just wanted to give an update in case anyone else has this problem. I ended up taking the fan motor apart and cleaning it real well with compressed air. So far it is working great without any noticeable intermittent problems.
Got the paint in about 5 days from date of order. Trooper and SLX both have light silver metallic trim and color match was close to perfect. Also got a Lexus beige metallic and it was dead on too. Haven't tried the SLX red yet. I'm not impressed with the paint pen. The nib is still too thick for fine scratches. I had a 3/0 sable brush, about the size of a large sewing needle, and I used the brush much more successfully than than the nib on the pen. If you order paint in the bottle you get twice as much for the same price, although the 1/2 once in the pen will hopefully be plenty. If it's not I'm going to have some seriously dinged up vehicles. I'm going to store the pens in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator. I bought the primer but I didn't use it and in my situation it wasn't neccessary as 1 coat covered pretty good and after the 2nd the small nicks disappeared and a couple of larger scratches were toned way down. I'm satisfied with the colormatch but would pass on the pens in favor of the 1 oz bottle.
It seems that most if not all 3.2L and 3.5L trooper's burn oil...you should check before you take it off the lot and then for the first few tanks...most new owners don't realize it, then find out 2 months later that they are bone dry. 1 Qt/1500 miles is "normal".
I think 70K is timing belt and water pump time too, you may want to check to see if you can get that worked into the deal.
Like most of the list, it seems, I'm facing the replacement shocks question. I lean towards OME but is it true that they lift the truck about 1.25"? I don't need the lift and would rather stay at stock height. I know 1.25" isn't much. Has anyone gone to EMU directly from either KYB Monomax or Monroe Reflex? Comparisons welcome and, yes, I've searched the archives already.
BTW, stats so far:
Highway mpg: ave. 19.6 MPG Local short trips: ave. 17.4 MPG
Oil usage: a bit less than a 1/2 quart in 1800 miles using Mobil 1 10W-30
. . . "most if not all 3.2L and 3.5L trooper's burn oil."
I agree that we all should closely monitor oil consumption and keep our fingers crossed that our Troopers don't suddenly develop a thirst for the stuff. However, your statement isn't entirely accurate.
At 38K my 3.5L '01 LS has never burned the first drop of oil, even though I'm into the throttle most of the time. And I recall posts to this board from other Trooper owners with similar "zero oil usage."
Granted, oil consumption is common in Troopers, but it certainly isn't univeral.
I thought that if I went with OME I might start with 4 shocks and stock springs. That should keep stock ride height and the Trooper doesn't do a lot of heavy trailering (most of the year) and is mostly not driven off-road (although often on dirt roads). Does anyone know how the spring rate compares between the OME and stock? Are they both single rate or is one or both progressive rate?
I gather that some on the list have gone with the heavy duty OME shocks and some have gone with the softer (standard?) versions. I'd love to hear from people who've done either and which way they'd go if they were to do it again. My expected Trooper driving:
90% no trailer, 1-2 adults, 1 or 2 kids, paved and dirt roads
10% trailering 1200 - 2500 lbs. with 1-2 adults, paved backroads, some highway
Off-road...not much in last two years
Does it make sense to try the standard shocks with the OEM springs? SBCooke, isn't this what you had?
I just sold my 1998 Trooper which I've had since new, June 29 1998. It had 119,000 miles on it and many more left I am sure. My life is changed to the point that I only need one car and don't really need 4wd any more. I made the choice to sell the Trooper since my '02 Altima 2.5S has only 23,800 miles on it and a 7-year 100K mile warranty. That means it is offering me 5 years and 76,200 miles of being "covered". Also it is a very nice car that actually fits my 6'3" frame better than the Trooper did and gets 26.8 mpg overall since new on 87 octane gas. Thanks for all the good posts, advice, etc over the years. I have merely been an on and off contributor but always read the posts at least 2 or 3 times a week. Probably still will. Good luck! Bob
So how did you do on sale of Trooper? Was it a quick sale? Did you run an ad? Cant blame you for keeping the Altima. 27 mpg is a dream in a Trooper, lucky to get 1/2 that around town.
I just put the OME shocks on an did not do the springs. Big ride improvement with no height adjustment. I find no issue with the spring rate and shocks. N65 up front and N45 rear. This is what ARB recommended. I have a Bull bar upfront so they recommended the N65. You should email arb and ask them, all of their sales people have been extremely helpful. www.arbusa.com. I don't know if there was an option for light/heavy duty when I got mine.
The improvements were, less nose dive at stops, better recovery around corners, potholes don't hit as hard (I assume because the wheel responds downward faster), better handling all around and best of all, being able to pound over sand dunes for hours with little or no fade.
In my opinion the springs will add additional load capacity, and I have/am considering them because I would like less sag when loaded up, however I don't want to make the truck that much taller. So I went with Shocks alone and they were a great improvement on and offroad.
Oil...My 1999 burns very little, actually really only a tiny bit on long highway trips. Perhaps "most if not all" was slightly overstating it, but even those of us lucky enough to not have an issue still need to check it once and a while.
I was hoping you'd jump in. Are the 912s the lighter springs? If they settle in to about 1/2" above stock, does that mean the front torsion bars do not need to be adjusted? Or did you adjust them and then re-adjust them? I'll also call ARB today.
what are you feeding that Trooper?? To get that kind of MPG is quite surprising. I'd say you have a better than average Troop on your hands. Wanna trade????
I was hoping you'd jump in. Are the 912s the lighter springs? If they settle in to about 1/2" above stock, does that mean the front torsion bars do not need to be adjusted? Or did you adjust them and then re-adjust them? I'll also call ARB today.
Spoke with Buddy King at ARB and he thought the N65 and N15 might do fine with the stock springs. He suggested I try those and then swap springs later if I felt I needed to. Thanks to whomever pointed me his way. Total with shipping (from Rocky Road - thanks Mike) for two N65s and two N15s is about $290.00 but now I need to wait a week before they get them in to ship to me.
My post was incorrect earlier...I got the same as you did, N65/N15 it has been a few years. As a matter of fact from rocky-road also.
I don't think you will need the springs unless you carry a lot of gear. Only the once a year when I load up the roof rack box carrier, bikes and fill the back up to the ceiling with gear, cases, etc. do I ride low enough to warrant the upgrade. I might try airbags in the springs for the trip? I worry mostly about the height, I have already raised it about 1/2" with my 265/70s and not interested in a skyjacker, just capable truck.
Some people have reported that the stocks sag, another reason for the upgrade. I have not experienced that.
With the 929s and my Sway aways and my 275-70-16s I'm probably about 2"-2.5" higher than stock, but I'm so used to it that it doesn't effect me, also I have the welded on side steps which make it a bit lower on the sides as far as stepping in.
Strangely, the TOD CHECK light and blinking rear wheel LEDs disappeared the day after they appeared. I'm thinking maybe it was caused by the Check Engine light showing up the day before (turns out the Check Engine light was due to a loose gas cap). Any thoughts? I'm glad the CHECK light is gone, but it makes me nervous that it showed up - especially since it came on about 6 months ago too. That time, it went off after I drained and refilled the TOD system fluid. Not sure if there's an intermittent problem, or just a couple strange situations that caused the system to trigger the CHECK light unnecessarily.
Yeah, I'm out of warranty too evidently. Went to get work done today at dealer and was told the company that backs the extended warranty the dealer sold me at purchase on my '99 is in receivorship. $500 repair they want me to front and then it's up to me to take my chances trying to get reimbursed from the company handling the proceedings.
I bought this as an item on my bill of sale at purchase directly from the dealership. Any thoughts on Isuzu's responsibilty here? I just found this out today and did not have a copy of the warranty with me at work to find out more info. Dealer sent me a letter with a number to call as well as a website: www.nwig.com
I don't yet know if this is an issue with a few dealerships that sold policies from this company or if it is a corporate wide issue. My policy is a Star Guard Premier policy serviced by Independent Warranty Management Corporation.
You might want to talk to the dealer that sold you the extended warranty. From your description the warranty has nothing to do with ISUZU since it is not an ISUZU factory warranty. Good luck but I would bet you are SOL. If your dealer had sold you an ISUZU branded warranty you would have some recourse, at least as long as ISUZU is in the US.
Makes me wonder about the remaining 52,000 miles or 6 years left on my ISUZU power train warranty. Who might honor that if ISUZU pulls out?
I don't get the sense Isuzu is pulling out. It sounds more like they are regrouping for a tough year or so with virtually no product (except the Ascender), then they're bringing out new truly-Isuzu stuff for '06...
Many dealerships will disappear, I'm sure, but Isuzu, as a corporation, may have already turned the corner to profitability. I can't imagine that they'll just give up the U.S. market when they have great products in other countries. They should never have believed the GM line.
I hope they don't, but for this one for my wife I ended up going with the Envoy XL SLT. Except for having the I6 instead of the V8, they are both loaded, but with the $5000 rebate in mid-May the bottom line Envoy XL loaded vs. the Asender 7 pass. was just about the same. (Found out when we were at the dealership that the wife qualifes for GM Supplier pricing. Compared that to another dealers Internet pricing and was maybe $200 better off with GSM.)
So, with very little pricing difference, I went with the GMC. I was planning on purchasing an extended factory warranty anyway so the Isuzu longer warranty does not mean as much.
Found the sales figures and YTD - May 2004 Isuzu has sold 11,928 vs. 11,680 in 2003 (Rodeo, Axiom & Ascender). So, they are kind of holding their own right now...but 7736 of these were Rodeo's this year. Ascenders have increased to 2591 vs. 1573 last year. BUT they will have to sell quite a few of the 5 passenger models to make up for the loss of the Rodeo later this year (actually there will probably be enough Rodeos in distribution to help most of this year). Next year will probably be the make or break year for them in the US.
I've been really happy with that gas mileage. I'm not sure if its unusual but, given the cost of gas now, I drive about 65-70 mph on the highway and don't drive it very aggressively otherwise. There are no "cities" so to speak, here in SE VT so my local driving consists of things like dirt roads, rural roads into small towns, a little traffic in larger towns, a bit of idling here and there but little heavy traffic. I run 87 octane.
The same driving with my '02 Avalanche (great vehicle) gave about 16 mpg on the highway and 14-15 mpg locally. So, it's a noticeable improvement. My main vehicle, this time of year, is a 2000 BMW K1200LT motorcycle that has about 68,000 miles on it. Even ridden agressively, it gets about 45 mpg which I've especially appreciated this summer.
I understand your going with the Envoy over the Ascender.
From here on down is my opinion only.
Let's face it: the Ascender is not an Isuzu and it's not a progeny of the Trooper. It was a mind boggling mistake for Isuzu to badge YET ANOTHER version of that trouble ridden Chevy/GMC/Buick truck and offer a yet longer warranty on it.
Isuzu needs to do what Suburu has done, only in heavier vehicles. Find a nitch that will sell in the future (high mileage diesels and direct injection gas engines, maybe?) and keep manufacturing high quality SUVs in a number of sizes. They can be full framed, uni-framed, or uni-body - the public has shown they don't really care, and that's good.
I'm willing to bet they could have sold twice as many Troopers as they did Ascenders, even though the platform is aging. It's still far, far better than the Ascender platform, IMHO. A few small changes (a better back door arrangement, a rear seat Entertainment system, and maybe a clever set of third row seats - just two) and they could have ridden this pony until they had good new offerings.
Having 200 dealerships which is what it will amount to after dealers jump off the bandwagon from the ~400 they have now will certainly put the nail in the coffin on me buying a new Isuzu vehicle. I'm a die hard Isuzu fan (heck I own http://Isuzu-suvs.com ) but you gotta call a spade a spade, why would I buy a vehicle that might have a handful of dealers in my entire state! It's a shame but a sade reality that unless they can GAIN dealers they'll never sell anything in quantity and thus will be a hard sell as a new car.
Evidently, it's not too hard to add dealers. Bring a good product to market and dealers will flock to it. Kia had no dealers, and now, just a few years later, it's a player. And it's products were only so-so for the first years.
I believe in a free market it amounts to two things: a good product and reasonable marketing. I don't think you need great marketing if you have a good product, but you can kill a good product with terrible marketing (Apple computer, for instance).
Isuzu, the corporation, is officially profitable this quarter. If they find a niche, I think they can come back. The U.S. market is too profitable to ignore. They have products in other countries that would sell here now. They can do good design when they try (witness the Colorado).
If I remember correctly, Push in, turn and pull out. Not to be too obvious, but this is from the back side of the light inside the engine bay. There is a plastic cap which the bulb sits in that doesn't screw on, but has a notch like thing that comes off once turned to the right position. You may need to move the battery a little to get access to that side. I think you will also need a small screw driver to pry the clasp-like thingy slightly off that holds the plug to the bulb. A square hole on the plug which slides over a little notch on the 9004 bulb. I would have to double check to be completely certain, but it wasn't that difficult.
"They" say to be careful not to touch the new light with your fingers since the oil from your skin could ruin the bulb, something to be careful of.
Sylvania makes some nice extra bright (I think SilverStar) bulbs for $20 each that fit the Trooper, some improvement over stock.
Kia sold their cars for $10K or LESS. If Isuzu started selling $10K trucks, yeah they'd gain dealers too. Let's be realistic, the reason they are profitable is because they haven't produced anything, so all the sales figures reflect a non-production output!!!!
They have no vision, and no products that people want. How on earth can they sell it???? Even the "new" trooper coming out in '06, what will differentiate it from all the other SUVs on the market?
IMHO their only chance is to go full bore on trucks and diesels and DI. They need a Diesel Rodeo to take on the Diesel Liberty at $2-4K LESS than the cost of the Liberty. They need a Full size truck with Diesel to beat down the 1500 series PUs and The Titan and Tundra. A DIESEL Mid-size SUV and Full-size SUV to take on the Yukons/Burbans, etc.
Short of that? What's the compelling reason to buy a truck made in Thailand?
I summed up alot of buzz surrounding Isuzu USA in post #9624. They appear to be positioning themselves to take advantage of their knowledge of clean diesel technology. They have to shed the GM anchor around their neck to go forward. It has been IMHO a terrible burden for Isuzu to be linked with GM. I'd like to see them do what they do best. Diesel. They are arguably the premiere name in diesel engines worldwide. But what is their diesel presence in USA? Nothing for passenger car and trucks. Remember, The Isuzu Trooper was perhaps the first mass-produced foreign SUV to hit the US. That was their niche and they did well. Kevin is right on, they need a new niche, diesel seems like the obvious. Subaru...who I love, has been extremely sucessfull building upon their AWD strengths. They now command the field and others do their best to keep up. Isuzu might have similar success with diesel engine trucks and SUVs. 2006 is a pivotal year for Isuzu USA no doubt about it.
BTW - Has anyone seen the new H4 turbo Subaru Outback? Sweeeeeeet.
hello, i'm having difficulty replacing the rear wiper blade on my 2001 trooper. i tried the "exact fit" trico brand from pep-boys but the spare wheel is in the way & there is not enough clearance for me to get it in. the oem one has a wide opening to make removal easy without having to fold out the wiper. do i have to go to the dealership to get a new blade or can i find another brand? thanks...
They are still behind the 8-ball in that Jeep will have Diesel in both the GC and Liberty before them, VW will have it in the Toreg, Toyota was talking about Duramax Diesels in their trucks and GM already has it...
I don't know what niche they can carve out but it's not going to be easy.
I think the Isuzu nitch can be the fuel economy sized diesels. Diesel cars and trucks that get awesome mpg. That is different from the USA diesel market where every diesel has to be bigger and more powerful than the last one. The USA diesel wars on making max power take priority to making max mpg. The Isuzu nitch can be the "green diesel" which amazes people with mpg. They can have advertisments with Isuzu owners skipping past gas stations that are full of gasoline engine drivers and large diesel engine drivers. The trick must be to get the high mpg and also give the driver a satisfying amount of performnce. .. I think Isuzu can do two things: 1.) bring back genuine Izusu "Lotus cars" and SUVs with DI gas and diesels. 2.) offer other manufacturers the opportunity to use an Isuzu diesel engine in their vehicles, imagine the happy envirnmentalist soccer moms getting 40mpg in their 8 passenger minivans which would proudly bear the marking "Isuzu Diesel Inside". The trick to the second part is to require the "Isuzu Inside" label so the owners can point to it when they bragg about the trouble free high mpg they get. .. Long term Isuzu can be primarily an engine company and use the engine's reputation along with Lotus and OME suspensions' reputations to sell the Isuzu vehicles. SUV and car sales never need to be on par with Toyota or Honda for Isuzu to be a great success. .. I would rather my vehicle stood out in a parking lot than to become the generic. I think part of what has made the Trooper awesome is the low volume which has avoided attracting a swarm of "penny pinching engineers" who calculate out that the vehicle that lasts longer than the warrantee is a waste of manufacturing dollars. I think periodic major downturns in quality of American cars over the years has been in large part due to penny pinchers calculating "cost effective warrantee return rates using cheaped out materials" winning out over common sense and proper engineering. It is a cycle where the pinchers dominate untill a design is destroyed then a new design comes out, builds momentum and then gets in the sights of the pinchers etc... So when a new model comes out get not the first model year and not after the 4th model year when the model in in serious decline, somewhere between will be the sweet spot for quality.
Take the spare off. I think you can get the wiper off with the tire on, but cannot put one on with it in the way. I had to pull the spare when I changed my rear wiper blade.
Well since the '00 Trooper LS has about 67,000 miles and the posts about how hard the plugs might be to get out after 100,000 miles encouraged me to replace the plugs. I got 5 of them done Sunday evening having the usual problems getting the rubber boots to release the plug and using multiple extensions to get to the driver side rear. The front passenger side boot would not release. Decided to punt on that one until later...hum, wonder if I put a couple drops of 3-in-one oil down the center of the boot that might help the release. No help. Monday at work came up with a brainstorm. I had my little almost useless air compressor ($12 or so at Walmart, claims 160psi, BUT takes at least 10 minutes to bring a tire from 25 to 35 psi) out to air up a tire about 10 days ago. Remembered it has a little cone shaped adapter (probably to use on air matress) that might just fit down the center hole of the boot.
Got home Monday and pulled the coil off that boot. Hooked up the compressor with the adapter in the air hose. Placed the adapter down in the center hole of the boot until sealed. Hit the switch on the compressor and in about 2 seconds there was a satisfying 'POP' as the air pressure released the boot and raised it up about 1/2".
Makes me wonder if the mechanics use a trick like this to speed up the process and avoid damaging this $100+ part?
So, even if you have to go down and buy a cheap compressor, do it and never fear changing plugs again. (I did get some anti-seize for the plug threads and dielectric grease for the boot to plug connection)
Funny thing is that I NEVER changed the wipers on my Mitsu truck in its 12 years of life and weather abuse. They still work very well and will probably outlive the metal that's holding them which began to rust a little. I plan to do the same for the Trooper :-) especially for the one in the back that doesn't see much use to begin with.
I haven't had much luck with wiper replacements. I changed them on two of my Corollas and the new ones had always been a nightmare, much worse than the factory ones.
What an awesome idea! Thanks for the tip - I have one of those “useless” and noisy (wake up your neighbors in the morning kind) compressors too. My 2002 has only 15K miles on it but I'll remember the trick when the time comes.
BTW, Is there a time interval on the spark plugs or should I just change them once I hit 30K in, say, 2 or 3 more years.
The Champions in my '00 Trooper were still pretty good after 67,000+. There is some tip erosion so the gap was a little larger than the new ones. I was still getting 17.5 - 18.5 mpg on mixed driving or even on interstate going 70-74. You might want to pull them and check them at 30K or so. Get some anti-seize to lube them and avoid major problems (small percentage probably stick, but if it happens to yours it would be a major pain). If you have them out, might not be a bad ideal to go ahead and replace. I used the Champions (RC10PYP4) listed in my manual and that is what I pulled out. Less than $30 for 6 at AZ or NAPA around here. More expensive if you go with the Denso. A little foil pack of the anti-seize is may another buck. So, even if you had to buy a little compressor, probably $40 maximum.
There is a positive side to the Isuzu debacle ..... and that is that pre-owned Troopers should be very inexpensive should you find any for sale.
I don't know what it is like where the rest of you live, but here in the Winston-Salem, NC area there are very very few Troopers for sale. Most times none, presently in the local newspaper there is only a 1997 LS for sale for $7900.
I found my sons 1998 Luxury Trooper on a used car lot - ask price was $7995, offered $6K, got it for $6250 with 5 minutes of haggling over the telephone. Thought I might could have done better, but extremely satisfied with the price.
Advice now I think is if you purchase an Isuzu, its best to keep it for a long time - it will last a long time, maybe longer than even you want it to last :-)
there was a time when the trooper was known to have a problem with handling corners...that it tipped/rolled over easy. Is that still the case ? When was it improved, if it had the corrective fixes ? What year is safe to buy, what are the years with problems.? thanks
Although after 96 they dropped the body mounts 1/2" and widened the track through the use of a wider offset on the rims.
I have a '00 Trooper lifted by 2" and 1" on the wheels, I've been known to drive it pretty crazy and never came close to rolling it. Of course if you drive it like a vette, then yes it will flip.
Consumer reports lost a court case and admitted to faking the roll over stunt as if it were a test like the other SUVs went through. The Trooper is at least as good, and I believe a lot better than many other softer ride SUVs in cornering stability. I figure once CR decided to cheat, they picked Isuzu for the simple fact that Isuzu USA was small enough that CR could outspend them in court. Same thing CR did to Suzuki Samauri and Mitsbishi Montero. CR must have been in a sales slump and needed some free publicity on the news and they don't mind crushing foreign SUV maker's sales in the process. .. If you must read consumer reports, just read it at the book store and leave it on the shelf, do not buy it. And remember anything you read in CR is there first for CR's own agenda, telling the truth is way less important to CR than the sales of its magazines.
Comments
I think 70K is timing belt and water pump time too, you may want to check to see if you can get that worked into the deal.
BTW, stats so far:
Highway mpg: ave. 19.6 MPG
Local short trips: ave. 17.4 MPG
Oil usage: a bit less than a 1/2 quart in 1800 miles using Mobil 1 10W-30
Thanks,
Sean
'99 Trooper
I agree that we all should closely monitor oil consumption and keep our fingers crossed that our Troopers don't suddenly develop a thirst for the stuff. However, your statement isn't entirely accurate.
At 38K my 3.5L '01 LS has never burned the first drop of oil, even though I'm into the throttle most of the time. And I recall posts to this board from other Trooper owners with similar "zero oil usage."
Granted, oil consumption is common in Troopers, but it certainly isn't univeral.
Thanks,
Sean
90% no trailer, 1-2 adults, 1 or 2 kids, paved and dirt roads
10% trailering 1200 - 2500 lbs. with 1-2 adults, paved backroads, some highway
Off-road...not much in last two years
Does it make sense to try the standard shocks with the OEM springs? SBCooke, isn't this what you had?
Thanks,
Sean
mbednorz Feb 13, 2003 10:39am
Steve, Host
Cheers,
Sean
Thanks for all the good posts, advice, etc over the years. I have merely been an on and off contributor but always read the posts at least 2 or 3 times a week. Probably still will.
Good luck!
Bob
Did you run an ad? Cant blame you for keeping the Altima. 27 mpg is a dream in a Trooper, lucky to get 1/2 that around town.
The improvements were, less nose dive at stops, better recovery around corners, potholes don't hit as hard (I assume because the wheel responds downward faster), better handling all around and best of all, being able to pound over sand dunes for hours with little or no fade.
In my opinion the springs will add additional load capacity, and I have/am considering them because I would like less sag when loaded up, however I don't want to make the truck that much taller. So I went with Shocks alone and they were a great improvement on and offroad.
Oil...My 1999 burns very little, actually really only a tiny bit on long highway trips. Perhaps "most if not all" was slightly overstating it, but even those of us lucky enough to not have an issue still need to check it once and a while.
-mike
I was hoping you'd jump in. Are the 912s the lighter springs? If they settle in to about 1/2" above stock, does that mean the front torsion bars do not need to be adjusted? Or did you adjust them and then re-adjust them? I'll also call ARB today.
Thanks,
Sean
I was hoping you'd jump in. Are the 912s the lighter springs? If they settle in to about 1/2" above stock, does that mean the front torsion bars do not need to be adjusted? Or did you adjust them and then re-adjust them? I'll also call ARB today.
Thanks,
Sean
Thanks as always for the advice,
Cheers,
Sean
My post was incorrect earlier...I got the same as you did, N65/N15 it has been a few years. As a matter of fact from rocky-road also.
I don't think you will need the springs unless you carry a lot of gear. Only the once a year when I load up the roof rack box carrier, bikes and fill the back up to the ceiling with gear, cases, etc. do I ride low enough to warrant the upgrade. I might try airbags in the springs for the trip? I worry mostly about the height, I have already raised it about 1/2" with my 265/70s and not interested in a skyjacker, just capable truck.
Some people have reported that the stocks sag, another reason for the upgrade. I have not experienced that.
-mike
I can't afford a plow,
If something major goes wrong,
I'll be singing this song,
I'm out of warranty now!
Passed 120K today....Everyone keep their fingers crossed! 2000 "S" will be 4 years old the end of this month. Cheers to all.
I bought this as an item on my bill of sale at purchase directly from the dealership. Any thoughts on Isuzu's responsibilty here? I just found this out today and did not have a copy of the warranty with me at work to find out more info. Dealer sent me a letter with a number to call as well as a website: www.nwig.com
I don't yet know if this is an issue with a few dealerships that sold policies from this company or if it is a corporate wide issue. My policy is a Star Guard Premier policy serviced by Independent Warranty Management Corporation.
Makes me wonder about the remaining 52,000 miles or 6 years left on my ISUZU power train warranty. Who might honor that if ISUZU pulls out?
Bill
Many dealerships will disappear, I'm sure, but Isuzu, as a corporation, may have already turned the corner to profitability. I can't imagine that they'll just give up the U.S. market when they have great products in other countries. They should never have believed the GM line.
http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- _code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=02219251
So, with very little pricing difference, I went with the GMC. I was planning on purchasing an extended factory warranty anyway so the Isuzu longer warranty does not mean as much.
Found the sales figures and YTD - May 2004 Isuzu has sold 11,928 vs. 11,680 in 2003 (Rodeo, Axiom & Ascender). So, they are kind of holding their own right now...but 7736 of these were Rodeo's this year. Ascenders have increased to 2591 vs. 1573 last year. BUT they will have to sell quite a few of the 5 passenger models to make up for the loss of the Rodeo later this year (actually there will probably be enough Rodeos in distribution to help most of this year). Next year will probably be the make or break year for them in the US.
Bill
I've been really happy with that gas mileage. I'm not sure if its unusual but, given the cost of gas now, I drive about 65-70 mph on the highway and don't drive it very aggressively otherwise. There are no "cities" so to speak, here in SE VT so my local driving consists of things like dirt roads, rural roads into small towns, a little traffic in larger towns, a bit of idling here and there but little heavy traffic. I run 87 octane.
The same driving with my '02 Avalanche (great vehicle) gave about 16 mpg on the highway and 14-15 mpg locally. So, it's a noticeable improvement. My main vehicle, this time of year, is a 2000 BMW K1200LT motorcycle that has about 68,000 miles on it. Even ridden agressively, it gets about 45 mpg which I've especially appreciated this summer.
Cheers,
Sean
From here on down is my opinion only.
Let's face it: the Ascender is not an Isuzu and it's not a progeny of the Trooper. It was a mind boggling mistake for Isuzu to badge YET ANOTHER version of that trouble ridden Chevy/GMC/Buick truck and offer a yet longer warranty on it.
Isuzu needs to do what Suburu has done, only in heavier vehicles. Find a nitch that will sell in the future (high mileage diesels and direct injection gas engines, maybe?) and keep manufacturing high quality SUVs in a number of sizes. They can be full framed, uni-framed, or uni-body - the public has shown they don't really care, and that's good.
I'm willing to bet they could have sold twice as many Troopers as they did Ascenders, even though the platform is aging. It's still far, far better than the Ascender platform, IMHO. A few small changes (a better back door arrangement, a rear seat Entertainment system, and maybe a clever set of third row seats - just two) and they could have ridden this pony until they had good new offerings.
-mike
I believe in a free market it amounts to two things: a good product and reasonable marketing. I don't think you need great marketing if you have a good product, but you can kill a good product with terrible marketing (Apple computer, for instance).
Isuzu, the corporation, is officially profitable this quarter. If they find a niche, I think they can come back. The U.S. market is too profitable to ignore. They have products in other countries that would sell here now. They can do good design when they try (witness the Colorado).
"They" say to be careful not to touch the new light with your fingers since the oil from your skin could ruin the bulb, something to be careful of.
Sylvania makes some nice extra bright (I think SilverStar) bulbs for $20 each that fit the Trooper, some improvement over stock.
They have no vision, and no products that people want. How on earth can they sell it???? Even the "new" trooper coming out in '06, what will differentiate it from all the other SUVs on the market?
IMHO their only chance is to go full bore on trucks and diesels and DI. They need a Diesel Rodeo to take on the Diesel Liberty at $2-4K LESS than the cost of the Liberty. They need a Full size truck with Diesel to beat down the 1500 series PUs and The Titan and Tundra. A DIESEL Mid-size SUV and Full-size SUV to take on the Yukons/Burbans, etc.
Short of that? What's the compelling reason to buy a truck made in Thailand?
-mike
They appear to be positioning themselves to take advantage of their knowledge of clean diesel technology. They have to shed the GM anchor around their neck to go forward. It has been IMHO a terrible burden for Isuzu to be linked with GM.
I'd like to see them do what they do best. Diesel. They are arguably the premiere name in diesel engines worldwide. But what is their diesel presence in USA? Nothing for passenger car and trucks.
Remember, The Isuzu Trooper was perhaps the first mass-produced foreign SUV to hit the US. That was their niche and they did well.
Kevin is right on, they need a new niche, diesel seems like the obvious.
Subaru...who I love, has been extremely sucessfull building upon their AWD strengths. They now command the field and others do their best to keep up.
Isuzu might have similar success with diesel engine trucks and SUVs.
2006 is a pivotal year for Isuzu USA no doubt about it.
BTW - Has anyone seen the new H4 turbo Subaru Outback? Sweeeeeeet.
i'm having difficulty replacing the rear wiper blade on my 2001 trooper. i tried the "exact fit" trico brand from pep-boys but the spare wheel is in the way & there is not enough clearance for me to get it in. the oem one has a wide opening to make removal easy without having to fold out the wiper. do i have to go to the dealership to get a new blade or can i find another brand? thanks...
Regards,
Tom
I don't know what niche they can carve out but it's not going to be easy.
-mike
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I think Isuzu can do two things: 1.) bring back genuine Izusu "Lotus cars" and SUVs with DI gas and diesels. 2.) offer other manufacturers the opportunity to use an Isuzu diesel engine in their vehicles, imagine the happy envirnmentalist soccer moms getting 40mpg in their 8 passenger minivans which would proudly bear the marking "Isuzu Diesel Inside". The trick to the second part is to require the "Isuzu Inside" label so the owners can point to it when they bragg about the trouble free high mpg they get.
..
Long term Isuzu can be primarily an engine company and use the engine's reputation along with Lotus and OME suspensions' reputations to sell the Isuzu vehicles. SUV and car sales never need to be on par with Toyota or Honda for Isuzu to be a great success.
..
I would rather my vehicle stood out in a parking lot than to become the generic. I think part of what has made the Trooper awesome is the low volume which has avoided attracting a swarm of "penny pinching engineers" who calculate out that the vehicle that lasts longer than the warrantee is a waste of manufacturing dollars. I think periodic major downturns in quality of American cars over the years has been in large part due to penny pinchers calculating "cost effective warrantee return rates using cheaped out materials" winning out over common sense and proper engineering. It is a cycle where the pinchers dominate untill a design is destroyed then a new design comes out, builds momentum and then gets in the sights of the pinchers etc... So when a new model comes out get not the first model year and not after the 4th model year when the model in in serious decline, somewhere between will be the sweet spot for quality.
-mike
Got home Monday and pulled the coil off that boot. Hooked up the compressor with the adapter in the air hose. Placed the adapter down in the center hole of the boot until sealed. Hit the switch on the compressor and in about 2 seconds there was a satisfying 'POP' as the air pressure released the boot and raised it up about 1/2".
Makes me wonder if the mechanics use a trick like this to speed up the process and avoid damaging this $100+ part?
So, even if you have to go down and buy a cheap compressor, do it and never fear changing plugs again. (I did get some anti-seize for the plug threads and dielectric grease for the boot to plug connection)
Bill
I haven't had much luck with wiper replacements. I changed them on two of my Corollas and the new ones had always been a nightmare, much worse than the factory ones.
BTW, Is there a time interval on the spark plugs or should I just change them once I hit 30K in, say, 2 or 3 more years.
bill
I don't know what it is like where the rest of you live, but here in the Winston-Salem, NC area there are very very few Troopers for sale. Most times none, presently in the local newspaper there is only a 1997 LS for sale for $7900.
I found my sons 1998 Luxury Trooper on a used car lot - ask price was $7995, offered $6K, got it for $6250 with 5 minutes of haggling over the telephone. Thought I might could have done better, but extremely satisfied with the price.
Advice now I think is if you purchase an Isuzu, its best to keep it for a long time - it will last a long time, maybe longer than even you want it to last :-)
Carl
www.isuzu.8k.com
there was a time when the trooper was known to have a problem with handling corners...that it tipped/rolled over easy. Is that still the case ?
When was it improved, if it had the corrective fixes ? What year is safe to buy, what are the years with problems.? thanks
I have a '00 Trooper lifted by 2" and 1" on the wheels, I've been known to drive it pretty crazy and never came close to rolling it. Of course if you drive it like a vette, then yes it will flip.
-mike
As will almost any truck-based SUV, right Mike?
As will almost any truck-based SUV, right Mike?
Absolutely!
-mike
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If you must read consumer reports, just read it at the book store and leave it on the shelf, do not buy it. And remember anything you read in CR is there first for CR's own agenda, telling the truth is way less important to CR than the sales of its magazines.