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Isuzu Trooper

18687899192233

Comments

  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    That 2001 S sounds like a good specimen. Very good price, but it's probably due to low demand and not to any past problems with the truck.

    I think the LS/S mistake is easily explained legitimately. The guy is a meticulous owner in that he takes very good care of his vehicles, but he is probably not an enthusiast who knows tons about cars, reads magazines all the time, etc.

    Sounds like a vehicle that has been given a good home. I'd buy it. Whaddya got to lose-- the truck still has 25k miles of bumper-to-bumper warranty on it.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    That is a fair to good price on the truck.

    I think that almost all Troopers have a bad alignment. I know I needed to get one at about 1000 miles on mine.

    It does appear to be an honest mix-up on the LS/S thing.

    The TOD could be what Savvas said or it could have bad speed sensors or a vaccum hose may have popped off.

    As for the Carfax, I have found that it takes too long for stuff to show up on there. I bought a "clean" car only to find out 6 months later it hadn't passed emissions, not a major issue, but something that carfax didn't show til after I had bought the car.

    As for the moonroof, I'd make sure to get a top quality place to install it, especially if it's gonna be a big one like the OEM unit. In 98 and 99 you could actually get the moonroof on the base model so I doubt there is any extra cross members in there that would get cut.

    -mike
  • seanreidseanreid Member Posts: 152
    Thanks for the replies. We tried putting the truck in 4-Low and it went in (graph bars flash in low, correct?) but TOD still wouldn't engage afterwards. The owner was driving at the time and told me that he could feel the torque going into the front wheels when in 4L. Sensor or hose sounds possible. There's a very reputable sunroof shop in NH that I'll probably try. Has anyone on the list put in an aftermarket roof? $15,000 is a very good deal for an LS but, checking Edmunds, KBB & NADA, seems to be only a slightly good deal for an S. That said, the dealers don't seem to be going below 17K on 2001 Troopers and this one is in very nice shape.

    Cheers,

    Sean
  • seanreidseanreid Member Posts: 152
    is basically very reliable, yes? Not much reason to worry about future TOD problems?

    S
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    And a lot of them HARD off-road miles and high-speed on-road and no problems. They are built by Borg and Warner a ledgendary name in Transfer Cases so I wouldn't worry about em.

    -mike
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I agree with the carfax. Did you ask him why he wants to get rid of it? Might be a simple reason. Did you look into new? You might be able to get a new 4wd Auto S model for around 21-22K? Then you don't have any of those used car worries?

    All in all it sounds like a good deal. The alignment thing might not get fixed by his shop. These trucks are hard to align, and it usually takes a competent shop to eliminate a pull. A regular Firestone shop for example is probably not equipped or capable of fixing it. So if not perfect at the time of sale, keep that in mind, do a little research and you will only have to make 1 trip to have it done right.
  • serranoserrano Member Posts: 107
    Sean - If memory serves, in 4L all three status bars should be lit solid because 4L locks the front and rear axles together. If you were taking turns on pavement in 4L, you would most certainly know if it was locked because the driveline bind leads to unusual handling. If it drove normally, then the front axle still wasn't engaging.

    I suspect that the Shift-on-the-Fly mechanism that engages the front axle is not functioning properly. If the previous owner did not engage the system periodically, it may be frozen.

    Regards,
    Tom
  • seanreidseanreid Member Posts: 152
    I wasn't driving when it was in 4Low but all bars showing sounds right (unless the flashing is to remind the driver that it's in 4low?). The owner will have an Isuzu dealer look at it on Thursday and I'm not sure how sophisticated their alignment jig is but we'll soon find out. It's very possible that the owner hasn't engaged the TOD or 4Low since February or so when we had our last big snowstorm. He says he's selling it because his wife says they don't need three cars and wants it gone. Who knows if that's the real reason? I've been telling prospective buyers of my car the truth (I need to get another vehicle that tows and hauls) and they may not believe me either.

    A 2002 S...hmmm...had been looking only at LS models...will go investigate that. Thanks.

    Sean
  • seanreidseanreid Member Posts: 152
    it turns out, is still going to be 25K or better even if the dealer goes under invoice, etc. Now my last purchase, a conversion van for my company, was 53K but getting a nearly-new trooper for 15K is probably too tempting to pass up.
    Thanks for the idea though.

    S
  • seanreidseanreid Member Posts: 152
    As I thought, it was one of the gazillion rental Troopers bought by dealers at auction and the warranty should run till 11/03 (or 50,000). No salvage, etc.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Just beware of the 2002 S model. NO TOD even with AT tranny. They must have found a bunch of PT 4wd T-cases for the AT tranny and so in 2002 there are no TOD AT S models.

    -mike
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    what paisan said also applies to the 1998 S models. Funny how they've come full circle on TOD availability.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    "getting a nearly-new trooper for 15K is probably too tempting to pass up."

    That's exactly right. Think about what you are getting-- a reliable, well-built, functional truck that stickers for about $30k. It's like new. For 15 grand! Think about what else you could get for 15 grand-- a 4 year-old CRV, a 2 year-old Civic, etc.-- and that makes the price of this Trooper sound even more appealing.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    And all the gremlins are worked out already.

    -mike
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    We bought our 98 Trooper this way. 7,000 miles. Driven by Isuzu USA for about a year. Paid $21,000, which was $3-4k less than the best brand-new deals going at the time. Has Performance Package (equivalent to the current LS). I think the dealer bought it at auction for $18,800.

    Isuzu considered it a new vehicle-- sent us the 'congrats on buying a new Trooper' letter and everything. I've wondered aloud on this board whether the 10/120 warranty would apply to a Trooper bought this way.
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Hi guys! Just got back from Moab, mostly unscathed, though I did catch a side ledge and left a gouge in the pass side door (about 1"x3"). I did that on Elephant Hill in Canyonlands National Park. It is so incredibly scenic you sometimes lose concentration on the driving, and Elephant Hill is just about as tough as I would want to tackle in my present configuration (rated 3.5+ out of 5).

    My Trooper continued to amaze me and others with its climbing ability. At Elephant Hill my Trooper (and Chuck Venable's and Eiji's Troopers also) were strolling up ascents that the Vehicrosses, Rodeos, and Amigos were having some difficulty with.

    I remember one time on the Gold Bar Rim trail when a passenger in the vehicle ahead jumped out to video me climbing a very steep and tall rock ledge. Most people had a lot of commotion getting up it, with wheelspin, banging of undercarriage, etc. I approached it, the nose came up, the rear came up, and I strolled up with only one tiny chirp from a front tire. The video guy looked disappointed and said "that's it?" Guess I didn't put much of a show on... :-)

    On the Fins 'n Things trail, there was a rough climb that all the guys with lockers and Tera lows etc were trying, again with lots of commotion. I looked at it and thought I saw a line where I could make it, so as everyone watching was heading back to there trucks, I drove toward the hill. I heard one guy ask another "Is he going to try it in a (mostly) stock Trooper?" with amazement (or was it horror?) in his voice. I climbed right up that hill, never spun a tire. That got alot of people's attention!

    The amount of rear axle flex on the Trooper is just astounding sometimes. Anything I could get the front wheels over, the rear would handle with ease.

    Bruce Anderson actually ran the Golden Crack with his 2nd gen Trooper! He crunched his left front bumper plastic, and the right rear bumper plastic came loose, but Bruce didn't care in the least. He is kind of a character.

    Anyway, while he was straddling the Crack, his left rear tire was unsupported. The TOP of the tire was even with the BOTTOM of the rocker panel! Now THAT'S articulation!

    My apologies for the long post, but you guys should really come to Moab next year, it is unlike anything you have experienced. What a blast!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Did you do any of it in TOD? or all in 4-low?

    -mike
  • jimmyp1jimmyp1 Member Posts: 640
    guess not. It'll be a terrific year for off-raoding in Colorado because of extremely low snowfall = early trail openings. Oh, I wish I could get up there.

    Jim
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Until the Moab organizers of ZU Zoo realize that it's difficult for East Coasters to make it out when they plan it for a weekend I doubt I'll make it. If it were midweek I'd come cause I could travel out and back on the weekend before and weekend after. As it stands I'd need to burn 2/3 of my vacation time on it.

    -mike
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Yeah, they have a suggestion box on the Wire, and I already suggested a tuesday-friday schedule, which would save me two days of vacation for travel. Even wednesday-saturday would be better.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yup a wed-sat would be cool I'd stick around til friday night and leave sat morning and just make it back in time for work monday :)

    -mike
  • mkayemkaye Member Posts: 184
    There should be great deals on new Troopers. Isuzu announced financing deals (below) and there is $3000 dealer cash. There should be no reason not to get a 4wd S for $21K easy. With a new Trooper, there is the 10year/120,000 mile warranty too.

    All 2002 Trooper, Axiom, Rodeo and Rodeo Sport SUVs:
    0% up to 48 months
    1.9% @ 60 months
    2.9% @ 72 months
    PLUS: $1500 Consumer APR Cash Back with 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 month financing on 2002 Trooper models.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Is only if you skip on the financing. ALso the Troopers were bumped up almost 1500 this year for 2002 IIRC.

    -mike
  • seanreidseanreid Member Posts: 152
    It's a lot of vehicle for $15,000 and the aftermarket Webasto/Hollandia moonroof would be wider than the stock one (although shorter)which means more open air for the front seat driver and passenger (ie: the folks who put food on the table). Using the place which has a great reputation, the installed roof will run about $1200 but all in all it works out well. Tomorrow I'll find out what was wrong with TOD and (assuming it's all fixed) give the man a check.

    I'd love to meet up with the some of the Trooper gang for some off-road driving. It may be difficult now that my (motorcycle tour) season is starting up but there might be an open-schedule coincidence in there somewhere and I'd love to join in. I ride motorcycles professionally but am a 4-wheel off-road neophyte and as such should provide some humor for everyone as I learn what not to do.

    By the way, the 2001s all have limited-slip rear diffs right?

    Sean
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    2001s have rear LSD yes.

    Can't get much wider of a moonroof than the already quite wide on in there! :) but that will be cool.

    offroading: Well we run trips to NJ pine barrens once a month usually, but since it's now auto-x season and I race my subaru and the off-road trails are filled with dirt-bikers in the summer, we probably won't have one until Sept. Keep an eye out here for details, also if you know of any areas up in NH we may come up and visit for an off-road trip! :)

    -mike
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    If you open the hood, the plate at the back of the engine compartment lists codes for the vehicle. I believe it is one of the first, it should be G80 for LSD. If my memory serves me correctly.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Personally, $15,000 for a year-old Trooper with 25k miles strikes me as a much better deal than a $21,000 brand-new Troop with an additional 5 years of powertrain warranty coverage. Both are tremendous deals, but saving 6 grand in exchange for a truck with a year and 25k miles on it seems a smart sacrifice.
  • savvas_esavvas_e Member Posts: 347
    ITOG has a list of the option codes for Isuzu, though it looks it has been sometime since the last update.


    Check it out - http://www.itog.com/xr-001.shtml


    And yes, G80 is LSD.


    Does anyone know if ITOG is still active? I remember looking around their website when I was researching 4WDs prior to buying my Monterey. However, not much has happened to the website since then.

  • mkayemkaye Member Posts: 184
    It certainly is a better deal. Whatever one pays for a new S, as soon as you drive it off the lot, its worth becomes about $17K on the used vehicle market, kinda sad.
  • savvas_esavvas_e Member Posts: 347
    Guys,

    Whats considered an "average" for the amount of miles done in a year in the US?

    I've noticed some interesting stuff when we talk about miles. Not just a perception thing going from miles to kms. Down here, we consider 20,000km or 12,000miles as an annual average. 25,000miles per year is considered high mileage.

    I acknowledge that my truck does fewer miles than average, only about 9,000 per year (and still gets 4 oil changes per year! - next one this weekend).
  • troop2shostroop2shos Member Posts: 235
    Your annual mileage estimates in AUS are consistent with those here in the States.
  • radman6radman6 Member Posts: 81
    I usually average 12 - 15,000 miles / year on my vehicles, but with a recent job change (very short commute) my annual miles have gone way down. My 2000 S only has 14,000 miles on it right now.
  • cobbocobbo Member Posts: 34
    I agree with troop2shos and radman6 that for some reason people in the states seem to average 12,000 - 15,000 miles per year. This is something I've never been able to fathom as I average 30,000 miles per year (along with an oil change every month & the 15k, 30k, etc. services)...all I can say on that is that I love my troop & look forward to keeping it for longer than the 5 years I managed with my prior suvs (jeeps, so don't get me started on my crummy luck on their service records)...only damage I've suffered so far has been the need to replace some molding on the right rear passenger door after I tried to fit through some trees that didn't want to let me squeeze through after I folded in my mirrors...

    Anyway, that's my two cents...hope ya'll are doing well...
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yup 12-15K is considered std. here.

    I do 40K min. and usually closer to 50K/yr total on both my cars. I think it's cause my place upstate NY is about 225miles away so if I shoot up for a weekend that is about 600 miles on the odo. :)

    -mike
  • cknottcknott Member Posts: 61
    Folks, just FYI,

    I have been running an external engine oil cooler, mobil one synthetic 10W-30, and Puralator PL14619 filter. This combination has resulted in 8,000 mile oil changes, loosing only 3/4~1 quart in 8,000 miles and clean looking oil at 8,000 miles. The PL14619 oil filter is the largest Puralator oil filter that I could find that would fit the oil filter mount flange, but maintain the OEM pressure relief settings.

    In my research, oil vaporization is the primary reason for oil loss in a relatively new/maintained engine. Keep the oil cool and run synthetic oils. Synthetic oils have vaporization temperatures between 35~80 degrees F higher than conventional dino oil.

    Before making these changes, My Trooper was burning one quart every 2,000~2,5000 miles. My Trooper, a 1999 Auto-TOD, now has nearly 65,000 miles and I have been happy with the results.

    Chad
  • seanreidseanreid Member Posts: 152
    I'll ask the seller to check for the G80 code on the plate at the rear of the engine compartment.
    I'd be happy to help put together an off-road weekend here in VT (or NH) next fall but first I need to learn where the trails are. There's a VT 4WD club I'll hook up with when I get a chance.

    Mileage per year: I agree that 12-15K/yr is supposedly average the USA. I often spend more time riding/driving than I do sleeping. Our chase van gathers about 22,000 miles a year, my personal vehicle (soon to be a Trooper) does about 18,000 per year and my primary bike does about 25,000/year.

    Have most of you found that the LSD is enough off-road or do many go to a rear locker?

    Sean
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It's pretty good offroad. I've found the order of upgrades most Trooper owners take for off-roading is:

    Shocks and Springs
    Tires
    Boulder Bars

    Bigger lift and/or body lift
    Bigger tires
    Rear Locker
    Front Locker

    I'm going to go a little light on the LSD additive when I drain and fill my rear diffy on the Trooper. I've been pretty good with the LSD.

    -mike
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    My LSD has been pretty good. I haven't been stuck because of it. I got hung up in some deep sand once. A little digging and dropping the pressure from 19 to 15 psi and I was on my way. I haven't been in any real locker required conditions. The LSD works for with 2wd and snow, of course TOD works even better. I would go up to VT/NH for some off-roading.
  • keepontroopinkeepontroopin Member Posts: 297
    I might be talked into a NH or VT trip too.
  • tetonmantetonman Member Posts: 73
    A dealer here is advertising any S for $19,700 and $10,000 off any other Trooper on the lot. I would think the resale values are coming down on used as well given the discontinuation of the Trooper.

    Also, maybe I missed it, but does the seller have the maintenance records for your review? 25,000 miles in a year sounds a bit high for a third car...

    But if it checks out, the Trooper is an awesome truck

    Good luck.
  • seanreidseanreid Member Posts: 152
    Called the dealer who worked on the Trooper today and they apparently replaced a vacuum sensor to repair the TOD system. Is that a common replacement or just a fluke?

    Who's the dealer in Chicago offering that deal? Any other similar deals out there? Selling our car is turning out to be a real PITA and my time is pretty tight so trading a car in is really tempting.

    Thanks,

    Sean
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Haven't heard of any going but I did have my speed sensors replaced on my TOD. That makes sens cause I think at least 1 or 2 people felt that it wasn't engaging due to a vaccum line being off or in this case I guess a sensor. Seems like a quick fix. What are you trying to sell? I've had good luck selling cars to carmax in MD.

    -mike
  • seanreidseanreid Member Posts: 152
    My fiancee wants the RAV4 so we're selling her car which is a 1997 GMC Jimmy. I found another tempting deal (hard to believe really but the VIN checks out via Carfax, lease return) at an Isuzu dealer in Rhode Island. 2001 White LS with about 13,000 miles for $15,400. Hard to believe but possibly legit. Condition said to be 10/10. The advantage, of course, is that we could just trade in the Jimmy and be done. That's very tempting because this is taking more time than I have right now.

    S
  • savvas_esavvas_e Member Posts: 347
    I guess with the nature of electronics and where some of these SUVs will be going, failures like this can be expected. But not too often.

    The important thing is that the vehicle has any ability to isolate the problem and remain mobile until it is diagnosed and fixed.

    I've been playing with a demo from Auttera, of a palm os based OBDII scanner. While one of these things won't fix the problem, it will point you in the direction of it. They have a list of generic fault codes, and you can also download manufacturer specific codes as well. The Isuzu database contains a stack of codes for the 4WD system and probably would have pointed this out.

    Mike ... I recall some discussion maybe a few weeks ago about TOD being able to detect downhill grades and do a 50/50 split. DTCs P1390 through to P1395 are for various g-sensors and rough road sensors. So my guess is that indeed TOD is designed to do this.

    Then again, I maybe wrong and those sensors belong to the ABS or Active Suspension areas.
  • bawbcatbawbcat Member Posts: 118
    Seanreid,
    I've been watching used Trooper prices in my area (AZ) for a few months now. Both of the ones that you have found are priced well, especially the LS! I have not seen anything near that, or I probably wouldn't be looking anymore. :) The fact that the first one started life as a rental does make it less appealing. Many people drive rentals hard, and it probably wasn't broken in gently. My oder of preference would be: privately owned vehicle, lease return, rental.

    Regarding the sunroof, the factory sunroof is very cool (it's huge). It does however noticiby reduce headroom and cargo volume. I was surprised how much difference it makes. I think cargo volume is reduce by roughly 5 cubic feet, which is quite a bit. I personally am not putting too much significance on the sunroof since it is a tradeoff.

    My local dealer is advertising $6k off sticker on all new Troopers, so the $10k off in Chicago sounds pretty good too.

    Good luck!
  • gao16gao16 Member Posts: 7
    seanreid,

    The dealer in the Chicago area that is offering 10,000 off any Trooper on the lot is M'lady in Crystal Lake.

    They advertise this in the paper and have over 100 on the lot. They also have a bunch of new Vehicrosses. I went in there once to deal with them and my salesman was a major jerk, so I left.
  • bawbcatbawbcat Member Posts: 118
    If you don't buy that 2001 LS and you think it is legit and has 4x4, please email the dealer contact info to: bawbcat at yahoo dot com. I might even be interested in checking it out. Thanks. :)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Savvas wrote: Then again, I maybe wrong and those sensors belong to the ABS or Active Suspension areas.

    Could be for the IIS in the Rodeo/Frontera, but I know there are weight/load sensors for the TOD system.

    -mike
  • fly103fly103 Member Posts: 2
    Paisan, I have a 2002 S model with AT and TOD. They were available 3 months ago with TOD. Worth checking before a purchase.

    John
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