Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

islander21 · February 2001

Thanks for the info, Paisan. I disconnected the battery overnight so I'll see what happens in a bit. These plugs don't require special cables and even though the folks at Discount Auto can call them up in their computer specifically for the 2000 Trooper, I don't know for a fact if they are designed for direct fired ignitions.

Your tip about heat-up and cool down sensors is a good one. I was about to put the old plugs in today but I just have not driven the car enough since I put in the Boschs.

Any idea what a constantly flashing Check Engine light means as opposed to just the light being on continually?

Islander

troopin · February 2001

For people like us that know something about cars it might be worthwhile to buy a scan tool for the odd II system. I will probably pick one up soon just so (I) know what is up with the truck before I take it to the HONEST repairmen at Isuzu. The tools can be had for 200-300 which is the cost of ONE out-of-waranty repair. I prefer to do as much maint as possible. The good tools will not only tell you what codes is in the ECM but can give you real time info for those pesky intermitant problems. My experience with the dealers is that they will try not to fix something much quicker than actually fix anything.I think the service reps would have a little different attitude if the playing field was even. I do not mean to slam Honest auto mechanics but this is my opinion of most.
Tom.

islander21 · February 2001

Thanks for the info, Paisan. I disconnected the battery overnight so I'll see what happens in a bit. These plugs don't require special cables and even though the folks at Discount Auto can call them up in their computer specifically for the 2000 Trooper, I don't know for a fact if they are designed for direct fired ignitions.

Your tip about heat-up and cool down sensors is a good one. I was about to put the old plugs in today but I just have not driven the car enough since I put in the Boschs.

Any idea what a constantly flashing Check Engine light means as opposed to just the light being on continually?

Islander

troopernewbie · February 2001

Is the Trooper air filter available at places like K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc, or is it harder to find?

bluedevils · February 2001

This may be worthless advice, but maybe the owners manual says something generic about what a flashing or constant Check Engine light means.

Also, have you considered whether the dealer might look at this without charging you? It's possible they might pull the computer codes and help you figure out what's going on without even noticing that the truck has different plugs in it. Or you could tell them up front that you replaced the plugs and see if they will help (for free!). I think I might try the former, not the latter. Just a thought.

bluedevils · February 2001

Last January, I bought an Isuzu brand air filter for my 1998 Trooper from St. Charles Isuzu. They charge 24 bucks, which represents 15% off manufacturer's list price. I don't know if there are other brands of filters available at typical parts stores.

islander21 · February 2001

Troopernewbie,

Consider replacing your stock paper air filter with a K&N. I ordered my online through Martel Bros. for $51 incl. shipping. It's guaranteed for life and flows more air while filerting more debris. The part number for the 2000 Trooper is 33 - 2064.

Islander

islander21 · February 2001

There's nothing in the owners manual regarding a flashing check engine light. I will be taking the car in to the dealer tomorrow since it also has a problem with the Power Mode switch - it's always on. They'll check the CE light as well, and I ain't saying nothin' about the plugs, let's see how good these guys are...

Islander

paisan · February 2001

The CE light flashing = Engine problem
CE Constant = Emissions problem

Flashing = Bad
Constant = Bad for Environment

That's how the ODBCII is supposed to work.

-mike

paisan · February 2001

Got mine from Performance Parts .com look on my site for the exact place. http://www.iace.com/ia/trooper I got the K&N filter for $5X and it's re-usable.

So far notice 1mpg gain and more power above 4K range.

-mike

islander21 · February 2001

Thanks for the clarification Mike, the Trooper is at the dealer today. No prognosis yet.

randers3 · February 2001

I also changed the sparkplugs on my 2000 Trooper to Bosch +4. The check engine light immediately went on. Turns out that there is an ionization sensor at the bottom of the plug that measures the correct fuel burn. According to the dealer the Bosch +4 configuration does not allow the sensor to operate correctly. One other word of warning, the seating of the plug boot is extremely sensitive. It took 4 trips to the dealer to correct this problem. They replaced the plugs with new Denso and problem was corrected. I would like to put in Rapidfire plugs but after this last experience I am quite nervous about it.

paisan · February 2001

Any particular reason you guys went and replaced your plugs? Mine seem to fire just fine, and I drive my truck hard.

-mike

sdc2 · February 2001

I think on my 99 the plugs are scheduled for replacement at 100K miles. I plan on replacing mine at 50K, simply because I have heard they can be pretty tough to get out after 100K, and nothing is LESS fun than a broken spark plug that is fused to the engine block!

ffxvw · February 2001

I'm about to buy a 1987 Trooper II with 96,000 miles on it. Its a 5-speed with the gas engine. Any particualr things I should look out for, or have checked before purchase?

Jason

troopernewbie · February 2001

Without documentation I'd be suspicious of so few miles. Very few people average 6800 miles per year. Others here (or more likely at http://itog.com/ ) can probably help you with the specific things to look out for that year and model.

Personally, I'll never buy another used car without having it checked through http://carfax.com/ . Last time I shopped for a used car I found several that had rolled back odometers or salvage titles. It's worth it to buy the 3 month unlimited use plan for $20 vs the single $15 check.

If you're a Sam's Club member, you get one free VHR (Vehicle History Report... similar to carfax) by calling 800-590-SAMS.

bluedevils · February 2001

I have some hazy memories from the Ask Jake forum on www.itog.com. (Jake was an expert Isuzu mechanic who volunteered his time at ITOG before medical issues forced him out of it.) It seems that Jake recommended against the use of K&N air filters with the newer (3.2L and 3.5L) Trooper engines. I don't remember his reasons, but based on the advice I wouldn't use one. I don't remember if he ever mentioned anything about the K&N oil filters, but he generally swore by genuine Isuzu parts.

I also seem to recall some stuff about spark plugs but don't remember the specifics. If you guys are curious, it might be worth your time to check out the Ask Jake or General Isuzu Discussion archives over at itog.com. It seems like Jake basically said only one or two brands of plugs was a good match for the newer Trooper engines. I thought NGK was the OEM plug brand, but I'm not sure. I'm not surprised that the Bosch +4 plugs have given you guys problems.

Hope this helps.

ffxvw · February 2001

Actually I work at a dealership, and we traded the car in, so I've seen the Carfax, and its clean. I was amazed at the miles, too.
I checked the ITOG site already, but it looked monstrously complex, not to mention 2 years out-of-date (last post in ask Jake was 1998).

Jason

troopernewbie · February 2001

Last weekend I wet sanded and polished the hood of my truck to remove scratches due to the previous owner's many trips through automatic carwashes. Next, I waxed the whole thing. Everything looked so good that I finally got motivated to try and fix the bubbles in the film along the bottom of the doors. Much to my surprise I was able to easily make them about 98% better.

I had a syringe (like a doctor uses with the needle) that my mom used to use for detailed gluing on craft projects. I filled the syringe with 409 and used the needle to rinse the gunk from under the film. That alone was a huge improvement. Next I put a few drops of Elmer's glue in the syringe, added water and shook (probably about 5 parts water to 1 part glue). After putting some of the glue mixture under the bubble I pushed out the excess with a paper towel.
Unless you knew where they were before, you'd never find them now. Don't ask me how to find a syringe! The one I have is glass and has been in the family for 20 years!

bluedevils · February 2001

There is lots of stuff on the home page, but the discussion areas are easy enough to navigate to. Just click on "Discussion Boards" on the left side of the home page and you're on your way. The Ask Jake area has seen no activity in 2 years, but the information there is still quite valuable. The other General Isuzu Discussion areas are quite current.

paisan · February 2001

Whine: Had only 15psi in one of my rear tires that has developed a slow leak, filled it up whine went away.

Oil Consumption: I'm about 3500 miles into my first Synthetic oil change and it has only sucked down 1 Quart of oil which is about 1/2 as much as before. I'm hoping the Synthetic keeps it that way.

-mike

islander21 · February 2001

Trust me and Randers3 on this one: the Bosch +4 plugs are NOT compatible with the Trooper's ignition system. Remember that. Also, when you do maintenance on the plugs and boots make sure you put a thin coat of dielectric grease on the ceramic/tip of the spark plug and some inside the rubber boot to prevent the metal parts from fusing together. Also make sure you put some good anti-sieze compound on the plugs' threads to prevent the plugs from seizing to the block.

Paisan: I replaced the plugs because they provided a measurable performance improvement in my last car. No harm done here.

Islander

paisan · February 2001

This is good knowlege base stuff for the new direct fired 3.5liter engines. I should start a FAQ for my website of all this stuff so we can just refer people there when they have a question...

-mike

sbcooke · February 2001

I have not experienced much oil burn after the first 1000 miles. Does the trooper have a GM engine? We might be able to find some information on the engine from other gm sites? I would imagine it would burn oil in whatever gm uses it in.

paisan · February 2001

Isuzus have their own engines since early to mid 90s.

Isuzu claims 1Q per 1000 miles is normal in the owner's manual. If that is the only thing I have to worry about on a car is to check the oil, I think that's awsome.

-mike

troopernewbie · February 2001

The owner's manual on a Porsche 911 says that it may burn a quart every 600 miles, so it could be worse.

cwirkom · February 2001

Hi there. It's my first post here - but I've been having some problems and figured some of you more knowledgeable Isuzu owners might know where to turn on this.

I have a 1994 Amigo 4WD, with 78K miles on it. It's a second car, so I haven't been forced to deal with this or sell it (yet...). About 6 months ago, I was driving in stop & go traffic in hot weather (95 degrees) and noticed the transmission slipping (it would go in gear but was slow to engage). Eventually, I got to a stop light and it would not engage at all (I had to push the truck off the road). I let it cool down for a few hours, and it drove fine with no sign of the slipping. I took it in to my mechanic (who has worked on it in the past) and they found nothing wrong. They replaced the tranny fluid and it was running fine.

Over the past 6 months, I have noticed that it starts slipping on a long trip or on hot days when I am doing a decent amount of shifting. This has slowly been getting worse. Last weekend it happened on a 70 degree day for only a 30 mile drive.

Has anyone seen any problems like this on the 1994 Amigo's or Rodeo's (I would guess they have the same manual transmissions?)?

78K miles seems a little early to be having the transmission die? I did have the slave plate of the clutch replaced about 10K miles ago, but the clutch itself seems to be working fine.

I'm not sure if I should take it back to the dealer, my mechanic, or if this is a chronic problem?

Any help on this matter would be appreciated. Thanks!

cwirkom · February 2001

Since I have just read through the posts today, I noticed a few people inquiring about their seats not working right or having too much play.

I had the same problem with my 1994 Amigo. I took it to an authorized mechanic recommended by Isuzu. He took the seat out completely and re-aligned it. Apparently the seats are easy to put on incorrectly. They feel like they are on most of the time - but when you are either starting forward or going up a steep incline you feel the seat move.

Hope this helps.

gpm5 · February 2001

That is interesting in terms of another vehicle I own--a FORD Windstar '98. The auto seat was ripped apart several times under warranty and now it slips like that. I called and complained and they said "it was normal" i.e. the normal FORD line of crap. That together with the problematic tranny and I'm looking at replacing that vehicle with a large SUV. Unfortunately, Isuzu likely won't make the trooper as big as the Suburban. My experience with GM engines/transmissions are that they are a heck of a lot more dependable than FORDs. I hoping for my trooper engine to last a long time as well--I really enjoy that truck.

paisan · February 2001

Perhaps the Astro/Safari Van could fit your needs. It's AWD, plenty of seating, same interior space as a suburban, and is RWD based (longitudially mounted engine), can tow a decent amount, and is much cheaper than any SUV. Just a thought.

-mike

gpm5 · February 2001

I've thought about the big ones, not the Astro--that thing is IMO junk. I also don't like sitting basically on top of the engine--which is the case with the Astro. I like the separate engine compartment. The nice thing about the sharing between GM and Isuzu is the tranny. The '99 and later Suburbans have the AWD (i.e. auto 4 wheel), the 4lo and the 4 Hi. I like that. I want a 2nd vehicle for long road trips (i.e. the 10 hr type) and that can take the family camping, offroad etc. For most short trips (up to 4 hr), I would take the trooper but the longer ones the extra space of a big SUV is nice.

paisan · February 2001

The GMs don't use the same Tranny/ T-case that the TOD uses. The GM ones are re-active, not pro-active like the Trooper one. They will only move power to the front wheels once you are fully spinning the rear wheels of the suburban. The trucks with AWD from GM are only the Safari/Astro, and the Olds Bravada. I actually really like the Safari when I rented one, lots of pep, and tons of room.

-mike

gpm5 · February 2001

Yes, I gathered that from talking to a sales person (i.e. nothing is going to the front while in auto 4WD). They do advertise the Yukon XL as AWD though. Do you know if this AWD is different from the Suburban. I have not looked carefully at the Safari, so can't say much there. I'll have to look at them. I've been in GMC Suburbans several times. They have great space and can fit in a garage.

armtdm · February 2001

Bosch +4. Hope you have good results with these. I placed them in another car but should have read the Consumer Reports issue that said they did nothing because they did nothing in my car as well. My humble opinion, a waste of money. Stay with the stock Champion platinum plugs as noted in the owner's manual.

gpm5 · February 2001

The gmc safari is just the gmc version of the Astro. I've been in the passenger seat of that--worse experience I've ever had in a passenger seat--but only for a short drive thankfully--basically you have to scrunch your legs to the right side because the engine is sitting where your legs are supposed to be. The savanna van is their big van (my neighbor has one for commercial work) but that one is too big (you need a step ladder to wash it)--better off with the suburban.

paisan · February 2001

Ok did some checking here's the dealio:

Auto-4wd:

This is the reactive system, that puts 100% power to the rear, only when you are spinning the rears will the fronts engage and then they engage 50/50 torque split. This system has Auto-4wd, 2wd, 4wd hi, 4wd lo. This available on the Yukon, Yukon XL, Suburban, Tahoe

AWD:
Not sure of the split (I believe 50/50) uses a viscouse center coupling (similar to the Astro/Safari/Bravada) not-disengagable, no Low-range. This is available on the Yukon Denali, Yukon Denali XL, and Caddy Escalade.

-mike

gpm5 · February 2001

Interesting info. I wonder why, since GM provides the trooper etc tranny, that they don't make a similar system for their own large SUVs. Trannys are the weak link in many vehicles though. I believe the FORD Windstar transaxle (and possibly many FWD vehicles trannys) are really not designed for the weight that is being put in these vehicles. The Ford WS tranny feels like its going to fall out (no kidding--sloppy and jerking) when I have it loaded down and I've driven it for 500 miles in the summer. In the same vein, I think FWD SUVs (Mazda tribute/Ford escape, honda CRV) are really a poor design. Okay for the get around town person but that's about all. I've drivin behind the Ford escape. There are rods on the back wheels that must be limiting ground clearance under that vehicle to about 4 inches. Those things would be ripped off in any rough terrain.

paisan · February 2001

GM makes the Tranny for the Trooper, but it can't handle the torque and hp (according to GMs page) that the Chevy 350s are putting out. As for the T-case it's actually a Borg Warner unit, so I'm not sure if GM supplies it or not.

-mike

PS: The Envoy finally get's the folding mirrors of the Trooper, 3 years later.

wheels13 · February 2001

On the 1999 Troopers does the oil plug have a washer used along with the plug? Mine only uses the plug and it doesn't seem to leak.
Thanks guys

sdc2 · February 2001

I don't recall a washer on the oil drain plug on my 99...

raydahs · February 2001

Yes it should have a copper washer, they're .85/ea. at the dealer. If you don't have a washer you'll have to torque the nut more to get it to seal. You can actually see the hex imprint on the washer when you do your oil change, I change mine every time. If you dropped the nut into the pan by accident (I've done it) and had to fish it out it could have fallen off then.

sdc2 · February 2001

Well, I'll look more closely next time I change oil - maybe it's there and I didn't notice. It isn't leaking, so no worries for now...

alcjew · February 2001

After +33k miles my '99 Rodeo AS had to go in service for a "Check Engine" light. It was running rough tam idle prior to that and would die out after a re start. Took it into service and it turned out to be a cracked intake manifold gasket and had it fixed under warranty by the great folks at Seekonk Isuzu (E. Providence, RI). It took only 2 hours to diagnose problem and replace the gasket. The Rodeo is back to its old self again ready to tackle anything in its path. If anybody has run into the same problem then have your Isuzu service check it out.

bluedevils · February 2001

Can you elaborate on exactly what your Isuzu mechanic did to fix the excessive forward/rearward motion of the driver's seat? I've given my local dealer one chance to fix mine so far, and they decided to say there was nothing wrong with it. This one is really starting to bug me.

bluedevils · February 2001

Yes, the vehicle should have come with a washer, so if it's not there any more it must have been lost or discarded. I change the oil myself on my 98 Trooper and I replace the drain plug washer with each oil change.

I order my Isuzu parts from St. Charles Isuzu near St. Louis. Free UPS shipping. 15% off manufacturer list price on all genuine Isuzu parts, from oil filters to running boards, if you say you're an ITOG member or if you mention St. Charles' web site (www.stcharlesauto.com).

Their invoices list oil filters for newer Troopers as $5.07 apiece. At 15% off, they are $4.31. Frequently, St. Charles runs a special of 30% off list on oil filters which makes them $3.55. The washers are $0.70 list, $0.60 St. Charles price.

If you folks haven't noticed, I'm formally plugging St. Charles and recommending them as a great place to give your business! I've bought about 15 oil filters and washers, a couple air filters, and the black Isuzu running boards and been very satisfied every single time.

troopin · February 2001

I wanted fog lts for my 99s. I searched high and low before I realized that I would only be happy with the stock fog lights. Even though Isuzu does not make a kit for the troop the parts guys were happy and competent enough to look up the parts for me. They got it right on the first attempt. They have my business now.

Troopin.

raydahs · February 2001

Bluedevils,

I don't know about yours, but mine started this annoying seatback rocking @1/4" back and forth.
When I took it to the dealer, they told me the same thing....it's just that way. Then I asked if they (the dealer and Isuzu) were going to take responsibility if I got into an accident and the seatback failed under a g-force load. After discussing it with the service manager, they decided to go on the lot and pull a new one out of new rig and install it in mine. Just mention safety issues and you'll get a response....fast!

It's too bad it had to come down to saying that, but it's a true statement.

paisan · February 2001

Yep, I've had similar problems with all different makes and manufactueres. When I had a problem with my TOD/front diffy (or so I thought) it wound up being a tire that was off spec (1/2" diameter difference) causing the noise. But after they fixed it they tried to charge me a $100 computer diagnostic fee. I responded "no problem, so long as I get in writing that you will refund the $100 if this problem comes back and it is actually a warranty issue" They immediately credited the $100 saying 'we wouldn't be able to refund it later on so we'll refund it now just in case'

-mike

paisan · February 2001

I make them take me for a test drive in a brand new one on thier lot and show me that it is normal. That was the case with my slightly vibrating mirror on my Trooper. I test drove 1/2 a dozen other ones @ 75mph and they all were the same, so I said "ok, it's normal"

-mike

gpm5 · February 2001

the translation is we're too lazy or incompetent to deal with that problem, we need alot of help, we need a kick in the pants, or you have to take it somewhere else.

Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

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