Isuzu Trooper Owners Club UK™

apf · * Joined: 22 Oct 2003 Posts: 23

Please can anyone give me some help/advice? I’ve recently purchased 1996 3.1TD Duty which seems to run very well. I have just changed the oil and filter and want to know if it’s normal for the new oil to go black pretty much straight away. Please excuse my ignorance, but I have never owned a diesel before.

Also, I’m intrigued by the instructions in the Handbook for the draining of the Water Separator. The warning light on the dash does not stay on, but I’d like to be able to drain it anyway. The Handbook says:-

1. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.

2. Open the engine hood and place a container (Approximately 0.2 liter capacity) at the end of the vinyl hose beneath the drain plug on the separator.

3. Loosen the drain plug by turning it counterclockwise (Approximately 5 turns) and operate the priming pump up and down about 10 times until water is drained approximately 0.1 liter.

4. After draining, securely tighten the drain plug by turning it clockwise and operate the priming pump manually up and down several times.

5. After starting the engine, check to see that there is no fuel leak from the drain plug.

Also check to see that the fuel filter water indicator light has turned off.....

The problem is, everything is packed in pretty tight with the pipes around too and there is no way I can even see the bottom of the separator, let alone get a hand and fingers under it to loosen anything. How you’re supposed to get a container in there is beyond me.

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Jo Sharp · * Joined: 21 Nov 2003 Posts: 29 Location: Wiltshire

Best way is to remove the unit from the mounting bracket - it is secured by two bolts.

Once it is free you can lift it up without disconnecting the pipes and easily get to the water drain valve at the base.
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Jo

JohnN · * Joined: 15 Jun 2003 Posts: 26 Location: London

Any diesel engine will corrupt it's oil pretty quickly. When you drain the oil a very small amount remains in the engine. Remember to use high quality diesel specific oil in the 3.1 and to change it AND the filter regularly. Every 3000m is great but never more than 5000m really. With this level of care the engine should be capable of immensely high mileage.