Isuzu Rodeo

Boris2

paisan, 35psi is actually what I was thinking, but was kinda scared it might cause excessive tire wear. Do you think it'll be fine as far as wear goes ? Is it going to affect the stability of the vehicle on the road ? I don't remember what the max pressure is for these tires, but I'm pretty sure it's around 40-45 psi. The tires are: 245/70-16

Thanks for the info about the alignment. I just need to find a dealer that can actually do that right. The one that is next to me can never do alignment right from the first time - I guess they need to take classes from Big-O tires :-)

Another thing that kinda interests me: The dealer who sold me that truck said Isuzu uses some kind of patented brake pads for Rodeo and they are supposed to last about 80K mi. Anybody heard about something like this ?

gtroop

Where in Kansas do you live? I am in Overland Park. Where did you buy your Rodeo?

drmp

It could be related to the 4WD system's left axle disconnect system. Take note of the "pull". The pull to the right becomes more pronounced when accelerating and disappears when decelerating. This will be less noticeable with mileage as the spiders gears loosens up.

My 2 cents

drew_

ryanendres

I have a 2K Amigo (Rodeo Sport) and I'm running my tires at 30 PSI ... 26 is just to low and 35 is great if your in a heavy truck like the trooper but it is a bit to stiff of a ride for me.

As for the pulling, I just took my truck in (11,700 miles) to the dealer to have the alignment done a few days ago. It is covered for 12 months 12,000 miles ... mine pulled to the right ... the steering wheel moved about 2 inches to the right when I would let go ....

As for the Ping .... I think Isuzu needs to issue a computer flash update ... way to many folks here pinging away!

paisan

You guys might want to post up over on the subie owners club. There are a lot of people pinging problems on their cars right now, maybe it's something with the ECUs @ the SIA plant...

-mike

jonnah

My 2000 Rodeo makes sharp poping sounds when making a sharp turn into or out of a parking space. This usually only occurres in hot weather or when I have been driving for a while. Anyone have an idea what the problem could be?

conman2000

I would have the stearing and front axle checked out as it appears something is binding when you turn. Since your truck should be under warr., you should be fine.

Good Luck,
Con

dchopp

I remember reading someones post that this is a common problem and Izusu knows about it and have instructed the dealers that they are looking into it.I don't remember what forum I read this on, but maybe the person who posted it will come forward. Maybe a call to customer service will help
DCH

elingdo

I have Goodyear Wrangle AP tires on my 2001 Rodeo. I've had it to the dealer 5 times now for this problem. Each time nothing gets fixed. The went through and performed a bulletin that they had on Isuzu Rodeo vibrations but the problem is still there. They ordered 4 new Dunlop tires that are supposed to be truly round, hand picked, tires. I don't understand how the vibrations could be caused by the tires since it doesn't occur at the same speeds all of the time. Sometimes you can drive for a while an not feel it and all of a suddened the car will start vibrating and the steering wheel will start to vibrate as well.

dchopp

I have read this over and over on other forums and it seems that when they get there tires balanced using a Hunter Balancer ( I Think thats the name) There problem dissapeared. Go back a few moons on this forum and try others. It has been brought up many times. It started with the 2000.
DCH

spencerkechi

I live in Wichita and bought the car at Stevens Isuzu, the only Isuzu dealer in Wichita, which is a real shame, because their service really, really, sucks. I will never, ever, buy another car from them.

Now, Isuzu is aware of this pinging problem, because I called them. They say it can be adjusted with a computer adjustment, and they issued a "CD" as they say to dealerships. I took the time, and money, to drive my car to Stevens Isuzu to have this fixed. The Service Manager refused to have a floppy over-nighted to fix the problem while waiting for the CD to come out. He said that what I was hearing was normal, and that all Isuzus make the pinging sound. He could have easily gotten the floppy and put both our minds to rest that he was right or I was right. But he wouldn't do it. He said he would wait for the CD to come out at my next service with the fix. So now, I have to drive this damn $25,000 car around with this pinging sound until my 15,000 mile service, and I don't really even want to take it to Stevens to have the service done.

So, I hope everyone is right about that Chevron stuff. I went to Walmart to buy it and they don't have it. I will check a parts house.

Take my advice, stay away from Steven's Isuzu in Wichita, KS. They are in too big of a rush to properly take care of their customers. You take the car in at 9:00 am, they don't get around to it until 3:00 pm, they spend very little time with it, and then they tell you they can "reproduce" the problem, or there is no problem.

Boris2

ryanendres, thanks for the info... I called dealer and asked them what they would recommend, and they said 30-32psi would work just fine. The thing that bothers me is that the max tire pressure allowed (as stated on the side of the tire) is 35psi, so I'm getting pretty close to the max pressure.

I'm taking mine for alignment next week and they better do it for free! It'll be different dealer than the one I bought the truck from, but I hope they don't start giving me B.S. about hitting a curb or something like that...

spencerkechi

I said they "can reproduce the problem", what I meant to say was that they "can not reproduce the problem."

stever

We knew that :-). That's a tech's favorite line anymore.

Next time you catch something, and it's within 30 minutes of posting, you can click on the Edit button and make any changes or fixes you want to.

Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

dchopp

Tire Gauge Accuracy Part 2. In Part 1, we did an evaluation of the cheaper pocket or pen type gauges. Part 2 consist of the more expensive heavy-duty double-headed type of gauge. Price range is in the $5.50 to $13.00 range. Basically the same names as indicated in Part 1 and a few new ones like ACCU. Most were purchased at local retail and automotive stores such as Napa ,Advance etc. We also tested some Analog or dial type of a gauge. Since these gauges cost more, we expected more from them and they didn't disappoint us. Since these gauges have a much larger range than the cheaper pocket type, we had to expand our testing to the 100lb. range. These gauges were tested at 25,35,45, (lower range) 60, 75, and 90 lb. range, which we called the upper range. Some where brand new, some where old like over 10 years. The gauges with the metal type indicators read about 1 to 2lbs long over the short range and about 1 lb. long on the higher range. Long means that for a known source of air pressure 35lbs. these gauges were indicating 36 or 37 lbs. Exercising the indicators did nothing to improve the accuracy. As these gauges start to get old (6 years and above) they tend to get a little sloppy on the higher end indicating as much as 3 to 5 lbs. higher. The shorter range still remained accurate within 2lbs. The newer type replaces the metal indicator with that of a white plastic dial much like the cheaper pen or pocket type. Easier to read I guess. These type of gauges read differently over the ranges, much like the cheaper ones. On the short range these gauges indicated about 1 to 2lbs. short. So for 35lbs. they would indicate 33 to 34 lbs. On the upper range they were very inconsistent with some reading 1 lb. short while others reading 1 to 2 lbs long, while down in the lower range they were all short. Exercising the indicators a few times improved some in the upper range but not in the lower range. Still overall the accuracy over both ranges was very good. The analog or meter type of gauges were very inconsistent but accurate. Some were short while some were long over the ranges and the brand didn't seam to matter. Two identical read differently. The 8 we tested were within 2 lbs in both the lower and upper ranges. Just remember to check to make sure the gauge reads zero before checking air pressure. Most come with an adjusting screw to do this. I dropped one on the floor and it indicated about 3lbs long. When in the first test, it indicated 1lb short over the ranges. After I zeroed the meter, it was ok. One analog type was reading all over the place as much as 8 lbs off. Here the meter had a static charge on the meter face. I rubbed a little Wd-40 on the meter face and it was ok after that.
The results show once again you get what you pay for. These types of meters showed pretty good accuracy over the ranges and age didn't seem to slow them down on the lower range.
Part 3 which consist of Digital Gauges will follow soon. One tested so accurate, I went out and bought one and tested it for repeatability and it indicated the same as the first. Which one was it? Stay tuned Until then---by
DCH

gt1953

Now you have me going to seek a copy of consumer report magazine and annual report to see what there take on the tire gauge saga is.

conman2000

EOM

Con

paisan

I had a similar popping on the Trooper. Dealer adjusted it for me w/o a problem.

The machine that fixes the balancing problems IIRC is the Hunter 9000 machine. You can change tires all day, but it's the rims, not the tires.

-mike

dchopp

I wish everyone on this forum a Happy Holiday. If you are driving please be careful. Remember Rodeo's didn't do to well in the 45 mph crash test. If you do under 10mph, you will be OK.
DCH

dchopp

Tire gauge accuracy Part 3. The final report deals with the accuracy of Digital Gauges. We only had 8 gauges to test in this series, since most people use the gauges we tested in Parts 1and 2. Some of the brands we tested were Victor, Accutire, Majestic, and MG. Since these gauges had indicators up to 100lbs and more we tested them at 25, 35,45,and 50 lbs., which we called the low range. The high range indication consisted of measurements of 60,70, 85 and 100 lbs. All of the digital gauges tested were very accurate over both ranges. We caution you to read your directions carefully, since some of the gages required a self-calibration prior to using. If you don't calibrate them your reading can be off as much as 5 lbs on the lower ranges. The $6.00 gauges we tested were off only 1.5 lbs on the short range and about 2 lbs on the higher range usually 85 lbs. and up. The more expensive Gauges such as Accutire tested the best. The $14.95 gauge tested 0.5 lbs long on the low range and 1lb. long on the higher range. We tested the Accutire lighted background model $30.00 and it read perfectly in the low and higher ranges. It was off by 0.5 lbs (short) at 100 lbs. Every other pressure I tested it at read the correct pressure. I went out and bought one (Sears) and tested it for repeatability and it tested the same. Overall these gauges were very accurate and some do require a self calibration. They were all very easy to read. In time I feel more people will buy them. This concludes my report and I hope it was helpful.
DCH

duper

Thanks for the reports.
I use the digital gauge from Radio Shack and it's been great so far. The measurements are prety accurate, I assumed, since I use my brother's dial gauge to compared it to and they came out very close to each other. I used to have the pen style one but I found it sticky sometimes and not really consistent.

mathlady

I'm looking at a 99 rodeo LS with 43,000 miles on it for my son. We test drove it and everything seemed fine except when you stopped- the car jumped just a bit. Then upon acceleration it seemed to slip back. The dealer said it could be something with the rear brakes and would have it looked at today. Supposedly they replaced the rear brakes and did something with the brake pads(sorry to be vague but I wasn't there). My husband drove it and felt the problem wasn't resolved and therefore wouldn't buy the car. I was given the job of checking it out tomorrow and talking with the service people. Help!! Has anyone had this type of problem and if so what is it.
Should we forget this car and look for another rodeo???

dubuis2

I can relate to most of the forementioned problems, however the lug problem is the most burdensome to me. Just last night I broke three lugs on the same tire, that equals about 15 during the life of my vehicle (98 Rodeo, 80K). Is there an after market lug that is better quality? Also, is there a Chilton's book available somewhere on this vehicle?

drmp

Just curious, how did it happen? Did it break when you loosened the nut? Or did it break while you tightened it? Funny, I removed my wheels severals times (>10 times) and never had the lug nut problem. However, I read somewhere that the lug nuts rust and expand causing it to bind to the lug.

vinceseattle

i am looking to buy a used suv and have found a 93 rodeo for about $7K. I dont really know anything about these. Why is the safety rating only a 4? Any general common problems I should know about? Any good things? Typical mileage. Any info will ehlp. Thanks!

jvarg

one dealer offered $21795 (total drive out price) on RODEO 2001 LS 2WD with tinted glass, appearence package, rear spoiler,hood protector . any comments.. please do advice if this price is reasonable or not. thanks....

paisan

That 21K is a good price, not sure if that includes Tax and Tags or not, but seems decent, although 2wd should be significantly cheaper than a 4wd version.

-mike

dubuis2

Consistently, the lugs break when I'm trying to loosen them to change a tire or rotate, etc. Also.... forgot to mention... I've had trouble with the master control on the automatic windows... another friend of mine with a Rodeo had the same problem... is this common as well?

93saturnsl1

I can't believe Isuzu hasn't changed these lug nuts yet. I took our '97 Rodeo in for a rotation and balance, and 10 of the lug nut were broken... cost me $80 just for the parts! Pretty disturbing to go in expecting to spend maybe 20 bucks for a basic balance and rotation, and having to scrape up over $100 just to get out the door. Does anyone know if there is an aftermarket one??

gtroop

I am looking for a part number for the centercaps from about a 95 Rodeo. The wheels are the real deep dish aluminum ones and are 16 x 7.5 in size. If anyone has this part number drop me an email. PLEASE HELP!!! sternerg@bv.com

arktrooper1

Forgive me for saying so but I can't imagine buying a 2WD Rodeo LS for nearly $22K when in most areas of the country at this time you can buy a Trooper, similarly equipped, for virtually the same. But, the Trooper will also have, more room...full time 4WD (the only type of 4WD that's really useful for most of us)...a larger engine...and, despite the fact that some have good luck with their Rodeos, a much better track record for reliability and durability. The only reason I could think of is that some may feel the Rodeo is more "stylish" compared to a Trooper and I realize that's subjective. If you have nothing against the Trooper's styling though, drive one! I had considered a 2000 Rodeo LS until I found out what I could really buy a 2000 Trooper S /w/ Auto/TOD, 6-disc CD changer, bug deflector, rear mat and sport side steps for ($22,300 in September 2000). There was NO comparision in my opinion. From what I've seen here in the last few days, prices are similar in 2001.

paisan

10pm tonight Chat! Come tell us about your trucks, or if you are a potential owner, we'll be chatting up our trucks. I'll give an overview of Uwharrie!

http://www.edmunds.com/chat/isuzuchat.html

-mike

rebel5k

Hi, I have a '95 Rodeo LS and I purchased it used without an owner's manual so I was wondering if anyone knows how, if there is a way, to completely lower the rear seats. I can make them bend forward a little and this helps a little, but it just seems like they should be able to lay flat. If anyone knows how to do this, please let me know.

paisan

You need to pull the bottom of the seat, the base up against the front seats, then the back will fold down flatter than before. There are 2 canvas-straps that are near the seat belt area of the back seat that you need to release the base.

-mike

rebel5k

Could you please clarify on the canvas strap thing? I'm not sure exactly what you are talking about there. I just can't seem to make the thing go forward. Hmmm...any further advice?

dchopp

Go to a Honda or Isuzu Dealer and they will be glad to show you how to do it. Go to www.helm.com and order a manual.
dch

paisan

should be some straps that look to be made of seatbelt material, pull on them (both there should be 2) and it will release the bottom of the seat (where you butt goes) to fold forward, then the back can fold down.

-mike

rebel5k

Okay, that makes a lot of sense, but one more question. Where exactly are these canvas stips supposed to be? I thought you were talking about these other clasps on the back of the back seats but I think those are for cargo covers or something else. Would the canvas straps maybe be between the seat bottom and seat back? And also, so when the seat bottom comes up, the cushion part of it will be touching the back of the driver/passanger seat? Thanks :-D

Wes

rebel5k

Okay people. I figured it out thanks to all of your help. Thank you so much!!
~Wes

rebel5k

I have another question but this one regarding the brakes on my 95 Rodeo LS. When I start the vehicle a light which says "Rr Anti Lock" comes on and I was just wondering what this means, with emphasis on the "Rr". Thanks!

paisan

On pre-98 models, rear anti-lock was available, also I think 4-wheel abs was also available on the LS trim level. I know my '97 had rear anti-locks.

-mike

rebel5k

Okay, I have a weird question here and so if anyone has any advice or products which may assist me, please let me know;
Okay, since I have a tendency to leave my lights on, the project I now have planned is that I am going to buy a kit which automatically turns on my lights when I turn on the vehicle and off 30 seconds after I turn the car off hence eliminating the need for me to manually operate these. With the recent addition of a center protector to the front end of my car I also added an extra pair of auxiliary lighting and fog lights. What I propose to do is rewire the lighting so that when I push the "Parking light" button power comes on to the fog lights and when I push the button which formerly activated the headlights, it activates the new pair of auxiliary lights.
I know this sounds weird but if you know of any wiring kits or have attempted anything similar, your help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
~Wes

Boris2

Does anybody experience any oil consumption on a Rodeo? Mine has 2K mi on it and it when I checked oil-level it was about in the middle of the area between "Full" and "Add". Since I didn't take it to the first oil change yet and didn't check the level when I got the truck, I'm not sure if it ate oil or it was like that from the beginning.

Also, another thing that kind of bothers me is when I first start it in the morning, for the first couple of minutes I can hear some excessive noise, which sounds like a wind blowing in the tube (that's the best I can describe this). You can hear that kind of noise from old V8 American trucks. It disappears after couple minutes of driving though. I don't think it has something to do with high RPMs, because the RPM level is pretty much the same as usual. I'm planning to mention this to the dealer when I take it for the oil change, but I know they will not be able to duplicate that (as usual :-)

93saturnsl1

Just a word of advice, DO NOT put Gabriel shocks from AutoZone on a Rodeo! I spent about 3 hours changing the lousy factory ones out on our '97, and it rode 10 times worse than the originals with 50k on them. I definitely recommend changing the factory ones though... Isuzu obviously threw the cheapest ones possible on it just to get it out the door.

paisan

RS9136 front
RS9179 rear

Those are the part #s for the 98-01 Rodeos for the Rancho 9000 shocks. Hope this helps.

-mike

toddco

Thanks for the info. Do you know of anyone who is running this setup? Since the official work from Rancho is that they do not make a part for the 2000 Rodeo, I'd like to know what someone else running these shocks thinks of them. I've found the Tokico shocks, and was leaning toward them, but I'm very interested in the Ranchos.

Thanks for the info Mike! Great site, by the way. It's giving me some good ideas on how to make my Rodeo, which I love, more off-road worthy than it is now.

Also, has anyone has any experience with the Calmini lift kits for the Rodeos?

~Todd

paisan

I know of at least 1/2 dozen people running the rancho 9000s. The best part is that they can be turned down for on-road use which for most of us is 90% or more of the time, yet can be firmed up for off-road use. Makes for a more versitile vehicle.

I am not a fan of Calmini, very bad customer support, etc. I would go with OME rear springs and a Sway-away front T-bar replacement which should give you about 2" of lift, more than enough for bigger tires.

-mike

toddco

Mike:

I'm going to become a part number pest. I tried to find OME stuff, and came up with little. Any idea on where to get it, and what parts I should get? This information is wonderful!

>I am not a fan of Calmini, very bad customer >support, etc. I would go with OME rear springs >and a Sway-away front T-bar replacement which >should give you about 2" of lift, more than >enough for bigger tires.

paisan

No problem. The more info I find out the more I can document on the FAQ page of http://isuzu-suvs.com for future people to reference. I'll get the part #s for the sway-away T-bars and the rear OME springs.

-mike