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Isuzu Trooper Transmission Problems

2

Comments

  • ontargetontarget Member Posts: 1
    I can manually shift the car and 1st works fine. The problem is only when the car is in drive and from a stop it goes to 2nd and bypasses 1st.
  • petey4petey4 Member Posts: 1
    Hello my trooper's trans was not upshifting and the tachometer was higher than
    normal. and then the check trans light came on. now I have to find an honest
    shop to take it to.... Cottman and Aamco seem like a rip off shop.

    Pete
  • autotech5autotech5 Member Posts: 1
    Automatic transmissions in todays cars are the most complex and sometimes the hardest things to fix in your car.The transmission depends on so many things outside of the trans itself to work properly.
    If anything goes out of the normal in the computers mind it will say 'what the?' and put the trans into a thing called 'limp mode' to help you get the car to a shop for repair.
    Sounds like your car may have a sealed trans,that means the trans fluid is a special type that does not need to be changed for a long long time.That does not mean that the trans cannot be opened and repaired.
    In your message it sound like your mechanic is just that,a mechanic,a guy that gets paid to change parts and wreak things.You need to find a Technician,a person trained to diagnose then repair if needed.
    I'm one of those guy's and if I was experiencing your problem I would find a shop that only works on isuzu that employs only guys factory trained at a dealership.Or I would take it to the dealership.Reason being that unless you have a supercomputer for a brain you cannot know how every car works and repair them,It's better to focus on one car line.
    That said,take you broken isuzu to an expert and get a expert repair.
    As for the 'mechanic' who 'repaired' your car,do'nt waste any time or money with that guy or his shop.Call the bbb and If you live in california call the bureau of auto repair.And move on,find a good technician and only let that one guy work on your car.
  • hitthitt Member Posts: 1
    mine is doing it toooo
  • izulanderizulander Member Posts: 1
    i recently built a 2.6 (4ZE1) 4 cylinder motor for my '89 trooper. i have about 10,000 miles on the rebuilt motor. i installed a new clutch with the new motor. i have recently been hearing a chirping noise coming from the bell housing of the tranny. pushing in or releasing the clutch does not effect the sound. i hear it at idle. when i raise the rpm's abit it seems to go away? (not to say that engine noise is now masking it?) and it only does it after its been driven for awhile. not imeddiately after its been warmed up. anyone ever experience this befor? i re used the old tranny and the miles were at 228,000 when i rebuilt it. shifts fine, runs fine, i re did all gaskets on tranny (no leaks) and its full of proper oil.
  • gary110gary110 Member Posts: 1
    I'm having the exact problem as you describe. Was wondering if you had solved the issue. Thanks!
  • tikkertikker Member Posts: 2
    GM 4L30E Trancmission is shuttering in 2-3 & 3-4 in over drive. This is a completely rebuilt with all new parts with only 40,000 miles on it. Changed the oil & filter & added Dr tranny shutter fix, Worked for 2 weeks & now shutter is back. Any suggestions? THANKS!!!!! Walter
  • dotson2dotson2 Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2000 isuzu trooper and i need to change the plugs. its been acting up. i pulled the plugs to check them and they are all different. when i drive sometimes it doesnt want to rev up and it causes the transmission to act up. now my transmission light is on. can bad plugs cause your transmission to act up?
  • wlbrown9wlbrown9 Member Posts: 867
    My first thought is no, but with all the electronics I guess that would be possible. The plugs are critical to the Trooper running correctly. Use the wrong plug and it WILL cause issues. I have this note from when I change my plugs several years ago, almost time to think about doing it again since I am around 150K miles on my 2000 Trooper LS.

    Trooper spark plug Denso
    NGK PFR5G-11
    Manual:
    K16PR-P11
    PK16PR11
    RC10PYP4

    I used the RC10PYP4 Champion plugs, seems they were around $4 each at WalMart 3-4 years ago. It turned out my Trooper had those plugs installed at the factory. BTW, if you have trouble getting the rubber boot off the plugs, a little shot of compressed air will pop them right off.

    Good day

    Bill
  • brown25brown25 Member Posts: 1
    i think my trooper needs transmission fluid but i cannot find where to add it. Do i have to take it into a mechanic to have it done?
  • wlbrown9wlbrown9 Member Posts: 867
    There is an access plug on the side of the transmission. Difficult to get to and I could not find a diagram last time I looked for one on-line. The trick seems to be.. with the transmission warm, engine running and in neutral, using a flexible hose .. add tranny fluid into that top access hole until it starts running back out and it is full.

    Bill
  • wlbrown9wlbrown9 Member Posts: 867
    What is your transmission doing? Read this discussion on the transmission mode switch...it can cause really rough shifting

    http://forum.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic.php?t=1707

    also search for the transmission 4l30e
  • jack_sparrowjack_sparrow Member Posts: 3
    its nice to see everybody coming out with a solution.......... we must start an mechanical discussion forum soon.....
  • cajphoto1cajphoto1 Member Posts: 2
    I purchased a green 1997 Trooper 109000 miles for $2300. The dealer changed the brake pads in May and I did an oil change. Today the right front brake caliper locked (its been grinding for a couple days) and new front brake pads, rotors and calipers will cost $566. It will also need CV boots/axles for $125 left, $95 right. The Trans light came on with the same erronious 1870 code that so many people have posted about. A few suggestions were to change the trans fluid and it may go away. Granted, I feel I didnt get it checked out properly first but all things considered, I'd like to know if this is considered routine for the year/miles? Or should I trade it after getting the brakes fixed? This site has been very helpful, thanks!! :lemon: ??
  • tikkertikker Member Posts: 2
    GM 4L30E Transmission is shuttering in 2-3 & 3-4 in over drive. This is a completely rebuilt with all new parts with only 40,000 miles on it. Changed the oil & filter & added Dr tranny shutter fix, Worked for 2 weeks & now shutter is back. Is there things I can check before replacing the solenoids? ANY SUGGESTIONS AT ALL? THANKS!!!!! Walter & Kathleen
  • mackwon1mackwon1 Member Posts: 1
    We bought a 93 Trooper today. When we originally test drove it everything was fine. After we bought it we drove it up a hill and the check trans light started blinking and the car slowed down. We cut the car off and started it up and the light went out until we went up another hill. Does anyone know what this is. The dealer said that he would take the car back if we cant get it fixed. Any suggestions?
  • edison_emiaedison_emia Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a used 2001 isuzu trooper with 86k milieage. It didnt seem to have a problem until couple of weeks later the transmission started to show problems... when i drive, it only runs up to 25 mph and it seems that it doesnt shift to 3rd to 4th gear....and the tacometer is on 4k rpm or something with a loud reving sound. I had the transmission flush and replace the filter...and still having the same problem....please reply on this i need ur suggestions or best option on what to do thanks....
  • kkelly_1kkelly_1 Member Posts: 1
    Hello i'm new to this ,,, i have a 2001 trooper i bought in 2005 it has had no problems until now . it was driving and all of the sudden it stopped i coasted to a near by church call for help and left it there and went to work after work i had my sister take me back by to see if i could tow it home it started with no problems ran all the way home . the next day i had my neighbor take a look at it he said i needed trans fluid so i added some (with major difficulty) it did OK until i got to the main road and stop again . i paid a man who said he work on cars to fix it . it drove about 95 miles and it quit again and now it will only go in reverse ... please help ... do i dare take it to another shop or just give up. ...... kim :sick: :sick:
  • tim_ntim_n Member Posts: 1
    Hi guys. Plz help me. I've got an ISUZU trooper SL '98 with abt 88000 miles on it. Sometimes it fails to shift from 2nd to 3rd and goes neutral yet the hand is on D. It will stay in neutral till tha car slows down to abt 30 - 35 kph and the 2nd will come in. Moving down to "3" will put the car in 2nd and stick there for some time to reach a high rpm then it shifts to 3rd and the "CHECK TRANS" light starts to flash, till I pull over, shut the engine off, start again, and it goes fine. I was used to it but recently it is doing that quite often, many mechanics scanned it and couldn't find nothing. We changed filter and oil and it is still the same. I appreciate any help, thanks.
  • jchinnjchinn Member Posts: 1
    Starting to have shifting problems with my manual 5 speed . I think maybe the oil level might be low. How do I check the fluid level. I have looked for a place and as yet see none. I have not crawled under it and would like to know , before I do, what to look for.
  • ronrob1991ronrob1991 Member Posts: 1
    i have 1991 trooper roof rack & air diverter on rear had been removed looking foe one to put back on does anyone know where i might find one thanks ronrobis@gmail.com
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
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  • gator2ezgator2ez Member Posts: 1
    First time posting, but like what i have read thus far. I have a '99 Trooper and recently had Check Trans (flashing) and Check Eng (steady) lights come on at the same time. My mechanic has said there were codes, including slippage code. Trooper shifts fine when driving...no noticeable issues. Mechanic reset codes, and after about 30mi, both lights came on again. I have read different theories...more prominent one is that the alternator could be on the fritz. I had this checked by a friend by connecting volt meter, stays steady at around 14V with everything on. I have read about alternator spikes (>16V) possibly causing this...but not sure how to troubleshoot. Not sure what to do...would like to exhaust all options before considering rebuilding the tranny. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
  • bfull2302bfull2302 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Trooper with 124k miles. Just recently it has started to chatter or slip at initial take off. It shifts well in all gears and I figured it might be the Transmission Control Module as it seemed to be electrical but now I'm not sure as I have started it off in L and manually shifted through the gears. Occasionally, it still chatters in first even shifting manually. There are no lights indicating a problem. When slipping the engine revs slightly while the transmission occurs then it catches and goes but not hard as if dropping into gear. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • zorromundozorromundo Member Posts: 1
    I have a 94 Trooper LS - 5 speed and need to replace the transmission. What other years can I look to to find a replacement? I have found a 86 ..... can I put it into my 94?
  • mtdelphiamtdelphia Member Posts: 12
    I also have an 89 with the 2.6 4 cyl and the exact same problem. I bought it used and then it only worked in low range. I inadvertantly didn't tighten the fan belt and the engine got hot enough to show both engine and AT on the light panel (no damage to either) and then the trans worked in high range, but in the manner you are experiencing.
    First to second: 4500rpm (4200 downhill_
    second to third: almost 5000rpm
    I don't know if it ever gets into overdrive.
    What does the POWER SHIFT do?
  • mtdelphiamtdelphia Member Posts: 12
    You can but with a lot of "workarounds". There were changes in the '92' model year and that complicates things. Cheaper and easier to just buy a 'parts' one and use the tranny out of it.
  • mtdelphiamtdelphia Member Posts: 12
    It 'sounds' like you're getting noise from the throughout bearing, which disconnects the engine from the transmission when you step on the clutch pedal to shift gears. A new one should be installed any time you have the trans out but unless/until you get some God-awful noise or are unable to shift, it's probably OK.
  • mtdelphiamtdelphia Member Posts: 12
    Take off the boot at the base of the shift lever, lift the cap and add fluid there. You will see if it's low or not. You might get a Chilton's or Motor's Manual (different doors in the same printer's place) and see what they say.
  • blipseyblipsey Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone know if a 5-speed from a 1987 trooper with a 4-cyl will fit in my 1989 with a 6-cyl?
  • blipseyblipsey Member Posts: 2
    I have put a number of heater cores in my 1989 trooper over the last few years. Does anyone know where to get a good one that won't rupture after one year?
  • edison_emiaedison_emia Member Posts: 2
    ty
  • hugoghugog Member Posts: 1
    I have an 86 trooper, 4X4, manual transmition. What years are compatable with the 86?

    Thanks in advance.

    HMG.
  • troop91troop91 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1991 trooper, while driving, the car decided to stop shifting and it stayed at pretty low speeds. There is plenty of transmission fluid in it. I don't know what it could be but it is my only car and i really need to get it fixed. does anybody know what could be wrong?
  • troop91troop91 Member Posts: 2
    That same exact thing is happening to my trooper.. i can't figure it out. but i really need my car. You should check the filter and make sure that it is clean. Somebody told me that it could be that if the filter is dirty and clogged up enough, there may not be enough transmission fluid or no transmission fluid going through it.. but idk.. i don't think that is the answer.. cause it only happens to me when im going up a hill or im on pretty flat land.
  • gap79gap79 Member Posts: 1
    Anyone know the flat rate time on a timing belt/waterpump kit?

    Also looking for a gray cargo cover and the cross bars for the roof rack.

    Thanks!!!
  • sxkittensxkitten Member Posts: 1
    hey, i have a 2000 and its was doing the same thing. Now its transmission is completely gone, and we just had it rebuilt last year. so i guess this probably doesnt HELP but its a warning. find out how to fix it, and FIX IT NOW :(
  • chrisslpchrisslp Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 2002 Trooper with 99k miles and it recently started doing the same thing("shuddering" at take off and slipping/surging going from 2nd to 3rd). The Isuzu dealership said the transmission was shot and would cost $4800 to rebuild. It is now at a transmission repair shop and I was told today it needs a transmission pump, but they have been found to have a high failure rate, aren't being made anymore and he cannot locate one. So I don't know when or if I will ever get it running. I wanted to make others aware of this as I would not have taken it in for repair and traded it in instead if I had known.
  • coanglercoangler Member Posts: 2
    I have had three trans. rebuilds in my 2002 trooper. Found out that the toque converters are poorly designed and you can get a heavy duty one in Denver. Also putting in a after market cooling system, which I am in the process of doing right now should realy extend the life of the trans.
  • wcouthrywcouthry Member Posts: 1
    to all my driveway mach. buddies the best way one man can replace the cluch in a 4x4 trooper is not lying on ground .if you really like your trooper and dont want get hurt take it from a pro. color code the electrical and vac lines and remove the little engine.clean then sit down in the engine bay and replace cluch.with engine out and on a stand clean and make minor repairs. safe 8 hr job. :):)
  • ranger61ranger61 Member Posts: 1
    Hi Trooper lovers or not :( -My daughter is considering buying a 2001 Trooper today -The kind Ol' gentleman right off the bat told her " This is my 3rd Trooper " " I enjoy them BUT at around ( 100k ) on everyone of them Ive had to replace the tranny .Just passing on some info for those who cant find the solution to those slipping tranny problems. ;)
  • branscombesurfbranscombesurf Member Posts: 2
    Anyone ever experience their trooper going into what seems like 3rd gear or just losing power out of nowhere. I am having this problem on a daily basis, when i restart it works fine again. Ive been told that it could be an alternator, a regulator, valve body, computer, and the list goes on. I guess for this model I am unable to get a code on it so Id like to get a good solid answer before I go out and start buying parts for it. Any advice is much appreciated.
  • branscombesurfbranscombesurf Member Posts: 2
    Don't buy it!
  • saul2001saul2001 Member Posts: 1
    I am having some Issues with the transmission, You can only use R and L all the other, could not having oil in the transmission be the problem?
  • smwalker_ohsmwalker_oh Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Troop S - automatic transmission with 4WD. Recently the transmission has been a source of frustration to me.

    About 2 months ago, the engine would flare between 2nd and 3rd gear while shifting, like it didn't catch immediately. I figured something was starting to wear out but in this economy I didn't have much choice but to drive it until it failed. Which it did, about 2 weeks later. I was on my way to pick up my wife from work and it was shifting into 4th and didn't catch a gear at all and then even as I slowed down it caught nothing. Not fun. I pulled over on the highway and after a minute found that if I would turn the car off and back on immediately I could get first gear...for a minute or two and would even shift into second gear. But after a few minutes of operating in that manner or if I had to stop at a light it was done. So I drove it the 15 miles back home half driving, half coasting (when I hit 10mph I would shift into neutral, shut off the vehicle, restart it and throw into L which would engage with a rather hard jerk. I know that was double-plus ungood, but at that point I figured the thing was toast and it was that or pay $100 I didn't have for a wrecker to tow me home.

    I got it to the transmission shop and they took a look at it. Said the filter was clogged with clutch material, they managed to get it operational back to the point I had a couple weeks before (flaring between 2nd and 3rd) for a minimal cost but it needed a full rebuild at $2500. So I started calling around to the other transmission shops and found one that would rebuild the transmission and replace the pump for significantly less ($1400). I took that route.

    So the rebuilt transmission is running just fine, except it is still in "limp mode" where in addition to the "Check Transmission" light flashing constantly, it will start very slowly into first and work it's way up to running normally. It's a PITA annoyance more than anything else, and if I'm at an intersection or other spot where I need to start moving quickly I have to manual shift from L to 2 to 3 to D and it works fine.

    The shop where I had the work done doesn't have an interface for Isuzu computers so they couldn't reset the thing out of limp mode. And let's face it, that's an expensive piece of equipment to own for a product line that no longer exists except for large commercial vehicles. He told me the computer should figure it out on its own eventually ("couple of days"). I've been driving this thing for about a week now, several hundred miles, and no dice.

    I had to put a new cat-back exhaust on this week as well, and my regular mechanic tried to reset it and couldn't do it either. I called around to the other shops and they don't seem to have the right computer interface either. And there are no Isuzu dealerships anymore anywhere near here. Should have thought about this 5 years ago when I bought an Isuzu I suppose.

    Anyway, is there a way that I can manually "reset" the computer to clear out this limp mode stuff and get my vehicle operating normally?
  • bobthemusicdogbobthemusicdog Member Posts: 1
    I am now working on my having 3rd rebuilt transmission on my 2002 Trooper. It slips and/or shudders when I first take off. I'm thankful its doing just that. When I purchased it used from a dealer, it came with a warranty. Unfortunately the warranty company insisted I take it to one of their "reputable" service centers when the transmission started acting up the first time, which turned out to be Tiedt's Radiator Shop (yes... you heard correctly, a radiator shop) in Nashville. As far as I'm concerned, they were not the place to take it, and I had to take it back a second time just a few weeks after I got it back. Now less than 50,000 miles later after the 2nd rebuild I'm having the same issues with the transmission again. To compound matters, there is no Isuzu dealership within a 100 mile radius of Nashville, so I'm hosed. If you're thinking about getting a Trooper, run the other way as fast as you can!
  • bdrushbdrush Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought a 2001 Isuzu Trooper that has a wet floor on the driver's side. I was told that the seal around the window had to be resealed and the leakage happened before this was done. Unfortunately, the floor has not dried and seems wetter. From what I can tell, nothing is running down any sides, only the floor well. Any thoughts on what may be causing this? Thanks in advance!
  • cjminmontalcjminmontal Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem, mine went out for the third time Friday night. Of course I had to be an hour from home...ough! I am a single mom and it's going to be hell to get it fixed again. Good luck all you Trooper owners out there. Too, sad! :(
  • glenn66glenn66 Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2011
    Sounds like my problem is related to some others I have read here, It has been over 100 degrees everyday for weeks now (dont know if that has anything to do with it) but all of a sudden the Air Conditioning will go off, and it has a major loss of power. I can turn it off and then back on and its back to normal. Any Ideas??

    Thanks!
  • trooper17trooper17 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2001 Trooper with the Diag Speed Sensors going bad. Can I replace them with one from the Junkyard or where can I buy them? Can the repair be don't by me?
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