Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

sdc2 · January 2001

I went looking for Mobil 1 on the internet, but did not find anyone who offered it. There are some super-premium brands you can get over the internet, like Amzoil, Red Line, Purple something-or-other...

sdc2 · January 2001

Turned out to be the intake manifold gasket, of all things. So, they got it done in a more reasonable 2 1/2 days instead of 2 weeks like they said it might be...I suppose I should be grateful, but I feel that they only did what they SHOULD have done in the first place.

I will say that they were good about calling me each day to update me on the repair status...

paisan · January 2001

I get scared when a dealer can't find a problem or says "well we tried this, but we're not sure if that's what the problem was"

-mike

bluedevils · January 2001

I had forgotten about those super-premium brands. I think the main three are Amsoil, Royal Purple, and Red Line. I'm not interested in spending $5-7 per quart on oil, though!

steve_corner · January 2001

I have a 94 Trooper-S that just got out of the shop for a leaky (oil) head gasket. 2 months after the Head Gaskets where replaced another oil leak and this time it is due to a melted valve cover gasket. The exhast system is very hot and that appears to be what melted the gasket. The mechanic (Spradly-Barr Isuzu Ft. Collins CO) said the Catalytic Converter is blocked but I took to my muffler shop and they said its not blocked (no charge for the back pressure check). It's running fine and the emissions look good but the glowing Catylitic converter and leaky valve cover are a big problem. Any ideas?

cwmoser · January 2001

A little maintenance reminder - Rotate those tires. SUV tires are very suspectable to forming a pattern that will cause a loud road noise if they are not routinely rotated. My two front ones did when I waited until 12,000 miles to rotate them. Then when I rotated the 2 front tires to the back, the noise was assentuated I guess because of the open cargo area. It's a lot better now at 18,000 miles and time for me to rotate them again.

paisan · January 2001

That usually means your car is clogged up and needs to be replaced. Just what I've heard from people over the past 20 years that Cats have been installed.

-mike

gls2 · January 2001

I have a '98 rodeo ls 4 wheel drive loaded!
I bought it in Sept of '97. I have had it in the shop at least 20 times. All but one of the recalls have applied. In the ceiling (drivers side, by the moon roof) rattles so loud. It's been in the shop 7 times. Also have a thud when you take-off from a stop that it feels like someone just tapped you from behind (if someone did I wouldn't know it) it's been in the shop 10 times.
After a year and a half of taking it in to be fixed, the local dealer close to my home stopped servicing Isuzu's, thank god! I had to take it to a dealer about 45 minutes from my house, they fixed a problem with the rattle in the roof, they said the problem was that the tires had been way over inflated(by the dealer!) since then, no major problems. Until now, I leave my windows down at night while it's in the garage, and in the morning when I go to roll them up,they sometimes make a thudding sound. Is this normal for a 3 year old truck?

sdc2 · January 2001

can also mean that the engine is running rich and the excess fuel is being burned in the converter. How is your mileage?

steve_corner · January 2001

Thanks for the advice sdc2 and Paisan. I was relaying info given from the mechanic to my wife with one mistake. It was the exhaust manifold that was glowing, not the Cat. This sounds like a rich fuel problem. The mileage has dropped but I thought this was due to the Colorado oxygenated fuel mixture shift that occurs in Nov/Dec. I am also worried that there may be a coolent blockage due to the head gasket replacement. Yikes, I don't trust the mechanic!

edm85 · January 2001

Is there anything the dealer can do to reduce the wind noise. It is so loud driving on the expressway that I cannot listen to the radio.
It doesn't seem to be coming from one area and I don't think it is from a window or door leak.
Anyone out there having the same problem?

Ed

deimos · January 2001

Well we have an '99 S equiped with some accessories that came with the LS model, as part of the Canadian Ltd package: running boards, brush guard, hood bug deflector( I presume that the tail garnishes don't make too much noise)...

If you add the factory roof rack and the 4 windows "rain and wind deflectors" you can imagine that we get some noise...:)

But never so loud as not to be able to listen to the radio(unless the windows are opened) even at 140 km/h.... As a matter of fact, I'd say that 4WD Hi (at 80-90 km/h) makes much more noise then all of the above(again as long as the windows are closed)...

paisan · January 2001

Could it be door seals? Also try moving around the cross bars on the roof. Could be tires?

Not sure what else it could be.

-mike

pollock1 · January 2001

I have a 97 Rodeo, and I occasionally get wind noise from the driver's side door. The weird thing is that it is occassional, and its never the same situations. Sometimes its hot, sometimes cold, sometimes wet, sometimes not. It drives me nuts!

paisan · January 2001

I had a '97 Rodeo and if it wasn't a lease, I would have definitely gone out and bought exrta door sealing material. My doors on that all made a lot of wind noise as soon as you hit 65mph. It was increased by cross winds. Just go to a Pep Boys or similar and buy some door sealing material and add it over the stock stuff with silicone or epoxy and it should clear up your problems.

-mike

steve_corner · January 2001

The glowing exhaust manifold was due to a coolant blockage probably. The mechanic cleared it and it seems to be staying cool (not glowing). I just hope there was no permanent engine damage. Thanks.

paisan · January 2001

Steve good to hear it wasn't anything serious. Keep us posted!

-mike

arktrooper1 · January 2001

Mike, did you ever get your second recall done. They finally got the part(s) for mine but I haven't had the time to take it in. They're still telling me it will take four hours! That seems excessive. If you've had your mod done, how long did it take. Anyone else? Time for dealer to do second recall mod? I don't really mind it taking awhile, it's just that I have a couple of other things (steering wheel not straight, intermittent horn operation) that I want them to get to and don't want to wind up leaving my truck overnight.

gls2 · January 2001

I also had some wind noise. The dealer told me that if I adjusted my roof rack bar that would take care of it.

sdc2 · January 2001

Does TOD work in reverse? How about the limited-slip diff?

paisan · January 2001

Work in reverse. I'm pretty sure LSD does too (the fluid in the LSD doesn't care which direction the wheels are spinning).

-mike

deimos · January 2001

Hi,
Another basic question

How important is waxing?

Do we need it to protect the paint?

A couple of times per year we go into the bushes(e.g narrow tracks into the woods where the branches/bushes would touch the side of the truck), so...

On the other hand we have this paint protection package and after each yearly inspection the dealer reapplies wax(it costs me CAN60 each time it reapplies it, so I'd like to know if those are money well spent, or not)...

Is a complete waxing operation different then the car wax/wash? I hope so

How much are body side moldings?
I've seen them listed at $50.43, is that for each?
And if so how much would be in total(is it as simple as $50.43 * 4 + tax + S&H + customs?)

Would they do any damage in long salted winter environment?(E.g. Could the salt accumulate behind them?)

Thanks again,
Marian

bluedevils · January 2001

I'm dropping off my '98 Trooper at the dealership tomorrow. I've got about 4 minor things for them to look at, and I'm hoping that they resolve most of them: loose driver's seat with too much fore/aft play, extremely annoying rattle from somewhere in rear seating or rear cargo area, slightly annoying rattle from underneath in the rear, driver side wiper arm & wiper doesn't sit flush on the windshield and therefore doesn't always clean the whole area that it should.

This is only the second visit to the dealer since I got the truck on Nov. 1, 1999. First visit was for one or two minor things I don't even remember.

I'm also planning to have them change the coolant (I'm at 39,750 miles). I still need to find a mechanic or shop I can trust, because I don't want to pay dealer prices for my routine maintenance. I've basically given up on finding a knowledgeable shop. Now all I'm hoping for is someone who's willing to be careful, follow directions, and try to do things right. Any ideas on how to get some recommendations? I know absolutely nobody who drives an Isuzu. I can't even think of anybody I know off the top of my head who drives a Japanese brand SUV.

sbcooke · January 2001

I try to wax any vehicle at least twice a year. I also like to wax my trooper up before I go offroad. A good coat of wax really helps keep scratches down. I am currently using Meguiar's Cleaner/Wax. It is easy to apply and does a decent job. I recommend having an 8 ft step ladder around!

paisan · January 2001

The moonroof comes in handy on the Trooper to do the roof waxing

I usually do meguires wax 2-3x a year, and Hard Wax 2x a year as well.

-mike

paisan · January 2001

My 2000s going into the shop tomorrow for the following:

1) Fuel Line recall
2) Whining noise in the front differential (the whine that everyone thinks is from the TOD)
3) TOD Check light 2x came on about 48-60hrs after deep snow driving and temp drop.
4) Windshield Washer Squirters only spraying out of 1 nozzle on each side (I think i jammed em with wax when I waxed it last time, hopefully they'll just unjam em for me

)

-mike

cmuniz · January 2001

David - The 2nd fuel line recall work sould take about 1 1/2 hrs max. I waited for mine at the dealership and that's about how loing it took.

avidcar · January 2001

Just started using Synthetic Oil in My 98 Rodeo LS. After 4,000 did a filter swap and noticed
that oil was down 2 quarts. Never ever checked oil level because vehicle only has 30,000 mile and change my oil regularly (every 3000).
Call izusu service/warrenty, said this is a common for these vehcile to use 1 quart for 1,000 miles.
I think this is rediculous, and never had a problem with burning oil on my vehicles.
Does anyone have this problem? Cannot be due to synthetics??
Thanks

paisan · January 2001

The owner's manual even states that 1000 miles down a quart is average. My '97 Rodeo never was down after 3K miles, but that was a SOHC engine. I found in my 2000 Trooper I get about 1500-2000 miles and then I'm down a quart. It's a small price to pay to ensure your engine lasts long. If the only problems I have with a car is that it takes a quart every 1000 miles, i'm pretty happpy.

-mike

sbcooke · January 2001

I burned 1/2 quart in the first 1500 miles, and none since then (knock on wood). I have heard that this specific engine block/manifold has places where oil can deposit when new, causing oil loss. I don't think it is terrible that an engine burns oil, but I don't think any new engine should. This means that pressure can escape from around the pistons causing loss in compression/hp?

viktoria_r · January 2001

No, the wipers are off. That's what makes it strange. Quite loud, too.

lynster · January 2001

I am the second owner of a 1996 Rodeo (A/T, 4WD), and have had more than a few annoying problems with it -- after reading through this forum, I couldn't believe how many of the things I've experienced with my Rodeo were addressed here. I go through a quart of oil every 1,000 miles, have the windshield noise, etc. At about 37,000 the valve cover gaskets and rear main seal leaked. The catalytic converter substrate distintegrated at about 45,000 miles so the dealer replaced both cats. Also had a fuel injector replaced. The locking mechanism on the right rear passenger door doesn't work very well. And the trouble du jour at 54,000 miles seems to be with the automatic transmission. I was driving in the mountains and all of a sudden, the truck lurched violently and my "A/T oil temp" light came on briefly and then went right back off. I had the transmission fluid changed about 2,000 miles prior and am not low on any transmission fluid. A couple of times at low speeds, the transmission has kind of lurched forward/sped up. It's still under the power train warranty and I have an appt. with the dealer on Thursday.

My question is, have any of you ever had any problems with the Rodeo A/T's? Any guesses as to what's making that happen?

Thanks

paisan · January 2001

The tranny on the Isuzus (all of em are very similar) are known for their longevity and durability. Here is a link to the transmission page http://www.gmpowertrain.com/transmissions/index.htm I had a '97 rodeo 4wd a/t and was trouble free for 120,000 miles. (other than wind noise from all 4 doors from day 1, and the lights behind the temp controls intermittently having trouble)

-mike

sbcooke · January 2001

Treating the weatherstripping with Armor All will reduce door wind noise. It really did the trick on my 95 Altima sunroof which leaked air from day 1 (dealer didn't care, just kept pretending to fix it until the warranty was up). This trick kept me from losing my grip.

paisan · January 2001

I could get my fingers (big ones at that) between the door and the body of the car from the inside along the top. I think that was the crux of the problem withmy wind noise.

-mike

sbcooke · January 2001

That definitely sounds like a problem!

paisan · January 2001

I'd have pushed the issue, but seeing how I got a great deal on the lease, it wasn't bothersome enough to warrant a federal case over.

-mike

lynster · January 2001

Thanks, Mike. I think my problem may have something to do with the torque converter, so hopefully the Isuzu dealer will be able fix it under the powertrain warranty. I appreciate the link.
Thanks!
Lynne

paisan · January 2001

That's what we are here for...

Keep us posted on how you make out, and how the dealer honors/doesn't honor the warranty.

-mike

paisan · January 2001

Well guess what folks... I learned a valuable lesson today...

Replace all 4 tires at the same time....

If you all remember I've had a whine on my Trooper from around 10,000 miles to now (16,000) that could be heard from 30mph->10mph, but only when the TOD or 4wd Lo was engaged. Also had the TOD check engine light come on 2x over the past 6K miles. The 3rd problem was that after being in 4wd Lo, then going into neutral, and disengaging the 4wd Lo, TOD would not re-engage properly until I backed up 30 feet or more.

We thought it was either the TOD unit, or the front Differential.

Turns out, around 10K miles, I had gotten an ir-repairable flat on the right rear tire. I had replace the Bridgestone 684 tires of the same size on my Rodeo about 15K before my lease was up, so when I returned it I saved the relatively new tires from it for the Trooper. When I got the ir-repairable flat on the Trooper I threw on one of the saved rodeo tires and didn't think anything of it. Apparently the tire that I put on was 1/2" smaller than the diameter of the other tires on the truck. Either through wear or the fact that it was a "Made in USA" tire instead of a "Made in Japan" tire that the ones that came on the Trooper were.

This tire diameter problem apparently caused the TOD system to become confused and caused the noise. The re-mounted the spare tire onto the aluminum wheel for me, and bam, problem gone. All of the problems actually.

On this visit they also did the Fuel line recall, and cleaned out the nozzles of the windshield washer that I had jammed up with wax for me.

They whacked me $75 for the mounting of the tires and the balancing of them. Which isn't bad all things considered. I have to take my hat off for Open Road Honda/Isuzu in Edison, NJ for doing a great job diagnosing the problem with the least evasive procedure. Most other dealers would have ripped out the T-case and/or the front differentials and just back charged Isuzu, and in the end, never fix the problem.

So now, my baby is back!

-mike

gls2 · January 2001

My 98 Rodeo LS is making a rattling in the engine
when accelerating. Could this be from using cheap gas?

cmuniz · January 2001

Mike - Glad they fixed all your problems. It's great to have a good dealer handy. One more thing about the windshield washers. I had problems with the driver's side nozzle freezing up rather quickly in cold weather since the line that feeds it comes accross the hood and tends to freeze easily. I finally replaced the fluid with the stuff that Walmart sells for $.98 which doesn't freeze until it gets down to -20F. Problem solved!!! Now I can squirt the windshield in any weather condition.

mhills1 · January 2001

I own a 95' Rodeo LS, about 3 weeks ago while driving, my check trans. light came on. When taking off from a complete stop, after the light comes on, the truck is slow to respond to the accelerator as if it were taking off in second or third gear. I've taken it to 2 different repair shops and neither one of them can seem to find the problem. Both shops said that they believe the problem to be in the wiring or maybe a sensor somewhere, and not actually in the tranny itself. I do know that the Winter Drive button on the console is not working properly, Could this possibly be the problem? Any advice on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

gpm5 · January 2001

WInter drive starts off in 3rd gear. If the button is broke, it could be that the tranny is sticking in 3rd from stops. After you hit a certain speed, its supposed to re-set so that you start in 1st again--but if the button is sticking--maybe not.

mhills1 · January 2001

Thanks gpm5! I assumed this to be the problem, but it seemed to me that the shop would have been able to pin-point it. Right now I have this switch on order, but the mechanic says that he can't guarantee that this will fix the problem. The only way to find out is trial and error which may cost me quite a bit. The thing that has me confused is that sometimes the light will come on right away and other times it won't come on for quite a while. The repair shop also thought that it may have had something to do with the remote starter that was recently put on the truck.

paisan · January 2001

The button should be a snap to install yourself. See if that clears it up, then get it eveluated if you still have problems with it.

-mike

gpm5 · January 2001

good info mike. Was the whine actually from the TOD/differential or from the tires themselves?

paisan · January 2001

if the noise was from the tire or the TOD. I think it was from the TOD unit itself. I plan to put the spare on this weekend, to re-create the problem! Just to make sure that was it...

-mike

serrano · January 2001

Mike,
It is never advisable to use tires with different diameters on any "smart" 4wd/awd system. Because the sensors/differentials react to differing wheel/axle speeds, using a tire of a different diameter can fool the system into thinking that there is wheel slip happening all the time.
Obviously, this advice is too little too late, but others who are thinking about (or are already doing) this should think twice.
That's why Jeeps with Q-Trac systems come with full size spares. Doesn't matter with selec-trac, which is a plain open differential in the t-case.

Tom

paisan · January 2001

Tom,
I knew exactly what you are saying is true all along. BUT the tire that I put on to replace the ir-repairable flat was the same size, wear, style, brand, treadstyle etc. How was I to know that Bridgestone has a 1/2" difference in manufacturing?

Tire that came off: Bridgestone Dueller 684, 245-70-16 10K wear
Tire that went on: Bridgestone Dueller 684, 245-70-16 15K-18K wear

My dealer claims the tire that I replaced was 1/2" smaller than the rest. This weekend I intend to put the spare onto the truck and see if I can replicate the problem! Because if it is in fact the problem, it should make the noise again once I put that tire back on.

-mike

Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

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