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Comments
1.) What is the "Extension" (2WD Only) and how can the oil level be checked?
2.) "Scheduled Maintenance" says to check the power steering fluid every 7500 miles, while the "Severe Service" section recommends changing it every 30K. I've never had it changed. Is that really necessary or advisable?
Thanks.
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I had a 1984 Trooper, never changed the power steering fluid, at 160K miles the steering gear needed to be changed.
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On my 1995 when I had it, and on my 2001 I change out the power steering fluid every 30K.
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Changing the power steering fluid requires removing a hose.
Worst case you have no fluid, and should specify a flat bed, best case, the leak is minimal, and you can drive it to a shop. can you approximate how much fluid is lost?
if you crawl under, and have a look, you'll see whether or not there's a fill tube, or just a fill plug for the tranny.
Since you'll be taking it to a shop for the tranny service,you might as well do a Drain and Refill on the TOD, it takes Tranny fluid also.
have a great day
Then when u start it,and push on the gas to try to keep it running it would stall.Now it wont start at all.I replaced the filter and still nothing.When under the hood after trying to start,U dont smell any gas,I checked the fuel line and theres gas in it ??????
Im lost !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HELP ME PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, there is a possiblity that your injectors are terribly worn, and just spit too much fuel to idle a warm engine.
(comments assuming you have fuel injection)I don't remember if those older GM v6s were throttle bodies with chokes or not, if so, you'd want to make sure the choke opened once warm.
Regards
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Also, change the fuel filter and perhaps the fuel in the tank should be drained and replaced. There might also be a filter inside the tank that could be clogged.
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Please post what you find.
Thanks
Dave
BTW, If I recall correctly, the 120,000 mile, 120 month powertrain warranty was only for the original purchaser and could only be transferred to a family member. If the Trooper was sold/transferred to anyone else, then the basic warranty was 36 months/50 or 60,000 miles.
amigo_john, "Isuzu Trooper" #8070, 30 Jun 2003 6:46 am
Mileage seems to be a factor in the flushing debate.
Steve, Host
is it feasible to get a salvage yard Transmission fill tube, from an equivilant GM vehicle and adapt it to our troopers?
I wouldn't mind climbing under to pull the drain plug, but would like the convinence of checking and filling from the top if such a proposition was feasible.
What other GM vehicles was this tranny used in?
Thanks in advance
Regards
Okay, the 4 wheel drive light keeps flashing while driving. It's not in 4wd though. The trooper quit the other day and i had a tow truck bring it home. The starter died so i replaced that and now that i can drive again, the light keeps flashing. Any suggestions?
I thought it would be a snap to change a headlamp on my '99. But after monkeying with it for a while, I couldn't remember if it twists loose or just pops straight out - either way I couldn't get it! Is there a trick or am I just that much of a weenie?!?
I'm new to Isuzu ownership. This '96 is my first and has been displaying check engine and check trans for about three months. Runs fine, shifts fine, no problems.
I ran with a volt meter attached to my power outlet for about a week, hoping to catch a glimse of a voltage spike to 18-20 volts. But never saw anything above 15v. Had a trusted tranny shop owner say "yes" to the previously mentioned diagnoses, but, said he doesn't do electrical evaluations unless they are "in" the tranny. Stated the TCM is outside the tranny and should take it to the dealer. I hate taking cars to dealers!
Questions:
Does this sound reasonable?
Where is the transmission control module located?
If located, can I clean the contacts myself?
Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
The bulb twists about a quarter turn to unlock, and then pulls out. Should be really easy.
-Michael
Her driving is all severe service, short distance driving. We maybe take it on a 500+ mile road trip twice a year. We use it to tow my 5,000lb boat a lot (which it does superbly).
I wasn't experiencing any shifting problems, or tranny problems to speak of. I was wary of having the fluid changed and several co-workers recommended against doing anything.
My wife and I recently decided she still loves her Trooper and we'll continue to keep it for at least 2-3 more years, if not longer. So I made the decision to go ahead and have the ATF fluid changed.
Paid about $100 at a local Goodyear to have it done. I'm happy to report no problems with the tranny. Still drives just as it did before.
I suppose at 75K miles I'll have them change the center diff and front/rear axle oils as those have never been serviced either. But I have checked the fluid levels in all of those. Fluid looked clean and smelled fine. No visible moisture intrusion or contaminants.
-Michael
4WD Indicator - Remains Lit in 2WD Mode
BULLETIN NUMBER:
SB96-04-L006
ISSUE DATE:
NOVEMBER 1996
GROUP:
ELECTRICAL
1996 TROOPER (UX) AND 1996 RODEO (UC) 4WD INDICATOR
REMAINS LIT IN 2WD MODE
APPLICABLE VEHICLES
1996 Trooper (UX) models and 1996 Rodeo (UC) 4WD models.
SERVICE INFORMATION
Some affected vehicles may experience a condition in which the 4WD indicator remains lit when driving in 2WD mode. This condition may be the result of an open or short in one or both vacuum solenoid valves (VSVs) of the Shift-On-The-Fly System VSV assembly, caused by moisture/water intrusion through the electrical connector(s).
To repair this condition, check for an open or shorted VSV (blue and gray). If both VSVs check out OK, pack dielectric compound grease (Part No. 2-90067-600-0) into the VSV connectors and harness connectors to seal them from moisture/water intrusion, then proceed with further diagnostics. If one or both VSVs are open or shorted, replace the VSV assembly with a new assembly (Part No. 8-97101-858-1), then pack dielectric compound grease into the VSV connectors and harness connectors.
This Service Bulletin provides detailed instructions to check for an open or shorted VSV and to replace the VSV assembly, if required; and to seal the VSV connectors and harness connectors from moisture/water intrusion with dielectric compound grease. Figure 1 provides illustrated details for this repair.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
REMOVAL
Shift-On-The-Fly Skid Plate^ Remove two 14 mm flange bolts securing skid plate to front axle and remove skid plate.
Electrical Connectors^ Remove retaining clips from harness connectors. Disconnect harness connectors from connectors of blue and gray VSVs on existing VSV assembly.
IMPORTANT! Use care when the removing of the retaining clips that hold the electrical connectors in place. Retaining clips must be reinstalled.
MEASUREMENT
^ Check each VSV of VSV assembly for an open or short by measuring resistance across terminals in VSV connector. Nominal resistance is 42 ohms.
^ If no open or short is found in either VSV, existing VSV assembly is OK. Pack dielectric compound grease (Part No. 2-90067-600-0) into VSV connectors and harness connectors, filling each terminal cavity halfway. Connect harness connectors to VSV connectors, install retaining clips on harness connectors, and install skid plate to front axle. Continue with further diagnostics using Page 36 of appropriate 1996 Electrical Troubleshooting Manual (ETM).
^ If an open or short is found in one or both VSVs, existing VSV assembly is defective. Replace VSV assembly, then pack VSV connectors and harness connectors with dielectric compound grease. Refer to following steps for this replacement procedure:
REMOVAL
VSV Assembly^ Disconnect three vacuum hoses to each VSV (blue and gray) on existing VSV assembly.
^ Remove two 10 mm nuts securing VSV assembly to studs of front axle and remove VSV assembly.
INSTALLATION
VSV Assembly^ Pack dielectric compound grease (Part No. 2-90067-600-0) into connectors on new VSV assembly (Part No. 8-97101-858-1), filling each terminal cavity halfway.
^ Mount new VSV assembly onto studs of front axle and secure with two 10 mm nuts. Torque nuts to 68 lb/in (8 Nm).
^ Connect three vacuum hoses to each VSV.
Electrical Connectors^ Pack dielectric compound grease into harness connectors, filling each terminal cavity halfway.
^ Connect harness connectors to VSV connectors and install retaining clips.
Shift-On-The-Fly Skid Plate^ Mount skid plate to front axle and secure with two 14 mm flange bolts. Torque bolts to 20 lb/ft (26 Nm).
When repairs are completed, check for proper operation of the 4WD indicator. Start the vehicle and move the transfer control lever from 2WD to 4WD and back, ensuring that the indicator lights when the transfer control lever is in the 4WD position.
PARTS INFORMATION
Use the appropriate new labor operation.
FLAT RATE MANUAL INFORMATION
Labor time includes 0.1 administrative time allowance. Use Sublet Code B2 ($1.35) for reimbursement of dielectric compound grease used in this repair.
Please all - I need suggestions. Someone close to me idled my 2002 Trooper in a closed garaged for about 3 hours - at best guess.. - Back from the police - here's whats wrong: TOD check light on - feels like 4wd is engaged. Check engine light on but went off after getting onto the freeweay, lots of connectors on the left side (exhaust side) melted. I think is the rustproofing on the bottom is fried and just flakes off. The parking brake is stuck on - handle just flops up and down, a friend yanked something underneath and it went off, but pulling it up again got it stuck and flopping again.
It has 52000, so its still under the extended powertrain warranty.
What should I do??? Take it straight to the dealer? - they'd tell me it was abused and not cover anything right? All it did was idle and get very very hot - so hot some of the plastic rivets in the fender melted into stringy stuff. Does anyone know what can really be affected by this and how best to get into selling shape?
I personally can never drive again - so its a matter of paying off the loan balance - fixing for as cheap as I can - and selling it. Can I fix some stuff so the dealer will check the major stuff under warranty??? I just confused - need help. Any thing would be appreciated.
While you're waiting for a reply here you may also want to visit Idle or Stalling Problems - All Vehicles.
Warranty Claims Administration may also be helpful.
Good luck.
tidester, host
Much of this sounds like BS to me. Troopers have a real history of lifters ticking. Mine (only can really hear it when outside the vehilce with it running) has been ticking for quite awhile...10s of thousands of miles. Also (I don't really agree with this) Isuzu's position is that an engine can use up to a quart of oil ever 1000-1500 miles and that is normal. So, I would drive it for awhile, just check the oil ever fillup so it will not get too low. The EGR could well be the cause of it using oil. Maybe $250 if a shop does the replacement and cleans out the tube...only a few $$ if you or a friend spends a hour or two with instructions to clean up the EGR and tube and it does not need replacement.
Search this forum for TOD, and you will find out how to fix/change your TOD sensors and fluid
The Check engine light is out, so that's good, but you need to ensure all fluids are full,
I would change the tranny fluid
Take it to a trusted mechanic, and have them do an insurance estimate on what else to fix, brake, coating, melted parts in the engine bay.
once you have the list of what's wrong, you can implement your plan
'so its a matter of paying off the loan balance - fixing for as cheap as I can - and selling it"
Steve, Host
About three years back, I replaced the OEM rubber sway bar bushings with the poly variety - the non-greasable type. Never having done the job before, it took the better part of an hour to replace all four. And that was with the wheels on and the truck on the ground. Ideally, it would have been a 20-30 minute job had it been up on a lift.
I really liked the handling improvement they made, but those puppies developed a pretty nasty squeak. I decided that if I had to pull them off to re-grease them, I'd be better off replacing them with the greasable type. What I didn't count on was the fact that the brackets for the new ones were considerably bigger and longer than the others. They worked, but they had to deform a bit to fit the contour of the front frame rails.
The bushings, themselves, were a lot beefier, therefore stiffer, and extremely difficult to spread enough to slip them over the sway bar. The instructions say to grease the bushings prior to installation, which I did. Unfortunately, that makes them slicker than baby poop and nearly impossible to hold tightly enough to spread open. Were I to do it again, I'd wait until installation was complete, then grease them using the Zerk fittings. I didn't have a grease gun, so I did it the hard way.
Jeez, what a pain!! Took me the better part of four hours to do all four. Again, I was doing it with the truck on the ground and the wheels on. Big mistake! Plus the fact that, the job would have been greatly simplified had I removed the front skid plate, as it really doesn't have sufficient clearance to allow easy installation of the bigger, longer brackets.
I also had new KYB MonoMax shocks installed yesterday at 60K (in addition to having a 4-wheel brake job done), and my initial seat-of-the-pants reaction is - Wow!
The MonoMax's seem to have slightly softened the initial impact with expansion strips, lane marker discs, speed breakers and small bumps. However, the most notable difference is the extremely flat ride they produce. The wandering, wallowing, leaning, rebound and nosedive I've had for so long with the original Tokico's is now essentially gone. Granted, the much larger poly sway bar bushings I put on a few days ago helped a lot over the previous poly's. But adding the shocks made a world of difference beyond that.
BTW, I'm still totally pleased with my 255/70/16 Firestone Destination LE tires (no off-roading here), thanks to DT's superb balancing machines!
Just my 2cw.
Dave
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So here's my suggestions (and I could be totally wrong):
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1.) Get a good fuel injector cleaner product that you add to your gas tank. The kind that says use once per year, not the one that says use every 3000 miles. Fuel Injector Cleaner is available from many brand names, I like Valvoline and RedLineOil products, but I suppose the rest make decent stuff too. Use this product as directions say. If there is a huge improvement, do and oil change and repeat the fuel injector cleaner this time with the 3000 mile dose just to make sure you got them all the way clean and without contaminating your engine's lifeblood the oil.
http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=54
http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=92
How it works http://www.redlineoil.com/whitePaper/15.pdf
http://www.redlineoil.com/products_fueladditives.asp?productID=63
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2.) If your 94 has original spark plugs and spark plug wires it is time for a new set. You could go with a regular set of plugs and wires that are the same as original, or if it were me going to spend money on my trooper's ignition, I'd go for the top performing soluton: DirectHits (2 piece spark plug) or the new Pulstar (DirectHits inside the spark plug) spark plugs with the same technology and inventor. http://www.directhits.com/ http://www.pulstarplug.com/ Ask the guys on the DirectHits contacts page about getting a set of plugs and wires made for your Trooper. I think the Pulstars are just becoming available, so might be hard to get. I used a set of plugs, DirectHits and wires from them on my 1995 4x4 Trooper and it was a big improvement over nearly new spark plugs and wires. I experienced quicker throttle response and about 1mpg better mpg (up to 16.7mpg) around town. When towing I went from the engine sounding really stressed and getting 9.9mpg to a very confident sounding much smoother engine with power to spare and 11.2 mpg after the DirectHits. I tested the mpg both ways on a 150 mile each way trip that I towed frequently, so my mpg measurements are accurate.
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Also make sure your air filer is clean, not enough air will take away power and cause unburnt fuel when you pedal to the medal also.
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Please post your results, If I am correct you will be thrilled with your Trooper's performance.
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I failed to notice that your post said 3.1TD. That means you have a Turbo Diesel. I was answering for a gasoline engine. I think similar stuff applies, clean air filter, clean fuel injectors, but spark plugs do not apply to diesels. You might want to ask a diesel mechanic if the puff of black smoke is normal for a diesel, maybe your turbo is not spinning up fast enough to get the air into the engine to burn all that extra fuel that comes from your pedal to the metal action, that might be normal for a diesel. I have never had a diesel , they aren't available in the USA yet, and always wanted one for the fuel economy. What fuel economy are you getting? Sorry if I caused some confusion.
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I want to learn more about diesels, so I am willing to help you figure this out, whatever help I can be with no diesel experience. I know that there is a trade off between tuning your diesel for low smoke or low sulfur dioxide emmissions. The smoke is actually easier on the environment since it is ash and falls to the ground, the sulfur becomes acid rain. Later this year there will be a low sulfur deisel fuel requirement in the USA (with low sulfyr diesels can be tuned for low smoke and low sulfur) and there is a push for better fuel economy to save money and reduce CO2 emmissions, so I expect to see many diesel vehicles in the USA in the next few years.
http://www.freeautoadvice.com/diesel/smoke.html
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-06-10-diesel-vs-hybrid_x.htm
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Thank You
BoxTrooper
Regarding the "ticking" . . . if it's a noisy valve lifter, a fellow Trooper owner told me that he had good success curing it by adding a pint of automatic transmission fluid to the engine oil. The theory is that ATF has a higher detergent level than engine oil and, therefore, does a better job of cleaning engine residue that causes the ticking. Supposedly, because they're both petroleum derivatives, there is no compatibility issue.
My 3.5L '01 LS has a valve tick until it warms up. I'm a little leary of trying the ATF myself, but this guy swore that it worked. Talk to your mechanic, then decide for yourself if that's what you want to try. I personally have not tried it, so this is FYI only!
Dave
Flashing check engine light... this started I think it was Tuesday (after I had the oil changed at a loclal shop) Troop acted like it possibly had a clogging cadillic (sp?) converter... was idiling very rough, stumbling at stop lights, etc.
The following day the check engine light stayed lit... and now today it is off! Running like a champ... no stumble, hesitation or anything.
Any ideas?
It's a 2001 Trooper Limited 4X4 w/ 3.5 (I'm VERY happy w/ it, btw)
..
Anyway, here's my suggestion for eliminating your lifter ticking:
1.) If you have available one of those machines that runs your engine while the oil goes through the external machine in place of your filter to super clean the oil passages do that. Then run light weight oil 0W30 synthetic for a few hundred miles the tick should go away.
2.) If no oil cleaning machine, then do early oil changes for a while. Use good quality 0W30 or 5W30 oil and a new filter every change. Change the oil every 1000 miles a few times in a row to help clean the oil, add a detergent oil additive if you want. Once the ticking goes away, change the oil again at every 3000 miles, unless the ticking returns, at the first sign of ticking change the oil. The ticking goes away after the oil has a chance to really get it clean inside, sometimes 100 to 300 miles for me.
3.) If planning on a heavy usage for you Trooper's motor, like towing, I would make sure to change the oil before the towing trip. Running the engine hard increases the dirt buildup in the oil, so start cleaner to avoid clogging up small passages.
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I think any oil brand is going to be good enough for the cleaning of your Trooper motor. Since you will not be going long on oil changes, regular non-synthetic oil might do well enough, except that to get 0w30 or 5w30 you might need to go to synthetic.
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Keep an eye on your oil level, I always worry that going low in oil level will overheat the oil and cause oil sludge to be created. So I top off the oil to just above the full line and chack it when I get gasoline to make sure it's not below the line any more than it was above the line.
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Trooper's are a great thing. I think they are an example of keeping a decent 4x4 simple as possible but not simpler. Troopers are not big on bells and whistles, but they have a very solid basic design that keeps them performing great. My 95 Trooper with 140000 miles was getting a complement from my cousin passenger about how like new it was in looks and performance just as we were rear ended.
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I have driven 200000+ miles in a 1984 Trooper, 140000+ miles in a 1995 trooper and my 2001 has 80000 miles so far, but I bought the 2001 with 29000 miles on it. I am very pleased with my Troopers, they are great for me to do my own thing as well as hauling the family and a half dozen bicycles or a couple canoes etc.. I am the neighborhood rescue when the deep snow comes.
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I have caused some probelms operator error like puting a big stack of 10 foot lumber inside and closing the rear door too hard which cause a crack in the windshield. If I had not put my gloves over the end of the already padded end of the lumber at the rear door, it would not have cracked the windshield, I know because I had hauled similar wood before.
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By the way, Directhits work great in a 1995 Trooper:
http://www.directhits.com/ use the full kit with spark plugs,spark plug wires, and the DirectHits units for best results. It smooths out the engine eliminated torque peaks and allowes a lot better towing.
For a while now when I take the steering wheel and rock it side to side (normal play) there is a clicking sound (at roughly 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock) and the wheel feels somewhat loose. It's not loose like it's about to come off (read: F1 car!) and I haven't noticed it getting worse. Sound familiar to anyone??
Thanks
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There needs to be a little play in the truck type steering on the Trooper to prevent the gear from binding and excessive wear or breaking a gear tooth.
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I suggest, if you have not changed the fluid in the last 30K miles, change your power steering fluid, all of it by taking apart the hose(s). Only after you put in the new power steering fluid and run it a while, do the steering gear play adjustment. Leave a little bit of play in.
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I like Red Line Oil for their helpful and knowledgeable people on the phone and excellent but expensive products. I also like Valvoline SynPower for oil products. Lucas Oil for wheel bearing grease.
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I called Red Line Oil to ask about Water Wetter for a geothermal heat pump, and the technical help was able to talk chemical engineering with me. Give them a call to ask what is best to clean out and protect your power steering. They have a power steering specific product, but Isuzu says use transmission oil, the tech person can tell you if you can use the power steering specific product and what better performing oil products are out there.