I have the OME Expedition Springs and Air-lift Air-bags. Very good combo IMHO. The Air-bags are great for when you have tons of stuff in the back to keep it level. The Expedition OME springs are great cause they are progressive and are fairly soft when not loaded, load em up and they stiffen up. I like my combo of OME Expedition, OME HD Shocks front and rear, and Sway Away Torsion bars in the front.
Thanks Mike, one more...Do the OME springs actually support a full load better (or provide greater load carrying capacity)?
What I mean is, when loaded down for vacation I find I am almost riding on the bump stops. The ride isn't terrible, but the fact that the suspension jams against the body bothers me. I was hoping that under the same load I might get an extra 1 to 2 inches over the bump stops. Would I get the same result with just airbags alone?
Both help this. Towing the 5K trailer and equipment in the rar of the trooper yields me not hitting the bump stops and a nice level ride.
The airbags are only $100 so I'd get them first (about 1hr install) and take it from there, the ride is a bit more harsh with the airbags v. the upgraded springs.
I don't know about X-terra but I can't imagine worse back seats than those on the Trooper. The leg room is great, kids and short adults will find the seats ok, I guess but, c'mon, the two headrests that don't stay up, limited number of recline positions and the ridiculously short seat backs are unacceptable. I like the front seats though and that's where I spend most of my time anyway.
The rear seats must fold down, hence the height. Rear seats are plenty tall for kids. Trooper seat belts do not have the tall stalk like the Explorer, so kids get the seat belt against their hips not their tummy, unfortunately, the dominance of the Explorer has caused a new law in NC that requires child seats until age 8 or 80 lbs. This is similar to the lack of turn signals on the rear of American made vehicles causing all vehicles to be required to have that extra brake light in the middle, if American cars had yellow turn signals the third brake light would not have been required.
I had light duty OME rear coil springs and light duty OME shocks all around on my 1995 Trooper. The combination is softer than stock on a smooth road, but the progressive springs and shocks really work well on bumps. .. I will do the OME upgrade again on my 2001 Trooper before my next set of tires which are down to 5/32's already. This time I will do the HD shocks and HD rear coil springs and maybe even the sway away torsion bars. I will have to do this parts at a time for lack of disposable income, HD shocks will be on by the end of this year. .. New tires with original equipment shocks that have over 50K miles can damage the tires by allowing cupping and other noise causing problems to happen. I gota have tires, so I gota have new shocks and they will be OME HD. .. OME shocks have poly bushings at their ends which help them keep the tire on the road.
Thanks. I have the n65/n15 ome shock setup and I love it. Best improvement overstock, really added a lot of value on and offroad.
I think I am going to go for the heavy duty 919's. I might wait until the spring. I need to talk to my personal finance advisor if I can go for the $150 for the springs and also another $100 on the alignment.
I like the rear seat in our 98 Troop. It's one of the best rear seats I've seen. To me, space is more important than 'comfort.' I need enough room; I can get comfortable if I have enough room. If I don't have enough room, I find it impossible to get comfortable.
The fact that it reclines AT ALL is a strong feature, IMO. Don't most SUV rear seats not recline at all? At least 5-6 years back, I thought that was true.
I'm short, so I never noticed a problem with the height of the seatbacks.
Also, I've never noticed a problem with our headrests falling down.
That's one thing I meant to ask you guys for a long time now. The front headrests have notches and clips that let them stay in place. That's the common design you see on cars everywhere.
The ones in the rear, however, slowly slide down on their own once extended - they're pretty much useless in an accident too. Is there anything (like a 3-rd party clip or something) that would let them stay up?
I guess everything else pales next to Highlander's second row once you see it - safe and comfortable.
Also don't forget the rear seats in the Trooper have been around since about '92, the GMC dealer was amazed that my trooper had power folding mirrors since '92, he was trying to sell it as a new feature when I was looking at the denali! haaaaa
Just wanted to provide an update on our Trooper's tires. Michelin LTX M&S, P245/60/16 (stock size). Tires have 61,000 miles and I was considering replacing them before winter here in Michigan, but I measured them today and all 4 tires still have 7/32"-8/32" remaining tread. Looks like we will keep them on the truck a while longer. I am amazed by the longevity of these tires.
Anyone put dedicated winter tires on their Troopers? I've been debating on doing so and wondering if anyone has suggestions? Blizzaks? Pirelli Winter? "Winter Duelers"?
There was also a motorweek article about winter tires a while ago...they used the 1998 trooper as a test vehicle. If I can find the link I will post it, interesting to see a trooper in the media.
Anybody tried out this tire? LT265/75R16C has 14/32 tread depth the tread pattern looks decently efficient for handling and low noise while still having plenty of traction. $104 on Tirerack.com compares to $138 to $168 for other top brands.
What a pleasure it is to be able brake smoothly without pulsing. I replaced the rear disks and pads myself at approx 35,000 miles, and found it a very rewarding experience. It was not hard to do and I braked smoothly. The front brakes were pulsing soon there after at 41,000 miles. I priced the dealer for new rotors and pads to be replaced, but on in spection through the front of the alum. wheels, i saw no wear. The dealer wanted $850 for new rotors and pads, I thought that was a bit much. My fellow trooper followers on this page thought it was too much also. So, following their advice, I shopped around. I wound up at our reliable local gas station and was quoted a price of $380.00 for new rotors and pads for the front, and also grease and tire rotation was free. What a deal! Turns ours, things were a bit different after the trooper was raised on the lift. They found that the passenger side of the front was worn down to the metal on the inside, thus the grinding sound. The drivers side was soon following. I had frozen calipers in the front. The rearpads only had 6,000 miles on them, but were worn considerably. They were doing all the work for the last 6,000 or so miles. So what i got were 2 rebuilt front calipers, 2 new front rotors, new rear brake pads (rotors in great shape after 6,000 miles), front wheel bearing grease, tire rotation and brakes checked all around for $856.00. Did I do ok on this? love to hear from all you trooper devotees. PS a week after, I got a TOD check light, with rear wheels blinking. It thought this may have been related to the front brake job which required dissembly of the front drive. The repair was on warranty, seems they had to replace a valve in the front differential and some gear oil. They really did not want to talk about this too extensively. Has anyone experienecd this??
I have almost 100,000 miles on my 1999 Trooper and have never touched the brakes. They are probably about due, but have shown no signs of performance loss.
If brakes are wearing out in 30-40,000 miles something is wrong or unusual. It could be mechanical problems, driving conditions (heavy loads/towing), or maybe poor driving habits -riding the brake with the left foot, tail-gating causing one to have to brake more often, not planning ahead for obvious stops and braking hard at the last minute.
I drive fairly fast, especially on the open road and in the mountains. Yep, even in the Trooper the mountain roads can be entertaining. You can get around quickly without over-using your brakes, if you drive smoothly and plan ahead. The way I see a lot of people drive around town and in traffic, it's not surprising their brakes wear out fast. It seems like they're surprised by every stop light and can't get close enough to the car in front of them, necessitating constant braking. Where the heck do they think they're going? Very annoying!
Bottom Line - If brakes wear fast and there is no mechanical problem or no existence of extreme driving conditions, then maybe an examination of driving skills and habits is in order.
I find there is great satisfaction in driving quickly, efficiently, and smoothly, and a lot less drama, too. Paisan, as a racer, can probably appreciate this. The fastest on the track are the smoothest! Herky-jerky driving is hard on equipment, hard on the driver, slow and dangerous - regardless of whether it's on a race track or on the street.
What a pleasure it is to be able brake smoothly without pulsing. I replaced the rear disks and pads myself at approx 35,000 miles, and found it a very rewarding experience. It was not hard to do and I braked smoothly. The front brakes were pulsing soon there after at 41,000 miles. I priced the dealer for new rotors and pads to be replaced, but on in spection through the front of the alum. wheels, i saw no wear. The dealer wanted $850 for new rotors and pads, I thought that was a bit much. My fellow trooper followers on this page thought it was too much also. So, following their advice, I shopped around. I wound up at our reliable local gas station and was quoted a price of $380.00 for new rotors and pads for the front, and also grease and tire rotation was free. What a deal! Turns ours, things were a bit different after the trooper was raised on the lift. They found that the passenger side of the front was worn down to the metal on the inside, thus the grinding sound. The drivers side was soon following. I had frozen calipers in the front. The rearpads only had 6,000 miles on them, but were worn considerably. They were doing all the work for the last 6,000 or so miles. So what i got were 2 rebuilt front calipers, 2 new front rotors, new rear brake pads (rotors in great shape after 6,000 miles), front wheel bearing grease, tire rotation and brakes checked all around for $856.00. Did I do ok on this? love to hear from all you trooper devotees. PS a week after, I got a TOD check light, with rear wheels blinking. It thought this may have been related to the front brake job which required dissembly of the front drive. The repair was on warranty, seems they had to replace a valve in the front differential and some gear oil. They really did not want to talk about this too extensively. Has anyone experienecd this??
My dealer said I was at about 20% left when I had 35K miles on my truck. I went ahead and had them replaced, along with the bearing repack, etc. since we had vacation coming up and I didn't want to take the time to go someplace else, etc.
I wish I had gotten a second opinion at this point. All the reports of high brake life makes me fairly sure that I got taken. I wonder if they even replaced them, given the long life history, I probably was at 75% left and they did nothing but charge me.
On both my '97 Rodeo and my '00 Trooper I replaced the rears before the fronts.
As for brakewear, i've found that with my rather agressive driving style I go through fronts in about 40k and rears in about 35K which is fairly normal for most vehicles. On my Rodeo I went almost 70k on my first set of pads.
Same here. I just changed original front pads on 97 Rodeo with 91K mi. The rear pads started develop grove in brake rotor and were changed at 30K, much earlier as attempt to save the rotor. Probably, just had to try sand down the tooth on that pad and put it back and see what happen.
Found a 1998 Trooper LS 4X4 with 83K miles, priced around 5600. Has the leather interior and was always a southern vehicle no accidents. Just want a safe and fun vehicle to haul around a new family. Does this look like a good price? edmunds says it is, just want to make sure. Was the 3.2L alot less power then the 3.5L? Does anyone own this year and have any words of wisdom?
I always thought the 3.2L V6 in our 1996 Trooper was adequate. The 3.5L in our 98 Trooper is a noticeable step up in power, but the '97 with 3.2L should be just fine. Our '98 is rated 15 mpg city / 19 highway, which is higher than our '96 (14/18). But for some reason, we got about 1 mpg better overall with the '96.
How is the reliability of the 3.2L? Do you still have the 96?
I read that the reliabiltiy on the Troopers is really good, comparitively to the ford or chevy, and the value is better then the toyota or nissan. Also, they seem to have a lot of room. Good to hear about the mpg, although, I only drive around 5 thousand miles a year. Unless the wife starts using it.
Also from reading the previous posts it seems like a few modifications can cure some issues.
My 1999 has been OK. Not terrible, but not good, but there have been problems and I am not entirely confident in it. Though none of the problems would have disabled it...i.e.
problems with the suspension when new, caused it to pull hard to the right, apart from taking 7 trips to dealers/shops in the first 6 months of the life of the truck, it still ran, just pulled to the right. Cost me several hundred dollars getting comparison work done at other shops before Isuzu recognized the problem and fixed it under warranty.
intake manifold gasket problem, it ran, just crappy, but it took 4 trips to the dealer to get fixed;
Steering column, has a notchy feeling on center and was even replaced with no avail, but it steers fine and I haven't had it get worse even with offroading...it took several trips to the dealer, 1 week without truck
catalytic converter went, just noisy. This was covered underwarranty, 3 trips to the dealer...1 to diagnose, 1 when the part came in and then back because they didn't do something which caused the CEL to come on.
TOD System locked up, 4wd still worked, just not on dry pavement...required multiple dealer trips and a few hundred dollars, but it was fixed.
So not major problems, but I have been to the dealer many more times than I wish...with the first problem, I could have probably paid one of the other shops less to fix it than fight for warranty coverage...hindsight. Cost of ownership...having to take whole family in 2 cars 30-40 minutes each way to the dealer umteen times. Fixing the above issues out of pocket might have worked out cheaper than using the warranty.
Used, with a good local mechanic I proabably would have been much happier.
Thank you all for your feedback. This will help with my decision. Do not see alot of the 96 or 97's being sold around my parts, mainly the 99 - 2002 models. I do not really need to TOD in Georgia. I do like the four wheel drive for some fun in the mountains. Thank you again. If you have more suggestions please let me know. I will let you know what the outcome is.
A bit of a photochop I think, but seems workable, it won't sell though IMHO a bit plain. I'm thinking that i'm gonna move over to Hummer, at least they are using the go-father mentality.
SBCooke, can you give more detail of what happened when your "TOD locked up" and wouldn't work on dry pavement, but 4wd still worked? We have a 2002 with almost 30k miles and we may have the same problem. No trouble lights and the dealer says there are no diagnostic faults therefore nothing wrong. However, we have had several occasions when it seems like the diff(s) are locked while in Auto (high range/TOD). Right after picking it up from the dealer yesterday, while turning slowly into a parking place, it started "scrubbing" and making a horrible moaning or creaking noise. Not too loud, but it seems like this is a "bad thing". I drove it another 50 miles yesterday and today and it seems fine. Will I have to keep driving it around the dealer parking lot until it locks up and makes the creaking noise? Is it likely to get worse? Is it causing permanent damage? I want to get this resolved soon while it's still in the full warranty. Thanks for any help from you guys on the forum.
That is exactly what happened to me, no codes and scrubbing while turning in 4wd. The dealer replaced a $300 part...which didn't fix it, I managed to get the $200 labor back but they wouldn't refund the part.
I asked for a new transfer case since the clutching mechanism in the system wasn't working. The Isuzu regional rep suggested they add a special lubricant to the TOD transfer case to help "loosen" things up. They then drove it in circles until the lubricant had freed up the clutch.
While I have a feeling they put snake oil in the transfer case and it is going to fail next year while out of warrany, it is working fine now.
I am also concerned that the operation of the system and power it delivers to the fronts may somehow be damaged, but it seems to work fine on wet roads and send power to the front.
While I might have wanted a new transfer case, I think there was more risk to the whole truck if this dealer did the work, so I guess I am happy?
When I said 4wd still worked...I meant just that. Without the clutching in the TOD transfer case, it was like having a traditional 4wd high and with low engaged the whole system is locked up 4wd should/would have worked fine.
SBCooke,thanks for your reply. I will post again if/when our problem is fixed. Planning to drive it another 1,000 miles and watch for more locking before taking it back for the 30k service.
By the way, what are typical charges from a dealer for changing all the diff lubes (not engine oil/filter)?
I cannot remember the individual charges...but 30K cost me about $500 that included re-packing the front bearings and all the items listed in the manual.
My 2001 Trooper with 34,000 started giving me the Check Engine light. I tried disconnecting the battery for a few hours and then re-connecting it. The light would be off but then come back on in a few days.
So I took the car to Autozone and had them run the codes. The codes showed that all of the four oxygen sensor faults. The Trooper has four O2 sensors. I wasn't sure if all four were bad or just one. I decided to take the car home and check the connections and locations of the sensors before I bought new ones.
When I went to start the car, the battery was dead! Right there in the Autozone parking lot. They wheeled out the battery tester, hooked it up, and sure enough, I had a bad battery!
I bought a new one on the spot. When I connected it and started the car, the Check Engine light was still on. But it went off on the way home and it has stayed off for several days now. Could a bad battery create a Check Engine fault?
Sorry to hear that. The CEL on my 99 Trooper came on half year ago. I visited the dealer 5 times, changed intake gasket (The first time is 2 years ago). The dealer cannot find the problem and CEL is still on. The car seems runs OK.
If anyone's interested. Isuzu's total sales year-to-date are just shy of 24,000 vehicles. Not that bad, considering they aren't really manufacturing vehicles anymore...
New to the board, lots of interesting stuff here. Just blew the engine on my 98 troop 62k miles checked the oil 2 hours before no warning. Looks like a piece of the crank hanging out of the oil pan. was planning on driveing this puppy forever. Loved it but the idea of spending 4 thousand for a new engine and have a truck worth 6 thousand does not make a lot of sense. I have read of new engines from Isuzu or short blocks and split cost but nothing on trucks this old. On ITOG the consensus seems to be a manufacturing defect in the oil return causes the problem. Has any one else lost an engine and had any help from isuzu on it. Does anyone now where I can find an engine for less than $3500. new or used. Does anyone know of engine change outs from other Isuzu products or maybe drop in a 327 or an old 302 and rock-in-roll. Lots of questions but I would like to save this one. thanx
I had a Check Engine Light come on Friday. It was the "engine running too cold" code. The thermostat was failed open. My mechanic verified it by noticing that there was very little heat available inside. .. New Thermostat and new "improved" intake manifold gaskets and a new serpentine belt due to visible cracks and a cleanup and re-oil the KN air filter cost me over $400. .. The thermostat is under the intake manifold, so requires removal of the intake manifold. My mechanic said that my Trooper's intake manifold gaskets are prone to crack in a couple spots so they did not want to re-use them. Evidently the replacement intake manifold gaskets are made tougher in the key areas to avoid this problem. My mechanic said that often a leaky intake gasket goes unnoticed too long, all the while it leaks in dirt, which scratches up the cylinders and piston rings. By the time the CEL finally comes on, and the engine is idling rough, the damage has been done, the motor often will burn a lot of oil and replacement is cheaper than re-building, partly because it is hard to get the Isuzu rebuild parts. .. I had the work done immediately Friday in preparation for a trip Saturday. My 5 speed manual tranmission Trooper went 270 miles and still the fuel gage needle is much closer to half than 1/4. I was loaded till the rear end was about 3" lower than it normally rides and drove up into the mountains.
You can probably get an engine from a junk yard and have it put in for under $3500. You could probably also find a place that will take it out and rebuild it for less than $3500 but probably not under $2500. That is a lot of work.
I think swapping another engine into the truck really isn't realistic. Since you have to find one that the transmission can support, swap out the electrical system, change the CPU, fuel delivery, etc. Older cars were much easier to swap engines, with all the electonics and computer controls in newer engines today, you would be hard pressed to get a 327 in it for under $10K.
On an engine swap. I think current laws for emissions is that the vehicle would have to pass emissions for the year of the vehicle NOT the year of the engine. Also, regardless of actually passing emissions, it also must have attached all the emissions equipment that originally came with your year Trooper.
I went to AutoZone on Sunday and got the following code:
P0137 Sense Circuit Low Volts (Bank1 Censor 1 ???)
P0157 Sense Circuit Low Volts (Bank2 Censor 2)
P1171 Fuel Air Ratio
Do you guys have any insider information or recommendation? Thanks!
The intake gasket of my 99 Trooper was changed twice; I think the Fuel Air Ratio may be caused by the same reason.
The car runs OK now, but the new problem comes out: there are some strange sounds come from the right-front wheel. The sound is obviously related to the tire or the wheel, because the sounds become faster when the wheels turn faster. I took the car to Firestone and had the tires balanced and front wheel aligned. The sounds become lauder after that. L (And they lost 4 bolts on my wheel caps! I believe that may be a Firestone tradition). Anyway, I need to find a good (and honest!) mechanic who knows how to work on Troopers. Do you guy have any recommendation? (I live in Westmont, Illinois, i.e. Chicago west suburb)
Comments
-mike
What I mean is, when loaded down for vacation I find I am almost riding on the bump stops. The ride isn't terrible, but the fact that the suspension jams against the body bothers me. I was hoping that under the same load I might get an extra 1 to 2 inches over the bump stops. Would I get the same result with just airbags alone?
The airbags are only $100 so I'd get them first (about 1hr install) and take it from there, the ride is a bit more harsh with the airbags v. the upgraded springs.
-mike
..
I will do the OME upgrade again on my 2001 Trooper before my next set of tires which are down to 5/32's already. This time I will do the HD shocks and HD rear coil springs and maybe even the sway away torsion bars. I will have to do this parts at a time for lack of disposable income, HD shocks will be on by the end of this year.
..
New tires with original equipment shocks that have over 50K miles can damage the tires by allowing cupping and other noise causing problems to happen. I gota have tires, so I gota have new shocks and they will be OME HD.
..
OME shocks have poly bushings at their ends which help them keep the tire on the road.
I think I am going to go for the heavy duty 919's. I might wait until the spring. I need to talk to my personal finance advisor if I can go for the $150 for the springs and also another $100 on the alignment.
I like the rear seat in our 98 Troop. It's one of the best rear seats I've seen. To me, space is more important than 'comfort.' I need enough room; I can get comfortable if I have enough room. If I don't have enough room, I find it impossible to get comfortable.
The fact that it reclines AT ALL is a strong feature, IMO. Don't most SUV rear seats not recline at all? At least 5-6 years back, I thought that was true.
I'm short, so I never noticed a problem with the height of the seatbacks.
Also, I've never noticed a problem with our headrests falling down.
The ones in the rear, however, slowly slide down on their own once extended - they're pretty much useless in an accident too. Is there anything (like a 3-rd party clip or something) that would let them stay up?
I guess everything else pales next to Highlander's second row once you see it - safe and comfortable.
-mike
I've been debating on doing so and wondering if anyone has suggestions? Blizzaks? Pirelli Winter? "Winter Duelers"?
http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/tires_popup.cfm?id=29&w=1
If brakes are wearing out in 30-40,000 miles something is wrong or unusual. It could be mechanical problems, driving conditions (heavy loads/towing), or maybe poor driving habits -riding the brake with the left foot, tail-gating causing one to have to brake more often, not planning ahead for obvious stops and braking hard at the last minute.
I drive fairly fast, especially on the open road and in the mountains. Yep, even in the Trooper the mountain roads can be entertaining. You can get around quickly without over-using your brakes, if you drive smoothly and plan ahead. The way I see a lot of people drive around town and in traffic, it's not surprising their brakes wear out fast. It seems like they're surprised by every stop light and can't get close enough to the car in front of them, necessitating constant braking. Where the heck do they think they're going? Very annoying!
Bottom Line - If brakes wear fast and there is no mechanical problem or no existence of extreme driving conditions, then maybe an examination of driving skills and habits is in order.
I find there is great satisfaction in driving quickly, efficiently, and smoothly, and a lot less drama, too. Paisan, as a racer, can probably appreciate this. The fastest on the track are the smoothest! Herky-jerky driving is hard on equipment, hard on the driver, slow and dangerous - regardless of whether it's on a race track or on the street.
I wish I had gotten a second opinion at this point. All the reports of high brake life makes me fairly sure that I got taken. I wonder if they even replaced them, given the long life history, I probably was at 75% left and they did nothing but charge me.
As for brakewear, i've found that with my rather agressive driving style I go through fronts in about 40k and rears in about 35K which is fairly normal for most vehicles. On my Rodeo I went almost 70k on my first set of pads.
-mike
-mike
Found a 1998 Trooper LS 4X4 with 83K miles, priced around 5600. Has the leather interior and was always a southern vehicle no accidents. Just want a safe and fun vehicle to haul around a new family. Does this look like a good price? edmunds says it is, just want to make sure. Was the 3.2L alot less power then the 3.5L? Does anyone own this year and have any words of wisdom?
Thanks!
I read that the reliabiltiy on the Troopers is really good, comparitively to the ford or chevy, and the value is better then the toyota or nissan. Also, they seem to have a lot of room. Good to hear about the mpg, although, I only drive around 5 thousand miles a year. Unless the wife starts using it.
Also from reading the previous posts it seems like a few modifications can cure some issues.
Thanks
problems with the suspension when new, caused it to pull hard to the right, apart from taking 7 trips to dealers/shops in the first 6 months of the life of the truck, it still ran, just pulled to the right. Cost me several hundred dollars getting comparison work done at other shops before Isuzu recognized the problem and fixed it under warranty.
intake manifold gasket problem, it ran, just crappy, but it took 4 trips to the dealer to get fixed;
Steering column, has a notchy feeling on center and was even replaced with no avail, but it steers fine and I haven't had it get worse even with offroading...it took several trips to the dealer, 1 week without truck
catalytic converter went, just noisy. This was covered underwarranty, 3 trips to the dealer...1 to diagnose, 1 when the part came in and then back because they didn't do something which caused the CEL to come on.
TOD System locked up, 4wd still worked, just not on dry pavement...required multiple dealer trips and a few hundred dollars, but it was fixed.
So not major problems, but I have been to the dealer many more times than I wish...with the first problem, I could have probably paid one of the other shops less to fix it than fight for warranty coverage...hindsight. Cost of ownership...having to take whole family in 2 cars 30-40 minutes each way to the dealer umteen times. Fixing the above issues out of pocket might have worked out cheaper than using the warranty.
Used, with a good local mechanic I proabably would have been much happier.
Our 98 now has 113k miles. It has not been 100% trouble-free, but it has been very reliable and durable.
I would agree Troopers provide better quality than the mainstream American-brand SUVs and better value than the Toyotas and Nissans of the SUV world.
Our 2 Troopers have been my favorite 2 vehicles we have ever owned, and I am an automotive enthusiast.
Thanks!!
-mike
I asked for a new transfer case since the clutching mechanism in the system wasn't working. The Isuzu regional rep suggested they add a special lubricant to the TOD transfer case to help "loosen" things up. They then drove it in circles until the lubricant had freed up the clutch.
While I have a feeling they put snake oil in the transfer case and it is going to fail next year while out of warrany, it is working fine now.
I am also concerned that the operation of the system and power it delivers to the fronts may somehow be damaged, but it seems to work fine on wet roads and send power to the front.
While I might have wanted a new transfer case, I think there was more risk to the whole truck if this dealer did the work, so I guess I am happy?
When I said 4wd still worked...I meant just that. Without the clutching in the TOD transfer case, it was like having a traditional 4wd high and with low engaged the whole system is locked up 4wd should/would have worked fine.
The CEL of my was on again
-mike
By the way, what are typical charges from a dealer for changing all the diff lubes (not engine oil/filter)?
So I took the car to Autozone and had them run the codes. The codes showed that all of the four oxygen sensor faults. The Trooper has four O2 sensors. I wasn't sure if all four were bad or just one. I decided to take the car home and check the connections and locations of the sensors before I bought new ones.
When I went to start the car, the battery was dead! Right there in the Autozone parking lot. They wheeled out the battery tester, hooked it up, and sure enough, I had a bad battery!
I bought a new one on the spot. When I connected it and started the car, the Check Engine light was still on. But it went off on the way home and it has stayed off for several days now. Could a bad battery create a Check Engine fault?
Coincidentally, my CEL came on this morning.
..
New Thermostat and new "improved" intake manifold gaskets and a new serpentine belt due to visible cracks and a cleanup and re-oil the KN air filter cost me over $400.
..
The thermostat is under the intake manifold, so requires removal of the intake manifold. My mechanic said that my Trooper's intake manifold gaskets are prone to crack in a couple spots so they did not want to re-use them. Evidently the replacement intake manifold gaskets are made tougher in the key areas to avoid this problem. My mechanic said that often a leaky intake gasket goes unnoticed too long, all the while it leaks in dirt, which scratches up the cylinders and piston rings. By the time the CEL finally comes on, and the engine is idling rough, the damage has been done, the motor often will burn a lot of oil and replacement is cheaper than re-building, partly because it is hard to get the Isuzu rebuild parts.
..
I had the work done immediately Friday in preparation for a trip Saturday. My 5 speed manual tranmission Trooper went 270 miles and still the fuel gage needle is much closer to half than 1/4. I was loaded till the rear end was about 3" lower than it normally rides and drove up into the mountains.
I think swapping another engine into the truck really isn't realistic. Since you have to find one that the transmission can support, swap out the electrical system, change the CPU, fuel delivery, etc. Older cars were much easier to swap engines, with all the electonics and computer controls in newer engines today, you would be hard pressed to get a 327 in it for under $10K.
I think those type of engine swaps are no longer.
P0137 Sense Circuit Low Volts (Bank1 Censor 1 ???)
P0157 Sense Circuit Low Volts (Bank2 Censor 2)
P1171 Fuel Air Ratio
Do you guys have any insider information or recommendation? Thanks!
The intake gasket of my 99 Trooper was changed twice; I think the Fuel Air Ratio may be caused by the same reason.
The car runs OK now, but the new problem comes out: there are some strange sounds come from the right-front wheel. The sound is obviously related to the tire or the wheel, because the sounds become faster when the wheels turn faster. I took the car to Firestone and had the tires balanced and front wheel aligned. The sounds become lauder after that. L (And they lost 4 bolts on my wheel caps! I believe that may be a Firestone tradition). Anyway, I need to find a good (and honest!) mechanic who knows how to work on Troopers. Do you guy have any recommendation? (I live in Westmont, Illinois, i.e. Chicago west suburb)
Just now I did a search in Yahoo and found a Isuzu OBD2 codes chart. I believe you should be interested in it too
http://www.troublecodes.net/isuzu/iszuobd2.shtml
OBD2
P0101
MAF System Performance
P0102
MAF Sensor Circuit Frequency Low
P0103
MAF Sensor Circuit Frequency High
P0106
MAP System Range/Performance
P0107
MAP Circuit Input Low
P0108
MAP Circuit Input High
P0112
IAT Circuit Input Low
P0113
IAT Circuit Input High
P0116
ECT Circuit Range/Performance
P0117
ECT Circuit Input Low
P0118
ECT Circuit Input High
P0121
TP Sensor System Performance
P0122
TP Sensor Circuit Input Low
P0123
TP Sensor Circuit Input High
P0125
ECT Insufficient Coolant Temperature For Closed Loop Fuel Control
P0131
HO2S Circuit Voltage Low Bank 1 Sensor 1
P0132
HO2S Circuit Voltage High Bank 1 Sensor 1
P0133
HO2S Slow Response Bank 1 Sensor 1
P0134
H02S Circuit No Activity Bank 1 Sensor 1
P0135
HO2S Heater Circuit Malfunction Bank 1 Sensor 1
P0137
HO2S Circuit Voltage Low Bank 1 Sensor 2
P0138
HO2S Circuit Voltage High Bank 1 Sensor 2
P0139
HO2S Slow Response Bank 1 Sensor 2
P0140
H02S Circuit No Activity Bank 1 Sensor 2
P0141
HO2S Heater Circuit Malfunction Bank 1 Sensor 2
P0143
HO2S Circuit Voltage Low Bank 1 Sensor 3
P0144
HO2S Circuit Voltage High Bank 1 Sensor 3
P0146
HO2S Insufficient Activity Bank 1 Sensor 3
P0147
HO2S Heater Circuit Bank 1 Sensor 3
P0151
HO2S Circuit Voltage Low Bank 2 Sensor 1
P0152
HO2S Circuit Voltage High Bank 2 Sensor 1
P0153
HO2S Circuit Slow Response Bank 2 Sensor 1
P0154
H02S Circuit Insufficient Activity Bank 2 Sensor 1
P0155
HO2S Heater Circuit Bank 2 Sensor 1
P0157
HO2S Circuit Voltage Low Bank 2 Sensor 2
P0158
HO2S Circuit Voltage High Bank 2 Sensor 2
P0160
H02S Circuit Insufficient Activity Bank 2 Sensor 2
P0161
HO2S Heater Circuit Bank 2 Sensor 2
P0171
Fuel Trim System Lean Bank 1
P0172
Fuel Trim System Rich Bank 1
P0174
Fuel Trim System Lean Bank 2
P0175
Fuel Trim System Rich Bank 2
P0201–P0206
Injector Control Circuit Cyls. 1–6
P0218
Transmission Over Temperature Condition
P0300
Engine Misfire Detected
P0301–P0306
Misfire Detected Cyls. 1–6
P0325
KS Filter Module Or Circuit
P0327
KS Sensor Circuit Input Low
P0335
CKP Sensor Circuit Malfunction
P0336
CKP Sensor 58X Reference Signal Circuit Range/Performance
P0337
CKP Sensor Circuit Frequency Low
P0341
CMP Sensor Circuit Range/Performance
P0342
CMP Sensor Circuit Input Low
P0351
Ignition Coil ‘‘A’’ Primary/Secondary Circuit Malfunction (2.2L)
Ignition Control Circuit (2.6L)
P0351–P0356
Ignition Control Circuits 1–6 (3.2L)
P0352
Ignition Coil ‘‘B’’ Primary/Secondary Circuit Malfunction (2.2L)
P0401
EGR Flow Insufficient
P0402
EGR Excessive Flow Detected
P0404
EGR Sensor Circuit Range/Performance, Stuck Open
P0405
EGR Sensor Circuit Low
P0406
EGR Sensor Circuit High
P0420
TWC System Low Efficiency Bank 1
P0430
TWC System Low Efficiency Bank 2
P0440
EVAP System Malfunction
P0441
EVAP System No Flow During Purge
P0442
EVAP System Small Leak Detected
P0443
EVAP System Purge Control Valve Circuit Malfunction
P0446
EVAP System Canister Vent Blocked (Except 2.2L)
EVAP System Canister Vent Control Circuit Malfunction (2.2L)
P0449
EVAP System Vent Valve/Solenoid Circuit Malfunction
P0452
EVAP System Pressure Sensor Input Low
P0453
EVAP System Pressure Sensor Input High
P0461
Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Performance
P0462
Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Input Low
P0463
Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Input High
P0480
Cooling Fan 1 Control Circuit
P0481
Cooling Fan 2 Control Circuit
P0501
VSS Circuit Range Performance
P0502
VSS Circuit Input Low
P0505
Idle Control System Malfunction
P0506
IAC System RPM Low
P0507
IAC System RPM High
P0532
A/C Refrigerant Pressure Sensor Circuit Input Low
P0533
A/C Refrigerant Pressure Sensor Circuit Input High
P0560
System Voltage Low
P0562
System Voltage Low
P0563
System Voltage High
P0601
PCM Memory Checksum Error
P0705
Transaxle Range Switch Circuit
P0706
Transaxle Range Switch Performance
P0712
TFT Voltage Low
P0713
Transmission Fluid Temperature Voltage High
P0719
Brake Switch Circuit Low
P0722
Output Speed Sensor Circuit No Signal
P0723
Output Speed Sensor Circuit Intermittent Signal
P0724
Brake Switch Circuit High
P0730
Gear Ratio Improper
P0742
TCC Circuit Stuck On
P0748
Transmission Pressure Control Solenoid Electrical Fault
P0751
Transmission SS ‘‘A’’ Performance Or Stuck Off
P0753
Transmission SS ‘‘A’’ Electrical Fault
P0756
Transmission SS ‘‘B’’ Performance Or Stuck Off
P0758
Transmission SS ‘‘B’’ Electrical Fault
P1106
MAP Circuit Intermittent Voltage High
P1107
MAP Circuit Intermittent Voltage Low
P1108
Barometric Pressure Circuit Input High
P1111
IAT Sensor Circuit Intermittent Voltage High
P1112
IAT Sensor Circuit Intermittent Voltage Low
P1114
ECT Sensor Circuit Intermittent Voltage Low
P1115
ECT Sensor Circuit Intermittent Voltage High
P1121
TP Sensor Circuit Intermittent Voltage High
P1122
TP Sensor Circuit Intermittent Voltage Low
P1133
H02S Insufficient Switching Bank 1 Sensor 1
P1134
H02S Transition Time Ratio Bank 1 Sensor 1
P1153
H02S Insufficient Switching Bank 2 Sensor 1
P1154
H02S Transition Time Ratio Bank 2 Sensor 1
P1171
Fuel System Lean During Acceleration
P1297
Electrical Load Detector Circuit Input Low
P1298
Electrical Load Detector Circuit Input High
P1300
Random Misfire
P1336
CKP System Variation Not Learned
P1359
CKP/TDC Sensor Disconnected
P1361
TDC Sensor Intermittent Interruption
P1362
TDC Sensor No Signal
P1380
ABS Rough Road System Fault
P1381
Cylinder Position Sensor Intermittent Interruption, Misfire Detected (Except 1998 Rodeo)
ABS Rough Road Class 2 Serial Data Fault Or Link Error (1998 Rodeo)
P1382
Cylinder Position Sensor No Signal
P1390
G Sensor Circuit Intermittent Voltage Low
P1391
G Sensor Performance
P1392
G Sensor Voltage Low
P1393
G Sensor Voltage High
P1394
G Sensor Intermittent Voltage High
P1404
EGR Valve Stuck Closed
P1406
EGR Valve Pintle Position Circuit