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OK, here goes........
I installed a 750 ohm resistor in series with the IAT (Intake Air Temperature) sensor which shifted the timing of the CPU. This change provided the most immediately noticable difference as far as engine 'power' is concerned. I could feel a difference in the way the engine performed, and how the engine responded to the gas pedal. MPG was improved by about 0.5 mpg city and highway.
I used CD-2 oil treatment in the engine to clean out the 'sludge' and carbon deposits in the block and ports. The jury is still out on this item.
I increased tire size to 265 70R 16's which resulted in about 0.5 mpg city and highway. Not actually a mpg change, but more miles traveled per gallon of fuel used because of the circumference of the tire. Gotta watch out for those radar guns though!!
I installed a vortex generator into the air intake hose and improved mpg by about 1 mpg city. This one had the most noticable impact on mpg and seemed to improve performance and the 'feeling of power' increase slightly.
I installed a K&N air filter and switched to 92 Octane fuel resulting in about 0.25 mpg city, and highway.
I consistently get 15 mpg in city driving now, and I'm pleased with that result. I haven't made a highway trip in this Trooper since installing the vortex generator, but plan to make one this weekend. I'll report the results afterward.
I have made some of these same changes on my 01' Trooper, but I seldom drive it, so I can't report the same details on it. I will report highway mileage results on it later.
What's a reasonable selling price?
Well, not quite what I hoped, but better than I've ever gotten before in this vehicle. 19 mpg average for the trip. This was in various conditions from dry and clear to misty rain and wet roads. Driving about 72 mph consistently and through the rolling hills of western Missouri and Arkansas.
The one thing I did notice....when on cruise, the transmission seldom has to kick down out of overdrive to make the hills now. There's a feeling of power that has not been there in the past. Sooo....decide for yourself if you want to spend 25 bucks for the gizmo available on ebay.
I don't regret it.
Happy Trooping!!! And Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday with your families!!
tidester, host
Thanks
Hey Paisan, what did you end up buying!
Cheers to all!
Thank you to all who have posted on this list. I read a lot of your comments before buying a 2002 Trooper with 65k miles.
So far I am very happy with my new toy. From the comments on this board, I think I know the downside to owning one of these "orphans", whose parent company may be fading from the scene.
It looks like most of the Troopers are pretty solid and reliable, but there are a few lemons. Hope I got one of the good ones.
I am gonna fix the suspension and tires first because this thing rides like an old truck. While shopping, I drove others that rode much better.
Cheers,
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I highly recommend Old Man EMU (OME) suspension kits for the Trooper. Get the firm suspension set of rear springs and shocks for all four wheels. I have used OME on two Troopers so far, both were excellent. The firm version is still very soft for little bumps because they are progressive rate springs and prograssive rate shocks. If you get a front winch bumper then get aftermarket SwayAway front torsion bars as well.
http://www.arbusa.com/old_man_emu_suspension.htm
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Good tires make a huge difference too. I have been very happy with the Bridgestone Dueler AT/Revos for and AT tire and the Yokohama Geolander G051 for a M/S tire both offer firm ride control and excellent traction, the REVOs are better when max traction is needed and very quiet for an AT tire, the G051 are a little quieter because it is not an AT tire and lighter for on road use and fuel economy. The new tire from GoodYear sounds really nice too.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=HAS
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=ORAT
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Dueler+H%2FL+Alenza- &partnum=67TR6HLALNZOWL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=6
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Fortera+TripleTred&par- tnum=67TR6FORTTT&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=21
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=LTX+M%2FS&partnum=67SR- 6LTXOWL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=28
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=Geolandar+H%2FT-S+G051- &partnum=67SR6GEOHTSOWL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=33
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Dueler+A%2FT+Revo&p- artnum=67SR6ATREVOWL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=35
I decided to buy a used car so it would be paid for, and then mod it to my satisfaction.
My driving will be mostly highway with mild to moderate off-road occasionally. I live in Eastern Washington, where there are mountains, and four definite seasons. My previous car was a late model Volvo with plastic air dam in the front. I got really tired of scraping the ground-effect fairings on curbs and rocks and bottoming out if I went on the slightest rough road. I got to thinking about my '53 Willys wagon that I had in college
and decided to go for something similar with room to haul a piece of furniture or some bikes in the back.
I'd prefer to keep one set of tires on the Trooper year round, and I want to be able to drive a few hundred miles to Seattle and back with good road handling and low noise.
So here are two questions for you or other readers with experience: Do you think the Sway Away torsion bars add anything if you don't have a lot of extra weight from a winch or bull bars in the front of the Trooper? Is there anything other than new EMU shocks that I should do to the front suspension of the Trooper for good on/off road handling and ride?
Should I stay with standard size tires (245/70 X 16), or go oversize. If oversize, how much and why?
And, yes, I did a search of the forum and read everything here about installing bigger tires. I am suspicious that most people put on larger tires because they look cool. The most informative statements I found about oversize tires are that they look cool, that they float better in sand or soft ground, and that they also float in snow (which you don't want to do because it decreases traction). I don't recall seeing comments about how larger tires change the ride or handling on pavement. (Oh yeah, you get slower acceleration and stopping because of the greater mass of the tire.) But how does it feel when you drive it?
So, I'm definitely going to upgrade my suspension, then decide if it's "time to re-tire".
Thanks,
Greenie
I run 255/70x16 B'stone Dueler A/T Revo's which increased the ground clearance by only a 1/2" & wouldn't cause an issue with my wife climbing in...really depends on what your needs are. I run 35 / 38 psi F/R & the Revo's are not harsh under the Rancho 9000 shocks at the 5 setting.
Besides the suspension upgrades, I would make sure all of the fluids have been changed, plugs, pcv valve & especially the EGR induction service - including removing deposits around the intake butterfly valve to insure it closed properly if it hasn't been done with the mileage reported.
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Other than looks, the bigger size tire does provide a bit more truck-like ride, firmer, quicker steering response, bigger bounce over small bumps etc.. But the difference is not huge and you can get the firmer ride from the smaller tire by running it at higher pressure.
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If you want the best fuel economy get a street only rib type 245/75R16 tire of the lightest wieght you can find.
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If you want the best offroad while still being quiet and good handling on the road with decent stopping power and ice performance get the REVOs. Get a larger size like 265/75/16, 275/70R16 or even 285/75/16 will fit, the larger diameter and more weight takes away MPG. I think the Trooper brakes are excellent and can stop you well even with the heavier tires. Note that there is a truck tire study on the internet somewhere that concludes that more tread or more agressive tread reduces MPG also. Note also that there is a P265/75R16 REVO tire that has one less steel belt and less tread depth than the LT version which makes it lighter for better MPG.
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If you want a compromise between the two above, quieter than REVOs just as good on road, and a competant but not terrific off road tire try the G051s in a 265/70R16 for a little bigger look without much MPG hit.
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For everything the G051s give you but even more quiet and perhaps a little better on road ice performance try the Bridgestone Dueler Alenza, but these cost more than G051s.
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Then there's the unknown new tire from GoodYear. It looks like a SUV sized version of their very successful minivan tire. This one has the snow flake on the side because it neets that snow tire traction requirement.
Greenie
I'm obviously very interested in what you all have to say about possible problems here, as I'm still driving the Trooper and assuming it might be idiot light problems. Not long ago I had another message come up stating my brakes were gone and to get off the road---turned out to be a glitch in the messaging!
Thanks in advance all,
Donone
tidester, host
You may also have someone - gently - push down on the hood above the latch while simutaneously pulling on the lever or cable.
I've been away from the Internet for a week, and no new posts here! So please start posting.
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I drove 2000 miles with no torubles, about 17 to 18 mpg highway since it was in the frozen North and that lowers MPG.
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Anybody getting one of those welder/alternator things to install in your Trooper for Christmas?
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Anybody doing a air conditioner pump to air compressor conversion for Christmas?
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Merry Christmas
There are really two types of shocks available -hydraulic twin-tube styles w/ or w/o low pressure gas (to prevent oil foaming) and a monotube high pressure gas shock. Rancho 9000s and the Old Man Emu are twin tube style shocks. People have and love both. I had the 9000s on my Trooper. They work well. However, the low speed bouncing is not well controlled, enough for me, with a twin-tube or low pressure gas shock - say going over a speed bump or dip in the road. I recently went with the KYB MonoMax (mono tube, high pressure gas shock) which is a Bilstein style shock. Slightly stiffer than most twin-tube shocks, softer than a Bilstein but excellent control and still compliant for off-road use. They are also around $50 a shock. Easy to install on a Trooper. To get a Rancho 9000 with the same level of control makes them hard as a rock over big bumps. For me, the 9000s were excellent flying over a rutted dirt road. Couldn't feel a thing, like floating on air. When going slow, bumping up to a stiff setting gave excellent control. For me, just wasn't the best overall - if one included on road use. If one looks at a some of the OEM upgrade suspensions, they are using monotubes. The real nice thing about Old Man Emu (OME) is they have a completely matched suspension system specifically for the Trooper. You can search again for OME info in this forum.
EBay is likely a good choice for a remote fob for the Trooper alarm / remote door unlocking. The instructions to program the fob for your vehicle is available in this forum, you can do a search.
Some Troopers use oil, my 96 didn't neither does my 2001. You may want to search on that. I think the 96s had some trouble with lifter noise when oil sludge built-up (from not frequent enough oil changes). You can search that in the forums as well.
Long live Trooper!
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1.) The engine must breath well to perform well. I use a K&N original equipment replacement air filter which seems to breath a little easier than a new clean paper filter. My mecanic shop will do the K&N filter cleaning for me cheaper than replacing paper filters. I tried the kit where you replace the whole intake box with a cone shaped one, but I saw that the filter was too exposed to flying debris directly off the radiator fan, so I sent that back.
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2.) The exhaust I once researched in depth (several years ago for my 1995) I found an exhaust manufacturer in the UK that makes an aftermarket exhaust for the "Isuzu Duty" what they call a Trooper over there, and he said that the stock exhaust is about as efficient and free flowing as it can be without making a lot of noise. So I keep a stock exhaust.
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3.) Braking. It is my personal preference to stay on top of brake maintenance maybe to the extreme since braking is important to me. When I bought my 2001 Trooper used with 29K miles on it I immediately flushed the brake lines with new fluid.
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4.) Not wanting to take any chances with oils, I had all the oils changed. Front and Rear Differentials, manual transmission, and power steering. All with products from http://www.RedLineOil.com.
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5.) My 2001 has always used synthetic oil, I promptly changed the oil again keeping with synthetic.
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6.) Tires make a lot of difference in handling. I have run Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo tires and am now using Yokohama Geolander G051's. Both are great performers. The Revos would be my first choice off road or in snow country, the G051's for mostly road driving are a little quieter than the already very quiet Revos. Size 265/70R16 look better without killing fuel economy. 275/70R16 and even 33 inch tall 285/75R16 would fit even without a lift, but if you're into big tires go with the OME set for suspension. Compare tires online at places such as http://www.tirerack.com
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7.) Suspension. I use the OME kit for medium firmness. This gives a very soft nice ride on slow little bumps and great control on larger faster bumps. It also gives a 1.5 inch lift. I'd prefer only half that much extra lift since the Trooper seems to have plenty of clearance for my use alrady, but the great ride and control are worth having to have the 1.5 inch lift.
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8.) I don't have this but If I put on an aftermaket front bumper with a winch such as the ARB unit, I'd also go with the SwayAway stiffer front torsion bars because of the extra weight to prevent diving when stopping.
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9.) Poly sway bar bushings are nice for better cornering, but if you have tire vibrations might transmit the vibrations to the frame more than the stock rubber bushings.
Thanks and have a happy new year.
Regards,
Tom
For the remote start working easily, Now this is my problem, I can't get the door locks to work. I got the door lock to work, not door unlock. (already replaced the bulldog unit, it's not that)
When i press the unlock it makes the click in the box, but nothing happends. It says in the car, that the blue/yellow and orange/blk wire is unlock, and the lght green/red and orange/blk is lock, since the orange/blk wire is the same, this is how i have it hooked up.
unlock wire (from bulldog) going to orange/blk and blue yellow
lock wire (from bulldog) going to same orange/blk and light green/red wire
Lock will work, but not unlock. Now if I take the wire and ground it, it will continully unlock, so i know it's the right wire
Does anyone follow this, and know what the problem is?
I have read on this say to install a resistor value of about 7500 ohm, depending on your location in the US. Also, would this mean not to plug it back in to the thermistor? Give me some help here. I want to install a 7500 ohm resistor, but I am unclear as if I am to plug it back in, or just install the resistor across the leads of the plug. please advise...... :confuse:
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I always wanted a diesel for the fuel economy but never had one due to import rules. Maybe after the low sulfur diesel fuel regulation is enforced later this year, Isuzu will finally bring in it's diesels to the USA. I'd love to see:
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1.) diesel versions of the Isuzu pickups and Ascender 30+ mpg
2.) Isuzu's cars to return in both DI gasoline and diesel 50+ mpg
3.) Isuzu to bring back the Trooper or GBX as diesel
4.) Isuzu diesel inline 4 cylinder in a minivan 40 mpg hwy. and designed to be maintained from one side (way easier than V6 maintenance) since it would be mounted transverse.
tidester, host
SYJ
My 98 Troop uses some oil, but it's not terrible. The original owner changed oil only about every 7k miles with dino oil. I got the truck with about 50k miles on it. I change the oil every 5k with synthetic. The truck has about 70k now, and I probably have to add about 1 quart between my 5k oil changes.
Wouldn't you know it, I'm the second owner of a '02 trooper with TOD and at 62, 200 miles, I sprang a leak. It's tranny fluid. I checked underneath the vehicle careful not to wipe off any telltale drips and found that it seems to be coming from the small oil pan in front of the big tranny oil pan. That's where the puddle is on the driveway. Anyway, I warmed up the trooper and put it in drive and nothing, must have lost most of the load. Was talking to the mechanic at the local service station and he said that the fluid fill is in a place that cannot be reached by lying down in the driveway. My secretary's husband is a mechanic and he said that '02 troopers do have a very small fill dip stick located on the passenger side top of the tranny behind the fire wall. Has anybody heard of this? Well, I don't think I'll be able to top it off in the drive like most normal vehicles, any suggestions on how to have the trooper towed? I am not in 4 wheel mode. Should I specify a flat bed? I think I'll will have our local service station mechnaic look at it. I'd like the pan dropped and the filter changed along with the fluid change. That's assuming the leak can be found. Any thoughts on what this might cost and any thing else that I might be able to do. Still winter time in NE and TOD is a great thing to have. Thanks!