Isuzu Owners Maintenance and Repair

arktrooper1 · December 2000

Well, I'm taking my Trooper in today for it's first oil change at 5400 mi. Wanted to get in by 5000 but the weather prevented it and besides, I'm one of those guys who don't think that a few extra miles on an oil change is a big deal.

Unfortunately, because of weather, they don't have the "recall kit" in stock and can't do my fuel line mod. I'll have to bring it back next week.

I don't understand why if this is such a big deal why Isuzu doesn't oversupply the dealers with kits so this won't be a problem. I know this will cost them a bit more money but it's their fault we have to get this done anyway.

Next week I'll leave it with them and get the recall work done as well as have them check the intermittent horn operation, the front wheel alignment (steering wheel is a little crooked)and the rear tailgate adjustment.

bluedevils · December 2000

Especially since there are so few Troopers out there, it wouldn't seem unrealistic for Isuzu to stock each dealer with a few kits to make sure customers don't make multiple trips for an important safety issue.

bluedevils · December 2000

I've heard from a few Big 3 employees that, years ago, the middle of the week (i.e. Wednesday) was a WAY more preferable time to have your vehicle assembled than the beginning or end of the week. I don't know if this still holds true and, if so, which plants and brands it applies to, but it seems logical: line workers are just getting the cobwebs out of their heads on Monday, and by Friday they are not paying close attention because they're ready to leave for the weekend. But during the middle of the week they are generally doing their best work. I've still heard plenty of scary stories about how poor a job is done when vehicles are being assembled, regardless of day. Things like person x has a goal/requirement of putting part y on the vehicle 75% of the time, etc.

david55839 · December 2000

Carol,

I'd stay away from a 98 Rodeo (as referenced by paisan in post #43). They seem to have more than their share of problems. My suggestion is to try and find a '97 with a 5-speed, or an even older 4-Runner with a 5-speed. I recently drove a 1994 4-Runner with over 100k miles, and it felt solid; the owner reported no problems with it either. Just my .02. Good luck!!

jtsalman · December 2000

I am going through an oil consumption test with our dealer. They say that using (burning?) up to 1 quart per 1000 miles is acceptable. Does this seem correct to you all? I have had many cars and never burned oil like this. I would appreciate your advice.

paisan · December 2000

I have a similar problem. I started to do an oil test with my first dealer, but after numerous problems with the dealer's service dept, started going to a different dealer. I have to check my oil today, cause I drove about 700 miles since I went to synthetic and I think it's down almost a quart already. But I didn't check it on flat ground so I'm not gonna hammer the vehicle yet. If it is in fact down a quart already I'm going back to the dealer where I had the oil change last thurs and scream bloody murder cause synthetic is like $5/quart or more.

-mike
Isuzu Forum Spokesman
Edmunds Isuzu Forum
IA Trooper Homepage

sdc2 · December 2000

Most manufacturers, including Isuzu, say up to 1 quart per 1,000 miles is "acceptable" consumption. Personally, that kind of consumption would annoy me.

My Trooper doesn't burn hardly any oil in 5,000 miles, maybe 1/4 quart, using Mobil 1 5W30. I guess you just have to chalk it up to manufacturing variances.

arktrooper1 · December 2000

Today I took my Trooper in for its first oil change. I know that's a relatively minor service, but I did get a good feeling overall from Superior Cadillac/Isuzu/Pontiac/Daewoo (what a mouthfull..LOL!)

Got me right in a little after 8 when I got there and out a little over a half-hour later. Very courteous service people as well!

I'm taking it back next week when they will (hopefully) have the parts for the recall. At that time, I will also have the off-center steering wheel and the intermittent horn operation checked.

BTW, I thought I had a rattle from the rear doors but they checked out OK. The service tech pointed out that on really rough roads the rear wiper sometimes vibrates against the back glass and he's probably right. He said that they don't have a "rest" for the wiper as some cars do because the wiper arm is so close to the spare tire case. Both of these points make sense to me and it happens so seldom that I can live with it just fine.

-Dave

nyxx · December 2000

Today I looked at a 95 toyota SR5, 5-speed, 4WD, 4-runner, $15,000 private sale. It is beautiful. The guy was very meticulous in taking care of it, he's added about $2,000 worth of mods to it...stuff like air-lifter shocks, towing package, rosewood trim on the dash, etc. I really liked the way it handled and looked. My husband has heard that they have a lousy saftey record in car crashes, but I have heard otherwise. Do you know anything about that? I thought all SUV's were one of the safer vehicles in crashes.

paisan · December 2000

I think suvs in general are safer because they have a full frame, and are heavier. However, they are likely to take on more damage and have more costly repairs. I know the Trooper got hammered for it's 5mph crash repairs. But someone on this board I forget who, had a t-bone accident @ 40mph with a caddy and came out un-scathed. So it depends if you are looking at real world v. controlled lab tests.

-mike

sbcooke · December 2000

Anyone know of an accessible Trooper Manual? Chiltons doesn't seem to have any after 1996?

I would like to find a good set of wipers for the truck. I think the stock ones stink in the winter. They freeze up and then crack. I have also learned that it is very important to cleat the snow from behind the spare. The rear can get stuck easily.

ppouncey · December 2000

Just yesterday, my 51K mile Trooper began missing and backfiring. It only occurs when the engine is under load while accelerating. When pressing the gas, it stutters and misses for 1-2 seconds then backfires in the manifold 1-4 times and performs normally afterward. I am in the process of checking the plugs and wires, and the O2 sensor connections. Anybody have any other ideas? TIA
-Pat.

bluedevils · December 2000

Newer (1992+) Troopers, which have either the 3.2L (1992-1997) or 3.5L (1998-current) V6 engine, seem to consume much more oil than other vehicles. sdc2 did point out that manufacturing variances are the reason why some owners report very little or no consumption while others seem to be very close to the 1 quart per 1,000 miles that many manufacturers consider acceptable.

My 1998 Trooper consumes about 1 quart every 3,000 miles. My previous Trooper, a 1996, consumed oil at about the same rate. Once I learned that this was fairly common with the 3.2L and 3.5L engines, I was not worried. It is a little annoying to have to add an extra quart every once in a while, though. I'm using synthetic blend, and one of the reasons I've resisted switching to full synthetic is because of the cost.

By the way, my local Sam's Club has Mobil1 5W30 for $21.49 a case. That's only $3.58 a quart. Not all locations have it, though. Also, my local Target has it for $3.89 a quart, but prices are higher at the other Targets in my area.

bluedevils · December 2000

I've posted details of my accident on the earlier Trooper topics (not in the Owners Club area), so I don't want to retype all that again. Bottom line: My 96 Trooper t-boned a 98 Caddy Seville, each of us was going about 40 mph, I ended up with nothing more than a sore neck. Unfortunately, my Trooper was totaled. Most of the damage was to the frame and body, and in this particular crash there was very little damage in the passenger compartment.

I now have a 98 Trooper. It has TOD (optional in 98) and ABS. It weighs 4500 pounds. It has dual front airbags. It has a ladder-on-frame chassis. It's built very solidly. I feel very safe in this truck, and I feel very safe about my wife driving the truck when I'm not with her. I do pay attention to the safety data from the various organizations, and they don't always say the Trooper does too well in certain situations. But overall I feel very good about the level of safety and protection that my Trooper provides.

david55839 · January 2001

The heft of the SUV's will help them in a crash, however, they're less manuverable, and have a higher center of gravity than cars, making them less likely to be able to AVOID a crash. If you like the 4-Runner you mentioned, I don't think you can go wrong with it. I haven't heard it's any better of worse than any other SUV in the crash tests. Just make sure all the safety belts are in working order, and keep your tires properly inflated! Just my .02

David

hunter981 · January 2001

To lovingpc and sdc2: bringing in fresh air does help the problem with the defroster but I still experience the same problem as sdc2 in that I have a spot directly in front of my line of sight that doesn't defrost. I've not tried the cardboard deflector. Let me know your experience. This is really a problem at highway speeds in very cold weather.

paisan · January 2001

I had a slight problem sat morning in the snow with the defrost on the drivers side and a tiny spot up on the top of the window. It seemed to be remedied by 2 methods together:

1) Hit the Defrost Button, by that I mean make sure it isn't on auto, and that it is full defrost instead of mixed defrost/feet area

2) crank the heat all the way up to the hot area (I usually keep mine in the 72-74 range)

3) crank the fan up to max.

I also noticed that if I didn't clear the snow/ice off the windows the cold from the ice would cause them to keep fogging up.

-mike
Isuzu Forum Spokesman
Edmunds Isuzu Forum
IA Trooper Homepage

paisan · January 2001

I think mine is consuming close to 1 quart per 500-700 miles

but I'm not sure. I really need to start tracking it better than i have been. Especially since going to synthetic it will cost me more $ to toss in more oil!

-mike

nyxx · January 2001

Thanks for the info. I do like the Toy 4-runner and negotiations have started. I'll prolly possess the vehicle this saturday. thanks for all your help in this forum, and yes....I will make sure to keep my seatbelts fastened and the tires properly inflated.

viktoria__r · January 2001

When travelling at a highway speed on a windy day, it seems that wind 'whistles' in right hand windshield wiper. I can see it vibrationg, too. It only happens at certain speeds and wind directions, I guess. Maybe I am mistaken thinking it'w a wiper, but what else can this be?
Does anyone have this problem?

gpm5 · January 2001

I was out before X-mas in downtown Hartford and going about 25 mph down a city street. Someone pulled out of a parking spot toward me-I was only about 10 ft away. As I checked my side mirror, I manuevered around the goofball--sharply to the left. It was real close, but my '99 trooper did fine. No sense of tipping or anything else. I was quite impressed with the maneuverability.

paisan · January 2001

Is this with the wipers on or off?

If it's while they are on, it's probably the angle of the windshield causing them to jump off the glass while being used. Not much that can be done about the aerodynamics, you could try a set of winter blades with the rubber boots on them.

-mike

gpm5 · January 2001

That seems like a heck of a lot of oil to me. I've had a few old cars consume something close to that and then you really start seeing the blue smoke. My '99 trooper consumes no oil that I can tell but I seldom drive it over 60 mph. That could make people think twice about buying the trooper. I wonder what's up with that.

karkraz · January 2001

This is my first post after following this and other discussions for quite some time. The info available is very informative. We have a 2000 Trooper LS with 8K miles on it. Bought it in August and we love it. But we have that nasty noise/rattle at the windshield/dash. So far our selling dealer has had it twice, once unable to hear it as it is not a constant noise, the other time they heard it but have no clue what is causing it. We first noticed this when the weather started turning colder. It sounds for all the world like the glass is loose and vibrating/knocking against the truck. Of course the dealer assures us they checked and glass is tightly sealed. I have read other posts describing noise problems in the same area, but everyone has a different description of their noise. We have checked out our deflector on the front and looked under the hood for anything that could be causing this noise, but find nothing obvious. We know the noise is coming from either the windshield or the dash right at the windshield. Our dealer was great to work with on the purchase, but so far are not impressing us with their service department. This opinion is based not only on this Trooper problem, but also the fact that we bought a replacement remote for our '95 Rodeo from them and wound up having to go to another dealer to get it programmed. This is how we learned that the selling dealer currently does not have a certified Isuzu technician on staff. Very comforting. If anyone has any suggestions about the noise problem, please share!

sdc2 · January 2001

I definitely am going to try something to deflect the defroster airflow - maybe even a spring-clothspin would be enough...if you put your hand by the vent, you can feel a strong flow going straight up. I'm thinking that I could divert some of that without adversely impacting defrost in the middle of the windshield.

Unfortunately I can't do it right now, I just dropped off my Troop at the dealer to fix the "check engine" light situation...this morning when I started it the light started flashing, which is much more serious than a steady light, so I bit the bullet and took it in. The dealer said they would "try" to get it done before the 15th... :-(

sdc2 · January 2001

Some people have reported a noise that actually turned out to be turbulence from the bug deflector slapping the windshield...do you have a bug deflector?

paisan · January 2001

I've heard this noise is also a result of the fuel line slapping against the firewall on the pass. side behind the dash. After the 2nd recall the noise seems to be going away for people. Someone posted earlier that they had to leave teh car overnight for the dealer to hear the noise so it was cold in the morning.

-mike

deimos · January 2001

Happy New Year!

We have a '99 Isuzu Rodeo V6, 5 speed with only 23.000 km on it...

This is kind of minor, but I was disappointed with my dealer today (twice, but I'll keep the story short): I bought a new vinyl cover for my spare tire(it's mounted on the tailgate) and I was put-off by the fact it was different then my original one (for our '99 Rodeo)...The writting("Isuzu Rodeo") is in big white fonts ?!? Definitely uglier then the factory one...

I may even decide de keep the old one, even if it got punctured in two places last night by the spikes on the lights of car that bumped into my truck slightly (at a slippery stop sign, in a different city)... I wasn't taking off fast enough apparently

Actually I was waiting/moving to switch into 4WD also, before turning right up hill on some kind of icy slope...So I took my foot of the gas, while approaching the stop sign, etc, etc

Nevertheless what's the point of going to your dealer if cannot replace the factory parts with matching ones?

I know that a tire cover may not sound like a great deal (and it goes for CAN48), but still, the old one is more...distinguished...:)

My dealer here in Ottawa(Canada) is Saturn-Saab-Isuzu; anyone else experienced minor inconveniences like this?

For the rest, please bear in mind that I'm no mechanic at all:

Another question I have is if anyone ever bought some of the packages like:
- undercoat protection (a black, rubber like paint)
- rust inhibitor ( some grease, thicker then vaseline that they put into the door frames, spray the inside of the hood etc)
- acid rain paint protection (by wax mainly I guess)
- chair fabric protection(in case one spill coffee, etc)

We got a discount on those when buying the truck (mainly because there is a lot of salt here on the roads, during the long winters) and I'm suppose to bring the truck once a year to the dealer to check it; in case anything needs to be reapplied...

I had a question about the "rust inhibitor": e.g. if it needs to be reapplied periodically (inside the door frames as well)?
The reason I'm asking is because I've noticed that when one takes a car to a specialized shop like Crown, for rust protection, they seem to indicate that the operation (spraying some shintethic oil, a patent of theirs) needs to be redone periodically (each year?)... I know it is probably a different ethnology, but I was curious what is the recommended procedure for the Isuzu package?

The new girl in the service department had no idea and was in a rush to get rid of me since the "mechanic will check"...Check what? They didn't even have that info in the computer and she told me to ask the sales guy who sold me that package in the first place; but since he was due later today she promised to check with him...Of course she hasn't checked by late afternoon when I call the sales guy(friendly one) who indicated to me that they would reapply (if need be) the rust protector on the inside of the hood etc, but not inside the door frames ("where nothing would remove it"? Any chance water and salt might do that, if it gets there?)

For example, in other parts of the world(Europe) I've seen people put used engine oil inside the door frame just to protect old cars against rust...:)

I know that those are newbie questions, but I'm trying to figure out if most of that " Isuzu rust protection package" isn't just a rip-off?
Never too late to learn, so please any feedback would be appreciated...:)

For example initially they(the Isuzu sales people when buying the truck) wanted to spray the same grease (what they call "rust inhibitor") underneath the car as well but I've told them no, to paint it with a proper/solid paint(rubber like) that is supposed to protect both from rust and also help insulate noise a little...(I've done similar operations with a couple of layers of paint, the first one against rust a red Ferric oxide and the last one the rubber one that would stick better to the body of the car and protect against stone chips as well, etc; but that was years ago, again in Europe, with my first and only car there that lasted 15 years before my folks sold it, after I moved here)...BTW they've done such a poor job when applying the undercoat on my new truck when buying it, so that I could see plenty of blind spots just by looking under the truck...A 10 year old would have done a more careful job

So, at the time, I've asked them to finish the job better, before picking up my truck....

Unfortunately, now, two years down the road, I don't feel comfortable for not being able to check more carefully what they do when inspecting those protections (maybe, at least, I should have stayed in the service with them, but I can not afford to take a day off for that...On the other hand I'm not happy if I'm paying for something that might be just a rip-off)

sdc2 · January 2001

Rustproofing that is poorly applied is worthless or even worse than without, especially if they plug up your drain holes on the doors. I took mine to the shop locally that does rustproofing for most of the dealers in town, and got a good job by all indications....experience counts big in this application.

paisan · January 2001

In the US, the manufacturer's don't sell rust proffing, some slimey dealers do. Most cars come with all the undercoating they need from the factory. I'm not sure if that is a Canda only thing or not.

-mike

gpm5 · January 2001

I saw a discussion on water in the tranny somewhere in the owners club, but I can't recall where. Does water get into the tranny through the so-called vents? Are these on top of the transmission casing--does anybody know--are there vent line extensions on the trooper? I would assume that most vehicles could go through 6 inches of water, and I'd hope the trooper could go through more without having to replace the tranny fluid. They do show an advertisement with it sitting in a shallow river bed. I've heard about people extending their trany vent lines for offroading through deep water etc. --but I assume this would be water that would come through the doors. I also have heard of people ripping out the rugs and putting in rubber for such offroading. Any input would be great.

paisan · January 2001

I think you are getting confused. 2 or more of us have experience a code on the TOD electronic unit that indicated that there was moisture in the electronics of the unit that caused it to trip the CE light. I think it occurs only in wet icy mixture kicked up on the connection of the TOD to the power source. I haven't been able to repeat the problem no matter how much water, ice, snow, i drive through, so I'm just letting it go as a hiccup of the system for now.

-mike

gpm5 · January 2001

Mike, thanks. I read about the problem you're talking about and realize that is a different situation--but I thought I read somewhere about someone saying that water can actually get inside their tranny--that wasn't your post mike, I don't think. They said the water gets into the tranny and mixes with the fluid--or doesn't mix, actually, causing a problem. They said it happened with water over the hubs. That seems like rather low water to me--only about 8 inches.

paisan · January 2001

Water over the Hubs does mean you should have the bearings re-packed. Since the wheel bearing grease isn't sealed, water and grit can get in there if they are submerged (this goes for any vehicle or trailer) and once the water goes over the hubs it comes in contact with your wheel bearing grease causeing it to break-down faster. If you do a lot of off-roading or driving through water over the hubs, I'd suggest getting the bearings greased and re-packed 1-2x per year. (that is what they suggest for a boat trailer). Hope that helps.

-mike

gpm5 · January 2001

okay thanks. I may have been close to that once, although I'm not sure.

pogofx · January 2001

If you are hearing an unexplained rattling, something esle you might check is the catalytic converter. Sounds silly, but my dad had a funny noise at low speeds, and it ended up being a lose baffle in the cat. Dealer replaced and it went away.

sbcooke · January 2001

I don't think an occasional splash through water up to or just over the hubs (10-15 feet) will hurt anything. If you drive 50 feet through water over the hubs, that is a different story.

Here is an article relating to extending breather hoses. It is at least worthwhile to get underneath your truck and see how high you can go.
http://www.off-road.com/isuzu/breather.html

deimos · January 2001

Hello,

I took our old car to specialized shop(Crown) for rust proofing, but not the Rodeo(got the package when we bought it)...

Thanks for the hint, I'll see if I can check if they've "plugged up my drain holes on the doors"...I doubt that they've done that, since they've used only some sort of grease inside the door frames and on the inside of the hood...It was only under the truck where they've applied a thick, black, rubber like undercoat at....my request

Note to paisan: the truck didn't seem to have any undercoating from the factory, the dealer's answer was that "the metal was very thick underneath and it won't be so much affected by rust as let's say the doors"... Then they wanted to apply the same grease underneath the truck as well and that seemed like a cheap trick to me(e.g it would get washed out, chipped by stones and gravel fast, etc) So it was me who asked for a more traditional undercoat(that black, thick, rubber like paint)...:)

My experience with cars is very limited, but that's about the only operation I used to do to my cars in Eastern Europe(under the supervision of my best friend's family of mechanics who were very good in their trade...Heck my domestic version of a Renault was still in great shape after 15 years in their care...)...Each time we would try to take any rust patches out as best as possible, then applied a ferric oxide to protect against rust and finish it with the rubber like black paint for further protection against stone chips (and noise as well)...Now since I was buying the Rodeo brand new, with no signs of rust, I felt like the black rubber undercoat would do by itself....It gets checked yearly by the dealer, but next time I'll make sure I'll inspect it properly as well while it's on their ramp...(That's why I didn't want to pick up the new truck when they've done a poor job initially)

My question was if the grease they put in the door frames doesn't have to be checked and eventually replaced periodically as well...Like could it get washed away by water and salt?

Any more input please?

Because, you know Paisan, we have a lot of salt on the roads, in the long Canadian winters

Now, that might change since they've also discovered that the salt is very bad for the environment and the good replacements cost too much

Please note also, that we intend to keep the '99 Rodeo for a long time, if it's up to us

So I'm trying to take good care of it...:)

On the other hand, I'm by no means a mechanic and since this is our first SUV(only the third car in my life), so any advice from more experienced owners is very much appreciated!

Thanks again,

gpm5 · January 2001

Thanks--that's a good link. Both breather hoses for the tranny/transfer case (same breather) and the differentials are discussed. Also, since the breather for the tranny is on top of the tranny near the shifter, one would need to be in water over the hubs, but you're right, I will look at this under my truck more carefully. Traversing 8-10" of water smoothly without a lot of splashing is probably also important. The link also describes that water can suck in past the gaskets, due to the temperature difference between water and the tranny--this would require submersion. You were through quite abit of water. Was there any signs of this in the fluids when you had them drained?

paisan · January 2001

In NYC, we get tons of salt too. Cause even if there is no need for it, the "Organization" that sells the salt to the city wants to insure that they get a big order next year, so the city dumps all it's salt on the roads wether or not it needs it!

-mike

sdc2 · January 2001

We have tons of salt on the roads here in Minnesota, so I felt a quality rustproofing job would be worth the money, since I plan to keep my Trooper for a long time. I got a deal on it through a friend of mine, so I felt it was pretty cheap insurance.

I don't know anything about the grease-type rustproofing, AFAIK mine is all the tarry black stuff that is dry to the touch, even in the doors.

sdc2 · January 2001

There is a Wal-Mart in town that sells Mobil 1 for $3.08/qt.! Just that one though, none of the other Wal-Marts are that cheap. I think it has something to do with the Target next door....if you have a similar situation where you live, might be worth checking out.

Unfortunately everybody knows about it, so you have to get there early before they get cleaned out each time some comes in!

sdc2 · January 2001

Well, day 3 with my Trooper sitting at the dealer, hoping they can squeeze me in for service...they said they would TRY to get it in before the 15th! I called another dealer, and they were 2 weeks out and not taking any more appointments!

Is this typical to have that kind of delay in servicing at a dealer? What a PITA! Maybe it is due to the very cold December we had, but this is the first time I have tried to get my Trooper serviced, and I can't believe this is normal. Am I unrealistic to expect that warranty service should happen quicker than that? What am I supposed to do in the meantime, ride a bike through the snowdrifts? AAARGH!

Thanks for letting me vent...

paisan · January 2001

And [non-permissible content removed] bigtime.

I have an appointment on Jan 15th earliest available.

Right before christmas, I thought it was gonna be there overnight, and I called and bitched, and Isuzu was going to authorize a loaner if my truck wasn't drivable, but since it was, I took it. I don't like to force them into giving me a loaner, but that's cause I commute to work, so it's not a big deal, if it were my only car and I needed it especially to drive through snow, I'd be screaming bloody murder, if you scroll up I think my venting post is somewhere

We didn't buy $30K+ vehicles to have em sit in the shop all winter!

-mike

deimos · January 2001

It happened again!

I had the truck in the shop yesterday: they've washed it around 1 p.m., checked the undercoat, applied new wax on my paint etc., then it was left outside (only -8 Celsius here) until I've picked it up around 6 p.m....

Something was definitely frozen because again it started with a jolt and a clank after releasing the clutch...And the truck didn't start to move until releasing the clutch much higher then usually..

bluedevils · January 2001

None of my local Wal-Mart or Target stores are as low as $3.08! That's a great price. My local Sam's Club has had Mobil1 5W-30 cases for $21.49. It's the only Sam's Club in the Detroit area with Mobil1, and the only grade they have is 5W-30. That's about $3.58, the cheapest I've seen. My nearest Target is $3.89. The other Targets and Wal-Marts are all over 4 bucks a quart.

Does anybody know who sells oil via mail order or Internet? I've never seen oil advertised on parts web sites. Actually as I type this I'm realizing that maybe it's because oil is fairly volatile and they can't just ship it via UPS or U.S. Mail?

BTW, I don't use Mobil1 in my Trooper. I change every 3,000 miles and to save a few bucks I use synthetic blend (Valvoline Durablend or Castrol Syntec Blend) 5W-30.

bluedevils · January 2001

I've used only 1 dealer for service and have never had a problem getting an appointment the same week. Having to wait 2 weeks or so seems not really acceptable. Maybe once in a blue moon but not as a regular occurrence. Of course, since we're in the midst of this fuel line recall(s) maybe this IS the blue moon

I'm in the Detroit area. There are only 4 dealers in southeast Michigan, counting the one in Ann Arbor. Very few people drive Isuzus here, so maybe that's why I don't have a problem even with a small number of dealers.

If you get a loaner, I would consider yourself lucky. Isuzu doesn't include it in the factory-backed warranty package, and most dealers (Isuzu or not) don't provide loaners. Those that do usually boast about it.

beer47 · January 2001

Are we supposed to use 10w-30 for 2000 Troopers or 5w-30? I have used 10w-30 for most recent vehicles.

bluedevils · January 2001

The owner's manual lists both 10W30 and 5W30 depending on the temperatures where you live. The most knowledgeable Trooper people I know (I'm not one of them) swear by 5W30. That's what I use. Jake, a mechanic who had a Q&A column on the Isuzu Trooper Owners Guild (www.itog.com - great site, lots of participants) for a while, was vehement that 5W30 is by far the best weight for the 3.5L V6 (1998 and newer Troopers) and the 3.2L V6 (1992-1997).

I'll leave the engineering explanation of why to others because I don't remember the details for sure.

sbcooke · January 2001

I asked the mechanic if there was any water in the fluid, he said it was a little brown, but normal. I think you should only have a problem if you submerge, rather than run through a water hole. I have not done the breather extension, but am considering it for fun. I don't plan on getting the truck deep enough to get water even close to the cabin, not at least until we can afford another car and this becomes my play vehicle, I hope it lasts that long :-).

I have also read about traversing water. People recommend getting out and checking the depth of the water first. Not only do you know what you are getting into, but it gives the transmission and drivetrain time to cool.

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