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Isuzu Trooper

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Comments

  • pat_pendingpat_pending Member Posts: 36
    First, let me say that the easiest, most dramatic improvement a late model trooper owner can make is to upgrade the stock speakers. I switched out the stock front 6-1/2 inchers and replaced them with Polk ex602s. Night and day difference, for the better. Clearer and crisper sound, and I can even discern some bass where none existed before. I would recommend them to anyone.

    I also switched the 4-inch rears to Polk dx4s. These gave extremely clear sound as well, but as excellent as they are for 4-inch speakers, they are still just 4-inch speakers. I have access to a pair of Pioneer 6x9s, so I will be switching out the dx4s and trying different ways to make the 6x9s fit.

    Therefore, if anyone wants a pair of 4-week old perfect Polk dx4s for their Trooper, just make and offer. I just paid Crutchfield $119 four weeks ago. The reason I can't return them is that I no longer have the boxes or grilles for them; I tossed those things thinking I wouldn't need them! Duh!

    Thanks. Ken
    ksalen@nixonpeabody.com
  • spirollispirolli Member Posts: 50
    Mike,

    I'm in for the Chrome ECB Nudge Bar. I'll shoot you an email with my information.

    Steve
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    When they upgraded the board? I thought for sure we posted on the 14th?
  • arktrooper1arktrooper1 Member Posts: 101
    i just wish they would make up their minds...give us an isuzu "club" site and quit screwing around with everything...
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    But it took 24hrs. to upgrade. Now that they have the new software, Bonnie should be setting us up with the Isuzu area! Hang in there guys.

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Ok, Karen S the head of the Owner's section e-mailed me and said we could have it up by the end of the week. I need 2 things though.

    I need a person to be a co-community leader, which basically means you'll be active on the board, and try to get questions answered and uphold the edmunds policies. E-mail me directly if you are interested, I know Ark was previously interested, but I just need to e-mail Karen with the username and e-mail address of those interested.

    The second is what topics we want. Here is a pre-liminary list, but let's get it hashed out so Karen can create the area for us.

    Isuzu Owners
    Isuzu Maintenance and Repair
    Isuzu Modifications/Aftermarket/Accesesories
    Isuzu Dealers and Pricing
    Isuzu Events
    Isuzu Offroading/Trail Reports
    Isuzu Future Models

    -mike
  • sparko101sparko101 Member Posts: 7
    and I have a couple of questions. From all appearances it seems to be easy to change the oil yourself on the Trooper. For those of you that do it yourself, is this correct? Are there any issues with changing it yourself vs. Isuzu dealer? I have heard some people mention that they use synthetic oil. Should I wait til my Trooper is "fully" broken in to change to a synthetic oil? I have almost 3K miles on it. Finally, in the grand scheme of things (and I know personal preference plays a role here) are all synthetics created equal? Do they come in the different weights like regular oil?

    Thanks for all the responses on my snow question (#243), consensus is TOD and winter mode seem to be sufficient.

    Mark
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Has anyone had the "check" light come on on their TOD unit? I had it come on today after driving for about 15 minutes, pulled over, turned off the car, turned it back on, and went through a full 4wd Lo -> TOD ->2wd sequence, no problems after that. I am going to have the dealer check it out this week when I get the 2nd re-call done and an oil change.

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I don't have any hard facts on this, but, according to many people I've spoken to, you should wait until 10K-12K before using synthetics. I have 13K+ miles now, and am going to switch to Mobil 1 synthetic. Everyone I've spoken to swears by Mobil 1.

    -mike
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    mike, are you having other symptoms from the 4WD TOD system? You had mentioned, I thought, something about a whine type noise?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yeah I have a whine, but I'm not sure if it's in my head or if others sound that way. You know "I never heard anything until so en so said there could be a whine." So now I'm not sure if I'm hearing it cause someone else mentioned it, or if it is actually there. I'm having an oil change and recall done this week @ the dealer, so they are going to pull the ecu codes and check it out for me.

    -mike
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    I agree. Some of these supposed noises that are being reported make one listen for noise. I hear a little more gear noise in 4WD Low, which seems normal to me considering the 50:50 split and the lower gear ratios. I too have listened for the 'tape rewinding noise' as its been called, and have heard maybe something like that at about 50 to 60 mph but not at 45 mph and lower. The sound I hear though comes from the front (maybe even just tire noise) and is not dependent on 4WD TOD. I am not worried about any of these sounds, and they are all less than the sound I get off front wheel drive on my Ford Windstar van.
  • cwmosercwmoser Member Posts: 227
    ...My Trooper exhibited this noise last night -- it sounds to me
    like a high-frequency hiss like you get from a high-voltage
    transformer in a TV. Could it be from the ignition electronics?
    A high voltage has to be created in order for the spark plugs to
    create the spark to ignite the petrol. Just a theory.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    You could be onto something, because everyone who notices it (myself not included) say they hear it from the pass side dash board, well you know what is on the other side of the firewall right there? Yep, you guessed it, the BIG and I MEAN HUGE, Delphi Electronic car computer.

    -mike
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    It could be something electronic like what you guys describe. The spark plugs generate the high voltage right at the plug, and high voltage spark plug wires are not used in the trooper engine. Computer noise on passenger dash side--maybe. Definitely, not a loud sound, for example the blower on low is louder.
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I find I have to login several times and try different methods to get to a screen with the ability to post? The old software would allow me to login, and then any board I opened would have the new message section at the bottom? Anyone else having difficulties?

    It may be my method, I usually read first and then login only if I want to add. I find that if I logout, quit, login again and then go through the preset categories it works, but if I search by subject and then select a board it doesn't work? Becoming annoying.

    I also liked being able to see my message and edit it in the spell check window, now they are separate...
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    SB, they are working on fixing the login thing. It's a little buggy, like a Ford Escape right now!

    -mike
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    Same login problem and missing post windows. The editing afterwards is nice though, in case you see a mistake. The spell check seems to do the fix no matter what (I haven't checked it out that carefully though) and that means you have to go back and correct things like 4WD TOD. Overall, I think the board will be okay, once all fixes are in place.
  • lovingpclovingpc Member Posts: 34
    We finally got enough snow in Tennessee to get a real feel for my 2000 2WD Trooper. I'm pretty happy overall. When engaging the winter mode, I have tried to make the wheels spin and can't. The back end slipped a bit turning out of our neighborhood from packed snow to packed snow, uphill. Easy recovery by turning into the skid, and the Troop just walked up the snow packed hill very nicely! Note that I have four cinder blocks and 1 70 lb bag of sand over the rear axle.

    ABS does a good job on snow - I would recommend all owners try out their ABS in a safe area. In an emergency, you might think your front wheels were falling off. I think that on ice, ABS wouldn't help that much, but if there is a little traction available, it helps.

    I wish I had a buddy with a 4wd TOD troop so I could feel the difference. Since I'm not an offroader, I opted for 2wd, and still think that was the right decision.

    Andy
  • arktrooper1arktrooper1 Member Posts: 101
    I realize the board is free and all, and I do appreciate that fact, but it is frustrating to type a lengthy post as I did this morning and find that it never made it to the board. Until someone can tell me what the "improvements" are I'll excercise my right to opinion and say that if all this is for the new "look", it's not worth it! The old board worked fine! As they say..."If it ain't broke, dont fix it!"
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Ark, they are having some growing pains with the new software. The improvements I see so far are:

    Add your own vocabulary to the spell checker.
    edit your message for up to 30 minutes after you post it which would be really nice.
    and the subscription area which is pretty cool.

    They actually went to a better back-end of the software because the old software was giving them trouble.

    -mike
  • rdsterlrdsterl Member Posts: 21
    Anybody out there know of anyone who has installed the Aussie-market third seat from the Isuzu Trooper/Holden Jackaroo? I am interested in this option for our '99 "S" model, and while I realize it may be expensive, it's more desirable than losing our "Silvie." We love her, and other than mileage, been a great SUV. From Louisiana, been to Western So. Dak. last March and loved the TOD. Tried to trade for 2001 LS, but crappy resale (even from the selling dealer!!!) kept us from taking the plunge. Still, for what we paid ($23,165 on $29,009 MSRP) we are happy with the value. Can occasionally get 20+ on highway, with light loads, conservative driving. Handles well, rides much better than my '96 4Runner. Factory tires (Bridgestones) wearing evenly, if quickly. Will get Michelins next summer or fall...maybe +2" offset rims at same time. (Don't like the narrow-track look of the stock wheels.)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm in contact with a dealer in NZ about the seats. Hopefully they'll have pricing and shipping soon. You can see pics at my webpage of the OEM 3rd row of seats.

    -mike
    http://www.iace.com/ia/trooper
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    Arktrooper-Your post has gone to cyberspace heaven. You may want to copy your post before you click on post my message, just in case it doesn't show up. That way you can re-do if necessary. One of my posts went to the same place as yours, but I was able to go back and get it by hitting the back arrow.
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    They look like they are two separate seats. Will you be able to order just one, if you want?
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    Is there any evidence that 4WD TOD on all the time can cause undo wear (or damage) to the system? I don't think that slippage is a requirement for 4WD TOD, since they advertise going form dry to wet etc using TOD. Also, 4WD TOD partitions the torque to the two front wheels separately according to what is shown on the TOD indicator, thereby eliminating the slippage requirement, presumably. I suppose Paisan is probably one person posting here that has kept 4WD TOD on for the longest number of miles. Paisan, is this whine related to that?
  • serranoserrano Member Posts: 107
    To GPM5,
    The clutch assembly employed by the TOD system provides for the speed differential between the front and rear drivelines. The front differential provides for the differing front wheel speeds.

    TOD only apportions torque to the front drivetrain assembly as a whole. It does not (and cannot) apportion torque to individual wheels. That's the job of the differentials.

    In the long term, having TOD on full-time will wear the TOD clutches. But I suspect that the computer can compensate for this wear until the clutches are so worn that there is not enough material left to function. I'm sure that this point would require many miles than the average person is likely to put on the system.
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    Thanks for the clarification. How would you say that TOD to the front wheels is different from the 4WD Low 50:50 split, which I presume does not allow for a separation of torque to the two front wheels--or does it via the front differential as well?
  • serranoserrano Member Posts: 107
    GPM5,

    The 4WD Low mode, when engaged, solidly locks the front and rear drivetrains for a 50:50 torque split. It does not permit differing front and rear axle speeds; thus, it should only be used in conditions which permit slippage of the wheels to account for different axle speeds during turns.

    The TOD system engages the front axle not by gears but by using a clutch pack and electromagnetic coils to engage the clutch pack. The best way to visualize the system is to imagine a car with a standard transmission and clutch. When starting from a stop in this car, you gradually let out the clutch to apply progressively greater amounts of torque to the wheels. The more the clutch is let out, the more torque that you apply to the wheels. TOD is virtually the same; the TOD clutch is applied by the TOD computer in response to rear wheel slippage.

    The TOD system does not apportion torque individually to the front wheels. The differing front wheel rotational speeds are permitted by the front differential. In 4WD Low, the front differential works exactly the same.

    An interesting AWD system is that employed on the rear axle of the Acura MDX. It uses a clutch pack and coils on each half-shaft of the rear axle. It’s like having a mini-TOD system on each axle; the computer can apply torque to each wheel individually.

    Hope that helps.

    Tom
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It is perfectly fine to run it 24x7 because the sister ship to the Trooper is the Vehicross (same frame, same driveline) and that doesn't have an option of dis-engaging the TOD. That is always engaged, unless you have it in 4wd Lo.

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I think I may actually be imagining the whine in the T-case. It's so faint. We'll see what the dealer says tomorrow cause I just dropped it off for a synthic Oil change, Recall #2 and having them check the TOD unit.

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Hey all,
    I wanted to let you know we have finally gotten the Isuzu Owner's club going on Town Hall! Thanks to Karen S. who is the moderator in the Owner's club area we are finally up and running. We would like to welcome all prospective Isuzu Owners, Current Owners, Former Owners, and Owners of the sister vehciles from Honda and Acura as well as the Holden and Vauxhaul equvilents to participate. Check out the link below and let's start populating those areas...

    /direct/view/.eea11fe

    -mike
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Mike, I tried to post at the owners club, and it said "to post a message you must login." I clicked on LOGIN and it said "You are already logged in, stop bothering me!" So I could not post... :(
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Try going to the main Town Hall page, and login, then go to owner's club->Isuzu folder and you should be able to post.

    -mike
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    I went to the club site again, and it gave me the posting window, so I spent 20 minutes typing my vitals etc., and when I hit POST MY MESSAGE it vanished! I tried hitting 'back', but that didn't work; it's gone! What a pain.
  • arktrooper1arktrooper1 Member Posts: 101
    I've had the same thing happen to me! I posted my "vitals" last night...GONE!!! I posted my "mods" yesterday morning...GONE!!! Only one of my posts, in "dealers" made it and that took two times. I don't care about the supposed "improvements"...they don't outweigh the glitches at this point! Still, I am going to persist because I enjoy reading and posting about Isuzus and enjoy the people here. I emailed Mike (paisan) at his request and offered to co-host the board. I do believe in the long run it will be worth it...but for now I agree with you...what a pain!!!

    -Dave
  • cwmosercwmoser Member Posts: 227
    My posts are being deleted too.
  • cwmosercwmoser Member Posts: 227
    EOM
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    I've been clicking on the link mike has for the owners club and bookmarked that. No problem getting there. But, if it tells you you are already logged in do you want to log out, then log out. Then log back in and post.

    Be sure to highlight your text within the text box with the mouse and type ctrl insert simultaneously. This will save your text so that if it goes to never-never land you can type shift insert to retrieve your text. Alternatively, highlight your text and use the copy command in your netscape, explorer or whatever window and repaste it, if it disappears.
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    Yeah, log out then log in--a pain but I just needed to do it again. Also, if your post does not show up in the refreshed window when you type post message, then it never took to begin with. I have not had one deleted that took after posting.
  • gprodickgprodick Member Posts: 36
  • gprodickgprodick Member Posts: 36
    One more time. This is my fourth attempt to make a post.

    The Club = 7 different topics + 3 different vehicles (Rodeo, Amigo, and Trooper). Whoops! Make that four. I forgot the Vehicross. Do you really want to hop scotch among 7 topic? As Trooper owners, do you want to have to filter out all the posts related to the other vehicles? The Club seems like the answer to a question that nobody, other than Paisan is asking. It's a noble effort, but misguided.

    The simplest and most efficient way to share info about our Troopers is right here on this board. This is not rocket science, Why make it so difficult? The Original Trooper Club is and always has been right here on this board. I urge you to avoid the new club and stay here.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    if you look at the subaru club you will realize that it's well worth it.

    A) you can help people who are interested in Isuzus in general decide which truck they want
    B) You don't have to listen to people drone on about accessories and modifications if you don't want to
    C) If you use the "message center" you don't have to wade through 7 boards, you can just see which has new items
    D) there is also the Axiom :)
    E) why wouldn't you want to help out fellow Rodeo, Rodeo Sport, Amigo, and Axiom owners if they have similar problems (since the design of them is all very similar and have the same dealer network)

    But hey this is America, so if you don't want to join us, it's ok!

    -mike
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    For example, someone just posted about an electronic shift kit for Isuzu vehicles, which presumably includes the trooper, and that person owns an amigo--I believe.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yep, that shift kit was kinda an advertisement, so they posted it in the "aftermarket" section which makes perfect sense, so if you aren't interested in aftermarket stuff, you wouldn't have to be bothered with it. The unit is actually for anyone with the 4L30 GM Transmission which includes all the Isuzu SUVs, BMW Z3 Roadster, Caddy Catera, and Holden Commodore, also some Opel models.

    -mike
  • rickc5rickc5 Member Posts: 378
    Checked the value of our '98 Trooper (Perf Pkg with 27K miles, s/r, CD, etc.) on Edmunds, Kelly Blue Book and NADA last Friday. WHOA, was I shocked! When we bought it new, it had an MSRP over $32K. We paid about $27K and thought we got a good deal. Yeah....

    According to the above mentioned sources, our Trooper is now worth between $14K (Edmunds: wholesale) and maybe about $20K (KBB: retail, ha, ha!).

    Used '98 Troopers in the Denver Post are advertised at around $18K. I could accept an $18K value, but you know as well as I do that were we to attempt to trade it for a new vehicle, we would probably be lucky to get the $14K as a trade-in offer.

    Isuzu dealers here in the Denver area are stuffed with new Troopers and Rodeos and can't seem to sell them even with a $7000 discount off the Trooper's MSRP.

    Anyway, I'm a bit bummed by this. Any comments???
  • nimrudnimrud Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2000 trooper which is 5 months old (4500 miles), and the Check Engine indicator turned on when I started the car last night. I checked the manual and seems like there may be a problem with the emission control. Anyone, any idea? Thanks for your input.
  • rdsterlrdsterl Member Posts: 21
    Two of the myriad possibilities:
    You may not have tightened your gas cap completely (I always turn at least 8 or 9 clicks) or you may have refueled the vehicle with the engine running or key in the "on" position, which can throw off the oxygen sensor, and flash your Check Engine indicator. (Always turn off engine while pumping gas.)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The value may only be around $15K, which makes sense for a 3-4 year old car that is selling for $25K brand new with a longer warranty. Think about it logically, why would someone buy your used vehicle which has almost 30K miles, when for $25K they can get a brand new one with a 120K mile warranty, and auto-matic climate control, and know that no one has abused it. Your trooper will last at least 200,000 miles so if you calculate your $/mile the value on the trooper is quite high.

    Happy Trooping.

    -mike
    Isuzu Forum Spokesman
    Edmunds Isuzu Forum
    IA Trooper Homepage
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    As was posted above, it's probably the gas cap thing. The check engine light can mean a # of different things. Last week my engine light went on and my TOD was flashing. It turned out to be a false alarm (when I re-boot the car, er turned it off and back on) it went away. What I would do it disconnect your battery tonight and re-connect it in the morning. If the O2 sensor is truely bad or there is a serious problem, it will re-initiate a check engine light. If it is something like the gas cap, then by re-setting the ECU, it will clear out the check engine light for you w/o a visit to the dealer.

    -mike
    Isuzu Forum Spokesman
    Edmunds Isuzu Forum
    IA Trooper Homepage
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