Trouble starting, idling high

I have a 1998 2 wheel drive v6 Rodeo. I know very little about cars, but I've been doing my best to learn about Rodeos through this forum and others like it. Anyway, it has about 90,000 miles on it, and I've taken decent care of it, though it has been in a few minor wrecks.

First of all, this could be totally unrelated, but from the time the car was new, I've always found that the engine occationally surges with power at inappropriate times (like when I'm rolling to a stop, when I'm nearly stopped, instead of being able to release the brakes a bit, it surges and I have to push even harder), but no mechanic, nor the dealership, has ever found anything wrong in this reguard.

A couple of months ago, I started experiencing about 1500 RPMs when in park, after driving around for a while. Or sometimes at red lights, the engine sounding like it was really revving (although I don't remember what the RPMs were doing), and occationally if I pumped the accelorator a couple of times, it would go even higher but then settle down to normal after.

And then just in the last few weeks, its been taking increasingly longer to start, each day getting a little bit worse. Now when I turn the key, it has to try for up to 15 seconds before starting.

I've read a lot about the EGR valve problems, and with it people seemed to be stalling and having a hard time starting, but not having a hard time starting and getting too much idle power like I am. If it is the EGR, does anyone have a picture of where it is? I'd like to get in there and replace it (or clean it?) myself.

I'd like to save money where possible, but I'd also like to keep this thing running for as long as possible, so I'll spend what I have to, and where possible, do it myself. Oh yeah, one other question, is there a repair manual for this car? I have looked in a couple auto parts stores, and checked the online card catalogue for my local library, but so far I have not found one for a 98 Rodeo.

Thanks in advance! Please let me know if there is any other information that would be helpful in diagnosing my car problems.

your first problem sounds like a classic intake manafold gasket problem.

http://www.geocities.com/endre_rl/isuzufaq.htm#faq5

You can do it yourself (parts cost under 40 bucks), or take it to the dealer and they will do it for about 300.00

your second problem could be a plugged fuel filter. Since you add gas additive at 70k for the first time you may of dislodged some junk in the tank. Again, the part costs about 15 bucks and you can change it out yourself in about 30 minutes.

-Ryan

your first problem sounds like a classic intake manafold gasket problem.

http://www.geocities.com/endre_rl/isuzufaq.htm#faq5


Thanks Ryan, I still have a couple more questions. Everything I read about the intake manafold gasket problem says the truck tends to stall out, but my car runs strong -- very strong; it often idles too high at stop lights, or when I put it in park. Does that still sound like the intake manafold gasket problem to you?

A guy at autozone suggested that there could be an air intake sensor that is clogged or faulty? How does that sound to you?

Thanks again.

Well, It could be the brake booster switch, which I think I read here before that you can just unplug with any problems (I don't know where it is located at).

The only thing that could be dirty on your intake is the MAF. If you you are running a K&N oiled type of air filter it can cause the MAF to get oily.

I would take it to Isuzu and asked them to plug their Scan Tool in and take it for a spin. They will beable to tell you right away if there is a missfire in the engine caused by a bad manafold gasket. Cost should be about 50 bucks.

-Ryan

I had something similar, wouldn't start and got increasingly worse until it wouldn't start at all. Once driving it was fine, then check engine light came on and thats all she wrote. Idle wouldn't stay high and it would die. It turned out to be the idle control valve. Mine works now.
Dealer: $200 parts/labor. Hope that does it.

Desmond