Back-ordered OEM parts

[VehiGAZ]

Hey all,

Well, I'm approaching the 3-weeks-in-the-shop mark as we wait for a differential part that is on back-order. My service writer said the parts manager doesn't know when it will come in, and Isuzu is not e-mailing back to tell them when it will be available, either, so I literally don't know if it's going to be days, weeks, or months before I get my VX back. I'm so frustrated that I'm looking at early-90's Porsche 928s and thinking one would be a nice, reliable ride in comparison!!

I vaguely recall someone posting that they needed some unavailable part, and Isuzu made a new one in a factory in Japan and shipped it to the US dealer to install.

Has anyone had this experience?
Has anyone had any luck shaking the Isuzu corporate tree to get some hard-to-find parts to fall out?
Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to get this moving along from my end?

Thanks!

[Triathlete]

Just drop a 44 or 60 in there! Lots of parts available for them and it probably wouldn't cost much more! ;Dy; ;Dy; ;Dy;

[Locomigo]

What are you looking for?

Contact Jerry jlemond@bellsouth.net He is the MAN when it comes to replacement Isuzu parts.

[mbeach]

Merlin couldn't find it..?

If it were a VehiCross specific part, I could understand.
But there's no shortage of TOD Troopers out there that use the same Isuzu 12 bolt differential.

[Locomigo]

Have had success with Merlin in the past, but Jerry >> Merlin.

Hard to go wrong with either option really. Find it is MUCH easier to rely on those guys than it is with anyone local. They really do bring the suck (locals).

[VCAMILO]

I had to wait 2 months to get my VX back last year from the dealer. I bent the rear axle and they had to put one together from parts... I was driving around my GF's new volvo so I wasnt complaining... But when i got my VX back it felt like a new car. :-) I was allowed to order to yakima rack a few weeks back and they told me that it was shipping from Japan. Lets see if i get it...

[VehiGAZ]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I didn't try Merlin, but I will. I also e-mailed Jerry, too.

So our diffy is the same as a TOD Trooper's, huh? I suspected as much, but didn't know for sure. When different models share parts, do they share part numbers, too?

[Locomigo]

yep.

Essentially the VX is a SWB Trooper. Same motor/trans/tcase/axles/suspension/frame. The interior (dash) comes from the 97 Rodeo iteration.
The body is unique to the VX.

[Maugan_VX]

I wouldn't want trooper suspension parts in my VX! :P

Also, I've read it to be the case that our half-axles are different than the troopers.

I thought our rear diff was different than the troopers as well, as we had the LSD and they didn't.

[Locomigo]

sure they do.

The 12 bolt LSD rear axle, same as all the japanese produced imported vehicles (Trooper/VX).

Suspension pieces are suspension pieces. Dont see an issue there.. but YMMV.

Torsion bars up front with the A-arms, and the multilink coil in the rear.

Cant confirm, nor deny the halfshafts, but it seems to me that they are the same as the widths are close, if not identical.

[nater]

I've got LSD in my 2000 Trooper LS 4x4. (Factory).

Nate

[WyldWeasel]

Hey, VehiGAZ I just found out something from my local dealer which may apply in your case. Because the hunny and I each have salvage vehicles which have both had the hoods replaced, I ordered two stickers (those ones that go under the hood that talk about emissions and tune ups and such). This was about 6 1/2 weeks ago, when I decided to go ahead and paint my Ebony (and at the time I was seriously considering buying the hunny's Proton, which I knew had no sticker cause the salesman told me over the phone).

They said it'd be in in a week, two tops. Two weeks later they said "Huh, we don't know what happened, call back tomorrow." Two weeks later, they said "Try next Thursday." Last week, they said the same. Finally, I walked into the Parts Department today, while I was waiting for the hunny's Proton to get the SDM module replaced prior to my CHP inspection tomorrow (Because the California DMV apparently doesn't believe any other state can perform reliable or accurate safety inspections).

Lo and Behold, they had ONE of the stickers I ordered (the other on b/o). The guy at the counter said that the delay was caused (due to GM pulling out of Isuzu) because the dealership had recently ceased being an Isuzu dealer (meaning, they no longer sell the new Azz-enders) but their Parts and Service Departments will continue to service Isuzu products. So the dealer got a new dealer number and all the old Isuzu parts orders went poofy-bye-bye into the ether, looking for the old dealer number. So they had to reorder it. With their new dealer number. After, of course, I pestered them enough to realize I was serious about getting my parts.

This may be the cause of some of your delays. Meaning that Merlin can certainly help, since St. Charles Isuzu probably isn't pulling out of selling Isuzu's any time soon.

[VehiGAZ]

Weasel,

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately, I don't think that's the problem underlying my situation. The dealer ordered a slew of diffy parts at the same time and got most of them - we're just waiting for the last one. The service manager had a "conversation" with the parts manager about this situation yesterday, so hopefully there will be some resolution coming out of it. Or at least some information! What's most frustrating for me is not knowing at all when the part will come in.

The service writer I deal with there said that the parts manager has access to the computerized inventory info for the whole country, so if another dealer has the parts, he will know and will be able to get them, but that either has not happened or they are not out there anywhere. Of course, maybe their fancy-pantsy computerized inventory system is not as well-connected as it sounds, but there's not much I can do about that.

I think the true base issue is that Isuzu is barely functioning as a US car company, keepign their staffing and inventory to a minimum, regardless of how many Isuzu vehicles are on the road right now. That's why you can't get parts and you can't get a phone call returned.

[VehiGAZ]

PS Weasel... me likey-likey your copper paint job!!! What color is that? Is it a stock color on another car?

[Locomigo]

Thats exactly why I sent you Jerry's way. he's somewhat off the isuzu grid, but somehow has oodles of parts. not to mention the singlemost knowledgable person that I know when it comes to Isuzu product.

Have you heard from him?

[VehiGAZ]

I just this very minute sent Jerry an e-mail with the part numbers I'm looking for. So who is the Jerry guy, anyway? Does he have his own shop?

I'll post them here, too:

8970629711 Cage Assembly (for rear differential)
8970752163 Coupling
8943762611 Nut
8944080851 Seal

I'm calling Merlin next. Apparently, the parts manager still had nothing more to offer.

Thanks for the help everyone!!

[Locomigo]

Dont remember exactly Jerry's story, but IIRC, he was the service trainer for the SouthEast area (Atlanta, GA) for Isuzu America for years.

He knows his stuff, and we have gotten more help from him, parts, advice, information, etc than any other person ever. He is genuinely HAPPY to assist.

[WyldWeasel]

PS Weasel... me likey-likey your copper paint job!!! What color is that? Is it a stock color on another car?

That would be 1998 Isuzu Copper Orange Mica (838 code, iirc), a color that was seen on some Amigos and recommended by E Zoo Zoo One. I chose it because a) I like color, as opposed to white, black, or silver, and I was going to have to paint anyway; b) it works really well with the Ebony's red and black interior; and c) it was a stock Isuzu color, and I giggled every time I imagined some so called expert wandering over and saying I had a JDM model due to it being orange (The JDM color is a different color, I think it's called Sunburst Orange Mica code 766?). You can read the whole story in the VX Mod forum HERE (http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=8645&page=1&pp=15)

/end thread hijack

[VehiGAZ]

Well, Merlin is an amazing help!

I called him as suggested, and he was able to find 3 of the 4 parts through their "OE Connetction" part inventory service. In five minutes, he managed to do more than my dealer's parts manager has gotten done in 3 weeks. I'll give my dealer the benefit of the doubt on this point for the time being - maybe they do not subscribe to this service.

Secondly, he had me check to make sure that my dealer's part order was properly upgraded to "Customer Care" status with my VIN (meaning I'm waiting for it). I'm not sure that this was done, either.

Third, he had me call Isuzu Customer Service as an additional shake-the-tree measure. That's when things got confusing - the service rep said that he was showing those parts available, and he did not know why the dealerships were showing them unavailable.

I sent the part numbers to Jerry, but he hasn't gotten back to me yet. I'm still in need to the cage assembly, which doesn't seem to be available anywhere.

PS - Thanks for the info on the paint job, Weasel. I saw that thread a few weeks back but never read it, since I thought it was sacrilegious!! Now I see what great taste you have, and so all is forgiven. :-)

[VehiGAZ]

So get this...

After locating 3 of the 4 missing parts myself and calling Isuzu customer service and having them call my dealer directly, all of a sudden-like the missing parts are en route and should be there within 3 more days! Go figure...

Loco - Your man Jerry found ALL of the parts in one day (better than Merlin, indeed). Of course, I apparently don't need them now, bit still...

I'm trying not to think about this situation too much, because it's only going to get me pissed off - I should wait until I have my VX back before I analyze it any more. But from where I'm sitting, it certainly seems that the parts manager at my dealer was not doing his job, and only started to do it after I started looking for the parts myself. For me to be without my VX for FOUR WEEKS because he was being lazy about dealing with Isuzu just ain't right...

[mbeach]

You really can't blame someone for not wanting to deal with the black hole of stupidity that is Isuzu -I mean, what has Isuzu done for us lately?

However, he is the parts manager at a dealership that sells Isuzu parts. If he doesn't like it, he should find a different job.

I think that you should poop on his doormat.

[Locomigo]

COOL!

Like I say, EVERY Isuzu owner shoul dhave Jerry Lemond's number, email address, contact info within their outlook contacts, speed dial, cell phone and any other form of communications tool they use!

Without a doubt, Jerry has hooked up countless people... merlin does good, and is a handy fallback, but for my money/piece of mind, Jerry gets the nod.

Glad things are working to get your rig fixed and back to you. Unfortunate that people dont feel the need to provide GOOD service anymore. just one more thing that is FUBAR with this fine country of ours...

[Moncha]

Thanks Keith.. It's great to have additional resources.
Is there more info than just the email addy for Jerry?.. If there is, can you forward it to me?
I posted what we have in the Web Links and Parts and Accessories sections for easy reference.

[VehiGAZ]

I can't hate on my dealer that much in this instance - they gave me a FREE LOANER for the entire time my VX was hanging in the shop with its pants pulled down. The loaner is a 2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara - which I used to take an old crapper to the dump. :-)

On the other hand, I actually checked under the hood and counted cylinders to confirm the "V6" claim on the back of it. It had a six alright - but only 2.5 liters. :-(

[Locomigo]

:p
Dunno if I would be THAT thankful to them... :cool: Sure, its wheels, but I mean cmon! I would almost rather walk. I test drove one when we were shopping for Tia's ride and yeah, that was not a fun vehicle to drive, be seen in, or anything else... >;- )~