Isuzu Rodeo

upmark · February 2005

I did, found the problem, leak in the manifold gasket....$525.00 repair. So I guess I'm buying a new one. I'll miss my 92 Rodeo

It's been a great truck. So long ole girl!

r0de099 · February 2005

i have a prolem with my front axle the mechanic saw that the cv boots are ripped both of them.Can you change just the boots or you have to change the whole axle?

Boris2 · February 2005

You should be able to replace just the boots. I haven't done it on the Rodeo, but I've done it on another car.

There might be two different cv boots available: one that you can put on and glue together, and the one that you can pull on by disconnecting the axle from the wheel. Once again, I don't know what's available for Rodeo and the only experience I have as far as changing the cv boots was on '88 Chevy Nova.

At that time (about 7 years ago) I was recommended not to get the "split" type cv boots as they don't live long.

joewildlife · February 2005

I bought a repair CD off of Ebay for about $15 if I remember, for my '01.

It is actually a Honda Passport ESM, Electronic Service Manual, copyright 2004 by American Honda Motor Company.

It is a bunch of pdf files...I haven't looked at it much and still haven't found much of an index. But it is all there.

Joe

joewildlife · February 2005

Hi folks,
I'm just migrating over here...sold a 2002 Honda CR-V and bought a '01 Rodeo cuz I needed better off road clearance and capability, and more towing ability.

First thing...the Isuzu takes a lot of pedal pressure to stop. It doesn't inspire confidence in braking ability. Should I look at aftermarket and/or high performance brake pads? It has 43K miles on it.

Second thing...I just bought a set of factory fog lights. The kit contained two lights and brackets, a relay, two short wiring harnesses one for each side to connect the lights to existing wires behind the bumper...but no instructions at all? Does anyone know of a set of instructions? I'm hoping all I have to do is plug the relay into the under-hood fuse box, install the switch (hopefully the wiring harness is already there!), and install the lights. any ideas?

Does anyone know if the fog lights work independently of the headlights? When I installed the factory fogs on the CRV, I had to do some changes to the wiring to let the fogs work independently from the headlights. Otherwise, they only worked when the low beams were on. I'm hoping to be able to use them independendtly so they can be used as daytime running lights sort of!

Joe

khanh1 · February 2005

Hi, my 2000 2WD Rodeo start to leak some red/brownish fluid to the garage floor. I crawed underneath to check and it seems to leak from the small rectangular oil pan. This oil pan is located between the engine oil pan and the automatic transmission oil pan. Does anybody know what this one is? What kind of fluid, filter or gasket it used? Oh, by the way I am just past 60k mile and plan to have an independent to do the 60k maintenance rather than the dealer. The dealer is too faraway (Houston) and expensive. Do the transmisson oil pan need a gasket and filter when I change the fluid? Any suggestion for the 60 K maintenance? Thanks in advance.

anthony2n · February 2005

The smaller oil pan is part of the transmission oil pan. The reddish brown fluid is transmission fluid. Since you have the leak, you might as well change the filter when they take off the trans. oil pan to replace the gasket. You can buy a transmission filter and gasket set at autozone or other auto parts stores.

r0de099 · February 2005

i took my rodeo to the shop saturday to get my outer boots fix both of them the mecahnic look at it 15 mins. later came back told me that i need to replace the whole axle and it will cost me $575.00 but i told him to just change the boots coz i dont hear any clicking or noise coming from the axle and he said the botts are not gonna last.So it took the car out went to meineke and see what they say they told me the samething change the whole thing but they agree to change just the boots so i let them change the boots but it still cost me $311.00 Is it really that expensive even just to replace the boots?They said the labor take long.

df2000 · February 2005

Yes, there is a lot of involve. It is long, dirty,nasty job.There is an article on 4x4wire dot com if you want to know details. You would be glad you payed somebody to do it.
Just change a boot actually add more work as outer joint is not separatable and they had to open/separate inner cv to get outer boot on.

khanh1 · February 2005

I called the dealer about the oil leak and they said it is cover under the powertrain warranty. I brought it in last Saturday. It turn out to be some piston seal leaking and not the pan itself. It was repaired under the 10yrs/120k powertrain warranty and no charge for me. So I suggest anyone to try to utilize the Isuzu powertrain warranty first before spending one's own money.

eltico · March 2005

I just got a Isuzu 99 4 cyl. 5 speed manual trans-mission. While I'm driving a light goes off and on at the instrument panel it shows "U/S" What's the meaning of it? I don't have a user's manual.

97rodeo · March 2005

I have a 97 rodeo with 205K.
This occurance has happened once before, but seemed to fix itself. It happened again yesterday, dont know what it will do today.
Heres what happens;
Driving down the highway with the cruise control on, approach an incline (hill). Starting up the hill, the cruise works at keeping the same speed. Suddenly however the engine starts over revving, under revving and so on and naturally the tranny is trying to keep up with this. Not a good feeling. I take the cruise off and feather the gas pedal to smooth things out. Once I am back in town driving, from a stop, I accelerate and the same thing happens. The tach jumps up about 500 RPM and then back down again, over and over. My speed slowly increases, but can't stay constant on the pedal to accelerate.
The first time this after happened, I after the fact changed the fuel filter, but it had already stopped doing this "thing".
I haven't got a clue!
I read through the forum until about page 58 and wasn't finding this occurance per se.
My Rodeo has never had any major problems. It keeps on plugging away and I love it.

jbkennedy · March 2005

My wife's CEL comes on intermittently on her 2001 Rodeo with 44K. She says it will come on when she is accelerating I have checked all the the fluid levels and the gas cap. My nearest dealer is over 20 miles away.

Any ideas?

r0de099 · March 2005

I just notice that i have a couple of small leaks
under my car and it looks like anti freeze what do you guys think would that be?Maybe you guys can give an idea.THANX....

makaye · March 2005

With an automatic transmission, a possible culprit is the torque converter or lock-up feature. If you do the same thing in 3rd gear instead of OD, does the hunting occur? When accelerating from a stop, if you manually run through the gears, does this happen? I would place my bets on the torque converter or the lock-up solenoid.
http://www.montecarloss.com/TCC_Solenoid.html

df2000 · March 2005

U/S - UP SHIFT.
ECM think you should change your shifting habits. Disregard it.

iatech · March 2005

I have a problem with my remote, it opens only the driver's side door lock, but will lock all locks. I tried using the key and it will only open the drivers side and not all the locks when I turn the key for the second time. The inside switch on the drivers door locks and opens all the locks. The passenger lock switch will lock all doors, but will not open any of the locks. Any ideas on whats wrong?

Clay

jbkennedy · March 2005

I think that you have to press the unlock button on your remote twice. Pressing it once just unlocks the driver's side only. Pressing the button a second time opens the remaining doors. This is how it is programmed on our 2001 Rodeo.

Good Luck!

Boris2 · March 2005

The lights will only come on when you have your regular lights on. They will go off when you turn on beam lights.

Installation is pretty much fool proof. Put the brackets under the bumper and screw the lamp assembly to them. The pig tails will connect the lamps to the car wiring.

To remove the switch plug on the dash board, you need to remove the two screws that hold the hood release and the one on the bottom right corner. Then, pull the weather strip out and remove the bottom pannel.

I just finished the installation on my Rodeo and the memories are still fresh :-)

mdocod · March 2005

Bought my 1995 isuzu rodeo about 9 months ago (~6/04) with 144,500 miles. Condition looked nice and I had the chance to see the condition the owners traded into the dealer and drive it before it went through cleaning/inspection etc. The vehicle had nice 16" allow wheels and nearly brand-spankin new dunlop radial rover xt tires. This is the V6 model with manual tranny, nicely loaded. very few minor things wrong with this vehicle upon purchase.

The dealer was asking $3900, plus $400 dealer fees, plus tax.

I offered them $2700 out the door and they took it.

Of those minor things wrong, 1 of them was an outer CV boot. I let this slide on word from a friend that I could buy a quickboot repair kit and take care of it myself.

<<<I've read some posts about expensive boot replacements... to help those folks out with outer CV boot problems, get yourself a few bottles of brake cleaner, prop up on jack stands, remove wheel, rip off the old boot, clean all the old grease and dirt out of the CV with the break cleaner, install a "quickboot" repair kit, I found that Pepboys had some that for my rodeo. They are slitted and do not require the removal of the CV shaft to install. you can do this yourself in ~1hour for about $20-30>>>

The week after I bought it, I drove it on a 3,000 mile road trip cross country to visit family, there and back, all things went very smoothly and I could not have been happier.

Did some 4-wheeling with it this last summer, seems to handle itself offroad as well or better than many other stock SUVs. very happy there.

Then, a little over 150k, the infamous valvetrain clicking began. This was very discouraging. Took it to a good mechanic I know, he wasn't suprised at all and I would soon learn that this is common for these enguines. My "good" mechanic said to keep changing the oil and I would be lucky to get another 10k out of it before it needs to be rebuilt.

Well, I'm sure some of you out there have had a look at the rebuild and part costs for these enguines, not to mention how hard it is to get ahold of the parts for them to do any DIY enguine projects. The hydrolic lifter that is the culprit for the noise, is a little piece of metal, a shim about the size of a .45 bullet. From isuzu they cost about $20 each, that's $480 for a full set. pretty nasty. Isuzu has a somewhat poor enguine design with no roller anything in the valve train that is prone to these problems.

I wasn't willing or able to have the enguine replaced or rebuilt so soon, So I've been on a search for oils, oils stabilizers, oil treatments, cleaners, etc etc. Trying different weights of oil, 5W-50, 10W-30, 10W-40, 10W-50, 15W-50, synthetics, high milage formulas, blends, STP, marvel mystery, rislone, MOA, etc etc.

162,000 miles was my last change, (i'll be doing another one tomaro for my ~165,000 change). I started this set of oil off as usual with a 99% multipass efficiancy filter from fram, this time I tried 10W-40 Mobil high mileage synthetic blend. I should point out that each oil change since the tick has began, has been the onset of a noticably louder time in this little enguines life, seems that the detergents in the new oil clean away varnish that helps bolster up warn out parts. hence- newer oil is both helping and hendering the problem. The mobil brand was no better or worse it seemed. To further suggest that the cleaning action was actually hurting the senario- I tried a karoseen flush using a karoseen based flush. (for use at drain time), after using this, the clicking got much louder.

I loose about 1 quart per 1500 miles since I bought the thing, this isn't suprising given the age of the enguine, it's bound to have some consumption. About 700 miles into my last oil change, (about 0.5quart low) I decided to try adding some oil treatment. This time it would be "Enguine-Restore,".. comes in a silver/black/blue can in different sizes for different sized enguines... (though I think the 8 cylinder size would be fine in the isuzu, since the oil capacity is nearly as much as many small-blocks) This stuff is a blueish milky looking substance that looks like it would never belong in your oil. However, the results were astonishing. The clicking was hardly noticable within 5 minuts of driving, and the very next morning, when those "cold-morning-CLICKS" are usually the worst on these enguines was completally silent. Sounded like this enguine was bought yesterday. If you are having this clicking problem, try enguine restore for awhile. I doubt it will make any enguine last forever, but It might just buy these old enguines another 20-40k before they actually need replacing. I should also note, that my oild consumption dropped slightly.

I should point out, that towards the end of this change, the clicking has returned a bit, but is still significantly quieter than it has been for the last 12K or so. tomaro i'm going to use the larger size can combined with a heavier oil with less detergents. I'll try to post some results in another 3k.

Try enguine restore before rebuild/replacing these things.

duncan21 · March 2005

Hello,
I have a 1995 honda passport 2 wd with about 100000 miles. it is in pretty good condition and been having trouble with acceleration on the hwy. I have taken it to about 3 mechanics and have spent over 2500 trying to fix it. The mechanics cannot seem to locate the problem or give me a direct answer to my problem. the just keep telling me to bring it in and they will check it. and i get the vehicle back doing the same thing. what happens is i am on the hwy and when i reach around 50-60 mph i let up on the gas and my RPM"s go below the 2 on the RPM odometer and after that i have poor acceleration it hesitates really bad and i have to push the gas pedal alot to get up to speed. i did some research and i think it might be oxygen sensor but i dont know i just dont want to put anymore money into it. If anyone has experienced what i am going thru or have any suggestions please help me.

bigmax13 · March 2005

This is the second time this has happened. The first time after my husband drove the vehicle for a while keeping his left foot on the brake and the right foot on the gas when he came to a stop the car continued to run and after about 3 mile of this the problem corrected it self. Tonight after the vehicle started up fine, while driving home every time I went to slow down, the start spudder and finally stalled. This time when it stalled at first would not start idle at all, and then after I let it sit for a while it started, and idled for about 4 minutes. Also during this time I could be it in reverse and place it in 3rd with my foot on the gas or in neutral and the vehicle would idle. During 5 o'clock traffic I opted to have the vehicle towed home. The towed truck drive had this exact model and problem and suggested that it was the fuel pump. (Also my 81 year neighbor who came and met me said the same thing.) Any suggestions or has anyone else experienced this?

elgru · March 2005

I just purchased a 97 Passport and the the check engine light stays on. I hooked up my code reader and the code is P1406. Any ideas on this code, it isn't listed in Haynes. Thanks

anthony2n · March 2005

The p1406 code indicates an EGR valve problem. Before replacing the valve remove it and clean it with carb cleaner. These valves get fouled up over time. Most of the time cleaning fixes this problem.

anthony2n · March 2005

Your problem may be an IAC (idle air control) solenoid problem. But, there are many possible causes including intake manifold gasket leak or exhaust restriction. The point here is that your first step needs to be finding a reputable mechanic that knows these vehicles. People say that dealerships are overpriced, but spending 2500 bucks with no end to the problem can't be much better.

pha_roah · March 2005

I have a 2002 V6 Rodeo.
I just had the emissions inspection for the first time since buying the car 3 years ago.
The results seem excellent except for the Carbon Monoxide reading which did pass the test, but is double the average emission for vehicles in this class. Does anyone else have the same obvservation? is this normal for Rodeo's? or could something be wrong with mine?
Thanks in advance

nj2miami · March 2005

2nd gear has begun to grind whenever I am over around 1800rpm from 1st gear and anytime I downshift from a higher gear.

Put in a rebuilt tranny and changed the master cylinder.

Any ideas why this is still happening?

Thanks

tidester · March 2005

or could something be wrong with mine?

If your CO reading differs significantly from other Rodeos then you might have a problem with the catalytic convertor.

tidester, host

anthony2n · March 2005

CO can also be high if the car was not driven long enough before the smog test to allow for the catalytic convertor to reach optimal temperature.

tidester · March 2005

That's true but I assumed (possibly incorrectly) that one drives to the testing location and does not have to wait long for the test to be conducted. Perhaps the original poster will elaborate.

tidester, host

elgru · March 2005

Thanks, the EGR valve was sticking. Hopefully this will clear the code.

anthony2n · March 2005

After cleaning the EGR valve, remove the negative battery cable for 20 to 30 minutes to clear codes.

Boris2 · March 2005

Anybody is aware of any special tools to remove the PCV valve? I can't seem to be strong enough to pull it out. It rotates very easily, but doesn't want to pull out.

Also, I am a little concerned about the price difference between PVC valves in retail stores vs. Dealer. Usually, items like that are priced similary, however, the most expensive PVC valve in Checker is about $10, while dealers charge $20. It doesn't seem to be a complex device, so do you think it's Ok to purchase Fram or other type of brand name after market valve or I'd be better off going with OEM one?

anthony2n · March 2005

No tool needed to remove PCV valve. Wrap a rag around it, and get as many fingers as you can on it and pull straight up. You can get a PCV valve anywhere. Dealer or Aftermarket makes no difference. It's a very simple device. I've always used aftermarket ones with no problems.

nj2miami · March 2005

2nd gear has begun to grind whenever I am over around 1800rpm from 1st gear and anytime I downshift from a higher gear.

Put in a rebuilt tranny and changed the master cylinder.

Any ideas why this is still happening?

Thanks

makaye · March 2005

Sounds like a manual transmission?
If so, assuming the transmission is OK, it would have to be clutch or linkage. If it is a hydraulic clutch, it may be low on fluid. Or it may be clutch linkage is out of adjustment.
Where does the clutch pedal "catch" when you are releasing it? High or low?

nj2miami · March 2005

Sorry, yes, it is a 5 speed manual 4 cyl Rodeo. Clutch is catching high, fluid is topped off.

Just prior to changing the master cylinder and tranny, we did notice that the system was leaking somewhere because after a week or so of driving, the resovoir was empty.

This was happening before and after replacing the tranny with a rebuilt and a new master cylinder.

I read somewhere else that someone was having a similar problem and someone mentioned a possible cause as the sychronizer, but would that still be feasible with the problem being present before and after a tranny swap?

Thank again.

makaye · March 2005

The synchro should only be bad if the rebuild was bad, since it is in the transmission.
Also, look for a leaky transmission - gear oil and not hydraulic fluid from the clutch linkage.
Check the gear oil level in he manual trans see if it is low. If the hydraulic fluid in the clutch slave cylinder is full and the clutch catches "high," try and "double-clutch" between gear changes and see if that helps.

If the fluid still drops in the master, check the slave cylinder on the trans body for leaks.

makaye · March 2005

Also, regarding the slave cylinder, you may "think" the clutch is catching high, BUT, if the slave cylinder is bad, you may not be able to build up enough fluid pressure to fully engage the clutch. Is the clutch pedal real firm or a bit spongy?

I'd really check the clutch out, including making sure the hydraulics are working properly.

wshea69 · March 2005

I have a Rodeo LS 1999 - Leaving working last night and the Check engine light came on with the car shaking & being very loud. I talk to some of my friends who are honda & Rodeo - owners told me - that I might have gotten some bad Gas and that I should refill it w/ a higher grade. I'm concerned with driving it to far w/ the Check Engine light one - any ideas??? or has this happen to anyone and what did they do?? ?

anthony2n · March 2005

Autozone will read the codes for free. If there is water in the gas, add a bottle of HEET.

isuzufanatic · March 2005

I apologize for starting a new message, but I've tried searching and this forum setup seems to be a little awkward.

I have a 95 Isuzu Rodeo that had trouble starting this morning. It would turn over, but not start. A friend came to give me a jump and it worked so I headed off to work. When I got to work I turned it off and decided to try to start it again, but this time it wouldn't even turn over. I've tried jumping it again, leaving it charging for 5-10 minutes, and nothing.

One strange thing is each time I try to start it, and it doesn't turn over, my hazard lights start blinking (specifically the two lower ones on each side, and the upper left parking light if you're looking from the front). The lights will blink for about 4-5 minutes and then stop. Is this some sort of code? Oh, and just in case you're wondering, the hazard light switch is turned off inside.

I thoroughly cleaned the posts and am now just looking for advice.

Thanks in advance.

anthony2n · March 2005

A possibility for your problem is a dying alternator. On the Isuzus, the fuel pump is driven off the alternator circuit. Your truck turns over buy doesn't start possibly because of this. Also, a faulty alternator has been known to cause a bunch of dash lights to go on, which is not your case, but not to far off from your experience either. If it turns out to be the case, replace with an OEM or at least a bosch unit. Most aftermarket (from parts store) units last only a few months if that.

spirit1948 · March 2005

I need help on solving a oil pressure problem after start up the pressure drops to 0 light comes on and once motor shut down started back and pressure was good for 5 again now after running gunk crankcase cleaner thru system I get 7 minuets before pressure drops off I feel it's my pump and not sending unit both cost over a hundred and I feel pump might be going bad any one ever have this problem help?????

joekrz1 · March 2005

Anyone got a good recommendation for some shocks for my 2001 Rodeo. The ride is harsh with the Monroes I have on there now.

dmiller27 · March 2005

I have also had the problem of my intermittent wipers not working, but the low and high speed wipers work fine. Not sure if the problem is electrical or mechanical. Has anyone had any luck solving this problem? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks for any advice anyone might have to offer.
David

ryanendres · March 2005

It is your alarm control modual. There are two relays on it. One that controls the rear one that controls the front. The board costs about 200 bucks. Some have found some relays to replace the bad ones. Search google for more info.

mfallona · March 2005

I have a 1996 Isuzu Rodeo 4wd S that has an abs and brake dummy light issue. I start the car and everything is good and as soon as I start moving the abs and brake lights on the instrument panel come on simultaneously and stay on. Has anyone ever had this problem or know possibly what the problem is?

r0de099 · March 2005

I have a 99 rodeo.Im going to get a brake job this weekend.How much it usually cost for a brake job?

mfallona · March 2005

If you do it yourself not much at all. I bought front and rear brake pads on my 96 Rodeo for $40 total. You can pay more for the higher quality brake pads, they have a few different brands. If you've never done it before, you can buy the maintenance book there also. It's pretty easy to do as long as you have access to a lift or jackstand.

Isuzu Rodeo

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