31st Jul 2003, 15:50

We have a used 1995 isuzu rodeo 4wd.Since we bought it from the used car dealer I've noticed a lot of valve area ticking, oil in the sparkplug holes, driver window won't always roll up, it turns over a lengthy time to get it to start and excessive oil consumption. Other than that I like the ride. I think if they would have put a better engine in them for longevity it would have helped us all!

11th Aug 2003, 07:36

I also have had the ticking noise when I start my Rodeo. I've also had an issue of a "scraping" noise underneath the vehicle after the has started. Then, when I turn the truck off, it sounds like something is still trying to turn the engine.

You should also take care when inspecting the brake rotors. The inside of the rotors tend to wear much more quickly than the outside of the rotors.

22nd Aug 2003, 20:59

I have a 98 Rodeo 4WD and I have that topping noise when I accelarate from 1500 RPM to about 1900 RPM and I don't know what that is? It only happen when engine is hot, when it's cold it is quiet as a mouse. Any idea what that is? I love this truck and I hate to get rid of it.

25th Aug 2003, 10:20

I have a 1995 Rodeo Isuzu. It has been a great car for us. Just recently we have had a problem with our "Check Transmission" light coming on. This happens when driving on the highway. When this happens the car cannot shift itself, but will shift if you do it manually. It runs fine then. Once the car stops and is restarted it is fine. Driving around town it is fine. (Has only happened 3 times, I rarely do highway driving.) At the dealer there was no signal from the computer indicating a transmission problem. He did say there was a loose wire and said he tightened that. He also suggested that we change the transmission fluid. Stating that this may help and then again might make the problem worse. a cost of around $400. Any suggestions. I would not want to do this unless it will fix the problem. Please help. Thank you. Marguerite.

13th Sep 2003, 11:20

What is the U/S light that pops up on my 1995 Isuzu Rodeo? How can it be fixed, if it needs repair.

15th Sep 2003, 12:00

My daughter bought a used 1995 Isuzu Rodeo 4wd automatic with 109,000 miles, now has 115,000, and it has that ticking noise which we have been told are the lifters, or she needs a new or rebuilt engine. It also uses oil excessively, is hard to start and is missing the hood latch. Any idea where to purchase another one? I have seen several people indicate that their isuzu's make a ticking noise and you live with it, but do you know if something is really wrong and what needs to be fixed? Anyone out there, please..help...Melissa and Lynn in Houston.

19th Oct 2003, 16:12

I have had my 95 rodeo for three years now and it has been a love hate affair. You have to love the room,the look like a real SUV, and the ride is not too bad. The down side is of course the dreaded "tick" not even slick 50 will keep it quiet. I live in the northeast and this vehichle does not respond well to the changing temperatures. I am now having a problem with the timimg, the belt was just recently replaced, and it's still off. Also let me add power locks, wind noise, and rattling. love the look, but only makes a good second car.

20th Oct 2003, 09:40

I bought my 95 1/2 4WD Rodeo in 95 because the price was right and it is the best car deal I ever made. Yes, it has the tick, but only noticeable at idle. It is also tough on brakes, but they are cheap. It has outlasted the wife's Jeep, Chev Venture and Chrysler Voyager and is still going strong. I've overheated the clutch several times in the snow, blown front tires from road obstacles on the interstate doing 70 mph without losing control, took a deer through the grill, and wouldn't trade it for anything. It does burn oil, but only when the oil is due for replacement. It doesn't like dirty oil. The only problem I have is that it has an intermittent miss at low RPM under light load which is annoying and requires more down shifting than I used to do. Any ideas on that would be appreciated. It is the cheapest car per mile that I have ever owned. Bob H.

26th Dec 2003, 11:11

I have a 95 Rodeo I just bought about 4 months ago.. Yep it has the tick.. but I've gotten used to it.. and also the oil leak..my dad has been looking at it and checking it.. but he can't quite tell where its coming from anyone figure this out yet?Thanks! Also email me at Aniyo83@aol.com if you know!

4th Jan 2004, 03:43

As far as the clicking while trying to start. This is caused by the poor design of the starter solenoid. The contacts wear down and stop making contact. The solenoid and starter are one piece and have to be replaced as one expensive unit. If you are very creative it can be fixed. I opened up the solenoid and welded new material on the contacts.

The oil in the spark plug holes are because of the plug tubes that are pressed into the head are too short. The tubes need to be pulled and new one pressed into the head $$$. Not a recall, but there is a service bulletin for this. I used a product called Honda bond which is just a silicon sealant, but a very good one. Just spread it around the top of the tubes where they meet the valve cover. That took care of my leaks and stopped burning out the plug wires, causing the engine to miss.

Now if anyone has a definitive answer for the gas, brake, and battery light coming on and the heater blower not working, that would be great. The alternator was pulled and checked on a machine, worked fine, battery switched and still nothing. The alternator just does not charge while in the car. The alternator will only charge at whatever the battery level is at. Meaning if the battery is at 10.4 volts it will stay about there with the car running not changing much at all.

This is just a small number of thing we have had go wrong with my wifes 95 Rodeo V6. Very fun car, but lots of problems. In the five years she has owed it she has been left stranded seven times. I have to go get her in a 79 Chevy blazer that has never left me stranded in the six years I have owned it. This should not happen.

Any Ideas Send to susanharkleroad@juno.com.