Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Lately, several friends have said that its running rough. I had a complete tuneup including a new timing belt. Still runs rough (slight hesitation when accelerating, shakes alot when idling). Looking at the engine during idling, it does seem to be moving alot - but I'm not sure how much engine vibration is usual for an SUV.
My mechanic said I have a valve problem in cyl #2. Is this likely with such low mileage and would it make it run rough? I'm very happy with my mechanic but am hesitant to spend the $1500 to fix this problem. He recommended I have it done if I plan to keep the vehicle (I intend to have it as long as I can afford the gas).
Any experience with valve p
If you trust this guy maybe? I would get a second opinion. If you have a 4 cylinder that blew a valve, you will be hard pressed to even get the car to move if one is not igniting.
For $1500 you could get a rebuilt engine and have it installed. That might be a better option?
So if your Trooper idles rough or surges at idle, with the check engine light on (or even flashing on cold start), suspect the intake manifold gasket.
Sam described a diagnosis whereby you spray brake cleaner along the manifold edge at idle...I believe you would then hear a change in engine rpm due to the flammable fluid being sucked into the manifold through the leak.
He also described how to change the gasket, although I think most 3.5s are still under warranty.
About:
#9. One I haven't heard. In can't park in 4 wheel drive (two snowfalls since I bought it). When I take the sharp turn into a parking stall it "binds" up or something and the vehicle comes to a halt. I have to back up (slowly) and go around the parking lot until I can get it back into 2 wheel and then park. Is this normal for 4 wheel drive?
If it's snow on the road, can't the truck still park in 4WD Hi?
I'm asking other owners as well, because mine also seems to park with difficulty, like it gets kind of stuck for a little while, then it moves on...
Is this normal? Any danger if parked like this in 4WD?
Again I'm talking about doing it in snow, not on dry roads...
Don't tell me that we have to put the truck in 2WD and then park...:)
What about the weak alternator?
I was just considering upgrading the bulbs to our '99, but if it's a weak alternator, maybe that won't do much good...
-mike
-mike
About your "You should be able to park in snow w/o taking it out of 4wd. but if you are trying to parrallel park it or make a tight turn even in snow, you'll get binding of the axles and have to hit the gas extra hard."
I'm dong that, but any chance of damage to the axles?
I'm not doing it extra hard, but it seems to work hard enough on turning...
Yes I was trying to turn backwards into my driveway and then back it up the slope a little
The sharp turning goes kind of hard in snow, 4WD Hi...
I've just heard another owner(of a '98 Rodeo, our is '99, but it's the same model) complaining as well...Any other opinions?
My headlights are dim, even with very few other consumers in the circuit(e.g. no heated seats, etc, not even all the lights on)...
Would better bulbs help, or if the alternator is too weak, I shouldn't bother?
The bulbs and headlights in general suck on the isuzus (except for the multireflector headlights in 2000 and 2001, maybe '99 on the rodoes) I put in 80/100w bulbs on my trooper and they still sucked. So i bought 2 Hella 4000s which are 9.5" reflectors and 130w each, they get the job done in the mts. upstate NY!
-mike
I'm planning of replacing, at least the bulbs..
Would that do the trick?
Hella or Sylvanna(sp)?
http://www.iace.com/ia/trooper
-mike
What it did do was surge from 0 - 1500 rpm after starting, sometimes die at the bottom of the surge...other times it would race. A couple of times the CE light was flashing until I put it into gear and drove. After that I took it in for service.
Sometimes you can get similar symptoms from a bad oxygen sensor.
This is why part-time 4WD is not to be used on dry pavement. The system needs a slippery surface such as dirt or snow to release stresses due to different wheel travel on turns.
I recommend you practice turning sharply in the snow in a deserted parking lot to become acquainted with the effects of the 4WD. You will feel the front wheels jerking ahead to balance their travel. When you get used to it you'll be OK.
None of the above applies to Troopers with TOD. The TOD system allows the slippage to occur in the transfer case, unlike regular systems.
I'm planning of replacing, at least the bulbs..
Would that do the trick?
Hella or Sylvanna(sp)?
-mike
HTH,
Pat.
That's one reason I like my 99, the coil-over plug ignition is not susceptible to those sorts of ignition problems.
Troopin.
-mike
Corners of hood protector are too flimsy and they flap in the breeze at 65 mph. It taps on the fenders, makes a lot of noise and has left a transfer on one corner. While checking the paint on a cold day (10 degrees maybe) I pulled the corner of the hood protector out a couple inches to look underneath. The corner of the hood protector (about 6 inches worth) snapped off in my hand : (
There's a strange rattle / buzzing sound that comes from the center console at times - especially when using TOD on icy bumpy roads. Not sure if this is normal transfer case noise or if there's something wrong. Might just be the plastic console rattling and buzzing.
I have another rattle that seems to be coming from the dash area. Sounds like it may be coming from the fan / ventilation duct area.
The last problem is with the windshield. On a cold (15-20 degrees F) day my wife was warming up the Trooper and turned the defroster on. The windshield suddenly cracked all the way across. I've since inspected it and there are no chips, etc., just a clean crack.
If anyone has any ideas about the rattles etc. I'd like to hear from you. Thanks for all the informative posts. These message boards helped me to make up my mind on the Isuzu Trooper. Aside from the minor issues above I think it's a great rig and a super value.
I also read that there are recalls on this Rodeo but am unsure if any where done on mine, is there anyway you can tell if recalls where performed on a vehicle?
The suspension does make some squeaking and clunking noise when its very cold outside. I hear a rattling noise from inside the Rodeo when driving over bumps and it sounds like the back seat.
Bug Guard: On here we figured out that the corners do in fact flap @ 65mph against the vehicle. People have used felt on the rubber bump stops to eliviate the problem. I on the other hand did what happened to you and when waxing once, snapped off a corner by accident. So what I did was take off the guard and dremmeled off the other side to match. Now I have no noises from the guard!
Fan/Duct Rattle: Have you had the recall done for the fuel line hose? We also figured out on here that on cold days the fuel line smacks against the firewall which is located on the passenger side of the vehicle.
Center console Squeek: Is it coming from the gear selector area? I had a nasty squeek on my '97 rodeo and 2000 Trooper that came from the plastic piece that is around where the stick of the gear shifter goes into the console. I brought it to the dealer and of course they couldn't find it. So I bought some silicone spray and after spraying it, the noise was gone for good.
Windshield: Probably a defective windshield. I hope the dealer replaced it for you.
Let us know if any of these fixes work for you and let us know if the dealer replaced that window/ what kind of experience you had with the dealer.
-mike
-mike
has anyone had problems changing the plugs on the 3.2 L V6??? Seems easy enough even though coil pack is on each plug?
To bluedevils, note that Castrol Syntec is not a true synthetic oil, re-formulated dino oil. See Car & Drive Nov 2000 issue for details. Castrol is using (in my opinion) false and misleading advertising on this one.
-mike
The truck has been fairly trouble free but I feel like us 90's Trooper owners were guinie pigs for the 2000 Trooper's 120K warranty.
A few other things to that I've had trouble with: the water pump (replaced), both rear power window mechanism (fixed by jury rigging), a power lock mechanism (replaced), and radio knob (glued back together). It's almost as bad as an American made car.
I've tried to read a year's worth of Trooper posts and I still have some questions.
First, I have a '99 Trooper and I like it a lot. I bought it to pull my boat(~4000lb w/trailer) and it has so far been flawless in its duties. That extra weight of the truck make the Trooper a great towing rig. I will be upgrading the rear suspension for towing. I guess OME springs are the way to go, yet I don't want to increase ride height.
Anyway, I have been noticing a slight flutter in the steering wheel when I apply the brakes. I'm guessing I may have warped rotors. Has anyone else had this problem? BTW, I have 13k on the truck.
Also, I need a bug(stone) defector. Which one should I get?
I want one that won't break when I take the truck through the automatic car wash (free with 8 gals!).
Thanks in advance.
PK
Also, it is interesting how people are drawn to certain vehicles. There was mention here that others drive Audi's and Subaru's
My other cars are an A4 and a VW Corrado.
Still, if the problem has just started, it's probably worth it to have to rotors turned now and not later. My experience is that once rotors get badly warped, they tend to get that way again eventually. A common cause for rotors warping is the air guns mechanics use to tighten lug nuts. Usually the lugs are torqued much tighter than is what is spec from the manufacturer. Plus, since the first lug is cranked down unreasonably tight, then the rest, there can be uneven stress on the rotors. Add the heating up and cooling off from everyday use to the uneven pressure on the disc and the warping begins.
Here's more info:
http://autos.yahoo.com/repair/results/ques003.html
Whenever a shop removes and reinstalls a wheel on any vehicle, ask what method they use to assure the proper torque on the lugs. If the answer is don't worry about it... find a new mechanic. Many shops use "Torque Stix". This is an attachment to the air gun that sets the torque to a certain range. I've always wondered how accurate these are. The best method is, of course, to use a torque wrench. I don't know what's spec on the Trooper, but the RX7 I used to autocross was around 85 foot pounds of torque. You'd be surprised how little pressure is required to achieve proper torque. The small investment in a torque wrench will be paid for many times over in the brake jobs you didn't have to buy.
My 96 Trooper had 51,000 miles when it was totaled. I bought it at 27,000 miles, and I'm assuming it had no brake work before I bought it. The brakes were working fine and showed no signs of wear or needing replacement at 51k miles.
My 98 Troop has 41,000 miles. I fully expect to get 60-70k miles out of the first set of pads.
Rotor warping at 13k miles on a 99 Trooper seems quite unusual. You might try getting the dealer to cover this as a warranty item, especially if they've been the ones rotating your tires and probably overtightening the lugs. I was able to get the warped rotors on my 96 Mercury Mystique (aka Ford Contour) turned for free by the dealer at 23,000 miles, with no fuss at all.
I have 17K on the Trooper now and no sign of brake problems.
-mike
1- Changed the oil/filter. Put 5 quarts of Valvoline Durablend 10W30 and a new Pure One filter from Purolator. No runs, no drips, no errors.
2- Replaced the stock Nippondenso spark plugs with a set of Bosch Platinum +4, complete with dielectric grease for the boots and thread antisieze.
The vehicle runs well but shortly after driving it I noticed that the Check Engine light started flashing. Not all the time, only when I hit the gas and only above 2000 rpm. What's up with that? I have no manual, so I went at it blind, darn it. Did I miss something? Should I disconnect the battery so that the PCM re-sets now that it has a new set of plugs? Any help is appreciated, otherwise it's off to the dealer.
Islander
Tom.
I'll advise as to the dealer's diagnoses.
Thanks
PK
Presently the Check Engine light is on steady. If I step on the gas and the RPMs go past +/- 1500 then the check engine light starts to flash. I'll leave the battery disconnected overnight and if the problem persists I'll put the old plugs back in for troubleshooting tomorrow.
Islander
Do the Bosh plugs normally require special wires? Are they designed for direct fired ignition that the Troopers have? I'm not a mechanic but just trying to eliminate any variables. Also the computer may not be sending enough juice to them and is getting a low voltage in the lines above 1500rpm which is throwing the CE light on.
-mike