Isuzu Problems

My initial thought is that 11 or 12 litres per 100km for an overall average is about what I would have expected. These are not small cars, they’re not light and they have fairly ordinary aerodynamics.

What you need to keep in mind is that the official fuel consumption figure is a number achieved on a very specific test cycle that in no way approximates a real-world experience. Car makers go to great lengths to nail a good number on these tests (for marketing purposes) often at the expense of real-world fuel economy. Yes, it does seem crazy, doesn’t it?

You also mentioned you use your car mostly for high-speed driving. What’s your definition of high speed? Thanks to the aerodynamics of vehicles like the MU-X an extra 10km/h at freeway speeds can have a huge effect on economy. Even removing a roof-rack when you’re not using it can save a litre per 100km.

Every all-new MY21 Isuzu D-Max and select current versions of the Amarok and Ranger offer a 3500kg towing capacity maximum - namely all Amarok V6 autos and all Rangers EXCEPT the 4x2 XL Single Cab Chassis Low-Rider 2.2 Diesel at the bottom of the Ford range, and the 4x4 Raptor Double Cab Pick-Up 2.0L Diesel at the very top (they're both 2500kg).

Least torquey is the D-Max at 450Nm, followed by the Ranger (2.2L 4-cyl: 385Nm, 3.2L 5-cyl: 470Nm and 2.0L twin-turbo 4-cyl: 500Nm) and Amarok (550Nm to 580Nm), meaning the Amarok will probably be the least challenged towing a 2.8-tonne caravan. But all three should suffice.

Please note, however, that Gross Combined Mass (GCM) tallies means that there are other weight factors that need to be considered before safely towing a 2.8-tonne caravan, even with a 3500kg ute. These include things like the ute's payload, heavy bull bars, sports bars and side steps, canopies and even the number of people travelling inside. And of course, a fully-equipped and laden caravan can easily exceed the stated tare mass.

We hope this helps.   

If the new clutch helped the vehicle climb hills, then I dare say that was money well spent. As for noises from the engine under load, I’m afraid that’s a job for somebody on the spot who can listen to the vehicle and make an assessment. The noise could be major internal problems or it could be something as simple as a loose heat shield under the car. Even a loose or worn engine mount can create all sorts of mysterious and expensive-sounding noises and rattles.

Don’t forget, your vehicle came with a five-year factory warranty, so a major failure that is not the result of mis-use or general wear and tear (provided the vehicle has travelled less than 130,000km) is still covered by Isuzu.

Blowing a major fuse suggests that your car has suffered a short-circuit somewhere within its kilometres of wiring. But a modern vehicle like your Isuzu will also have fuses protecting the various systems it needs to operate, so there’s a chance there’s a second fuse that protects the stereo system that has also blown when the problem occurred. Your owner’s manual should be able to identify the locations of the car’s various fuses. Don’t forget to replace them with a fuse of the correct amperage or you could cause more damage if the fuse ever needs to act as a circuit-breaker again (which is exactly the fuse’s role).

The other possibility is that the stereo unit itself has an internal fuse. Check around the rear of the unit (usually where the wiring for the speakers exits the stereo) and you might be able to locate the fuse in question. This is often the case in aftermarket stereo systems.

The first thought here is that you’re dealing with a dodgy throttle-position sensor or some other sensor that is giving the on-board computer a reason not to exceed 2500rpm. Or tricking the computer into thinking that the engine is spinning faster than it really is. Have you had the vehicle scanned? It’s a cheap way of reducing a lot of the guesswork in a case like this.

Like any engine, of course, a turbo-diesel won’t rev beyond the speed that the fuel supply can support. You say you’ve changed the fuel filter, but have you checked the pump pressure and the fuel-delivery rate? A problem with the pump or fuel lines could easily produce the symptoms you have. You could even have a blocked fuel pick-up in the tank.

The other problem with modern turbo-diesels is that they are prone to clogging their intake systems with a black gunk that is a by-product of soot and oil mist from the vehicle’s exhaust-gas recirculation and crankcase-ventilation systems respectively. This black, ooze can sometimes almost completely block the intake path for air entering the engine and will cause all sorts of dramas, including the one you’re seeing.

The D-Max is pretty well regarded in the trade for its ability to go the distance, but modern, common-rail diesel technology has shown that a vehicle with fewer kilometres is usually a better bet than one with more. Although they do an amazing job in terms of power, torque, towing and fuel economy, today’s turbo-diesels are pretty highly strung in some ways and really need their maintenance. And the older they get, the more attention they seem to need in terms of new injectors, filters and pumps.

A D-Max with those kilometres might be ready for a pretty big (and expensive) service, too, so make sure your first trip in it isn’t going to be to a workshop. Ultimately, price, condition and service history should steer your decision as they should in any second-hand vehicle purchase. I’d take a vehicle with 150,000km with a full service history over a 60,000km one with no service records.

Any time you have a fuse blowing consistently, you have an electrical problem. Either the circuit involved in lighting the indicator letters and shifting the vehicle into Park (modern transmissions use electronic actuators extensively) is shorting out or being overloaded, and that’s causing the fuse to blow as an alternative to the wiring melting and setting fire to something.

If it’s a new vehicle, though, it’s covered under the factory warranty, so a trip to the dealership should put it right at no cost to you. It could be a pinched wire, a poor earth, or a fault in the electronic control system. Either way, it’s Isuzu’s problem.

This topic has been a red-hot one for many years now. It seems a lot of car-makers can’t seem to get it right when it comes to specifying a Bluetooth system that will work for Australian customers. Toyota had all sorts of crazy issues with the Bluetooth in its vehicles of a few years ago, although recent experience suggests that is now sorted.

I’ve not heard of the Isuzu D-Max as a problem child specifically, but it doesn’t surprise me to hear that you’re having difficulties. There’s a theory that some Bluetooth systems simply don’t play well with some makes and models of phones, and that could be what’s happening to you. A quick check would be to find a friend with an iPhone and see if that will work better in your car. That would at least rule out a blanket problem with the unit in your car.

When the new D-Max arrived in 2020, the big improvements included a step up in standard equipment and a big leap forward in refinement and ride quality. The engine and driveline, however, was carried over from the previous model, so performance and driveability were similar.

With that in mind, you can probably expect the all-new MU-X to offer a similar hike in standard equipment terms. But unlike the D-Max with its rear leaf springs, the MU-X already features coil springs all around, so there may not be quite the same boost to refinement or ride quality. That said, it’s unlikely Isuzu would go backwards in this department. If you can live without the creature comforts, then a run-out deal on the old model seems like a pretty good idea. It really all depends on how much importance you place on having the latest and greatest.

To get a vehicle with meaningful (as opposed to a theoretical) towing ability of 2.5 tonnes, you really need to shop for a relatively late-model dual-cab 4X4 ute. The reason for that is that many vehicles that claim a 2.5-tonne limit in the brochure fail to explain that there’s also a Gross Vehicle Combination Mass in play and, by the time you’ve added passengers, gear and a full tank of fuel to the towing vehicle, there might not be much of that GCM to devote to a towed load.

Going for a vehicle with 3000kg or even 35000kg towing capacity in the first place is a good way to ensure you do accidentally start driving around in an overloaded vehicle with all the legal and insurance connotations that involves.

A lot of the current shape dual-cab utes fall within your budget on a second-hand basis, but there are caveats. Make sure you only buy a ute with a full service history. Some of these vehicles were worked hard by their original owners, so be very careful before handing over the cash. Avoid ex-mine fleet vehicles and don’t be afraid to buy a base-model vehicle if it offers better value. Even a single-cab version of these utes will be a lot cheaper than the dual-cab and, if you don’t need the rear seat, are often a more practical solution. Makes and models include the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Mazda BT50, Mitsubishi Triton and Isuzu D-Max. For real value for money, vehicles like the Ssangyong Musso can tow 3.5 tonnes, are well equipped and can be had for less than $35,000 drive-away, brand-new. That also gets you a seven-year factory warranty. All of these options are available with the automatic transmission you want and, indeed, this is the best option for a tow vehicle.