Holden Rodeo Diesel Problems

There are a number of LPG systems available for diesels, but they’re different from those we’re used to on petrol engines. In the case of the diesel system an amount of LPG is substituted for diesel, the engine never runs on LPG alone, and the effect of that is to increase power. The idea is then that you back off the throttle and save on fuel, but some people make full use of the extra power and can suffer engine failures as a result. I would urge caution and certainly urge you to talk to other owners who have done the same conversion you are considering to get their experience. It’s also crucial to have an experienced installer do the work on your car.

Holden's service people say the problem was fixed with the introduction of a new seal last year. Holden's response was: "Vehicles undergo a continuous cycle of product development." To this end, the O-ring on the Jackaroo Turbo Diesel model was revised, and last year a procedure was developed in order to allow fitting of such by Holden retailers, as required. "To our knowledge completion of this replacement has resolved any issue." If you have had the new seal fitted and are not satisfied it has fixed the problem I recommend you return to the dealer and register your complaint.

Seeking the help of a diesel engine mechanic is a good idea, they often have greater expertise on diesel engines than mainstream dealers and can make repairs at a lower cost to you.

Yes, like the vast majority of dual-cab utes sold in Australia, the Holden Rodeo was indeed built in Thailand, at the Isuzu plant (the Rodeo was an Isuzu D-Max under the skin apart from the petrol V6 version which used a Holden-made engine). But diesel Rodeos used the Isuzu 4JJ1 four-cylinder diesel which used a timing chain rather than a rubber toothed timing belt. As such, the chain should be good for the life of the engine.

That's not just bad fuel economy, it's bloody appalling. It would appear to be running very rich from your description, so I would fit an oxygen sensor if it doesn't have one. If it does it would appear that it's not working.

The 3.5-litre Rodeo uses more fuel. I recommend the Toyota. Consider a diesel if you are concerned about fuel economy.

Let’s start with the basics here. Is your vehicle a petrol- or diesel-engined Rodeo? If it’s the former, you may have disturbed the wiring when changing the filter. So go back and check all the connections. If you can’t hear the pump whirring when you turn on the ignition, then you either have a fuse or wiring problem or the pump itself has died.

It’s pretty common for this to happen and most electric fuel pumps have a lifespan of something like 100,000km. But this can be a lot shorter if the car has ever been filled with contaminated fuel.

If your Rodeo is a diesel, there’s a chance it will need to be primed before it will restart after a filter change. That is, it needs to have any air in the fuel system removed before it will run. Locate the fuel filter in the engine bay, and you should see a small plunger at the top. With everything refitted, you can manually push on this plunger to prime the pump and remove any air. All things being equal, the engine should then start and run.

Speaking of back to basics, make sure you haven’t installed the new fuel filter the wrong way around. These only flow in one direction and installing it backwards will not allow the fuel to flow from the tank to the engine.

It would be possible, but I wouldn’t recommend doing it, as there’s too much work required. I would recommend converting it to LPG, you’ll get the savings and it won’t cost you anything like as much. Use a good quality sequential LPG injection system, and check the general condition of the engine before making the conversion.

IT DEPENDS what you regard as incredibly thirsty. Four-wheel-drives tend to be thirsty. They're heavy and have to drag all that extra four-wheel-drive gear around, and the Rodeo's petrol V6 is a 3.5-litre unit. If fuel consumption is a key consideration for you, try a diesel. Fuel consumption will be much lower, and you won't lose too much performance.