Isuzu Meet the Members

bluedevils · January 2001

paisan means 30 psi on front tires, 35 psi rear. He did NOT mean "between 30 and 35 psi for all 4 tires."

paisan · January 2001

tooo many posts...

30psi front 35 rear.

I bump mine up to 35f 40r to give it a bit better gas milage and handling.

-mike

paisan · January 2001

Well I just drove back from Philly to NYC! Rain->Freezing Rain->Sleet->Snow Trooper did outstanding. Hardest thing was avoiding the other people on the road who shouldn't have been there. The TOD worked flawlessly and I didn't slip once. Heck the ABS didn't even get activated. This vehicle never ceases to amaze me. Happy Trooping.

-mike

deimos · January 2001

"Hardest thing was avoiding the other people on the road who shouldn't have been there"

Ditto!

How many times have we noticed a small car almost getting out of control when cutting lanes at fast speeds on slippery roads?

Some people don't seem to adjust at all to the road conditions(maybe by taking the bus in the first place)

barneycasr · January 2001

I bought my Trooper new in Aug 98 at Covert Isuzu in Austin, TX for $5500 off MSRP. Light Silver/Grey, in dash changer, LSD, tube side steps, cargo mat. Have switched shocks to Gabriel, still not what I feel is quite right - should have tried Rancho 9000. Michelin XC LT4 tires - ride a little rougher, but much tougher than the Bridgestones and wear longer. We have over 56,000 miles on the beast and having moved to Kansas recently (right into the worst winter in 10 years), got to try out the 4WD in snow and see how the ABS works on snowpack. Great in both cases. My wife would rather travel in the Trooper than her Lincoln MKVIII if you can believe that! Been to Arizon twice in it and other than the mileage, it traveled quite well. I am waiting to see what 2002/3 brings in the way of a new Trooper as mine should be well over 100,000 miles by then.

sbcooke · January 2001

I had an opportunity to try out 4-low / low this weekend. I was on a step unplowed hill (5" snow). The truck moved about 2 mph. The creeper gear worked well, and inspired confidence if I ever needed it down a rocky slope. It was too slow however for a regular road, TOD / Low worked much better going down a snowy hill.

Karen_S · January 2001

...if you haven't noticed already? There is now a "post jump" feature available. It works sorta-kinda like it did in the old TH. This one will allow you to enter a previous message number. Click on "go to" and the page will have the post number you entered and the 20 messages after it.

The Search feature is...comin' along...gettin' better...but still needs some work.

KarenS
Owner's Clubs host

paisan · January 2001

Hey guys and girls (I think we have a few)...

Troopin' brought up a good point in the maintenance area that we should start a webpage displaying our trucks. I already have http://www.iace.com/ia/trooper going. If anyone would like pics of their trucks or pics of them doing modifications added, e-mail me the pics and I'll setup a page for yah. E-mail me the pic + an idea of how you want em displayed.

-mike

islander21 · January 2001

Well, based on much research, and partially because of all the good things you folks here had to say, I went out and bought myself a 2000 Trooper S. I had Carmax deliver what turned out to be an off-lease vehicle from Texas (I'm in FLA) with 9,750 miles on it for $18,548. Not a bad deal I thought.

It's burgundy and silver with beige interiors and had not an option in it. I've already replaced the stock radio/cassette with a Sony CD player unit, as I don't really care for CD changers. Next come the speakers, window tint and new Rancho 9000 shocks. I may also try an AutoTrans Interceptor for the auto tranny (it's the first time I've ever had a car with AT) because I can't seem to get used to the shift lag. The Hellas, wood dash and the nudge bar are a few months down the road, along with the cargo area mat. I'll see you all in the Aftermarket and Maintenance sections. Thanks a bunch for the good info.

Islander

ocelot1 · January 2001

I have a 98 amigo when i'm in snow about 6-8in deep their seems to be some wheel hop mostly from the rear. anyone else?

paisan · January 2001

Welcome new members to the club. I'm glad we have been able to give some insight to those who purchased their Isuzus after seeing our enthusiasm here. Keep us updated on mods, problems, dealer experiences, etc. so that we can give Isuzu thumbs up or thumbs down.

-mike

drmperalta · January 2001

6-8 inches of snow is considerably deep. Were you in 4 hi or 4 lo mode when the hop happened Were you doing a sharp turn or u-turn at that time? Maybe I can help if you describe it in more detial.

troopernewbie · January 2001

One possibility is snow or ice caked on your wheels throwing them out of balance. Think of how much difference the few ounces of metal make under normal circumstances. Well, a big chunk of ice could we a few pounds!

Karen_S · January 2001

Chat tonight!

Special Event Chat with Ed Hellwig

Tues., Jan. 30th, 5-6pm PT/8-9pm ET

Ed Hellwig - Associate Editor, Edmunds.com.

Associate editor Ed Hellwig came to Edmunds with a diverse automotive background that included stints as a gas station grease monkey, automotive spy photographer, and ice rink Zamboni driver. Ed spent five years making sure he hated cold weather at the University of Colorado in Boulder where he somehow earned a degree in American history between beer runs and football games. Upon returning, he proclaimed "snow sucks" and forever pledged his allegiance to the Southern California sunshine. Prior to joining Edmunds, Ed toiled under the iron fist of Tom Lindamood at A&M Specialists, a press vehicle logistics company, as a road-tester and delivery driver. While tooling around in Bentleys and Porsches was less than grueling, Ed just couldn't shake the editorial urge and jumped at the chance to join the Edmunds team. He's now responsible for writing road tests, editing our "Future Telling" column, and assisting in performance testing.

KarenS
Host
Owner's Club

gpm5 · January 2001

Did the Sony CD go in easily?--which model and price? Did it just replace the current head unit with no trimming. Did the harness plug straight in. Any comments would be appreciated.

islander21 · January 2001

I purchased a Sony CDX-4000X, 50 watts and very cool-looking, from Circuit City for $149.00 + tax and a wiring harness to connect to the Isuzu harness ($15.00). I could have done it myself but the installation was free. It took the guy 45 minutes, most of it splicing the new harness on the CD unit. Once he finished the splicing operation it became a simple plug-in game. He even re-used the rails and tabs from the stock radio/cassette unit and the Sony slipped in the slot without modifications. Don't let an audio shop bamboozle you, no rail/bracket kit is required. Make sure to replace your stock paper speakers as well, big difference in sound!

Islander

gpm5 · January 2001

Sounds great! I'm going to visit Circuit City. Thanks.

islander21 · February 2001

OK, let me know how it went.

benw1 · February 2001

Hi, my name's Ben and I'm a Trooperholic. Actually I've been using the site for about a year (bought my 2000 Trooper AS last March) and figured it was time to become a useful member of society and let y'all know my experiences with the Trooper so far.

First off, I replaced an 89 Ford Bronco with the Trooper. I really liked the old Bronco, and probably would have bought another if Ford still made them. Since they just make soccer mobiles now, I did a pretty thorough search on other 4bys out there and came to the conclusion that the Trooper was the best bang for the buck as a reliable vehicle that I'd feel comfortable taking off road (liked the Landcruiser, but it was more than I wanted to spend).

So, onto the annual review: I have to say, I LOVE driving this vehicle. I was really hesitant about liking it at first because I was use to the more aggressive Bronco and didn't want to admit that anything new and cushy would be as good-- but it is, and maybe even better. Pro's are a smooth, quiet ride, as much horsepower as the old V8 Bronco had, and the feeling that it's really put together well. The only general cons I have are 1) that I wish Isuzu would considered larger people when designing the vehicle (I'm 6'4" and when trying on a Limited, hit my head on the roof) and give us a little leg room and 2) That I could check the damn tranny fluid! Off road handling has been great (I'm not a gonzo offroader -- mostly just old forest service roads etc. to get me to good fishing and hunting base camps). I've only had it in snow once, but the TOD really worked well and I felt like I was in good contact with the road and in control. Haven't had it in icy conditions yet.

Maintenance and dealer stuff-- here are a few things I ran into that might be useful:

Maintenance:
On oil, I used nearly a quart the first 3000 miles, and since then have not had to add oil between oil changes (every 3000 miles and I have 10000 on the Trooper now). An irritant has been tire pressure. On other vehicles I've owned, I generally have checked pressure every two months and have had to add air maybe 2-3 times a year. On the Trooper, I checked pressure after the first 2 months and was down to 20-25psi (10lbs each front and rear)! I now check pressure every couple of weeks and have to add air about every month to six weeks.

Dealer:
Have had the Trooper at the dealer twice. The first time was for the fuel line recalls and to have the front passenger door adjusted (it hadn't closed as easily as the others since I've had the vehicle and it was getting irritating listening to the 8 beep alarm thingy whenever passengers didn't get the door closed all the way). The dealer fixed the door fine, but as I drove home, I began to hear a dreaded rattle from behind the right side dash! Actually, it was a rattle at low speed acceleration and a "metal rubbing" sound when going over bumps or on rough roads. My first thoughts were that it must have been from the re-routed fuel lines. When I opened the hood to see if I could follow the lines to the rattle, I also found that the cover over the intake manifold was just hanging loose. I tried to re install it, but could not get it back as firmly as it originally was (it just snaps into place supposedly). I of course called the dealer and after having to wait a week for another appointment got it back in. They managed to get the manifold cover back on securely (hopefully not with Liquid Nails) and found that of all things, the rattle was NOT from the fuel lines, but from the heater core, which sits at the passenger firewall. I saw this with my own eyes, so I know they weren't making it up. When the mechanic removed, re aligned, and replaced the core, the rattle was gone.

Add ons I'm considering:
Rancho shocks since I like a firmer ride anyway and with 4 big guys in the Trooper it gets a bit mushy on bumps. Also since the reports on the high repair bills came out I'm looking at a pushbar for the front and a hitch for the rear (not that these will stop damage, especially the hitch unless it's a direct hit) to maybe reduce damage. I guess that's another con -- the plastic bumpers. The Bronco had steel bumpers. I was rear ended by a Volvo once and all I had was a scratch on the bumper. The Volvo was an accordion. Also maybe looking at a roof rack for extra/muddy/etc. gear that I rather not put in back.

Anyway, the above is my story and I'm stickin' to it. Hope some of the info was helpful and I'm still a two thumbs up guy where the Trooper is concerned.

Thanks,

Ben

michtiff · February 2001

After reading all of your comments about the trooper I decided to get one. talked with a dealer in an who has a 2000 I I/17,250. It was a rental bought from auction. Sticker 21,900 got down to 20,000.It seemed like an o.. deal except the fact that it was a rental bothers me. Also they told me that the power train warranty would be cut in half because I would be the second owner. There are about 4-5 other isuzu dealerships in town and I will be contacting them tomorrow. The dealer I was at did not have any new 2000 troopers. Could I get a better deal buying a new 2000 with the dealer incentives at 3-4000$ ??????

michtiff · February 2001

it was supposed to read...

dealer in MN 2000 w/17,250

an o.k. deal

paisan · February 2001

Welcome onboard!

I too like my trooper cause it reminds me of my old '83 Dodge Ramcharger SUV! It also had nice steel bumpers I put on a pushbar and it helped stop scuffs when I had to shoehorn into a parking spot in manhattan last night!

-mike

http://www.iace.com/ia/trooper

paisan · February 2001

I sat in almost every SUV at the show. I'm proud to say that there was only 2 or 3 trucks that were as or more comfy in the front and 2nd row of seats as the Trooper.

Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota Sequoia
Suburban/Yukon XL
Excursion

My favorite was the Land Cruiser, but at $57K, it's almost 2x the price of my Trooper! I can't wait for 2003 when the Isuzu Built V8 3-row of seats Trooper comes out!

-mike

gpm5 · February 2001

There is no way I'd take that deal with half warranty on the power train. Something is wrong there. I'd look for some other troopers. Where are you anyways?

sdc2 · February 2001

Howdy to another (potential) Minnesota Trooper owner!

You didn't mention which model Trooper you were looking at. I think you can get a new mid-line Trooper (which one is that now, LS??) for under $25K, so how much is a longer warranty and 17K less miles worth to you?

paisan · February 2001

Should be in the $26-$27K area before TTL.

-mike

gpm5 · February 2001

You should be able to get a '00 trooper S with under 17,000-18,000 miles right around $20,500 or less with full warranty remaining. Probably not a lot of new 2000s left, but its worth looking into. Might be able to get one at $21k or less. I thought I saw new ones under 21k but that was a couple months ago.

paisan · February 2001

Is NON-TRANSFERRABLE on the 10/120K portion except to family members. So beware of buying a used 2000,2001.

-mike

gpm5 · February 2001

Is that the case on dealer sold vehicles (eg corporate vehicles sold by Isuzu). Is this something new for the 2000/2001 120k/10 yr warranty? For the '99 vehicle I bought the 60k/5yr warranty was fully backed by the dealer. My mistake if this is the case for the 2000s. Maybe 60k/5yr at $19.5k would be an ok deal on a 2000 with 18,000 miles, but I'd wonder about a rental. On the other hand, some rentals could be better cared for by an agency than by some private owners.

gpm5 · February 2001

I saw a bunch of troopers at Hertz, when I went to Big Sky, MT the other week. They all looked like they were well kept, and they were in great shape. I actually tried out a Subaru outback. I was disappointed by the lack of power up the mountains. It also wouldn't downshift to 2nd so I could wind it out up the mountain, until I slowed it way down. (I read where they've just come out with a V6 for it.) Three people in the outback + gear. I also really felt cramped in there after being in my trooper, but it was worth messing around with it in the snow.

paisan · February 2001

They have H4s and H6s

The 10/120K warranty is only transferrable to family members on the Isuzus for 2000-2001. I believe the 3/50K is transferrable though. If you buy a seperate warranty they are usually transferrable or if it's a factory extended it should be transferrable. I'm planning on getting my bumper to bumper extended to 100K

-mike

gpm5 · February 2001

I read about a new 6 in the outback in the Saturday paper the other weekend--didn't recall what kind but I thought V6 might have been wrong. What is an H6--is that the same as a straight 6? (i.e. what I had in a ' 63 FORD Falcon--my 1st car--used; I'm not that old).

paisan · February 2001

H6 is the designation for a horizontally opposed engine. (180 degree V engine) These engines are perfectly balanced due to the 180 degree angle between cylinders. Others who use H engines include:

VW Beetle (original ones)
Corvair
Ferrari Testarossa
Porsche 911

I have an H6 in my '88 subaru XT6, they are quite torquey.

-mike

sdc2 · February 2001

The 6 cyl. Subaru Outback is nice I'm sure, but I saw it on C&D TV and it stickers for over $32K!!! Thats more than the sticker on my Trooper!

paisan · February 2001

Sticker isn't telling the whole story. They are selling for aroune $29K

They are expensive, but the VDC does have full traction control, a Mcintosh stereo, leather. You are mostly paying for the VDC-Traction control system.

-mike

bluedevils · February 2001

My understanding was that a 2000 or newer Trooper that is sold to a non-family member still provides 5 years / 60,000 miles coverage to the new owner. Yes, it sucks to lose the 10 year / 120k mile powertrain warranty, but 5/60 is still better than most. Plus you will be very unlikely to ever need the warranty anyway.

My guess on Isuzu corporate vehicles sold to private owners is that you'd get the full 10/120 warranty. I bought a 1998 Trooper that was an Isuzu corporate vehicle, and a few weeks later I received materials from Isuzu thanking me for my purchase of a NEW Trooper. So to them, it was new. Of course, it had door dings etc. even though the selling, out-of-state dealer assured me the truck was "immaculate," but that's another story.

raydahs · February 2001

Hello fellow Isuzu owners, I have a White 99 Trooper S W/Performance package. I bought it
On Memorial Day 99, Ive got 43k miles on it 10k is traveling to Oregon from San Diego. Ive
Logged all my mileage, its averaging 17.0-mpg. (80% hwy - 20% city). For now the only
Modifications Ive made are; re-tinted all the windows, the stock stuff is for looks only and I just added a set of 16x8 alloys. (Just for your info the stock rims are a +38mm offset, the ones I put on are a 9mm offset which brings the wheel flush with the fender flare). I left the stock tires on it because I still have at least 15k left on the stock Bridgestonesamazing, plus I wanted to see how much room I had left to put a bigger tire on it when its time to get new ones. Im leaning towards the BFG-AT 245/75s after reading what troopin has to say about their performance.

This So.Cal Trooper travels to Oregon often, I dont read the snow/icy terrain well at all. They
use ground up cinders (adobe red) on the roads where I travel, which changes the color of the pavement, sometimes I think Im on pavement w/cinders only to find out later that Im one ice w/cinders ground into it! Thats one of the main reasons I picked the Trooper (TOD a.k.a. FWD for dummies). I almost bought a Subie Forester (fun little car w/a 5-speed), but after doing research on insurance cost, it was a almost break-even situation. Although I would have received @ 7 mpg more, the insurance cost $350 more a year plus I can tow 3000 lb. More.

The deciding factor was when I opened the hood and saw the engine layout. Im a Electro-Mechanical designer, and all day I try to figure out how to package things so it can be manufactured efficiently and so other people can work on it without saying whos the idiot who designed this, what were they thinking. Well to me, everything is laid out in a logical manner. Most maintenance can be done in your garage if you have the ability and desire to do so. Its nice to know I can reach all 6 plugs without pulling a hamstring and busting up your fingers trying to find plug #6 as with the X-TERRA (now thats a poor packaging job, especially the wiring). Anyway, Im not posting this to slam other manufacturers or people who buy their vehicles, but if
you plan on keeping your rig for a long time (Im going to run mine into the ground) its a good one. Keep in mind, if gas goes up to $3.00/gal. all SUV owners are going to have $30,000 paperweights. Why pay more, go for the best deal available?

Ive been following this board for a while now, Mr. Paisan (a.k.a. JOE ISUZU) youve done a great job getting this board together, keep up the good work, you do keep us informed as do all the rest
of youthanks!

paisan · February 2001

Thanks for the compliment! Now if I only had Joe Isuzu's money... Speaking of which he is back in the advertising rotation.

What did you do with your old rims... I may be looking for a pair...

-mike

raydahs · February 2001

He Mike:

I sold them to my boss who has a 94'Trooper
5-speed for $350.00, plus he gave me his steel
stokers to use as snow wheels. They'll come in handy if I ever make it to the Pacific N.. to live, for now they just take up space in the garage. If I get sick of looking at them I'll let you know.

raydahs · February 2001

The previous post should have read:
Hey mike:

I sold them to my boss who has a 94' Trooper
5-speed for $350.00, plus he gave me his steel
stockers to use as snow wheels. they'll come in
handy if I ever make it to the Pacific N.W. to
live. for now they just take up room in the garage. If i get tired of looking at them I'll let
you know.

Guess I don't know how to use spell checker!

paisan · February 2001

I did some updating of my webpage...

http://www.iace.com/isuzu/

-mike

paisan · February 2001

Sasquatch asked over in the Trooper v. Durango what the difference between the Trooper S, LS and Limited were so I figured I'd put it here since it's useful stuff...

LS adds:
Upgraded Seats (more lumbar support, arm rests, power driver and pass seats)
Side Door, rear side, and rear in-glass tinted windows (20%)
Rear side mounted in-glass Antenna
6-disc changer
Automatic Trans std.
Moonroof Available
Different Rims
Power retractable mirrors
Heated seats
Fog Lights
Mono-tone Paint

Ltd adds:
Moonroof std.
Altimeter, barometer, outside temp, compass cluster
Different rims
2 tone paint

-mike

Karen_S · February 2001

Would any Isuzu owners like to have your own chat? Let me know and I'll see about getting one set up for you.

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

gpm5 · February 2001

could be interesting

paisan · February 2001

M,T,TH are good for me. Maybe we can have it right after or before the Subaru chats on thurs.

-mike

scroggs1 · February 2001

I just bought a 2000 4WD S model w/hood protector, 6CD changer for 19,300 plus trade of '89 Camry (184K miles) and '92 Trooper (135k miles, most basic version). The S is a big step forward from the '92 and we love it!

gpm5 · February 2001

Welcome to the club. Sounds like an all-right deal. I don't know that I would have traded in both vehicles (is that how I read it?), but it beats taking one to the junkyard.

paisan · February 2001

Welcome on board! We have a ton of fun here. Feel free to ask questions and let us know how things progress. You can check out my Isuzu page at:

http://www.iace.com/isuzu

and my personal Trooper page at:

http://www.iace.com/isuzu/trooper

-mike

Karen_S · February 2001

Great! I'll contact Dana to get the ball rolling.

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

michtiff · February 2001

Thanks for the comments. After debating with myself for a while I decided the Trooper was the way to go. I ended up with a 2000 S w/17,000m aut. 4wd + ski rack package for 13,900$ with trade in of 95 Windstar LX w/100,000m. That van had to go. It turns out the Trooper was not a rental after all but privately owned or leased. It may not have been the smartest thing to do, but I bought the extended bumper to bumper warranty to 100,000m. After dealing with the Windstar an increase in my monthly payment by 25$ didn't seem so bad. Oh well.

There sure seems to be a definite "Trooper club" out there. On my way home another Trooper owner gave me a big thumbs up as he drove by. I smiled the rest of the way home thinking I really did make a good choice!

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