Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

sbcooke · January 2003

I just called a competing place and they want $250 a side, doing the rotors on/off the truck. If I can get the first place to bend a little on the price or even a free hat or something, I will probably get it done? The big thing is I am having to pay twice on the labor.

Paisan, when you just did the pads, did you get pulsing with the brakes?

sbcooke · January 2003

Oh well...I am getting it done, I barely have enough time to check the oil these days. My service manager said he would try to save me whatever he could on the costs since I did just have my 30K service 3 weeks ago and they missed this. So hopefully they can cut into the labor costs for me, or change the oil for free. At a minimum I want a hat/shirt, ugh!

Thanks for the quick replies.

paisan · January 2003

I did just pads in the front at 35K, and the rear I did rotors and pads. No problems on 100->10 stops in the front or rear and they've been on for ~10K miles.

-mike

bluedevils · January 2003

How are you paying twice on labor for the brake work?

sbcooke · January 2003

At my 30K service they repacked the hubs and bearings, now two weeks later they are telling that they have to remove the hubs and bearings to resurface the front discs...and then repack again. They don't resurface on the vehicle?

At my 30K service in December they told me I needed my catalytic converter replaced, so I took my truck home and waited for it to come in. Now 2-3 weeks later I need new brakes? I would think they should check brakes at a 30K service. Fortunately the service manager thought the same thing, so he is going to try to cut some costs for me.

bluedevils · January 2003

I'd have to check my owners manual, but I'm guessing a brake inspection is called for every 30k miles or maybe every 15k miles (which would include a check @ 30k). That's pretty standard for any vehicle. So if you took in your truck and told them to do "the 30k service," they should have checked the brakes. Even if it wasn't specified in the owners manual, or in the dealer's standard 30k maintenance service, or requested by you, they should have looked at the brakes when they repacked the wheel bearings. I don't know much, but isn't that stuff all right in the same vicinity?

I'd make sure the service mgr knows you think they owe you some relief on the costs - don't let him keep telling you he's trying to do you a favor and help you out. That's garbage. I'd also make sure he knows how disappointed you are that they did such a sloppy job and missed the brakes on the last trip. You could have ruined your rotors in those 2-3 weeks, plus you could have saved this trip back (ignoring the cat converter) by having brakes fixed on your last visit.

I had the wheel bearings repacked and brake work done at the same time - waited until 75k until doing both for the first time. The Honda dealer told me they'd machine rotors while still on the truck.

At a minimum, the dealer should NOT charge you any labor, or parts which are probably just a few bucks, on the wheel bearing re-repack.

I don't remember for sure - couldn't find paperwork last night - but I think Honda dealer charged me $55 for the front pads and about $62 for the rears (parts cost) on my 1998 Trooper. Hope this helps.

bluedevils · January 2003

Here's what I paid for brake work @ Honda dealer last week. 98 Trooper, 75k miles. No previous brake work except inspections. Replaced front & rear pads, machined front and rear rotors, flushed brake fluid. Wheel bearing repack was also included in the price of the front brakes; I'm not sure how much $$ that was, but I think the shop mgr said it was about an hour labor.

Front brakes & wheel bearing repack:
2 oil seals @ 7.22 ea = $14.44
pads $52.00
Labor 3 hrs @ $76 = $228
Total job $294.44

Rear brakes
Pads $55.00
Labor 2 hrs @ $76 = $152
Total job $207.00

Brake fluid flush
No charge

So I paid $501 for all this work. Labor hours seem pretty high for pad install and rotor resurfacing. Any thoughts?

I spent $1,051 on this visit after a discount of $147 (not sure what it was for), so if you apply roughly half this discount to the brake work then I really paid more like $450.

So, about $450-500 for: new pads and machined rotors front and rear, brake fluid flush, and front wheel bearing repack.

sbcooke · January 2003

That is fairly consistent with what I am paying. Thanks for the update.

Why a Honda dealer? Were they a Honda/Isuzu before or something? The labor charge seems right in line with what my dealer is charging...maybe the only way to beat that price is to go to a local mechanic?

bahmed · January 2003

I have a 98' Rodeo S, 4Dr, 2 Wheel Drive. The ABS light is turning on from time to time at random. It has 66K miles on it, did the 60K and all other reccommended Scheduled maintanence. I had the ABC module replaced around 40K as part of the warranty. I have not yet taken to the dealership. Like to have some info before heading to the dealership and expect to get an unexpected quote to fix it. Any comments, help is appreciated

paisan · January 2003

Isn't the '98 part of the ABS recall?

-mike

bluedevils · January 2003

Closer to home - nearest Isuzu dealer is 20 inconvenient minutes away.

Also, my impression was the shop mgr knew what he was talking about (I'm not so sure after my most recent visit) and they treated me right my first visit there - free brake inspection (though they must have misdiagnosed, since it was < 8k miles ago and they said '45-50% left front & rear' and I just had brake work done and they and another shop said the rears were basically done) and free chassis lube, plus I had a coupon for free A/C inspection. Brake inspection, fuel filter change, coolant change, A/C inspection, and chassis lube for about $85.

I got a quote from an Isuzu dealer and their estimate on the brake and t-belt etc. work sounded even higher.

This Honda shop changed names in the past 6 months but I think all staff stayed. Unfortunately their hourly labor rate increased from $72 to $76-- about 5-6%.

sbcooke · January 2003

I am going to start going someplace else for the same reason. However I have found that the trooper is very particular about some things, and a shop that cannot service a truck, cannot get them right (i.e. alignment, balance, 4wd systems, etc). There is an old Isuzu dealer who is a primary ford shop nearby, I am thinking about trying them since they sell trucks. My current dealer is 30 minutes away and also a ford variant (to my surprise I have been lucky so far with them).

beer47 · January 2003

If only I could get a 2003 Tahoe bucket seat for my 2000 Trooper, Life would be a dream. Perhaps, it is just me but if you do 3000K a month like I do these seats will wear on you. Maybe I'm just getting old! If I could get out even on it I would make the switch, but I am sure I am upside down on my truck (yes, I knew it going in). Other than the seat though, it has been one GOOD truck. Maybe I'll feel better if I can 200K w/o a major repair. 83K and counting on my 2000"S" Cheers to all!

bluedevils · January 2003

Those seats must REALLY be bothering you if you'd be willing to get out of the Troop for a Tahoe! I like the Tahoe but it doesn't have the things that make the Trooper great.

Hey, are you still pleased with your replacement shocks? Would you choose something else if you could do it again? My notes show you did the Monroe Reflex shocks, and got a great deal at $200 installed. Is that correct?

beer47 · January 2003

Yes, the shocks I put on have been A-OK and I hardily recommend them. I do not feel that stock Trooper shocks are not meant to go any where near 100K plus. I love my Trooper but would love to be able to cross-breed a Trooper with a Tahoe!! Imagine, big/comfortable and reliable. Such a deal would neat! Perhaps in time. Cheers to all!

sbcooke · January 2003

My OME's still feel good, they are about 2 years old and have 15K or so miles on them. I have used them somewhat hard offroad, I wonder how long they will last, 30K, 50K? A truck ride seems to require more than a car.

sdc2 · January 2003

I have had my OME shocks for at least 35K miles, still doing fine.

I generally swap shocks every 50K or so, more often than most people I know. IMO shocks generally don't go 100K without serious degredation in performance.

breakor · January 2003

to all the people that previously reported the solution. I am sure it would have taken me quite a while before I would have otherwise figured out that the sliding mechanism at the bottom was the culprit.

ostaz · January 2003

The first anniversary of rust proofing my wife's van is next month. I inspected it, and found no rust whatsoever.

I had sprayed it last year with Waxoyl (as I did my 99 Trooper last summer).

Waxoyl goes on as a spray, and gets harder but stays flexible like a wax.

I will let you know in the spring, how my Trooper is doing.

Sam

boxtrooper · January 2003

Ostaz: How much preparation do the surfaced need to prevent forming covered pockets of corrosion?
Thank You

ostaz · January 2003

Not much preping. Waxoyl has a rust treatment in it (by forming a stable salt). Just bug chunks need to be removed.

Sam

leedavidyoung · January 2003

Two weeks ago had a check engine light that gave a 401 code. My local dealer ran a check and said it was the EGR valve. The dealer wanted $300 to replace this item. I decided to order the part and do the work myself. The installation went smooth, but two days later the check engine light returned. Helpless, I returned to the dealer questioning the original diagnosis. They ran a second check and the EGR valve turned up again. I explained that I had already replaced this item and that it must be something else.

It was a humbling experience to learn that the intake pipe leading into the EGR valve must be brushed clean to allow uninterrupted flow into the valve. It was a simple step that I unknowingly skipped. It cost me $60 for the 2nd diagnosis and $50 labor from the dealer. It took less than 15 minutes to fix. The valve only cost me $115 so I still was better off performing the work myself. If anyone attempts to replace the EGR valve on their Trooper, remember to clean the intake pipe during the process.

What can I say? Im still learning.

Hope this is helpful.

Lee

sbcooke · January 2003

I wonder if just cleaning the pipe would have fixed it in the first place?

bluedevils · January 2003

There's no way for leedavidyoung to know now, but you might be right about that.

leedavidyoung, what year is your Trooper? Where's the EGR located? Did you have a shop manual to guide you?

breakor · January 2003

Here is a link dealing with EGRs. While I got this reference at another Isuzu site, I am not sure it is Isuzu specific. Thus, like most things on the net, it should be taken with a grain of salt. http://www.geocities.com/ryan_endres/twirp.html

bluedevils · January 2003

ryanendres sometimes posts to the Isuzu Town Hall boards, so it wouldn't surprise me if his how-to write-up IS Isuzu specific. Hopefully Ryan will chime in and let us know for sure.

Thanks for posting the link!

leedavidyoung · January 2003

I think that cleaning the pipe alone would have corrected the situation. When I removed the old EGR, I examined it out of curiosity. The valve seemed to open and close with the same amount of effort as the new one. I just assumed that the computer was reading a problem that I could not see.

I did not use a shop manual for the repair. A friend of mine knew where it was and helped me with the removal and installation.

bluedevils · January 2003

Anybody with a newer Trooper have info on this? It looks like my 7/8" socket is just a bit too big. 7/8" is 22.225 mm, so I'm guessing the lug nuts are 22mm. Does anybody know for sure?

Also, what do you guys use to remove the lugs on your truck? The factory wrench isn't long enough to provide enough torque for me to get the lugs off on my 98 Trooper. I'm thinking about just buying a 22mm socket to use with my 1/2" drive socket wrench.

paisan · January 2003

I think mine are 19mm. I use an X-wrench or an impact gun.

-mike

bluedevils · January 2003

Just checked my notes from looking at our 2 vehicles last night. I switched the info around - our other vehicle seems to need 22mm, but our Trooper seemed like 19mm. The 3/4" seemed just a bit too big. My calc converts 3/4" to 19.05 mm. Unfortunately, my socket set goes up to only 18mm. I guess I need a couple other sizes.

paisan · January 2003

Invest in an X-wrench, very effective if you need to change tires on the road. I've never used the stock jack or jack handle in my trooper ever!

-mike

bluedevils · January 2003

You have a 19mm X-wrench? I don't like the idea of spending money on one to replace the stock wrench, but if the stocker doesn't work then it's pretty much worthless. What's the ballpark $$ on one of these?

I couldn't remove the lug nuts on our other vehicle with the stock wrench either. Maybe I'm just too weak!

paisan · January 2003

I never mess with the stockers. you wind up stripping the nuts with them. An X-wrench is like $5->$20max. I consider it part of my "car gear" that I almost always carry in my truck. I am an Eagle Scout, so I carry all kinds of survival/repair shtuff in my vehicles. Items I always carry or try to carry:

X-wrench
Basic Socket Set
Quart of Oil
Quart of ATF
Washer Fluid
Poncho
Wire Hanger
Duct Tape
Electrical Tape
Wire
Electrical Connectors
Tow Strap
Shackles
Extra Headlight Bulbs
WD40/Liquid Wrench
5-10lb mini-sledge hammer
paper towels
come-along
hose clamps
1" 7/8th Ball and tounge
2" Ball and tounge
Jumper cables
Clear Packing Tape
Bungies

I keep the light bulbs and shakles in the 30% door pocket, the towstrap in the 70% large pocket. Electrical tape and wire and connectors in the small 70% pocket along with adapter for Uhaul trailer lights and bungies.

In the under 2nd row of seats I keep the tounge and balls, jumper cables, and packing tape.

In a rubbermaid small bin, I keep the rest.

-mike

drmp · January 2003

I am having occasional engine erratic surging and I guess I have the intake gasket issue on my '99 Passport w/ 3.2 v6.

Can anybody please direct me to the fix? I am hoping for a simple "patch" like liquid gasket on the leak point only.

Thanks in advance.

bahmed · January 2003

The owners manual say, use Genuine Power Steering Fluid or Automatic Transmission Fluid Dexron-IIE. The Genuine at the Dealership cost 4 times that of the standard one at a Auto Parts Store.
The fluid in the Power Steering Fluid Reservoir is going down faster than normal and there are no leaks. I have never flushed the fluid as reccommended in the owners manual, but I dont know where the fluid is going if there are no leaks, some change is expected due to drop in temperature but it is more than that. Any comments or reccommendations will be highly appreciated. Thanks

boxtrooper · January 2003

I have had that problem. I had unexplained tiny spots on the driveway only once in a while. After 2 years of the phantom leak, I eventually found a small drip still on the bottom of the engine compartment. Then I was sure it was my Trooper and not the wife's car.
..
Then I had a slight noise in the engine compartment when steering. I checked the power steering fluid level and it was gone. So I added some synthetic automatic transmission fluid, becuase I like synthetics, and the noise stopped. I made arrangements to have Creech Import look at the power steering system.
..
Over the phone they said this problem happens at the high pressure outlet hose fron the power steering pump. I took it in and sure enough that is what it was.
..
If you ever have your power steering fluid changed like the manual recommends, It might be a good idea to change that little hose too. But it was an expensive hose around $80 for the part I think.

bahmed · January 2003

I had it Checked with Dealer and the problem seems to be the wire harness to the speed sensor on the rear wheels got damaged and splitted. All they had to do was to repair the wires and clear the codes. They charged me $180 for 2 hours of labor ($90/hour for labor). It seemed high, but the dealer says that is what their rate is here in Dallas, Texas. The 98 Rodeo has 66K miles.

bluedevils · January 2003

Bought my tires at Discount Tire and have them rotated there for free. The paperwork always shows the lugs were tightened to 87 ft-lbs on our 1998 Trooper, which I believe is the correct factory spec. I'm wondering, though-- these shops that use air impact wrenches, or whatever they're called, can these tools accurately measure the torque? I don't think the tire shops check each lug with a regular torque wrench after tightening with the air impact wrench; I know I've never noticed them do that check on my vehicles.

I just had new brakes installed and I'm thinking of rotating the tires myself to make sure the lugs aren't overtorqued at the shop and thereby damage the brakes. Since I haven't yet changed a tire on this vehicle, I figure it would also be good practice in case of a flat.

sdavito · January 2003

are what the tire shops use with their impact drivers.

BTW, are all of you proponents of cross style lug wrenches aware that tighting up your wheels without using a torque wrench can easily warp your rotors?

David

paisan · January 2003

They could, but generally not on trucks. Also I usually use it to break em and tighten em up, then run a torque wrench on it for the final tightening.

-mike

breakor · January 2003

I stumbled across this post with another technique for removing a stuck spark plug boot. Bluedevils if nothing else this lets you know that you are not the only one to have this problem. http://club.vmag.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000060.html

bluedevils · January 2003

So you think that some tire shops generally *do* torque the lugs to the proper spec?

bluedevils · January 2003

thanks for the link. 2 guys on 4x4wire also reported having the same problem as me. I wonder if the guy on club.vmag tried using his hands before devising the fancy coathanger thing?!

Re: club.vmag.com-- is this *another* Trooper discussion board that I need to add to my watch list? I thought I had identified all of the main ones (Edmunds, 4x4wire, ITOG, and forums.vmag.com/suvtrooper0199), but this "club vmag" wasn't on my radar screen.

sdavito · January 2003

Absolutely. However, I always ask the shop how they plan on tighting the lugs to the proper torque. I never have had a shop give me an answer that indicated that they werent aware of the importance of using the proper torque. I generally do business with the larger tire chains.

I'm not so sure that some of the smaller get-err-done type of garages wouldn't miss something like using the proper torque on lugs.

bahmed · January 2003

Any standard over the shelf Power Steering Fluid is fine, or we need to strictly follow the owners manual, which reccommends Automatic Transmission Fluid DEXRON IIE for the Power Steering Fluid.
Appreciate your input. Thanks

bluedevils · January 2003

I'm pretty sure that Dexron IIE is no longer produced, and that Dexron III is the current version that meets the IIE requirements. I wouldn't use ANY power steering fluid, but as long as it's labeled Dexron III you should be fine. Note that this assumes the Dexron IIE is the correct fluid for your Rodeo's power steering. In contrast, my 1998 Trooper actually requires automatic transmission fluid in the power steering system.

bahmed · January 2003

Thanks bluedevils. The owners manual for 1998, V6 2W drive Rodeo says to use Automatic Transmission Fluid - DEXRON IIE for the Power Steering Fluid as well.

Thanks

armtdm · January 2003

Is ATF that most manufacturers also use in the PS units. Dexron III will work fine as will synhetic ATF.labeled Dexron III or IV.

jminie · January 2003

Engine in my Rodeo siezed on the way to work one morning. Towed directly to dealer. They claim I had no oil in the engine. I get the oil changed without fail at 5000 miles, so something pretty serious was up. I found that Isuzu claims 1 Qt oil per 1000 miles usage is "acceptable", though I've found internet threads that claim 1 Qt per 800 miles is what some people have found they were getting before trading off the truck. Being a mechanic in a previous life, I think this is extremely high.

Anyone else run into this? No, I didn't check my oil every other fill up. I have never encountered an engine that burned this much oil, especially when I bought it new and changed the oil much more often than Isuzu recommended.

breakor · January 2003

Yep, this is a very common issue with the 3.5 Isuzus, some Saturns, Covetttes and other newer models IIRC. As long as the oil is promptly replaced at least the Isuzus do seem to last and last and last. I did think however that the issue in the 3.2s was ticking not oil loss.

As to the cause of the loss who knows. I believe the Corvette owners are thinking rings. Some talk that malfunctioning PCV and EGR valves are related to the Isuzu consumption.

Bottom line you have to check your oil levels. Some people have reported losing an engine in as little as a 1000 miles between level checks. Also, FWIW my opinion is that 3kmis is a more appropriate oil change interval on these trucks especially the ticking 3.2s. Granted you can find lots of support (including the manual) for much longer change intervals. Then again for the cost of some oil and a filter I think think it is cheap insurance to change as noted. Just my $.02.

Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

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