Isuzu Trooper

cmuniz · May 2003

I wouldn't rule out a computer problem with the module that controls the gear shifting or one of its sensorss. If it is that, it should be covered by Isuzu. If it is a mechanical problem caused by leakage they may claim lack of proper maintenance. It will be of interest to all of us how Isuzu reacts to this now due to their smaller presence in the US. PLs keep us posted.

paisan · May 2003

the warranty won't cover it. The Powertrain only covers internal mechanical components.

-mike

sbcooke · May 2003

I have your other problem...taking it to the dealer and having them return it not fixed.

cracovian · May 2003

Since Edmunds sees so far into the future (or past???) maybe they could give us some direction on where the stock market is going...

"The percentage following the vehicle is the total amount of DEPRECIATION that takes place over FIVE years and 15,000 miles per year."

...
2. Isuzu Ascender — 68.74%
...
5. Isuzu Axiom — 66.96%
...
9. Kia Sorento — 65.57%

tkevinblanc · May 2003

My 98 Trooper has always been louder when the engine is cold, particularly in colder weather. It's louder, and it sounds a lot like a big Ford flatbed truck with a monster gasoline V8 I used to drive during college summers. Okay, not that loud, but a significantly different sound.

It changes to its normal self very suddenly, when the high idle kicks down. I suspect that the engine is running much richer during this period.

Whatever. It's been like this since I've owned it and it just is what it is.

boxtrooper · May 2003

Or the other way to look at it, if you need to buy Trooper ... What a Deal!!!!!

scottkop · May 2003

I recently picked up a '99 Trooper and have noticed that the 3->2 downshift (kickdown) is pretty harsh. Shifts find, up and down in all other gears.

I just had a tranny flush that didn't help. Are these trannys known for harsh downshifts?

Thanks!
Scott

paisan · May 2003

Yes they are known for hard downshifts. I believe that is what helps make them robust is they have less sloshing of the Torque converter so it builds less heat.

-mike

sbcooke · May 2003

I called my dealer to hopefully get my ongoing steering problem fixed only to find out that my service manager no longer works there. Now I need to drive out and demonstrate the problem again. They also tried to tell me that it wasn't covered under warranty? I pulled up the copy of the warranty on www.isuzu-suvs.com and read the section to them. I have been working on this problem for a year...I have been agreeable because my service manager has assured me that we would fix it, but take it one step at a time. They replaced the entire column last year. I am going to get a quote from an independent shop and may just pay to have my steering gear replaced.

jrr2k · May 2003

Looks to me as if the depreciation numbers are figured based on original MSRP value. If that is the case, than most all of us experienced a 30% depreciation before we walked in the showroom!

A previous poster found a new 30K$ 2002 Trooper for +/- 20K$.
I had a similar experience.

chiefdoc · May 2003

Purchased for 2K Trooper and I have questions on the recommended placement of the bars. Manufacturer says the front bar should be placed 6 inches from the windshield. This seems to forward on the vehicle so I was going to try and mount it further back. Has anyone else gone through this already? And if so could you post what measurements you used for the entire installation to include the distance of towers from windshield, distance between bars, distance between the forward towers and distance between the rear towers. Any insight appreciated.

quickstep · May 2003

Hey greenmax, If you didn't already read this from another forum,

LEXBALLER22 posted: egr valve. I took my trooper to the dealer. They charge me $117 to tighten the egr valve and tighten some exhaust problem. And it sounded like a dream.

I'll look into that!

sbcooke · May 2003

I put my Thule rack about 4 inches back from the rear edge of the front door. I measure from the door to the closest edge of the Thule foot pack (towers). I then put the rear bars 29.5" inches back from there. I measure bar spread for the second step and don't worry about distance between towers.

Thule recommends nor more than 30" on the bar spread? So I keep it right around there.

When I added my fairing I had to move it to 4" from the edge of the front door. I never measured from the windshield back. That didn't seem like the best way to fit it and for looks.

It is much easier to get accurate and even spacing measuring my way than from the windshield. I also think it looks much better further back and is slightly easier to load.

gtroop · May 2003

It's been a while since I have posted here at Edmund's. The last time I did was in regards to a jammed CD changer - I fixed that by removing the changer, taking it apart and removing the disks one at a time. It worked perfectly when replaced.

My post today is to inform you that my 2001 Trooper LS is no longer mine. I traded it yesterday on a 2001 Montero Ltd w/ 26K on the clock. I put 36k of trouble free miles on the Trooper in a little over 2 years time. I will miss the Trooper but look forward to a rewarding future with the Montero. If Isuzu offered the third row seat here in the US I would still have the Trooper.

By the way, I got $16,500 out of the Trooper (Leather and sunroof) with a cracked windshield (happened last Friday) and a few solid door dings and scratches.

paisan · May 2003

Wonder why you didn't just put in a 3rd row for around $700?

-mike

grayarea · May 2003

just sharing info:

had a similar noise come up last night on my 97Trooper-S. no performance problems just the noise. happened by my mechanic today. he noticed the EGR pipe had come loose. "was your Check Engine light on?" (nope.) he reattached the coupling and had me on my way in 5 minutes. no charge.

the tube was not separated from the valve; just the coupling had come loose.

(isn't that the 2nd law of thermodynamics: "stuff comes loose"?)

gtroop · May 2003

I didn't do the aftermarket third row because it would be in the way if we needed the cargo space. Plus storage and removal - I know only four bolts but the wife is 5'4" and 60 lbs is a bit more than she can lift and she doesn't turn wrenches too much.

Little Passenger Seats makes one that folds flat against the second row but they don't have head restraints. I got tired of waiting for them to offer the restraints and the last time I called was told that they weren't planning on offering them on that seat.

savvas_e · May 2003

I don't know how you will use the Montero, but if you have any intention to go driving on sand, beware of the rear bumper breaking up.

In Australia, the Montero is sold as a Pajero. It is fairly common to see bits of their bumpers around 4WD beaches and sand dunes.

Have a read -

http://www.exploroz.com.au/Forum/View.asp?ForumQID=4198&Page=- %2FForum%2FDefault%2Easp%3FDisplaySet%3DBoth%26Search%3D1%26Keywo- rds%3Dpajero%2B%26PN%3D2

Otherwise, they're a good vehicle. Enjoy!

celcis · May 2003

Okay, Paisan, you were correct the dealer is telling me it will take approximately 2 week on the new tranny. So far Isuzu is honoring the 10/120 warranty.
Question, the last service the Trooper about 6 months ago at another Isuzu dealer, where a tranny flush was performed. I recall a month ago looking under the Trooper while it was on a lift and noticed the transmission bolt wet with ATF. I know that the last mechanic that worked on the Trooper was an Isuzu tech. Now I am paying out of pocket for a rental. Is there anyway I can prove this and have the dealer that did the tranny service cover my rental cost? I want everyone $.02.

savvas_e · May 2003

Celcis,

The transmission service guidelines (at least in Australia) specify that the gaskets on the transmission's overflow screw and drain screw be replaced every time the screws are removed.

Could be that didn't happen at your last service, hence the leak. It's mentioned in the link below -

http://www.geocities.com/jackaroo4wdclub/techtalk.html

townha11 · May 2003

I am returning to the U.S. from overseas soon and am looking for a good new vehicle. I've stumbled onto what most of you know already: there are still some new - but discontinued - 2002 Troopers for sale. Are these quality vehicles? I would never be able to afford a $30,000+ vehicle normally, but I can probably afford the same one at $7-10,000 off the sticker price. I just want to be careful that I don't "talk myself into it" because I can tell that my new car resistance is really low right now. Ha. Ha. Like most people I don't even need an SUV, but this might be my one and only chance to get something of this calibre. If you folks think the 2002 Trooper is a quality vehicle I'd really appreciate some objective advice on which model (S, LS, LTD, 2WD, 4WD) is perceived as the best value for the money. My number one concern is reliability. (But having just looked at the Jeep pages I can see that reliability is way down on the scale of things that are important to some of those guys - they just love those Jeeps, no matter how many defects crop up. I can't go in that direction.) Thanks a million for any suggestions. I love reading the postings from the experts on this forum.

paisan · May 2003

Is my #1 reason I like Isuzus. Some of the other features on them are interesting, but I bought my '00 Trooper because of the reliability that these vehicles have. I beat the snot out of my '97 Rodeo (drove through rivers, jumped it off burms, etc. etc.) and all I did in 120K miles was oil changes. Nothing else at all!

So far in 50K+ miles on my '00 Trooper I've only had minor problems with it, none related to what I would consider "reliability" factors. If you can find one, jump on it, if not, find a slightly used one for an even bigger discount, and you'll have a vehicle that is slightly broken in.

-mike

raydahs · May 2003

Yesterday I got caught in this http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20030515-9999_1n15crane.- html mess. It took me 2.5 hrs. to go 1/4 mile off the freeway, during this time the truck was mostly in DRIVE, after getting off the freeway and seeing another hour of traffic ahead, I simply turned around and went home. This morning I get in to go to work, and the tranny is shifting abnormally hard, especially from 2nd to 1st. It was so bad, I took the Train to work today. So to my question, is this tranny controlled by manifold vacuum or electronically (or both) for the shifting, did I screw up by leaving it in drive the whole time. This tranny has 75K on it and has been flushed 2 times 30k and 60k. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

breakor · May 2003

Sawas_e is right on about those tranny drain plug gaskets. They have a center rubber section that is easily destroyed leading to leaks. Check your bill for the flush to see if they charged you for the gaskets. If there are no such charges that might be the proof you need to go after the first shop.

You might want to keep some of this under your hat until AFTER Isuzu puts in the new AT. You don't want to give Isuzu any reason not to cover the replacement (e.g. it is the first dealer's fault go get your money from them AND/OR if you noticed a wet drain plug a month ago it is your fault the AT failed as you should have checked the level back then).

Just my $.02.

breakor · May 2003

Even if you had a faulty cooling system (e.g. low coolant level), being stuck in traffic probably only raised the ATF temperature a few degrees. At most that would only shorten the fluid life a few hundred miles, not kill the AT. You didn't get an AT Temperature or Check light did you? Lacking that I'm guessing (AT novice that I am) that maybe the computer just reset itself to your new stuck in traffic driving style. Try unplugging the battery for a couple of hours to reset the computer and see if that clears up the problem. If not, then try an Autozone to see if they can pull any stored codes. Given the AT problem noted above, it might also be a good idea to check the fluid level. This process would also give you some feedback about the fluid condition. HTH

stever · May 2003

Car_man "Any Questions for a Car Dealer?" May 15, 2003 1:24pm

Steve, Host

savvas_e · May 2003

The trannie is electronically controlled. Mine has had that symptom a couple of times now, and Paisan has experienced it too. Get it decoded and you are likely to find it is a P0705 Transmission Range Finer trouble code.

With mine, you could always clear the problem by turning the engine off for 30 seconds and starting it again. In March, it was doing this at least twice a week.

In Paisan's experience, it was tracked to a blown brake light fuse.

With mine, nothing specific was found. Because we were shutting down immediately when it occured, no DTC's were registered either. It was thought the transmission was reacting to a poorly performing engine because of clogged injectors. The injectors were cleaned at a service at the beginning of April and there has been no problem since.

However, I also had a blown brake light bulb, which I didn't know about, replaced at the same service!!! It's only a slim link with Paisan's experience, but it was there.

celcis · May 2003

Thanks Breakor & Sawas_e for your insight. Now is the wait. By the way I am loyal Trooper owner. This is my third; 1st was a '93 S 4x4 and 2nd a '97 S 4x4. I LOVE my Trooper! I would be of benifit that all on this message board take the time and check their transmission plug for possible leaks. I keep you all posted.

boxtrooper · May 2003

I have been a Trooper driver since 1984. I bought a new 1984 Trooper II and put 201K on it (sold it because of rust and my desire for A/C since I had moved South out of the rust belt) then I bought a new 1995 Trooper and so far have only 142K on it. I expect my next Trooper to be a 2006 to 2009 model depending on how I am feeling about letting my 1995 Trooper go, since it is not rusting. By then I will have 200K to 250K on my 1995 Trooper.
..
1984 TrooperII 1.9L 4cyl 80hp $11K
1995 Trooper-S 3.2L 6cyl 175hp $22K
2006 Trooper-DieselHybrid $33K ?
..
My cost of driving has been very low. From 1984 to 2006 I will have spent 33K on buying Troopers and put 400K+ miles on them. I have had only scheduled maintenance and normal wear out parts replacememnts. Compare that to buying a "luxery SUV" for $50K+ and having $33K depreciation in the first couple years. Repeat this "luxery SUV" arrangement six times in the same 22 years and pay $200K + repeairs and breakdowns. I bet the cost of buying my two new Troopers is less than the cost of the "luxery SUV" repairs and breakdowns. So I figure Isuzu Troopers may have saved me $200K!!! compared to the "luxery SUV" route.
..

townha11 · May 2003

Thanks much, Paisan and BoxTrooper. Your comments have reassured me. I'll be looking at the Trooper soon after returning to the U.S. All the best.

raydahs · May 2003

Yesterday I got back to the train station to my Trooper shifting perfectly? This morning it's still o.k. This has got to be an intermittent electrical problem. I forgot to mention yesterday that the illuminated gear indicator on the dash hesitated (got hung up) between N & D prior to the situation. The same thing occurred again this morning but without the same symptoms. One thing has changed lately, I moved last weekend and my truck now sits outside, parked on a hill pointing downward. It has been extremely moist in the morning (dew point) on the coast this week, maybe it's related to that. I'm going to pull and clean all of the tranny connectors this weekend to see if helps.

paisan · May 2003

Also check out http://isuzu-suvs.com to see what these trucks are capable of in the extreme situations which means that for the average Joe, they'll last forever

-mike

izooper · May 2003

My main reason to buy my 98 Trooper is reliablity. It is trouble free for the last 4 1/2 years. It is one of the top 3 ranked suvs in the J.D. Power and Associates 2002 vehicle dependability study for 1998 models.
Midsize SUV: Toyota 4Runner, Nissan Pathfinder,
Isuzu Trooper.

savvas_e · May 2003

I know this may sound unrelated to your transmission shifting, but do check all your fuses and bulbs to make sure nothing is blown.

The electronics on modern cars are getting so complex that anything can be causing the problem.

BTW, my gear indicator on the dash did the same thing. It would hesitate, indicate the wrong selection, sometimes not light up at all.

One other symptom I tested for was what happened when 1st gear was manually selected and held. Accelerating from stop, the trannie continued to shift up to at least 3rd gear. I didn't continue with the test after that.

Let us know how you go with it.

raydahs · May 2003

This whole bulb/fuse thing is sounding more of a possibility than I had realized. In my last residence, the truck was garaged, one day a Cat got locked in there, in it's panic to get out, it climbed all over my stuff and knocked a bicycle work stand into the (L) taillight and knocked out a 1.00" dia. hole in the lens. I put clear packing tape over it to keep out water when I washed it. Now that it's parked outside in the dew, maybe moister got in there and shorted something out. It's possible, the whole traffic situation is purely coincidental. Thanks for the brain storming session. Time to go, let you know what happened on Monday.

sbcooke · May 2003

on my way home from work. A woman in a honda accord didn't stop. Fortunately it was at slow speed and she wasn't going to fast. There was only some paint on my tow hook. Her hood was bent back up over her radiator. The new tires just paid for themselves giving me an extra 3/4" of height. The officer said "I am truly impressed" with regards to the lack of damage to the trooper.

jimmyp1 · May 2003

but it sounds like you came out ok. Are you going to have somebody look at it just for completeness? I towed our boat recently and still had the ball and hitch in today, but decided to leave it in because I'll be towing again this weekend, plus I thought "it would help in an accident".

Jim

cmuniz · May 2003

Raydahs - A very good mechanic friend of mine has told me that on today's vehicles most transmission problems are electrical, not mechanical. The computers look for very small changes in electrical resistance and almost anything can affect that. You are probably on the right track with the rear tail light thing, fuses and connectors.

sbcooke · May 2003

I am going to put it up on jacks this weekend and check it out. The only thing I can imagine would be that the frame got bent? I would imagine the hook would probably bend before the frame?

I don't think anything got bent...but I am not sure how to tell? Maybe an alignment shop? Anything like that would require an insurance claim...which means rates go up.

I guess visual inspection and road test will be enough?

serrano · May 2003

I would not recommend leaving in the receiver because it would "help in an accident." Not only would the ball damage the other vehicle more severely, it would transfer impact loads to places in the Trooper that weren't designed to handle such loads.

Sbcooke, if the accident was not your fault, your rates aren't going to go up unless you are someone who consistently files claims. At least according to my wife, a State Farm agent.

Tom

jimmyp1 · May 2003

I totally agree. My comment was more of a laughable side-thought I had.

Jim

serrano · May 2003

Sorry. I did not appreciate the sarcasm because there are some who really think that way.

Tom

sbcooke · May 2003

It seems like if I blink at my agent my rates go up. I am not sure how PA works. Some states have crazy rules. For example...if this woman files a claim and State Farm gets wind of it, I could get put into a higher risk pool?

Fortunately I really didn't get more than a couple of scrapes on the underside of the bumper and some paint on my tow hook. The amount of damage I have gotten off-roading is much worse. It is sad to say that I already have a beater...with only 35K on it.

ricksrl · May 2003

Just saw the question about the placement of the rack on a Trooper. I think the placement is so far forward so that you have more flexibility with the placement of the rear bar. I've used mine as a bike rack and the rear bar has to further back because of the length of bike rail.
I'm currently going to a third crossbar using the brackets available at Overlander that bolt to roof as I need a permanent rack to haul everything from canoes to lumber. Like the Yakima system as I can use the tower on other vehicals.

paisan · May 2003

I have to disagree with serano. I keep my rear bumper protector in all the time. It actually helped this past weekend on the trail, when I mistakenly backed into a boulder had it not been for the rear bumper protector, i would have had at least $1000 damage if not more. I guess you are dead against ARB bars, Nudge Bars, and any other items that aren't "stock" that one might add to their truck?

-mike

paisan · May 2003

Had a great weekend. Nice small offroad group 3-5 trucks in each run. We really got to explore and take our time on things. Trooper did great as usual, put some scrapes on the left side fender flare when the truck had to slide against a tree stump during a climb.

I did Dutch John, which is rated as Difficult, so I'm pretty happy with that. We had a ton of rednecks watching us with our NY and NJ plates saying "I gotta see this, this should be funny" but each time we impressed

-mike

serrano · May 2003

Mike - Backing into a boulder at 1 mph is a lot different than getting rear ended at 20 mph.

I'm not against any aftermarket products. Do what you want. What I'm against is people leaving their ball hitch in the receiver because (a) they think it will protect them, and (b) because they feel anyone who rear ends them deserves extra damage to their car.

My whole point is that a trailer hitch is not designed to absorb impact damage like a bumper, and one could end up with a costly repair by routing impact forces through the trailer hitch. One good hit, and you'll drive that receiver clear through the gas tank. If that possibility doesn't concern you, then knock yourself out. Actually, the "bumper protector" thing doesn't really bother me because that's like another bumper. It is unlikely that your protector will go through a radiator like a ball hitch will.

Tom

paisan · May 2003

As for impact, you do know that your frame takes all the damage right? The "bumper" that we have in the rear is nothing more than sheet metal with the frame rails behind it. They aren't like the 5mph bumpers found on cars. The hitch mount will also get hit in a rear end affair. The only difference if you leave your hitch in is that it might hold the other car away from your bumper for a bit. If someone hit the rear bumper protector on my car it would be like having a hitch reciever slicing through their front end good by radiator, lights, grille, etc.

But at least my car is protected.

FYI the front and rear of the frames on the trooper (and almost all frame based vehicles) is perforated at various spots so that if you do whack the frame hard enough, it will collapse.

-mike

paisan · May 2003

Could you explain how the hitch would get shot into the gas tank? That is a funny statement IMHO.

-mike

sbcooke · May 2003

A hitch might help though. The woman who hit me barely grazed my bumper. If there were no tow hook, she probably would have hit my gas tank. So a hitch (sans ball) could help in rear under certain conditions.

So much for the IIHS tests. My wife backed into a 3 foot cement wall (hit the bumper) and I was rear-ended...both of which caused minimal if any damage to my Trooper.

Isuzu Trooper

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