98 isuzu trooper buring oil excessively

I'm finding that the engine was buring oil excessively. The car only had 63,000 miles on it and I kept the oil changed regularly. I'm looking for anyone with the same trouble, I'm writing Isuzu.

Unfortunately high oil consumption is a common issue with mostly 1998-1999 isuzu 3.2 & 3.5L engines. If you research other isuzu sites, you'll see the suspected cause is inadequate drain-back holes in the oil control rings. The consumption seems to be mostly an annoyance & doesnt effect performance or reliabilty. Old design has something like 4 holes, new design has 10+ holes. On the old design, oil gets trapped above the ring(s) and burns off in the cylinder. Gets worse as the vehicle ages & the rings get dirty with age. If you are still under warranty, Isuzu will replace the short block if they determine oil consumption is over 1qt/1000miles. Make sure your PCV system is clean to keep crank-case pressure down. If it was my truck, I'd pull the spark plugs & soak the cylinders w/ an upper cylinder cleaner like marvel mystery oil, seafoam, etc..etc. I'd run a product like auto-rx (auto-rx.com) and maybe run a HIGH detergency oil for cleaning purposes. Check a website: bobistheoilguy.com. If you can clean those rings out to get them to drain the oil again, your consumption should drop. G/luck
Joel

Hello well i guess that i wasn't the only one with this problem!! i was just amazed at the loss of oil i would put it in and the next time i checked the oil level it was gone kinda like magik ! i kept looking in the drive way for huge oil spots and you know i found none! :banghead:
now that my Trooper SLX has 70k miles i am past all that warranty b.s. i will try every thung i can to get the rings clean or if anyone has a newer short block for sale for cheap :2cents: and if anyone has a Trooper 95 or newer thats for sale for cheap and can be wrecked or a blown motor etc...etc let me know i have cash!!!!!!!! :naughty:
late
Andy :banghead:

I'm finding that the engine was buring oil excessively. The car only had 63,000 miles on it and I kept the oil changed regularly. I'm looking for anyone with the same trouble, I'm writing Isuzu.

Mine burned through around 4 qts in less than 1500kms. Problem is that the engine seized on me....yes, seized. No oil pressure light ever came on and i've had it for less than a month. Bought it from a dealer and because it's a 2000, i still qualify under 100k powertrain. Don't know if they'll pay for a new engine yet, still awaiting an answer. One thing for sure, this is a very common problem and i've found many posts and a service bulleting to this effect. It looks like it's either a small problem or no problem at all on some 3.5s, or it's a huge problem that results in engine damage or worse. The post below is right about isuzu's decision to change something based on an oil consumption test, which i would do pronto if i were you. Some of us didn't get the chance...

I hope it gets resolved since i really do love that truck. e-mail me if you'd like those other posts on various boards as well as service bulletin #s.

cheers

I have a 95 Trooper. It was running rough so I arranged to have the plugs changed. Well, the plugs and plug wires were full of oil. My Isuzu has 85,000 miles, and I babied it. Is this something that is common for this engine?

I have a 95 Trooper. It was running rough so I arranged to have the plugs changed. Well, the plugs and plug wires were full of oil. My Isuzu has 85,000 miles, and I babied it. Is this something that is common for this engine?
I have a 2000 trooper with 68,000 miles. Noticed I was burning oil as well. Took it to the dealer and they were unable to find anything wrong. They changed the oil and I went on my way until the engine seized up while I was traveling out of town. Trying to fight the dealer but may have to use other options

All below, I also have a '98 Trooper that is consuming oil...1 litre / 1200 hwy kilometres (1 qrt / 800 hwy miles). It seems consumption is worse when city driving. No sign of leakage. Dealer is tracking oil consumption. The vehicle was bought used at 121,000 km (~80,000 miles). The dealer seems blank regarding consumption: they have done a detergent and hot oil soak. from the threads below it seems like a oil drain-back problem in oil control rings (and maybe be heightened by poor PCV system which increases crankcase pressure not aloowing the oil to drain effeciently). I'm going to follow through with dealer's oil consumption report and do more digging.

Athmos, please let me know of the response you recieve from Isuzu? we all should unite, coordinate and demand resolution.

-billp

I'm finding that the engine was buring oil excessively. The car only had 63,000 miles on it and I kept the oil changed regularly. I'm looking for anyone with the same trouble, I'm writing Isuzu.

All below, I also have a '98 Trooper that is consuming oil...1 litre / 1200 hwy kilometres (1 qrt / 800 hwy miles). It seems consumption is worse when city driving. No sign of leakage. Dealer is tracking oil consumption. The vehicle was bought used at 121,000 km (~80,000 miles). The dealer seems blank regarding consumption: they have done a detergent and hot oil soak. from the threads below it seems like a oil drain-back problem in oil control rings (and maybe be heightened by poor PCV system which increases crankcase pressure not aloowing the oil to drain effeciently). I'm going to follow through with dealer's oil consumption report and do more digging.

Athmos, please let me know of the response you recieve from Isuzu? we all should unite, coordinate and demand resolution.

-billp

Hey, I also have a 98 Trooper. I have only had it for 4 months and the oil that it is using is unbelievable. I am about ready to pull my hair out. My husband thinks we need to trade it in and get something else but I am having a hard time with the fact. I love the vehicle and am confused about the oil consumption problem. I am afraid that the motor could blow any day with such a problem. Have you heard anything from anyone (Asthmos?) about what Isuzu is going to do about the problem. I am kind of stuck in a rut because I don't have warranty on the vehicle. Got any ideas?!

Please let me know if you find anything out. Thank you!

Bought a 99 Trooper that was using a quart of oil every 450 miles. Replaced the PCV valve and cleaned out the line. Then had an oil flush (to loosen the oil rings) and put in Mobil 5W20. Have driven the car 1500 miles and the oil level is down maybe 1/4 quart. Next step is to add some BG44K to the gas to clean the cylinder heads, injectors, valves and power rings and see if the oil consumption stops even more. Might work for you as well, good luck.

first of all I want it to be know that I am not taking up for Isuzu and I agree that oil consumption may be a bit higher than all other manufacturers.

Ii is my understanding that the vehicle owner should periodocly check his/her oil. Not only every 1,000 miles, but maybe every time you fill the fuel tank. There is an oil cap that can be removed for adding oil if you belive that iit is low enough to add.
most of the 3.2L engines hold around 5.5 quarts of oil if it is two quarts low it will not hurt the engine. Now to those of you who are saying you are burning 2 quarts of oil every 1,000 miles your truck should be smoking like a house fire.
before checking your oil run the vehicle for a few minutes shut it off dont go and pull the dipstick right away give the oil a minute to drain back down into the oil pan. But you are checking it when its cold no problem. After letting wal-mart of Firestone change your oil check it I bet they are only putting 5 quqrts in it guess what it needs more to reach the full mark. When you change you oil go ahead put five quarts in it it may show full on the dipstick now start it let it run for a minute shuit it off for a minute check it again I bet its half a quart low now do you think it burned a half a quart in a minute no the oil filter sucked it up. once again I am not meaning to step on any toes just making a few facts known to those who dont know.

Good points 2eye. It seems the oil burners and blown motors seem to always follow the same scenario:
1) Owner does not change their own oil or care to lift the hood, uses "iffy" lube type places.
2) Owner bought the truck used & does not know the full history of the truck.
3) Owner is aware the engine uses oil, does not troubleshoot issue.
4) Owner noticed some engine noise after an extended, high speed travel, no oil showing on dipstick, engine has spun a rod bearing.

Joel

Well, I do the work on my rigs, and my 2000 Trooper burns oil like it's going out of style. Consumption is ~2.5 quarts per 1k miles. It's going through a consumption test with the local dealer, and they've replaced the PCV valve and now want to clean the EGR valve. All on my dime BTW.

Even Isuzu's 1 quart per 1k miles spec is outrageous. Just a CYA so they don't have to replace every 3.5l engine out there. I should have kept my '86 Trooper. It burned oil, but it was supposed to, being a diesel.

I have a 1999 Isuzu Trooper S which has been burning oil at a rate of approximately 1 Qt for every 700 miles. I first noticed this when the vehicle oil light came on a about 20,000 miles and I had to replace of 4 quarts of oil. Since then I've had rings replaced with no significant improvement and have been back and forth to the dealer more times than I can count. I should have checked the web earlier for similar stories but I now waking up to this. I'm now at 48k miles and out of warranty due to age.

The dealer is just now fessing up to the fact that this is a known problem. If I had known earlier I would have stopped hitting my head against the wall.

I wish I had found this website sooner! As a woman who thought buying a new 1999 Isuzu was a good choice - I recently found out otherwise.

My Trooper has been going through oil continually, while the dealer blamed the problem on me not getting the oil changed every 2000 miles!!

Here I am - 2 months (YES 2!!!) before my lease expires, my engine blew - the oil light did not come on - and I am stuck searching for reasonably priced Trooper engines. I will have to invest at a minimum $4000 so that I can turn the car back to the dealer!

Owners beware - regardless of when you added oil - if you think your Trooper has oil - monitor it weekly at a minimum.

I would hate to see anyone in my shoes!

Boy, wouldn't you know it! I've been wracking my brain as to why I'm losing so much oil with no leaks, and this must be it!

I have a '99 trooper, treat it like a baby as far as maintenance - synthetic oil, regular changes, good filters, etc, etc. The thing started losingjust a bit of oil at aroung 70k, but now at 86k, I just finished a trip to Charleston (all I-95), and I'm losing 2 qts per 600-100 miles!!

I took it in to the dealer after replacing the pcv, the dealer (of course) had "never seen this problem before"....yeah, right. They then insinuated I don't change my oil regularly. I felt like killing the guy (not really). But the rude comment did make me angry.

Anyway, the dealer cleaned out the EGR port, and said that shoudl clear it up. So I brought it back home and put new oil in - this time I got regular 10w-30 petroleum oil - just in case it starts losing it again.

Oh, by the way, Rodeo02, what you say may be true for a few folks, but by and large it's a bunch of crap. No one should have to check oil with every tank of gas, nor should a car with reasonable maintenance have to be 'second-guessed' after any interstate trip. I take exceptional care of my cars, and this is the first of its kind.

I am very disappointed - especially since this Trooper is a decent vehicle overall, and particularly since my other trucks and cars last forever - like 200k plus - without this kind of junk happening.

So, You're saying to clean out the oil drain holes? With Magic Mystery Oil? What if I do that, then go back to synthetic - say, 0W30 or something - should I expect to keep this thing cleaned out forever?

Frankly, I am not interested in making this truck a hobby. I like it, but it is a tool, not a project, and I would just as soon dump it as nurse a qt every 800 miles.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Brancher

..Oh, by the way, Rodeo02, what you say may be true for a few folks, but by and large it's a bunch of crap. No one should have to check oil with every tank of gas, nor should a car with reasonable maintenance have to be 'second-guessed' after any interstate trip...

I agree- but your particular engine would have cratered if you didn't check yours. All I'm saying is, if you know your 3.2/3.5 uses *some* oil, you better check it often, especially on long/fast/hot hywy trips.


..So, You're saying to clean out the oil drain holes? With Magic Mystery Oil? What if I do that, then go back to synthetic - say, 0W30 or something - should I expect to keep this thing cleaned out forever?

Dunno. Try it. Over the years MANY owners have come to these boards complaining of oil usage, then you never hear from them again. I've not had this problem with my 'zu's (yet :uhoh: ), so I have not needed to experiment. Currently we have 3 in the family an '02 and '03 rodeo and a 2002 trooper.

G/luck
Joel

"agree- but your particular engine would have cratered if you didn't check yours. All I'm saying is, if you know your 3.2/3.5 uses *some* oil, you better check it often, especially on long/fast/hot hywy trips."

Point Taken. And thanks for the reply. I've been monitoring my truck since laste week, but will be travelling about 650 miles in a couple of weeks - weekend trip - and that'll be the acid test.

I'll let you guys know the outcome. Meanwhile, I think I'll call the Isuzu folks and try to get some consideration, but I don't have a high confidence level about that. (boy, I REALLY don't want to have to buy another truck.....)

Take care - be safe.

Thanks brancher. Hope it works out for you & you get some more years out of your truck.
G/luck
Joel

Over the past 5 or so years of reading and posting on these type of Isuzu boards, I have seen way to many blown engine/mega oil eater posts. Keep the EGR, PCV, EGR tube and rings (with Chevron Techron or sea foam) clean. Keep in mind of the 1qt/1k spec in your manual. Where is that oil going if there is a spec like that? Carbon build up. So keep the inners clean an you'll keep on Troop'en for a long time.




http://www.geocities.com/endre_rl/isuzufaq.htm#faq4

My truck seems to use a lot of oil, why?

Oil usage. Yep Isuzu states that 1qt/1000miles is within spec. So the key is to keep an eye on your oil. The most common ways to decrease your oil consumption is to clean your EGR valve and tube, EGR port (behind the intake butterfly) (link to a how to clean the EGR), replace the PCV valve. Also, trying to keep the rings clean (add Chevron Techron Concentrate® every 3k, and once a year add a half can of Sea Foam® to the oil (following the directions). Dirty rings (holes in the rings) are the main cause for oil usage. The 98-mid00 have fewer and smaller drain holes in the rings as compared to the 93-97 3.2L rings. The second part of 2000 Isuzu put in rings with more and bigger holes, but there still seems to be many 2000-2002 Isuzu’s that use oil.

Oil usage commonly increases while driving the truck hard, including during highway interstate conditions. If your taking a cross country trip, check your oil every time you fill up with gas.

If you take many short trips with your truck, make sure you change the oil at least every 3k. If you don’t run the truck (or any vehicle) at least 30 minutes every time it is started up the oil breakdown products are not able to boil off and can cause sludgeing (which can clog those oil rings).

The Isuzu service bulletin regarding excessive oil consumption (> 1qt per
1000 miles) is service bulletin # IB00-01-5002.
As for Oil useage, I was reading my CD manual last night, and it stated the following reasons for increased oil consumption: 1. Dirty EGR (system) 2. Dirty PCV 3. Carbon up piston rings 4. Long highway trip 5. Towing

Simply put the vehicle has a poor track record for oil consumption and engine issues.

This is not a Geo Metro it is an SUV and the manufacturer had a history at building a real work horse and the trooper engine is not up to par.

There has been way to many people with similar or even the same problem which makes a very strong case that it is the vehicle not the owner.

Other then that the average production quality, stability and expected reliability of the engine is poor if you consider the numerous times this have been discussed. It is unfortunate because any vehicle depends on a good or even great engine and in this SUV with many other strong points can not make up for the frustrations that so many of us “lemon engine” owners have been through.

Be wary and be educated, I am sure some of the engines produced or driven have not all been worked hard as they are suppose to live up to. Like I said before this vehicle is not some basic gas with wheels the Trooper is an SUV which should live up to such.

One last thing is I almost like the Trooper and what it potentially has to offer if the engine was more reliable.

I have a 1999 Isuzu Trooper S which has been burning oil at a rate of approximately 1 Qt for every 700 miles. I first noticed this when the vehicle oil light came on a about 20,000 miles and I had to replace of 4 quarts of oil. Since then I've had rings replaced with no significant improvement and have been back and forth to the dealer more times than I can count. I should have checked the web earlier for similar stories but I now waking up to this. I'm now at 48k miles and out of warranty due to age.

The dealer is just now fessing up to the fact that this is a known problem. If I had known earlier I would have stopped hitting my head against the wall.

Hello . You need to read my post on Trooper recall. What do you mean that the dealer is just noe fessing up that is is a known problem. Do you have any names of People/Business etc. that I could contact about this?
Please read my post, Jackie! or contact me via email ljpecha@centurytel.net
thanks, rutherejr!!

Mine burned through around 4 qts in less than 1500kms. Problem is that the engine seized on me....yes, seized. No oil pressure light ever came on and i've had it for less than a month. Bought it from a dealer and because it's a 2000, i still qualify under 100k powertrain. Don't know if they'll pay for a new engine yet, still awaiting an answer. One thing for sure, this is a very common problem and i've found many posts and a service bulleting to this effect. It looks like it's either a small problem or no problem at all on some 3.5s, or it's a huge problem that results in engine damage or worse. The post below is right about isuzu's decision to change something based on an oil consumption test, which i would do pronto if i were you. Some of us didn't get the chance...

I hope it gets resolved since i really do love that truck. e-mail me if you'd like those other posts on various boards as well as service bulletin #s.

cheers
Yes the valve cover gaskets, specifically the plug tube gaskets have a tendancy to leak. Isuzu's fix in '96 was redesigned plug boots. Your best bet is to pull the covers and reseal them. The repair tends to last 50k or so.

My '95 (bought new) has 150k on it and is on its' second replacement of the gaskets. This will take take of your problem but not necessarily eliminate the oil consumption issues. Mines burns a qt every 1000 miles.

I too am having high oil consumption problems on my 99 Trooper. About a quart every 400 miles or so. I have 90k miles on now. The oil consumption has been going on for a year or so. I have replaced the pcv, used techron, and seafoam yesterday. I am going to see if there is any improvement. I would like to replace the egr valve too. I got a quote from a auto parts store for $99 for the egr valve alone. Is replacing the egr difficult? I haven't had any luck getting a repair manual for the 99 Trooper. The truck has been great otherwise.



Unfortunately high oil consumption is a common issue with mostly 1998-1999 isuzu 3.2 & 3.5L engines. If you research other isuzu sites, you'll see the suspected cause is inadequate drain-back holes in the oil control rings. The consumption seems to be mostly an annoyance & doesnt effect performance or reliabilty. Old design has something like 4 holes, new design has 10+ holes. On the old design, oil gets trapped above the ring(s) and burns off in the cylinder. Gets worse as the vehicle ages & the rings get dirty with age. If you are still under warranty, Isuzu will replace the short block if they determine oil consumption is over 1qt/1000miles. Make sure your PCV system is clean to keep crank-case pressure down. If it was my truck, I'd pull the spark plugs & soak the cylinders w/ an upper cylinder cleaner like marvel mystery oil, seafoam, etc..etc. I'd run a product like auto-rx (auto-rx.com) and maybe run a HIGH detergency oil for cleaning purposes. Check a website: bobistheoilguy.com. If you can clean those rings out to get them to drain the oil again, your consumption should drop. G/luck
Joel

I have a 99 Trooper S with 90k. I have the same oil consumption problems. The exhaust pipe is sooty black with oil. I use a quart every 400 miles or so. Yesterday I replaced the PCV, and used Techron in the gas, and Sea foam in the oil. How long do I keep the sea foam in the oil? The can does not specify any time at all. I will be monitoring oil consumption for any changes. I want to look into the egr. I don't know much about it other than they tend to get clogged up with carbon and contribute to oil consumption. I am looking for any tips or advice on this. I received a quote of $99 for a egr valve. Reasonable? Is the egr accessable? Do the egr valve, tube, and port all have to be looked at and cleaned? Does the egr valve need to be replaced or just cleaned? I haven't found any information on the egr. I can't find a service manual for the later troopers. They all seem to stop at 1996.


Over the past 5 or so years of reading and posting on these type of Isuzu boards, I have seen way to many blown engine/mega oil eater posts. Keep the EGR, PCV, EGR tube and rings (with Chevron Techron or sea foam) clean. Keep in mind of the 1qt/1k spec in your manual. Where is that oil going if there is a spec like that? Carbon build up. So keep the inners clean an you'll keep on Troop'en for a long time.




http://www.geocities.com/endre_rl/isuzufaq.htm#faq4

My truck seems to use a lot of oil, why?

Oil usage. Yep Isuzu states that 1qt/1000miles is within spec. So the key is to keep an eye on your oil. The most common ways to decrease your oil consumption is to clean your EGR valve and tube, EGR port (behind the intake butterfly) (link to a how to clean the EGR), replace the PCV valve. Also, trying to keep the rings clean (add Chevron Techron Concentrate® every 3k, and once a year add a half can of Sea Foam® to the oil (following the directions). Dirty rings (holes in the rings) are the main cause for oil usage. The 98-mid00 have fewer and smaller drain holes in the rings as compared to the 93-97 3.2L rings. The second part of 2000 Isuzu put in rings with more and bigger holes, but there still seems to be many 2000-2002 Isuzu’s that use oil.

Oil usage commonly increases while driving the truck hard, including during highway interstate conditions. If your taking a cross country trip, check your oil every time you fill up with gas.

If you take many short trips with your truck, make sure you change the oil at least every 3k. If you don’t run the truck (or any vehicle) at least 30 minutes every time it is started up the oil breakdown products are not able to boil off and can cause sludgeing (which can clog those oil rings).

The Isuzu service bulletin regarding excessive oil consumption (> 1qt per
1000 miles) is service bulletin # IB00-01-5002.
As for Oil useage, I was reading my CD manual last night, and it stated the following reasons for increased oil consumption: 1. Dirty EGR (system) 2. Dirty PCV 3. Carbon up piston rings 4. Long highway trip 5. Towing

link on how to clean the EGR:

http://www.geocities.com/endre_rl/isuzufaq.htm#faq1

You need to clean the EGR, and the EGR port. The line above should help a bunch. It is an easy DIY 30 min job that costs 1 can of carb cleaner.

as for the Manual you can purchase the Helm CD manual for about 125 bucks or you can download one for the Isuzu VX (which has the same engine, drivetrain, TOD system, just a different body) for free here:

http://www.tonemonday.com/vxparts.html

Scroll to the bottom of the page.

I'm doing my sea foam tonight. Some do it for 10 miles or some, some do it for 500 miles. It will be my first time and I'm thinking 500 miles should do it.

-Ryan

I have 98 trooper which has the same "oil burinng" problem. The guy at oil change place told me that using Synthetic oil might help, but it costs about twice as much. They are aware of this problem with trooper also.
I'm topping off every 500 miles. You can ask the oil changing station if they do free top-offs, which gonna save a lot trouble and money for you.

Synthetic oil is only going to cost you more.

Clean the EGR and PCV and the piston rings and all will be well.
-ryan

Ryan is right. Run whatever oil makes you feel good (synthetic or conventional), but you are wasting money running synthetic unless you go well beyond 3mo/3000mile oil changes, or your vehicle requires synthetic per owners manual (newer Corvettes, etc).
G/luck
Joel

I have a 99 Trooper with 91K miles. Does anyone have any recommendations, or insights in servicing troopers?I had the excessive oil consumption too. About a quart every 500 miles. Luckily I check my oil at least once a week. I remidied it by cleaning the engine with sea foam, and an engine oil flush cleaner. I also used another product called Greased Lightning engine cleaner in the fuel. The oil consumption seems to have gone away. I had changed the oil in the truck every 4-5k miles up to now. I am going to start changing it every 2-3k from now on and keep a close eye on consumption . The truck has been absolutely reliable otherwise. In 90k miles I have only replaced the tires and brake pads at 4 years and 80k miles, and a battery at 5 years and 90k. Nothing else. Not a squeak, rattle or any other sign anything is wrong. Starts every time and never misses a beat. The owners manual shows that the spark plugs and timing belt need to be changed at 100k. Anything to watch out for? I hope to keep the Trooper for another 90k miles and want to make sure its taken care of. Any insights would be appreciated.

Try running Castrol GTX RX SUPER 15-40. It's for diesels, so you can expect it to really clean the engine, including the rings.

Now this won't fix the ring problem completely, but it might help. Run the RX for the usual maintenance period or shorter if the oil starts to get very dirty. Keep using it until the oil starts to look reasonable between services, then you can switch to Mobil 1 15-50 synthetic, assuming the consumption has dropped, othewise stick with the RX or GTX 20-50 (non RX).

As far as I'm concerned I believe that Isuzu should be brought to justice for this situation, as they are very aware of the problem they have caused for Late model Rodeo and Trooper owners, so if anyone knows of a good product liability lawyer speak up and maybe we can start a class action law suit to collectively address these issues.

BTW I have a 1992 3.2 DOC Trooper, which doesn't burn a drop of oil between oil changes, however, at 140K miles it has started to show it's age, so I'm now looking for a later model. Now that being said, I sure as hell don't want to throw my money away on a Newer Trooper while the folks at Isuzu continue to ignore the problem, so I'm trying to find a good low mileage 1996-97 4x4 3.2 Trooper Limited or LS with DOC, no rust, heated seats and accident free, located somewhere along the Eastern seaboard.

As an added note, late model exhaust manifold heat shields (two bolt style) can rust around the mounting bolts leading to a premature failure, resulting in the shield becoming loose and getting lodged between the manifold and the brake lines on the passenger side and the manifold and steering column linkage on the drivers side, now that's gotta be considered an NTSB safety issue.

if you were burning that much oil your Trooper would be smoking like a burning tire.

All, you might want to check out the following link.

http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=584272&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=3&vc=1

A piston travels up and down the cylinder and if there is insufficient spring tension on the compression rings the piston rocks and in severe cases the piston skirt will strike the wall of the cylinder, this is commonly known as piston slap.

Although there can be sufficient spring tension to ensure reasonable compression the rocking motion unfortunately releases oil from the upper ring and that oil is burned in the combustion process, leading to a loss of oil from the sump. This process is generally referred to as excessive oil consumption, because it was not the design intention that the oil would be released into the combustion chamber for burning. At higher revolutions the leakage tends to increase, as does the burning thereof.

The 2 stroke engine however, is intended to release oil into the combustion chamber for the purpose of lubricating the moving parts, as it doesn’t have an oil pump to lubricate those components directly, therefore excessive oil consumption would only exist if the oil mixture ratio or oil injection pump were not set correctly and there was too much oil being delivered to the combustion chamber.

BTW paragraph 1 is much the same for a bent rod

This won't fix it, but it may help. First put some Seafoam in your crank and run it for a few hard miles. Then change your oil but throw in a quart of Lucas in place of oil. It increase oil pressure and life in my '90 Trooper. I started burning at 30,000 but made it to 120,000 before I swapped out the 2.8 for a 3.4L.

Recently recieved this email:

Found the "SEA FOAM" info on this site. I had all but given up on the oil consumption problem on my 2000 Trooper 3.5. Dumped a bottle of the product in my crank case. Drove 100 miles and did my usual synthetic oil change with 10W 30. The oil when drained with the SEA FOAM additive looked and had the consistency of black gasoline. Four hundred miles later and the oil level has not dropped. By now I would be down 1/2 Qt. The Trooper runs smoother, quieter, and seems to have more power. I will follow up with more info at the 800 mile mark. I am impressed. Regards, Jethro

Glad to hear that things are running better. Did you also add the lucas? I think they make a type especially for synthetic oil. You'll be very happy. I use it in every car I own.

We have a '99 Trooper that used about 1-11/2 quarts between changes(3-3.5k) & I thought that was a lot! Seems my consumption is less than some. I just switched to Mobil1 truck & suv 5w40 because of the additive package it has, it is my oil of choice for my 6.0 Ford diesel also. The first thing I noticed was the noisy lifters quieted down quite a bit. The oil consumption seems to have dropped by about 1/2 quart.

One point that has been brought is "if it's burning that much oil it would be smoking like crazy". There was never a comment on this.

Could someone that has high oil consumption confirm or deny this?

The reason I ask is because I'm looking to buy a 98 Trooper with 90k miles, I inspected it drove it and I see no apparent problem with it, in fact it seems all great, engine is really clean, air filter is too, I couldn't go as far as inspecting the inside of the carburetor but the seller (private) assured me it uses no oil at all. The idle seems pretty steady and I couldn't get any smoke out of it worm or cold.

Also the seller is not the first owner and there is no way for me to know what if anything was ever done to the car, any pointers as to "what to look at/for"?

TIA

My 99 trooper uses about 1qt / 1000K and does not smoke at all. Sometimes when going into overdrive it would put out a little smoke. I've just finished treating with auto-rx and it doesn't seem to smoke any more. I haven't gone lone enough to see if it has stopped using oil. The only problem I've had with the truck was a bad intake manifold gasket at around 50K, and the cluch fan seezed at around 80K. At 98K, I believe my gasket is just now going bad again, appearently a common problem on these trucks. With the design problem on the rings, the only way I could see one of these trucks not consuming oil would be good synthetic oil from the start. In either case not a problem, just watch the oil level. I really like my truck and will try to keep it running well for another 100K.

....I haven't gone lone enough to see if it has stopped using oil...

Let us know if it does!

I really like my truck and will try to keep it running well for another 100K.

That's something else I'd like to know: I see a lot of people saying "I'll keep it running another 100K. Has anyone succeeded? Is there any 98-01 Troopers out there with 150-200K miles without a rebuilt/warranty replaced or majorly overhauled engine?

Is there any 98-01 Troopers out there with 150-200K miles without a rebuilt/warranty replaced or majorly overhauled engine?


recent post from an owner with 225k.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=375612

I've seen about 50 post over the last year with +98 Isuzu's with over 150k.

This won't fix it, but it may help. First put some Seafoam in your crank and run it for a few hard miles. Then change your oil but throw in a quart of Lucas in place of oil. It increase oil pressure and life in my '90 Trooper. I started burning at 30,000 but made it to 120,000 before I swapped out the 2.8 for a 3.4L.

You might want to reconsider using the lucas after you read this article:http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/images/lucas/lucas.htm

interesting article, but I question the results. I started burning oil at 30,000 in my '90 2.8L. Everyone later told me that these engines are junk. Using the Lucas on and off over the next 10 years I believe enabled my engine to hit 120,000 miles and I was hauling over 1/2 ton of cement on a regular basis over for the last 2 years. Without the Lucas i'm sure I wouldn't have been able to get up the hill. Now, for many years, since my trooper burned so much oil, I never changed the oil properly, just keep adding it. So when I pulled the engine, it was fairly gunky inside, but I do not know if it was lack of maintence or the Lucas ( which I doubt ) that caused the problem.
I can say this though. Many people were surprised my engine still ran as well as it did, and I have never seen my oil look like the oil in that article. I put a 3.4 L from a 95 Camero in the Trooper and it was very clean internally. It had 70,000 miles on it. Hopefully in about 10 - 15 years I will rebuild it and let people know how it weathered under proper care and Lucas.
Also, I just relaced my wifes escort engine. It has 20,000 miles and I have added Lucas, but I have decided to make the switch to full synthetic at the next oil change. Will be interesting to see if I develop a leak or not, but I have already flushed it with seafoam and do not foresee problems. I would like to switch my Trooper over to synthetic but I am not as confident with a higher milage engine. Maybe I'll stil give it a try.

My 1999 Trooper engined seized up while on vacation last Thanksgiving. After having the car towed to two different dealerships and paying to have the engine broken down (at Isuzu of America's direction), I find I need a new engine. Like many others, I regularly serviced this car and, except for this huge problem, love the car. I can no longer get Isuzu of America speak with me and, in fact, the Supervisor at Owner Relations hung up on me. This engine obviously had design fault and, it seems, that most problems occur after 60k miles and, hence, after warrantly. I want to know if anyone has successfully sued or gotten any satisfaction from Isuzu. There are many of us who have gotten "taken" on these vehicles. I've purchased three Rodeos (2-2001s; 1-2002) and am (was)a good Isuzu customer.

Replacement engines are either expensive, unavailable, or suspect (I've heard that they are not a good engine to rebuild). Any suggestions? Other then the engine, I have a great car (leather,sunroof, cd changer, etc.) in MI and I live in KS. Any one interested in buying the car?

My 1999 Trooper engined seized up while on vacation last Thanksgiving.

I'm guessing since you posted in this thread that it seized due to low oil in the crankcase?

What's your asking price for the truck?

We have a '99 Trooper that used about 1-11/2 quarts between changes(3-3.5k) & I thought that was a lot! Seems my consumption is less than some. I just switched to Mobil1 truck & suv 5w40 because of the additive package it has, it is my oil of choice for my 6.0 Ford diesel also. The first thing I noticed was the noisy lifters quieted down quite a bit. The oil consumption seems to have dropped by about 1/2 quart.

Ok...here's my experience. First, you can look at the tail pipe (if they haven't cleaned it) and it will be black as crap. Run your finger in it. If it's burning oil like mine (1 qt every 800 to 1000 miles), you'll know it.

Now, as for smoking, it does but you can't see it. During the day, I can wrap down hard on my trooper and see nothing...but with all the oil i'm burning you'd think you could see something. NADA!!!. However, drive at nite and with someone following you at about 2 car links, wrap down on it and look in the mirror...you'll see the smoke if it's burning it. That's how I was able to test it.

I'm thinking of doing a rebuild. I tried the the seafoam it it worked once, but then I screwed up and ran 5W20 for one oil cycle (I was trying different oils/visc to see what I could figure out), and ever since even running 20w50 I'm doing 1qt in 800 miles....and seafoam isn't helping anymore. I've got an IMG leak so that's gotta be replaced anyway, so I"m thinking of a rebuild. Can anyone give any advice as to how to make sure the right oil rings are used? And if I'm having it gone into to do the rings, should I just do everything? valves/bearings, etc?

Thx

EDR., we are going to drive to a city about 100 miles away & back tomorrow and I am going to change the oil today will let you know what my consumption is after some high speed highway miles. I really feel that this diesel oil might work to clean & keep it that way. There is an additive in it that keeps particulate matter in suspension so it can be removed by the filter. we'll see!. We love the truck!

Ok...here's my experience. First, you can look at the tail pipe (if they haven't cleaned it) and it will be black as crap. Run your finger in it. If it's burning oil like mine (1 qt every 800 to 1000 miles), you'll know it.....

......Can anyone give any advice as to how to make sure the right oil rings are used?

The inside of the tailpipe can get black on our 2002 3.2 & we rarely have to add any oil between 4000mi oil changes.

As far as the piston rings go, how I understand it is, the issue is not with the ring pack, but the oil return holes machined thru the pistons. You will need the *new and improved* pistons with more oil return holes. Have you tried an over-night cylinder soak with seafoam (or the likes)? I wish I could get ahold of an oil burning 1998+ 3.2/3.5L to try this on!!! I bet it would work!
G/luck
Joel

I wish I could get a hold of an oil burning 1998+ 3.2/3.5L to try this on!!! I bet it would work!
G/luck
Joel

I would be willing to do this on mine. We live in the same area, I believe. I burn some oil, but not a lot. I would say a quart - quart and a half every 3000 miles. Sometimes less.


I am not sure how to go about the process of soaking the cylinders. I don't know if this is something I would be willing to do without a knowledgable person to guide me through it.

Marc

...I am not sure how to go about the process of soaking the cylinders...

Marc

What you need to do is:
1) Get the truck out of the elements, a nice garage will do.
2) Pull the coil packs, remove the sparkplugs.
3) Pour a liquid solvent engine cleaner product (like seafoam, lube control, etc.) right down the spark plug towers & into the cylinder(s). An ounce or two should do per cylinder.
4) Let it sit overnight. 8-12hrs should be sufficient.
5) Place some large clean rags over the valve covers, such that they cover the open spark plug tubes.
6) Turn the engine over for a few seconds to blow the liquid out of the cylinders. The rags prevent it from blowing all over.
7) Throw the sparkplugs back in, button everything up & you are good to go.
8) Do an oil change in the not so distant future to remove any cleaner that leaked down through the cylinders & into the sump.

You might have to repeat the process again, but I have seen where this worked for saturn 2.2's & chrysler 2.5's with clogged/stuck piston ring packs. It should work for the 1998+ 3.2/3.5 isuzu clogged drain-back holes as well!

G/luck
Joel

I would think that if you left seafoam in your cylinders overnight without the plugs in, you could just intall plugs and fire it up. Some would evaporate and the rest would clean out your exhaust. that way you would not have to bust out the rags to catch seafoam cranking it without plugs installed. What do you think?

You're correct that some would leak down through & some would evaporate, but it's not worth the risk of hydro-locking a cylinder(s). You could snap a connecting rod, wrist pin or blow a hole in a piston if you don't give liquid a place to go. You really have to pour a generous amount in their.
G/luck
Joel

http://forum.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic.php?t=6061

http://forum.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic.php?t=6050

couple more oil usuage trooper problems.

I added to this post since it has the most views.

well , I just aquiered my sisters 88 ls 2.6. Drove it from GA to VA 650 miles burned about 3/4 a quart, I thought that was high until I read this post. All I can suggest is check it EVERY time you get gas. No point in using synthetic, it does not seem to stick around long enough to be benificial....I wonder if Isuzu has an oil rig somewhere??? Stock in Mobile or Valvoline....My ls has 188k on it needs exhaust and hopefully mild work. I hope to get another 50k out of it, reminds me of the old army jeep....

98 Trooper, have had it 4 years. I am using about 1 qt every 800-1000 miles. Thought it was only my problem until I talked to other Trooper owners. I don't find it a big deal. I love the vehicle, it gets decent mileage for an SUV, is solidly built, runs like a dream. Having to check/service the oil periodically is not a major inconvienence. I haven't tried any methods to improve consumption but will try them.

good post on oil useage:

http://forum.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic.php?t=7033

Hi, I've been researching forums for weeks because my wifes 2002 Trooper with 130,000 miles,has been burning about a quart of oil every 500 miles. I drained the oil, which has always been "DEALER" oil, added five quarts of Mobil1 0w-40, and using a Mobil1 oil filter. Went through two quarts in 800 miles, but the third quart lasted over 1000 miles. I'm going to change the oil before 3000 miles, as recommended by Mobil1. This is looking promissing! I'll post my future experience.

My trooper uses 1-3/4 quarts per 1000 miles. It doesn't blow smoke. I can't stand the way this vehicle uses oil. My 20 year old BMW doesn't use any oil.

info from an isuzu mechanic:

I USE BG ENG FLUSH, BUT THE MAIN THING IS TO DO IT CORRECTLY, IN USING THE BG AND I WOULD IMAGINE THE SEAFOAM AS WELL, GET THE ENG TO NORMAL TEMP AND DRAIN THE OIL , NOW INSTALL THE SEAFOM OR THE BG FLUSH WITH A NEW FILTER JUST A CHEAP OIL FILTER AND A CHANGE OF 5W30 ENG OIL DOES NOT HAVE TO BE HI GRADE OIL , NOW RUN THE ENG FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES, WATCH THE OIL PRESSURE DOES NOT START TO DROP, IF IT DOES SHUT IT DOWN IMMEDIATELY, USUALLY WILL NOT DO THIS ,IF THE ENG IS REALLY GUMMED UP IT COULD PLUG UP THE OIL PICKUP PIPE , NOW DRAIN THE OIL ,REPLACE THE FILTER AND DO IT AGAIN WITH A ANOTHER BG OR SEAFOAM TREATMENT , THIS TIME DRIVE IT 1/2 HR -45 MIN, NOW DRAIN , AND ANOTHER FILTER AND THIS TIME FILL WITH ROTELLA 5-40 DSL GRADE ENG OIL THIS IS A VERY HI DETERGENT OIL, AND WATCH THEN THE OIL USAGE , AND RUN THIS OIL ABOUT 3000 MILES AND KEEP ADDING IF NECESSARY TO KEEP THE LEVEL NORMAL,, OR AS SOON AS THE OIL STARTS TO TURN REAL BLACK , CHANGE IT AGAIN , THE QUICKER IT TURNS BLACK MEANS IT IS CLEANING THE ENG , IT MAY HOWEVER TAKE A COUPLE OF OIL CHANGES TO GET ALL THE DIRTY STUFF OUT AND THE CARBON AND VARNISH TO START DISSAPEARING , AND THEN USE THE 5W40 ROTELLA ALL THE TIME ,, IT,S AVAILABLE AT WALMART , I WOULD DO THIS BEFORE GOING INTO THE ENG AND SEE IF TI DOESNT HELP, ALLSO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE PCV VLV IS WORKING OR JUST REPLACE IT .MAIN THING IS JUST DONT RUN LOW OF OIL ,, THE REASON YOU WANT TO USE FREASH ENG OIL WITH THE ENG FLUSH , YOU DONT WANT IT TRYING TO BREAK DOWN THE SLUDGE AND VARNISH IN THE ENG AND ALLSO WHAT IS ALLREADY IN THE OLD OIL , WITH FREASH OIL ALL IT CAN ATTACK IS THE BUILD UP ON THE INTERNALL PARTS

info from an isuzu mechanic:

I USE BG ENG FLUSH, ....

to give credit where credit is certainly due, that's from JERRY LEMOND.

if the all caps isn't clue enough, the succinct knowledgeable advice certainly is.

ADD: in fact, i think that whole thread over on ITOG is very informative and useful:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/itog/messages?msg=3471.1


//bc