2000 Trooper - BG Engine Service??

[LEM]

I cleaned my EGR and tube, replaced the PCV valve, replaced the spark plugs (which eliminated the intermitten blinking CEL by the way), and switched to Royal Purple synthetic oil. However, it seems that I'm using about a quart of oil every 600 miles or so.

My question is this, has anyone had success with BG products? I've seen the threads written on it, but I can't buy the products locally. I could take my Trooper to a garage where they would perform the service for about $100.00. Has anyone had this done? If so, was it worthwhile? Did it help? Any concerns with this service?

Thanks.

LE

[amigo-2k]

are you the first owner?

[LEM]

Nope, but it used about 4 years ago.

[LEM]

Sorry, that was supposed to read, "bought it used about 4 years ago".

[amigo-2k]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW

check ebay.

I think the service places that have BG products, if you want to clean the engine, will hook up a machine that will circulate BG cleaner through the engine and then back out. But I'm not sure.

[tinytrixie]

hey Lem, you might try doing a test on your oil. I have had mine tested by Blackstone Labs. You can find out if your oil is being diluted by fuel. This will lead to higher consumption rates. It is around $20. There is probably a diesel shop somwhere around you where it can be tested. Just a thought, maybe an injector is leaking. You can also just smell your oil, if it smells at all like gasoline there might be a prob.

[pr99trooper]

Originally Posted by LEM

I cleaned my EGR and tube, replaced the PCV valve, replaced the spark plugs (which eliminated the intermitten blinking CEL by the way), and switched to Royal Purple synthetic oil. However, it seems that I'm using about a quart of oil every 600 miles or so.

My question is this, has anyone had success with BG products? I've seen the threads written on it, but I can't buy the products locally. I could take my Trooper to a garage where they would perform the service for about $100.00. Has anyone had this done? If so, was it worthwhile? Did it help? Any concerns with this service?

Thanks.

LE

I had the same oil consumption problem, 600 miles per quart as you have, and had my dealer start an oil consumption test while my Trooper was still under warranty. Part of the test involved "decarbing" the motor which only increased the oil consumption. After having the motor stripped apart, the real problem was uncovered. I like many other Isuzu owners have motors with cylinders that are oversized, with undersized pistons and rings. This is the common occurance among the Troopers with high oil consumption problems. Isuzu knows this, and the dealers know it too, and have admitted it. Their hope is that people procrastinate till it is too late, ie out of warranty, so that they will be off the hook to fix it ( at their cost). This problem cannot be fixed by changing the rings with standard size rings, but with changing the short block with a motor that has been assembled with parts that meet the correct specifications. I have had this done and now it appears that the oil consumption has been solved. This process had taken a little more than a year to complete, ( oil test and decision by Isuzu to fix it) but the results are that I have a normal vehicle again and it is no longer the "oil consumption" project it once was.

In hindsight, it's funny ( in a sick kind of way) that the advice that my dealer's service adviser gave me when I innitially complained about the oil consumption over three years was, "trade the vehicle off to solve the problem" and taked about others that have. Now knowing that he meant, trade it in so that someone else can buy it not knowing the oil consumption problem, run it out of oil on the highway and blow the motor as so many have. Results being more business for Isuzu, and less warranty expense.

With that said, I don't think the $100.00 service is going to do it. If you have any warranty left, start the oil consumption test! If you start it before your warranty is up, you are covered till it is solved. When they finnally fixed my Trooper, I was both over the time and mileage of the warranty, but because this complaint was registered before, it was covered. Like you, I'm the second owner.

Good luck, and don't take no for an answer.

Patrick

[LEM]

Alas the vehicle is well out of warranty. If it were an intrinsic issue with the engine, the problem would have been there from day one, but it wasn't. I've only started to notice it in the last 8 months or so and we have had the vehicle since 2001. I do notice a black coating on the tailpipe which would indicate oil in the exhaust. I may try the BG service first and see what happens. Like I said, the Trooper ran well for about 3 years with what I would coinsider normal oil consumption.

Thanks for the feedback.

[pr99trooper]

Hi LEM,

Everything you say is true. Oil consumption isn't a problem in the beginning, because the rings are doing their job. The problem is that after 40-80K the problems begins to creep-up. If you do a lot of highway driving or towing, the problem presents it's self quicker. I went to the trouble of downloading the workshop manual from the Russian website, and in there it lists the specific measurements of cylinder sizes, piston sizes and grades and corresponding ring grades and the acceptable ranges to match them up. With this knowledge, the dealer could not hide the results of an independant machine shop, that 5 of the six cylinders were too oversized for the pistons and rings used. In fact, before they made the decision to replace the motor, Isuzu made the dealer look for suitable pistons and rings (oversized) to rebuild the motor, but none were available. This was a problem that was admitted to on several occasions by the dealer. The rings cannot compensate for a too large of a gap between the piston and the cylinder wall, resulting in premature ring failure. Like I said before, if you work the motor hard, it will show the signs sooner. The signs being, increase in oil consumption, you find the oil turns black prematurely, noticable blackblack soot on the tail pipe, after highway driving the vehicle has a burnt oil smell to it, very noticeable in the garage. I have been tracking the oil consumption for the last 3 years, and found it to vary considerably. Generally it was worst in the winter, while towing, high speed highway driving, or driving on the highway on a windy day.
In my opinion, changing the rings would buy you time, replacing the short block fixes the problem.
Have you talked to you dealer about oil comsumption prior to the warranty going out?
Reason being if you push Isuzu, they may cover half the cost. It works out to paying the wholesale amount for a new motor.
The other option is to do nothing and to keep pouring oil into your motor and make sure that it does not run low. Out of habit, I always have 2 spare quarts in the back.
Good luck,
Patrick

[rudedog_9]

Hello,

I just completed a BG service to my engine. I purchased the 2-part cleaning system. The first part you run in your engine for 15 minutes before your oil change, then the second part you put in your engine to keep cleaning it. The BG stuff cost me $14.95 for the treatment. I had my local repair guy to the oil change about 500 miles ago. My 1999 Trooper uses 1 quart every 500 miles with 85,000 on the engine. I am almost tempted to run it out of oil and let it blow up so I can get insurance money for it. In any case, I thought I noticed that it was using less oil after the cleaning, but seems to be using again. I think it depends on the driving conditions as stated in previous comments. I know the dealer said that BG products work best, and may take up to 2 or 3 treatments before they work completely. So I am crossing my fingers and hoping it works for me.

Terry

[pr99trooper]

Hi Terry,

Prior to getting Isuzu to give the go ahead to tear my motor apart to figure out what was wrong, they required that I do as you have done, a decarb treatment. All what this did, was increase the oil consumption. As in my case, the rings were undersized for the cylinder wall, and were guaranteed to fail. No amount of oil treatment will correct this.
Blowing up your motor will only put you in a place where you will not want to be. I would work with your local dealer to see if anything can be done ( ie short block replacement) with Isuzu picking up half the costs, which would be better than nothing.

Patrick

[edrhathaway]

Hi All...well, it's like looking into a mirror...i have all these same problems. I have no warranty...so my only question is how to get a another engine? I've searched online and found places to get one...BUT, how do I know these aren't going to have this same problem? Any ideas?

[ottomurray]

Wow - this all SUCKS!!! My Trooper is also in an OIL consuming gas guzzler and gulping it like water. It seems like if this were a known issue that Isuzu would at least issue a recall to fix the damn problem - expecially something key like the FREAKIN ENGINE! All I can say is that when my Trooper dies - I will boycott Isuzu and tell all my friends too! Sad - and to think my previous Trooper (1988) went for 240K. I hate cars!!!

[Superskeet]

I had the same problem with both of my '99 Troopers, using about a quart every 500 miles. I tried every additive I read about on other forums and nothing worked. Checked the PVC and ERG systems and that didn't help. Then I found this additive at WalMart called CD2 Oil Detergent that only costs $2.97 a bottle. After only using it for about 3000 miles my oil consumption problem has just about gone away. It's now using about a quart every 1500 miles. I highly recommend trying this!!

[mlingk]

I've tried Auto-RX that is supposed to clean everything out. Seems to help a little, but not too much. I'm currently trying to run a heaver oil 15-50 to see if it helps. What weight are you running with that CD2 stuff?