auto-trans dip stick?

It's right behing the oil dipstick. it has a latch on it (i assume to keep some sort of pressure in the system??) and just BARELY looks like a dipstick.

Chuck Burns

I thought the 99 Rodeo's were like the Troopers in that there wasn't a dipstick for the auto trans........guess I was wrong.....DOH!

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-- Curtis Newton snipped-for-privacy@remove-me.akaMail.com

ICQ: 4899169

I've looked in the engine compartment of several model-year Rodeo's, and if I recall correctly, the dipstick is where I said on the 99s, but I *might* be wrong, and confusing it with a slightly earlier model.

I *do* know for a fact that my 95.5 Rodeo does have the dipstick. And I've never seen an automatic transmission that didn't. Manual's yes.. automatics, no..

Chuck Burns

The 1998 and newer Isuzu Rodeos and Amigos do not have a tranny dipstick. I have never seen one that did. While I agree this is unusual it is true!! Similar to manual trannys the auto tranny's have 2 plugs, one for drain and one for fill.

So.. how do you check the level? is that done with electronics now? and lights up a warning light if the level drops too low?

Chuck

I was basing my guess about the Rodeo on the Trooper; it doesn't have a dipstick for the auto tranny.

And yes, it is done via electronics....even tells you when you need to replace it.

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-- Curtis Newton snipped-for-privacy@remove-me.akaMail.com

ICQ: 4899169

You check it just like a manual tranny. Crawl underneath and remove the fill plug. Level should be just to the lip. Electronics do warn if its low, hot etc. but I do not rely on lights myself.

But you do rely on lights without ever knowing it. How else would you tell if your tranny cooler pipe burst? By waiting for a terminal tranny fry-up? If it hasn't happened yet, just be grateful that if it should, those nanny-lights will warn you just in time.

Huw

Thats true but quite often by the time an idiot light comes on its too late. Most engines will make a ton of lifter noise long before the oil pressure idiot light comes on. I'd imagine about the time your tranny is overheated and about fried the tranny light will come on. I have a tranny temp gage. If there is a leak then the volume of fluid will decrease causing it to heat up. I can see that trend happening prior to it empting all the fluid out.

No they won't because if the light ain't on then pressure ain't down........simple.

I'd imagine about the time your tranny is

decrease

That's if you happen to read the gauge in time. Also true of some lights, but the better warning systems light a dedicated warning plus a large flashing red light with an exclamation mark which can hardly be missed. The very best have this linked with a chime. These are not fitted to my Trooper it must be said :-(

Huw

LOL....define pressure ain't down. I have yet to see a sensor turn the light on at anything except extremely low pressure. Well below the point at which lifters start making racket. This dates back since idiot lights were put on dashes decades ago. Nothing new.

Thats why they call them idiot lights. For those that won't watch whats going on. The lights are a last resort and I'll say again that they are not a good source to prevent major engine damage. They might, they might not.

Talk to anyone who tows reguarly. Most will install a tranny temp gage so they can be alerted to a rising temp trend long before any light or chime goes off.

That is unusual. Most of my 4 or 5 qt vehicles won't come on until the engines 2 to 3 qts low. Not until the sump starts picking up air. By then its too late.

I don't agree. I have had a number of vehicles where the light would flicker at idle after high mileage [when hot] and some that would light the light if oil was lowish and the vehicle was braked hard, with no ill effect and over many years. The pump can pick up air with the engine at high speed and as long as it is immediately stopped when the light comes on then there will be no quantifiable ill effect. If the light was not noticed straight off, or if the engine was run a mile or so with no oil pressure, then damage will occur. It is probable that in many incidents where the engine has suffered damage, that the light went un-noticed until physical symptoms caused the driver to look at the dash, by which time it was too late and where, as a consequence, the driver would swear blind that they stopped absolutely immediately when the light came on. This is why a large blinking light, ideally linked to a chime, is ideal.

Huw

I have and do run several old engines where the pressure light flickers alarmingly at engine idle after hard work. Not unusual and seldom a problem. It is especially common where oils such as 5w/20 or light synthetic oils are used. If memory serves me correctly there may even be a warning about this occurance on more than one oil company web site along with the comment that it is quite normal.

I tow huge loads of up to 4.5 tons behind my cars over long distances and run wheeled and tracked plant equipment. Next to no one hereabouts installs transmission temperature gauges on their automatics and indeed I have never seen one fitted retrospectively to a road vehicle. Almost all automatics here are fitted as standard with coolers because heavy towing is far more common in Europe than the US. Certainly some of my cars do heat their engine oil when towing, often resulting in low oil pressure when returned to idle. It is also true that one particular car would take over 10 seconds to build oil pressure and extinguish its idiot light when starting from cold with its nose pointing slightly uphill, from new. Although I would mostly make a point of parking it level or nose down, others didn't, but it never missed a beat or suffered any measurable wear in the 120 odd thousand miles I ran it.

Huw

In all the vehicles I and my family have owned I have not once seen the situation you describe. Why do you think for decades those lights have been known as idiot lights? Why do you think for the past decade + many autos have guages in addition to the lights? I'll take the guages any day. I can spot a bad trend long before any light or chime ever goes off. I will never tow a trailer without an engine and tranny temp guage. No light will suffice. Water temp idiot light is a great example. With a guage I can see the temp rising and take corrective action long before any light would ever come on. I can downshift, slow down, turn the heater on etc. and watch the guage. I prefer to have more info at my disposal.

If that is true then all the more support that idiot lights are justifiably named and about worthless except as a last resort warning. Gimme a guage!

What car do you drive and tow 9000lbs? That is pretty rare in the USA and not very wise. For that kind of a load a 3/4 ton tow vehicle is typical here. If you have not seen a road vehicle fitted with a tranny temp guage then I'd have to say, you are in the minority in comparison to those who tow in the USA.

That is simply not true at all. 3/4 and 1 ton Trucks and SUV's used for towing FAR outsell anything of the sort in Europe. Large camping RV's are not nearly as common in Europe. Not even close. Most people in the USA that tow reguarly buy a truck or SUV with a tow package as an option. That option will include a tranny cooler. If they do not buy that as an option they are widely sold as an aftermarket item. More and more auto makers in the USA are including tranny coolers as standard equipment on trucks and SUV's. It is cheaper for them to put that in then try to warranty overheated trannys.

company

warning.

It would just worry you as the needle edged down near the bottom end :-) The main trouble with a gauge is that it would likely need to be within line of sight above the steering wheel to be noticed in time or would need to be linked to a warning light and chime, which defeats the object somewhat. I have an engine oil pressure gauge on two or three of my cars and would certainly not notice if pressure failed from observation [or lack ] of the gauge. Of course, in practice, all have idiot lights fitted as well as the gauges and one also has a chime and a written lit warning in large letters come up in the instrument panel.

distances

hereabouts

vehicle.

There are very few pick up trucks here rated for only 3/4 ton. I have Land Rover, Land Cruiser 100, Isuzu Trooper and Nissan Terrano and BMW X5 in my ownership at present though I have owned and towed with various Range Rover, Discovery, Mitsubishi and Daihatsu.

4.5 tons is not quite legal and I generally limit the Isuzu to 3.5 tons or slightly over. This morning it towed just over 3 tons on a 40 mile journey. This is typical of the type of journey and load most of this type of vehicle are used for on a regular basis in this part of the World [UK].

If you have not seen a road vehicle fitted with a tranny temp guage

Most tow for leisure in the US AFAICS and generally with less load and with vehicles which, for some reason, seem not to be factory specced for towing. All SUV's available here have transmission oil coolers fitted as standard.

Yet if you visit the UK you will find a higher proportion of vehicles towing than in most parts. This is not generally true of Cities of course. It is mainly a result of a small scale rural economy where large trucks are not economic for the majority of businesses. Almost every small farm, builder and merchant will have a trailer of some kind, if not several, to tow behind one or more vehicle. Lets not even start debating every other car on our motorways and holiday routes which tow camper vans during the Summer.

Large camping RV's are

That is true but towed vans are another story.

Most people in the USA

option.

Apart from the actual hitch, all SUV's sold here have coolers etc for towing. Tranny cooler is fitted as standard even though we generally have a cooler climate.

This is not a problem here on any vehicle likely to tow a heavy load.

Huw

Last time I checked, my Rodeo was rated 4500lbs WITH the load-balancing hitch. I have a 3.2L V6.. Same size engine as the trooper of the same year. My uncle has a Ford F-350 CrewCab with a 7.0L Turbo Diesel, that has a 15,000lb towing capacity. That is just under 8 tons. If you're pulling 9,000lbs with ANY of those vehicles you listed, then you likely have a death wish, and if you did so in the US, you would get pulled over, and given a significant fine in most states.

And as far as vehicle weight goes.. The 1995 Isuzu Rodeo 4x4 with a 3.2L V6 has an average curb weight of 3,800lbs.. or just over 2 tons. The Mitsubishi SUV is about 1000lbs lighter, as is the Nissan. Haven't checked the specs on the beamer, but my guess is, it's also quite light. The Land Rover is also a little lighter than the Rodeo.

As far as economics go? My grandparents bought a 2004 Ford F-150 pickup truck with a V8, automatic, towing package, etc.. For less than $18,000 US, and it has a towing capacity of 8500 lbs. or 4.25 tons. AND it costs less than half as much as that BMW X5, and is less expensive than any of those vehicles you listed. So if you're buying $30,000+ SUVs to tow trailers etc, then *you* might want to re-evaluate the economics of the situation.

Chuck Burns