I regularly see people on these boards advise prospective Isuzu buyers that Isuzus often burn oil etc. While this is certainly a possibility for 98-2000 3.5Ls with the inadequate ring design, I think this is overblown for Isuzus in general.

For example, I just checked my oil after getting back from Moab - in about 2700 miles of 75+ mph highway miles and over 100 miles of extreme angle wheeling, my Trooper burned about 2/3 quart of oil. This is a vehicle with 115K miles, using 5W30 Mobil One.

Which also, BTW, should put to rest concerns about switching to synthetic on an older engine. They like it just fine. No leaks, no burning. It had 108K when I bought it and switched to Mobil One. And same for my 97 Tahoe, had 81K when I bought it, switched to Mobil One with no leaking or consumption problems.

Granted, a sample size of one or two vehicles is not definitive (I guess I could also throw my old 99 Trooper into the mix, it didn't burn oil before it got totaled, but it only had 65K on it), but I just think a simple [color:"brown"]"check your oil"[/color] is sufficient, and never bad advice anyway.

What was my point again?? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/drunk.gif" alt="" />

Amen -- it is the nature of things that most of the people who have no issues will go blissfully along, NOT posting about it... and folks who do have problems will post the heck out of it. :shrug:

Gotta take the internet with a grain of salt -- sometimes a whole 40-lb salt lick.

Randii

Fixed it for ya... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Actually 92-97 3.2's are well know for the ticking noise - another lubrication issue - while 98-02 for oil burning - either way not a good rap.

I was lucky in that my 93 Amigo didn't burn oil at all, until about 160k (IIRC)
THen it went to a quart every 1k, and settled in at a quart every 500 miles.
Now I don't drive it much since that much oil screws up the catalytic converter.

THe 2004 runs Mobile 1 and burns no oil.

that's the SOHCs, not the DOHCs.

my 3.2 doesn't burn any oil between changes, with 190K miles and Mobil 1 since I bought it at 158K. It did just spring a valve cover leak again, tho. grrrr!

I just switched over to Shell Rotella T 15W-40. We shall see what happens.

I droped the mobil one cause I was sucking it down in a DOHC 2nd gen rodeo. I might as well not even have done an oil change. I am doing much better though now that I have switched back to 10w 30 valvoline max life and a pureone filter

My 96 burns oil far faster than I think is acceptable, but within Isuzu guidelines. The secret, as stated above is to check it once a week and after long highspeed trips. I never had a problem and a quart of oil is cheap. The '04 doesn't have the same problem.

- Jim

And there will be *some* Isuzus that burn oil. My point was just that, other than specific known design issues with the first few years of the 3.5L, it is not a general trend, any more than other comparable vehicles.