Hello all! New here and would greatly appreciate some help. Just put in a new alternator and battery in my 97 Passport but now the volts still register low. Also, ac nor fan will blow. Brake and battery light on dash are on but were not before. I have changed the connectors to the battery so no corrosion. Belt seems tight enough.
Now when I took it up to Autozone they said the alternator they sold me was bad. So I took it off again and took it back. They tested it a dozen times and it is registering good. So I put it back on. Still no change. What am I doing wrong or what else can I check.
Please help I am bruised all over my arms!!!
Thx- Riannon

These trucks are picky about alternators. Steer clear of the parts store counter alternators. Even when they work, they don't seem to work for long. Get a Bosch or, even better, an OEM one. Failing alts on these isuzu have often passed the bench testing, but simply don't work in the truck. The symptoms you're experiencing point to a bad alt, imo.

Agree 100%.

Don't even mess with the part stores, you will be replacing every few months.

Would the alternator be the cause of the ac blower not working? I even tried to put the heater on and nothing comes out. Any ideas? Checked all fuses. And why the brake light? All I did was change alternator! Ugh!
Thx for all the help!

Would the alternator be the cause of the ac blower not working? I even tried to put the heater on and nothing comes out. Any ideas? Checked all fuses. And why the brake light? All I did was change alternator! Ugh!
Thx for all the help!

Common symptom of faulty/inadequate alternator is dash lights light up like a xmas tree.

Of course you should check the obvious stuff, like battery terminals clean and tightened, alternator belt tension etc etc.

No light show thank goodness. Belt is tight. New cables on battery. New belt. Just no air and it is 102 here in TX.:banghead:

Yes - no air, and no blower working is a 100% sign of a failing alternator.

When mine went out, I had no comfort controls at all, no radio, all idiot lights, but no dash lights to light the gauges, and eventually one headlamp even stopped working.

These trucks are designed to power-down, if you will, when their volts are low. Your transmission - if it's an automatic - will even start to give you issues and throw check tranny codes if you do not get a new alternator.

Good luck - it is an irritating and can be an expensive issue, as the alternator's not cheap.

No light show thank goodness. Belt is tight. New cables on battery. New belt. Just no air and it is 102 here in TX.:banghead:

Yeah I meant the idiot lights, not the dash lights. Typically the 'charge', 'brake' and some others will come on.

Don't laugh....I'm a girl...what is the technical term for the plug that goes into the alternator? I just want to go ahead and check it as well since I am down here for the 4th time.
Thanks again...you guys are sooooo great!

Don't laugh....I'm a girl...what is the technical term for the plug that goes into the alternator? I just want to go ahead and check it as well since I am down here for the 4th time.
Thanks again...you guys are sooooo great!The technical term is "plug" :grinyes: , it plugs into the voltage regulator.

Knew someone couldn't help but laugh but I just wanted to be sure. I know broke the the tension bolt/screw. Can I get one of those at an autoparts store or do I need to go somewhere else? Thx again. Stop laughing..:wink:

Knew someone couldn't help but laugh but I just wanted to be sure. I know broke the the tension bolt/screw. Can I get one of those at an autoparts store or do I need to go somewhere else? Thx again. Stop laughing..:wink:If you broke the bolt and were able to get the broken part out of the block, you can get a replacement at Home Depot or Lowes for less than $1.00. I just went through replacing an alternator and also broke the bolt. It is a METRIC bolt, size 6M 40mm (or 50mm).

Thx for the info. Just went to home depot they are out. Trying lowe's and ace now. Yeah Ace has one! Ok off I go. Thx for that Steve.

Wish I could have helped the lady out here! You guys are quick!

Which alt are you going to try next?

Well good news and bad news. Looked everywhere at the suggested places and no one had my alternator in stock so I went to Oreilly's and got yet another bad one!! Got some degreaser and cleaned everything in sight just to be sure it was clean. So anyhow I ended up at yet another Autozone. However, I got the alternator on!! Yeah me! All lights are off and ac is working. Now I have a screaching belt. :banghead: I tried to replace the alternator belt but could not get the belt on the top far right to come off. I kept turning the bolt and it wouldn't budge, it just kept spinning. But now it seems like it is the one squealing. I tried to retighten (if I even loosened it in the first place) seems to have tightened the belt but not too sure at this point. Having a hard time distinguishing which of the 3 belts it is though. Why in the heck did they put those dang things intertwining so goofy?! :shakehead Put it to bed and will try again in the am. By the way I did get the bolt I broke and thx so much for giving me the size info I needed.
Any suggestions....advice....prayers?! Thx a ton.. R-

If the alt causes issues again, you'll probably have to order one - takes a few days or so. Most stores typically do not have the *upgraded* parts in stock for Isuzu's - I almost always have to wait for a part to be ordered.

Good luck, and good job!

Okay with renewed spirit I am attempting to take off and replace all 3 belts. I have 2 off and now I can't seem to get the bracket loose for the ac(I think). It is the top right. Any help out there? Thx again.

obviously i have not had enough sleep! Ok update. Got all belts off. Got alternator belt back on..again. Now I can't remember how the other 2 go!!! I'm gonna cry.:disappoin

If it is not 1 thing it is ten!! Well, got all belts back on...no squeak....needed a new clamp for hose on power steering hose....got it. So then I am driving and it starts to overheat...get in driveway and antifreeze coming from below and has obviously spewed onto the right part of the car. So now looking to see if I cracked a hose while doing all the other crap. I keep creating more obstacles for myself. Is there anything else I should look at other than the hoses?:crying:

Hoses, water pump, all the crap under the intake plenum (look under with a flashlight, hopefully you dont see any coolant pooled in there).

If its a hose and they are original its past time to replace all of them anyways.

okay now I have new hoses, new clamps, new belts, new battery, new alternator, new tranny fluid, new radiator fluid, new oil. BUT I am still having a problem upon acceleration. It is acting like it doesn't want to go! Also I am losing voltage until it kicks into gear. Now I have a check engine light. :mad: PLEASE HELP!

BUT I am still having a problem upon acceleration. It is acting like it doesn't want to go! Also I am losing voltage until it kicks into gear. Now I have a check engine light. :mad: PLEASE HELP!

Your tranny is going into fail-safe mode because it isn't getting the proper amount of voltage. In this mode, the tranny starts in 3rd gear which is why its acting like it doesn't want to go. This is one of the classic symptoms of a bad, yup you guessed it, ALTERNATOR!

You need to stop dickering around with alternators from autozone, oreilly's and the like and get an OEM alt (from the dealer) or a BOSCH brand at minimum. I think Pepboys carries BOSCH alternators.

Of course double check all the basics and make sure everything is tightened down.

thx. I will call and check to see if pepboys has one. Also, I got the code for the engine light checked and he said it may be a sign of a bad catalytic converter. Is this true?

Try turning your headlights on and accelerating. If voltage doesn't drop when the lights are on and you press the accelerator, your alternator is working the way it should (believe it or not).

As far as your check engine light... post the code. There are so many things that turn the CEL on that speculating about what the cause is (bad O2 sensor or plugged cat or loose gas cap or whatever) without knowing what code turned the light on is useless.

Try turning your headlights on and accelerating. If voltage doesn't drop when the lights are on and you press the accelerator, your alternator is working the way it should (believe it or not).

Keep in mind that a faulty alternator is not just one that produces inadequate charge or voltage. The opposite can be true. In fact, Isuzu had a recall of alternators in some 1st gen rodeos for producing too much charge that put the tranny into fail-safe mode as well:

NHTSA Recall History

1995: Excess electrical charge in the alternator can result in engine-control malfunction due to an improperly manufactured integrated circuit in the voltage regulator.


As for the check engine light, I would deal with it once the charging system problems are handled since there might be a correlation btw the two issues.

Keep in mind that a faulty alternator is not just one that produces inadequate charge or voltage. The opposite can be true. In fact, Isuzu had a recall of alternators in some 1st gen rodeos for producing too much charge that put the tranny into fail-safe mode as well:

NHTSA Recall History

1995: Excess electrical charge in the alternator can result in engine-control malfunction due to an improperly manufactured integrated circuit in the voltage regulator.


As for the check engine light, I would deal with it once the charging system problems are handled since there might be a correlation btw the two issues.Did I miss something or did Riannon not describe voltage dropping off as one of the symptoms? It's very common for people to misdiagnose voltage dropping off under acceleration as a sign of alternator failure. While on most vehicle this may be the case, on 1996 and 1997 Rodeos it's just how the charging system was designed. That being said, it's quite possible that the replacement alternator is indeed bad, but based on "losing voltage until it kicks into gear" (which is remarkably similar to the blurb in the owner's manual regarding this feature) it sounds like it's doing what it's supposed to.

Did I miss something or did Riannon not describe voltage dropping off as one of the symptoms? It's very common for people to misdiagnose voltage dropping off under acceleration as a sign of alternator failure. While on most vehicle this may be the case, on 1996 and 1997 Rodeos it's just how the charging system was designed. That being said, it's quite possible that the replacement alternator is indeed bad, but based on "losing voltage until it kicks into gear" (which is remarkably similar to the blurb in the owner's manual regarding this feature) it sounds like it's doing what it's supposed to.

Agreed. A drop in voltage on acceleration is normal. I misunderstood your first post to say that checking for the voltage drop is a way to verify that the alternator is working fine. To which, I would contend that the alternator can still be bad even with that drop in voltage present - at least that was the case when my 95.5 rodeo's tranny went into fail safe mode due to faulty alternator.

Were you able to identify the exact source of the coolant leak? I'm just curious to know if it was a hose or clamp or whatever...

I'll bet the alt is still the source of the problem, but I wouldn't go any farther without looking at the code.

Agreed. A drop in voltage on acceleration is normal. I misunderstood your first post to say that checking for the voltage drop is a way to verify that the alternator is working fine. To which, I would contend that the alternator can still be bad even with that drop in voltage present - at least that was the case when my 95.5 rodeo's tranny went into fail safe mode due to faulty alternator.I agree, my thinking was that if the voltage drop isn't present when the headlights are on (as the headlight being on disables this feature) the alternator "should" be putting out ~14V and as a result the tranny "should" stay out of safe mode. Now, take into consideration that my tranny doesn't have a safe mode, so I'm not well versed in these types of problems, but I am a former submarine electrican and know a thing or two about batteries, electricity and electrical troubleshooting. :smokin:

I Broke My Alt. Tensioner Bolt, And Had To Buy 10 Of Them From Isuzu Motors Japan.

So I Have 9 Extras; Wouldnt Mind Putting Them To Good Use If Anyone Wants.

Thanks.

Fyi: Tensioner Screw That Goes Through The Block Which In Turn Tightens The Alternator/fan Belt

I Broke My Alt. Tensioner Bolt, And Had To Buy 10 Of Them From Isuzu Motors Japan.

So I Have 9 Extras; Wouldnt Mind Putting Them To Good Use If Anyone Wants.

Thanks.

Fyi: Tensioner Screw That Goes Through The Block Which In Turn Tightens The Alternator/fan BeltWhy would you go and buy 10 from Isuzu (I know they sell them in tens) when you can get one from a hardware store? :p

I'll take you up on that. I have a friend with a '97 3.2L, too. Will you send a pair? PM'ing my address...

Okay here is what I got....translation please....thx a million.
"Troublecode OBDII (alpha) P code
TROUBLESHOOTING PO420
The PCM has determined that the catalyst system efficiency for bank 1 is below the threshold for the current engine operating conditions.(Bank 1 identifies the location of the cylinder#1, While bank 2 identifies the cylinders on the opposite bank.)"

Okay here is what I got....translation please....thx a million.
"Troublecode OBDII (alpha) P code
TROUBLESHOOTING PO420
The PCM has determined that the catalyst system efficiency for bank 1 is below the threshold for the current engine operating conditions.(Bank 1 identifies the location of the cylinder#1, While bank 2 identifies the cylinders on the opposite bank.)"Try swapping the after-cat O2 sensors to see if the code changes (i.e. P0430 - TWC System Low Efficiency Bank 2). If the code changes you have a bad O2 sensor. If it stays the same you may have a bad catalytic converter.

can you tell me where it is located on the vehicle?

can you tell me where it is located on the vehicle?

On the exhaust downstream of the catalytic converter (e.g. btw cat and muffler). They have wires coming out of them. They screw onto the exhaust pipe. You have 4 o2 sensors - 2 before the cat and 2 after. Hope its a bad o2 sensor. It'd be cheaper.

So should I try a tune up and replace the sensors first? Also is Bosch ok for the sensors or do you suggest something else.

So should I try a tune up and replace the sensors first? Also is Bosch ok for the sensors or do you suggest something else.There really isn't such a thing as a tune up any more. Computer controlled vehicles require very little in the way of tweaking. Changing the spark plugs, filters, maybe PCV valve and fluids is about all you can do. It used to be that people would change the distributor rotor, points and plug wires but on distributorless coil over plug ignition systems you just wait until a coil pack fails. As far as a replacement O2 sensor, Bosch is fine.

I replaced my alternator twice with one from Oreilly's, this weekend I am taking it off because my lights and panel are flickering. This time I am asking for my money back and going to go pickup one from car parts (OEM). From what everyone here is saying, that should resolve my problems. Last time I took if off, I aske Oreilly to pay for it which the store manager said no. So I called up the district manager and he approved it. This time I am going to ask them to pay for having to reinstall my third alternator, take theirs back and ask for a refund. They will never have to see my face again after that.

Once again as the old saying goes " You get what you pay for".

Once again as the old saying goes " You get what you pay for".

Yes, I agree, but one thing I have learned Isuzu's are very picky about their parts and always want the $$$ parts. My older chevy's would go for years on any old rebuilt alternator from your local auto parts; but not the two Isuzu's I've had :banghead:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ISUZU-RODEO-HONDA-PASSPORT-ALTERNATOR-BRAND-NEW_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33573QQihZ007QQitem Z170020400056QQrdZ1

I saw some universal catalytic converters on ebay that require cutting welding...is this a good idea?

I saw some universal catalytic converters on ebay that require cutting welding...is this a good idea?Have you determined that your catalytic converter is actually bad?

Yes catalytic converter was bad. The one on the passenger side I just had replaced. So far so good. Now my next mission is the front wheel bearing. The are bad. Are Napa parts ok and if so do you know which kind I need for inner and outer? (size,brand,anything else I need to be sure I have all the necessary equipment) Thx again...you have all been extremely helpful during this arduous process.

Also, will this fix my emergency brake not holding or is that a separate issue?

Also, will this fix my emergency brake not holding or is that a separate issue?Your emergency brake has nothing to do with the front end. It is actually a drum brake inside the rear rotors. After 9 years of living in the "salt belt" that is Upstate NY I had to replace my rear rotors and all of the e-brake "innards" in order to get mine to hold and pass a safety inspection.

okay brake situation fixed. But my voltage is still not holding. it is going under 12 at times. Other than the looking at the "new" alternator and battery as well as the connections, what else can I look for?

My 1996 Isuzu Trooper has had some interesting things going on.
Basically my tranny goes into "Limp home mode" and I got a B-solenoid error code. I cleared the error code and the tranny works fine for 8 months. I then get the same tranny symptom but this time I get an error code "Low air flow". I clear the error code and the tranny works fine again. I notice that the voltage regulator is showing 14V but drops to 12 or 11 volts under acceleration unless the head lights are on then it stays at 14v. I replace the alternator and the voltage regulator still shows the same thing "drops from 14v to about 11 or 12v. Anthony described that his 1995 Rodeo voltage drops in the same way and that the electrical system was designed that way. Is this dropping voltage under acceleration common or just an Isuzu thing?

Thanks