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Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • logjamerlogjamer Member Posts: 1
    Just found this board, maybe someone can confirm. My '94 LS has 72k miles, I've owned since 27k. On my 3rd set of front brake pads/ 2nd set of rotors. Probably my driving style though. Uses 1 qt per 2000 miles.

    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
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    What exactly is the mechanic going to fix? I had a '79 Caprice Classic that a valve chipped on and caused #7 to stop firing. Short term we plugged up the cylinder and adjusted timing (old car, turn distributor until timing line was in correct position). A gave the car to a friend who fixed it himself, but it required a new camshafts and head gasket! Yikes. If you can get that for $1500 maybe it is worth it. Also, replacing the valves on a single cylinder might not work, the camshaft and valves have worn together for 72K, new valves (larger) might alter the rotation of cam? If the engine has 2 camshafts, you might have to replace the entire head?

    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?
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Hey all, I just found out from Sam the Isuzu Man at Planet Isuzoo that I am not alone with my intake manifold gasket trouble. Apparently it is happening quite a bit on the 3.5L engine.

    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.
  • deimosdeimos Member Posts: 57
    Hi,

    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...:)
  • deimosdeimos Member Posts: 57
    2. Alternator is underpowered. Dome light dims when headlights are turned on.

    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... :)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    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. If you are pulling into a stall, try to make it as straight a run into it as possible.

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    shouldn't be dim with the headlights on. Mine isn't dim on my 2000 Trooper LS and that's with the rear defroster on, wipers going, 100w headlights, 100w fog lights, 130w auxiliary driving lights, 2 heated seats, and heated mirrors going!

    -mike
  • deimosdeimos Member Posts: 57
    Thanks
    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...
  • deimosdeimos Member Posts: 57
    Period, imo :)

    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?
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    Hmmm. Good info. My truck surges when I turn it over and it is cold, but does not run rough, idle hard or have the check engine light on? Has this effected your driving? Have you noticed a power loss? Could this be a source of the the oil consumption?
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I wonder if there is a TSB regarding this?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Do you mean the lights are dim in the car? or the headlights are dim?

    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
  • deimosdeimos Member Posts: 57
    Sorry, I meant headlights...:)

    I'm planning of replacing, at least the bulbs..
    Would that do the trick?

    Hella or Sylvanna(sp)?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Hellas rule. get 80/100s from Ken @ susquehana motorsports. His site is listed on my web page


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


    -mike

  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Oddly enough, the problems were only when idling. When driving off of idle, it seemed OK. I went on a trip up north (3 hour drive each way) with the check engine light on, mileage seemed more or less normal though I didn't check it closely.

    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.
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    The binding you are experiencing while parking is normal for a part-time 4WD system. It is due to the differences in radius of the turn between the two axles, and the lack of differential between the front/rear axles.

    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.
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Seems to me I heard that Isuzu had come out with an higher capacity alternators for Rodeo due to numerous complaints like the ones mentioned here. Call your dealer, maybe they'll replace yours if you [non-permissible content removed] loud enough. At the very least you can buy one and upgrade your juice.
  • deimosdeimos Member Posts: 57
    Sorry, I meant headlights...:)

    I'm planning of replacing, at least the bulbs..
    Would that do the trick?

    Hella or Sylvanna(sp)?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well the Trooper goes back to Open Road Honda/Isuzu on Monday, since my whine has come back. I didn't think the tire-size was the culprit, but had to go with what they claimed. We'll see what happens this time!

    -mike
  • ppounceyppouncey Member Posts: 19
    I have a 95 Trooper (52k miles) that recently had a rough-running/engine shake problem at idle and low-rpms. Turned out that it was missing on one cylinder until you hit the gas - it would then backfire in the manifold 2-3 times and run normally while RPM's were up. Trooper needed new spark plug wires (about $60 from dealer); probably wouldn't have been replaced on a routine tune-up.
    HTH,
    Pat.
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Yup, from your symptoms I would have suggested distributor cap and/or plug wires...a good diagnostic tool when you suspect an ignition problem is to go out at night and start her up. Pop the hood and look (in the dark) for sparks, indicating where the problem is due to your spark jumping out of the wires or cap. I've used this a number of times over the years.

    That's one reason I like my 99, the coil-over plug ignition is not susceptible to those sorts of ignition problems.
  • troopintroopin Member Posts: 19
    I think the Mod's of this club should open a photo gallery . It would not only help brag about our sweet rides but possibly help people with maint& repair of them. My 2cents worth.
    Troopin.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'll swing it over to the meet the members area of the Isuzu area...

    -mike
  • radman6radman6 Member Posts: 81
    I purchased a new Trooper 4WD, Automatic in November 2000. I'm really happy with our Trooper so far but I have had a few minor annoying maintenance issues. Here's what I've got so far at 2800 miles.

    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.
  • dgerman1dgerman1 Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a 98 Rodeo V6 with 24000 miles on it and so far have no problems. Its great on gas and the 4WD works great in the snow. I read some posts about the Rodeo having issues with the intake manifold and rear axle seal problems and am now wondering if I made a mistake purchasing this vehicle.

    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.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    First, Welcome Radman to the owner's club. Now down to the nitty gritty...

    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
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    You can call Isuzu up directly on their 800# to see if the recalls have been done. The rodeo is a good car, and so long as you don't have the vibrating front suspension like a number of '98s have you are fine. That is an advantage of buying a used car, the kinks are worked out for yah!

    -mike
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I had a rattle in my dash when it was below freezing and while the truck was warming up. I have 17K now and the rattle is gone. I had it earlier this year, on a road trip I put some dry gas in and I have not heard it since. It is possible it is related to condensation in the supply lines?
  • gls2gls2 Member Posts: 10
    I have a 98 rodeo aswell, you might want to check the jack located under the right side in the back seat. It might be a little loose. Mine was.
  • armtdmarmtdm Member Posts: 2,057
    I will be attemtping to change the fluid myself this weekend, have done in other makes with a dipstick but this one has the drain and fill plugs on it. Seems okay but I expect to get out only half the fluid, about 4-5 quarts. Is this about right? I have a pump to replace the fluid with. Will be going to Amsoil full synthetic fluid at 60,000 miles. Just purchased this and converting all to full synthetic. Changed the rear axle gear oil last weekend, of course, idiots did not put in a drain plug, just a fill so you have to pump it out.

    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.
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    Got my trooper back bumper replaced/painted and a dent under the left side back light fixed. I had the body repair done at Wilson Dodge-Nissan next to Torrington Isuzu in Torrington CT. The body shop manager was a great guy, and they did a first rate job. Also, I got a free big bottle of touch up for the fender flares/bumpers.
  • ilitilit Member Posts: 71
    Don't throw away your broken protector. Instead you can save it by squaring it off using a hack saw and a hand file. Make it fit to the length(width) of the hood only. That was what I did when I got it new so I've never had the problem!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Ditto that. I snapped off one side, then snapped off the other side and now it's near perfect. I need to take out the dremel or hack saw and round out the sides so it doesn't look broken.

    -mike
  • steve_cornersteve_corner Member Posts: 4
    I have a 94 Trooper with 86K miles and within the last two months, $2000 in repair bills. First, oil started leaking through the head gasket and so both where replaced ($1050). Then, yesterday the throw out bearing on the clutch failed and seized onto the clutch shaft so a new clutch is being installed ($1064).

    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.
  • trooperxtrooperx Member Posts: 1
    Just purchased a 01 Limited Trooper and have taken it into the local dealer 3 times to have the keyless remotes programed to lock/unlock doors. The dealer has been unable to program keyless remotes. Does anyone know how this is done or where I might obtain info? Don't know if I can survive another trip to the dealer. Please Help! Thanks.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
  • ctnewtonctnewton Member Posts: 9
    Hi,
    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.
  • troopernewbietroopernewbie Member Posts: 60
    A wobbly steering wheel while braking is a sign of warped rotors. When I was researching which SUV to buy I saw a lot of brake problems reported from big Montero owners, but don't recall hearing many Trooper owners with that complaint.

    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.
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    Anybody know offhand what the recommended torque setting is? I can also check the manual.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    My impression is that the brakes on Troopers typically last far longer than expected, and far longer than on other vehicles. Someone posted recently, I think on itog.com, that he replaced his front brakes (I think just the pads) for the first time, at something like 89,000 miles!

    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.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    If they are warped @ 13K, the dealer should cover their replacement. On my '97 Rodeo I got 40K of city driving out of the rear pads and 50K out of the front. This is NYC stop and go, so I'm assuming anyone else has less wear on em.

    I have 17K on the Trooper now and no sign of brake problems.

    -mike
  • troopernewbietroopernewbie Member Posts: 60
    The spec is 87 ft. lbs. per the manual.
  • islander21islander21 Member Posts: 43
    I did my first bit of maintenance on my 2K Trooper S today.

    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
  • islander21islander21 Member Posts: 43
    Well, I disconnected the battery, then reseated all the sparkplug boots and voilá: now the check engine light stays on permanently. The bastage...
  • troopintroopin Member Posts: 19
    I just remembered doing the first oil change on the 99 troop. I pulled the plug only to find that the oil missed the pan by a good foot! Isuzu was kind enough to put a oil drain plug that is bigger than anything I have ever seen. If the oil is good and hot it will shoot out at a 45 deg. angle and drain in what seems to be 3 seconds! Just a word to the wise for the uninitiated!
    Tom.
  • islander21islander21 Member Posts: 43
    Yeah, I figured out the oil thing before it happened. I think I'm going to need to learn to extract the engine codes from the PCM. Is there a little hints book somewhere? Do I need any specialized equipment or tools?
  • ctnewtonctnewton Member Posts: 9
    Yeah, I'm going to have the dealer fix them under warrantee. I know what you mean about improper torque. I typically don't let anyone work on my cars, except in a warranted situation (or in the Audi's case, because maintanace is included). I never had a problem with warped rotors before, and I do what I can to prevent them. I don't brake hard, and if I think they're hot, I typically 'creep' at traffic lights so as to prevent unequal cooling.
    I'll advise as to the dealer's diagnoses.
    Thanks

    PK
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    The spark plugs on the trooper are a new (at least to me) design in which the voltage for the spark is generated at the plug (i.e. low voltage going to the plugs)--apparently like in formula race cars. I assume the ones you put in are a called for replacement--could this be the problem? What is the lifetime on the plugs anyways. Did you replace them to get better performance?
  • islander21islander21 Member Posts: 43
    Don't know what the lifetime was on the Denso plugs, but they were obviously the original equipment (they had 10,300 miles on them). The plugs I put in are top-of-the line Bosch Platinum +4, they have 4 tips and their lifetime is 100,000 miles. They should increase performance and gas mileage, they did in my Mazda 626 and in the Suzuki Sidekick I had prior to the Trooper. I did have a hard time removing 4 of the 6 boots, had to pull the darn things using pliers (the plastic connectors popped out of the boots). If you don't put dielectric grease in them and on the ceramics on the plugs they tend to fuse to the plugs.

    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
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Generally I've found on the Isuzu models in order to get the check engine light to "fix" itself, you need to have 4-5 heat up and cool down cycles before the Emissions sensors reset. Also i'd disconnect the battery over-night so the capacitors have time to discharge.

    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
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