw off all from the fluid top by a syringe or to pump the brakes by new fluid ?(as Paisan advised today, he shouldn't have done this, no matter - I'm joking)
Any help is appreciated.
Alexey.
I forgot to tell you also never ever put in any fluid to your brake system that doesn't come from a NEW container. Once it's open for more than a few hrs it is going to have absorbed moisture in your garage in the open container.
-mike
3 x 250ml Castrol DOT 4 is enough? Thanks again.
Alexey.
-mike
1) Brake fluid is one of the best PAINT REMOVERS ever devised. Don't drip it on anything, especially paint! Cover everything near that master cylinder as sometimes the cylinders burp out a bit of fluid as they're bled.
2) If you're going to bleed the old fluid out through the caliper nipples as did Paisan, it is advisable that you run a piece of clear tubing from the nipple into a partially filled jar of brake fluid, so that as you pump fluid through the brake lines you won't pull air back into the system. Bubbles are the enemy here. Keep the tube submerged at all times in the brake fluid at the bottom of the jar and that provides for some rise & fall of the fluid as you pump. Just as important, don't let the master cylinder get close to being empty! That just brings air in from the top. If that happens, you need to keep putting in fresh fluid until you see, and then stop seeing, the bubbles come through the tube on the nipple.
3) Fresh fluid is absolutely what you want. And don't use DOT 5 unless your system calls for it. It has a silicone base, as I recall, and is not compatible with DOT 3 or 4.
4) I've been told by one competent tire store that they wouldn't bleed my Trooper brakes because the Trooper has another master cylinder 'underneath the car.' They may have meant the ABS system, which of course is tied into the brakes. Not sure if/how the bleeding works on that part of the system. It probably can't hurt to bleed through the caliper nipples from far to near as Paisan states, but I think you might be bypassing part of the brake fluid trapped in the ABS system. Any thoughts on that?
Craig
Dot 3,4 and 5.1 are non-silicone based. DOT 5 is Silicone based and shouldn't be used cause it wrecks your seals.
I think you are supposed to bleed the ABS system as well, but if you clear it out every year or 2 then you'll eventually get the ABS stuff cleared out as well.
-mike
Slippage Occurs
Weight is shifted to the front axle
TPS senses a hard punch of the accelerator pedal
The reason it is not engaged normally is due to <5mph is when you are doing parallel parking and tight turns. If power was going to the front wheels then you'll get binding.
-mike
Tom
-mike
You stated "Considering that this Trooper has 79k miles, I am amazed at how tight the structure is with only one squeak coming from the rear when I take a tight turn on a bumpy street."
We have a 1999 Trooper with 50K miles and a 1999 Toyota Sienna with 60K miles. Like you, I have found my Trooper to have tight and solid feel - much more than our Sienna. I think these last Troopers are as well built a vehicle as any. We bought the Sienna because of the perceived notion that Toyotas were the highest quality and we bought that Sienna over other more preferrable vans plus paid more for it than other comparable vans. But quality and reliable was the deciding factor. But, we are a little disappointed in our "perceived" view of Toyota. We expected more and its probably because we have the Trooper to compare which seems more close to the solid feel of its new state than the Toyota. The Toyota seems loose and even the closing of doors on the Toyota do not have the solid feel of the Trooper doors. Course, the one thing on the Trooper that has that "Toyota feeling" is the Trooper Cargo Door :-)
Don't get me wrong. I think the Toyota Sienna is a nice vehicle but we purchased it because it was perceived to be so much higher quality than other vehicles and like I said expected more. I think the Sienna was marketed that way and a culture/myth surrounds the Toyota products as being 'the quality vehicles'. This in contrast to the Isuzu products that are in *reality* truly high quality and very well built but there was no marketing perception created in the publics mind. Perhaps, our knowledge of the quality of Isuzu products is a secret that only a few people like all of us on this forum can really know.
I'm very impressed with the new Tiboron very nice solid car IMHO along with the Sorento and a few other Kia/Subaru/Isuzu/Hyundai vehicles.
-mike
Your problem is most likely the intake manifold gasket problem. Have you tried a different dealer than your original one?
-mike
Our 1999 Sienna has been in several times for door adjustments, had to have the steering column replaced because of steering problems, got letter from Toyota about 'oil sludge' tendency with engine and recommends more timely oil changes (search internet for details), flip down visor mirror broke, and has cost us $500 to have the driver side electric window replaced.
Our 1999 Trooper = nothing wrong. Just routine maintenance.
This board serves a vital function in getting the collective word out. The posters on this board are generally happy with their Troopers. Not so on discussion boards for other vehicles.
Tom
I keep up with several vehicles on this forum. My favorites include Jeep and Land Rover. The Jeep owners have a few common issues and the Land Rovers have a list a mile long. But both groups are very loyal to their respective brands. Like the Trooper board, there is a huge amount of information that includes great ideas from regular contributors that really know their stuff.
Other boards have a few brand loyalist, but include nightmare after nightmare on a large variety of service and repair issues.
Whenever a friend ask me about a possible car purchase, my first step is to recommend some research on Edmund's town hall. Reading 3000 post on this message board makes for a very educated consumer.
Thanks to everyone on this board for all your help and advice.:)
It has had one unscheduled repair. It failed to start once in 7 years/125k miles and I replaced the OEM battery.
The maintenance every 60k miles, the expensive rotors, and the poor mileage make it more expensive to own than my BMW and (of course) my Miata. These cars too have flawless maintenance records.
The Trooper performance/reliability/value has been legendary. It is going to give way to a new Honda Pilot very soon, I can only hope the Honda will approach the quality and reliability of the ole' Trooper.
....and by the way, I haven't rolled it yet!
With my '00 Troop., I've only had 2 defects. A rear pinion seal leak & an accelerator sensor both repaired under warranty, & a rattle in the rear door latch which is easily solved w/ a dab of wheel bearing grease...that's it. I thought about a 2nd Troop but I decided to just weld the 4 cam sprockets on my Gen III SHO instead to satisfy both of my driving needs.
I wasn't looking for a Troop as a 3rd vehicle - was looking at Jeeps, Toyota's, Nissan's & other 4wd's to serve the utilitarian needs I had to fill. Through a lot of research on this forum & others, I found a match - just glad I did! Boards / forums are an invaluable guide.
All covered under my warranty
It's nice to have 2wd as an option again.
-mike
..
We also keep a minivan, but trade out of it before the warrantee is up. 1st minivan 26 repairs in 45K miles many of them major like new transmission or the dashboard fell off. 2nd minivan only a half dozen repairs in 15K miles, and nothing major yet, only radio replaced three times and tires at only 19 miles on them and some adjustments, possible oil leak around valve covers.
..
Through all the minivans the Trooper is the one we depend on for most outings. Minivans carry more for really long trips.
I think that folks that post negative comments on the Edmunds boards I follow get slammed too often (some of them are trolling and deserve it, but you clearly weren't).
I think so far you've just gotten one counter argument (anectodal, like your original statement) and one helpful comment (the intake manifold gasket is a frequent problem).
The best thing these boards can supply is an overall impression of a vehicle, a community, and a source of help.
I think more problems exist here due to a poor dealer network than major problems with the truck/drivetrain.
I am not sure about Toyota vs. Isuzu quality? I agree with some posters that the sludge issue is a black mark for Toyota. The Trooper itself seems to be historically a fairly solid/reliable vehicle. I am not sure about the Rodeo/Amigo/Axiom (US made Isuzu's).
Currently I have a problem with my steering...major annoyance with slack on center that seems to be more related to a problem with the steering gear rather than adjustment. My main problem is getting it fixed and the dealer...not starting and driving to work each day.
So I have found that finding a vehicle that is known for reliability is 1/2 the battle, the other 1/2 is interviewing dealerships and finding a good support network to fix any issues that come up along the way.
Oil use, some do some don't
Excessive tap,tap,tap noise
Mine makes the tap,tap,tap but doesnt use much oil. However, it has made the noise for 65k miles no with no other drama.
I think this forum gives a fair image of the cars reliability.
I will tell you this much, go over to Land Rover or ML320 and they arent chatting about lousy mileage, tap,tap,tap and oil use. They have much more serious issues that a large number of the posters share.
My opinion.
I'm looking at get some progressive rate coils in the rear. One Jackaroo owner here installed some TJM progressive rate coils in his truck and once he lowered the truck to the ground and the weight came on to the coils, the progressive section of the coil closed to the point where only the linear section was working anyway.
How do you find the ARB's? Do you have standard load or heavy load and how do they ride compared to stock?
I'm going to upgrade to the 919s which are a bit stiffer than the 912s in a few months.
-mike
..
What works if it is ticking is to get the oil really clean by changing the oil and filter after a very short time I have run clean oil 1/2 hour at various RPMs then changed it again. Or drive a day or two and change it again. Then use your choice of synthetic oil and a high quality filter and the noise should go away in less than 300 miles. To keep it noise free change every 3000 miles or at the first sign of the tap tap tap returning.
..
Works for me. My engine runs great is very quiet and passes emissions by a very wide margin.
And say what you will about Toyota. That sludge thing might be a real issue. But the 100K warranty they issued to cover the engine, requiring only minimal proof of maintenance was a shot in the arm for us Sienna owners. I guess that speaks to the manufacturer/dealer side of the dichotomy. Of course, I'll never have to use that warranty, because it's still a great engine and I use synth...
-mike
I wont worry about t-bars yet, they're doing fine for now. So are the coils, but I want to soften the rear just a bit.
-mike
The problem with Jackaroo suspensions in Australia is that the rear end can easily be thrown off line when travelling at speed on rough or unsealed roads. I have had the rear try to overtake the front once or twice. It can be controlled easily enough, but it would be better if it didn't happen in the first place.
what are you doing up so late?
On a side note I may be joining you on your timetable. There is a chance I'll be moving to the 2am-10am tech support shift here at work.
-mike
That's why I'm up and thinking about what I'd rather be doing...shocks, coils, wheeling!
-mike
I put them on my sway bars, ordered them from JCWhitney. There is a writeup on http://isuzu-suvs.com
Most upgraded aftermarket shocks come with poly bushings for them.
-mike
$0.97 for the bulb
3 minutes labor(dealer) at $75 per minute=$225
Is this a known Isuzu problem or is it just me?
It's just me right........
I had a '97 Rodeo, went 120K miles, no bulbs out.
So far have '00 Trooper with 50K miles, no dead bulbs.
-mike
-mike
-mike