JDMs and engine failure

[AussieVX]

The US models with the 3.5L seem to have somewhat of a problem with mystery oil consumption that if not managed leads to catastrophic engine failure. Given most of JDMs are 3.2L is there any history of the same thing?? Could the 3.2L be plugged in after a 3.5L failed??

Just interested as someone who has a post-factory 3.5L fitted, thinking what might happen if it died (I would go back to the factory 3.2 I think, and wonder how hard that would be).

Keen to hear anyone's thoughts....

R.

[don moore]

its better to get a 2001 or newer 3.5l if you can ..they fixed the issue on them.

[Sprey]

hmm yea prob go with a newer 3.5 ?

i dont think the 3.2's use oil. well mine doesnt seem to

[PK]

I don't think there is much consistancy in this.
My 3.2L VX uses absolutely no oil between oil changes.

My mate's 3.2L Jackaroo (I think Trooper in USA) just blew a motor because of low oil level.
It has used oil for the past 3 years he has owned it, but just got overlooked once too often. He is going to try a repower with the 3.8L Commodore motor.
That will be interesting to see.

PK

[Sprey]

I don't think there is much consistancy in this.
My 3.2L VX uses absolutely no oil between oil changes.

My mate's 3.2L Jackaroo (I think Trooper in USA) just blew a motor because of low oil level.
It has used oil for the past 3 years he has owned it, but just got overlooked once too often. He is going to try a repower with the 3.8L Commodore motor.
That will be interesting to see.

PK

Ive seen some Mu's with i think 3.6 holdens? in them Over at another isuzu forum

[Joe_Black]

Ugh! This 3.5L self-destruct rumor is insane! Folks, the engine in the VX is the same mill as in the Trooper, Rodeo and bunches of other non-US Isuzus produced worldwide for something like 8 years. Do y'all have any concept of how many engines that is? Yet here we are, owners of LESS THAN 5000 hand-built specialty Isuzus, with a FEW amongst our group that have experienced some form of engine failure. Many of which were from lack of maintenance. Yes, hate to say it, but if you don't check your oil regularly how will you know when the faulty PCV is allowing it to be sucked out? Hmmmm? $3 part which means it was like about a nickel to make so don't bet the life of your engine on it thinking it's going to work properly forever, let alone new out of the box. And, yes, a FEW were actual failures. Again, reference total engine production mentioned above and START THINKING about the odds of getting a bad one. Start to sound like real life now? Yeah, nobody is perfect, everybody makes crap from time to time, it happens. Ask around enough and you'll find someone hates any auto manufacturers product because one blew up on them. If there was a car company out there cranking out perfection we'd all be buying it 'cause that's all there'd be. Now I'm going to go hug my 6VE1 and tell it everything's gonna be okay.

Rant over, move along. :bgwg:

[uncle_asa]

The US models with the 3.5L seem to have somewhat of a problem with mystery oil consumption that if not managed leads to catastrophic engine failure. Given most of JDMs are 3.2L is there any history of the same thing?? Could the 3.2L be plugged in after a 3.5L failed??

Just interested as someone who has a post-factory 3.5L fitted, thinking what might happen if it died (I would go back to the factory 3.2 I think, and wonder how hard that would be).

Keen to hear anyone's thoughts....

R.

As I live in country where both JDM and US VXes are met, the truth is that both 3.2 and 3.5 could consume oil (actually, there's not much difference between them). We have approximately same number of engine rebuilds from both clans.

[TheGanzman]

Let me echo Joe's comments. My '01 VX uses ZERO oil - NONE! Hell, it even seems to MAKE oil - I always check it in the same place (my level garage) at the same time, cold - right before taking it for refueling. I swear, the level on the dipstick seems to be going UP...

We live in our own little "vacuum" here, and like Chicken Little, we love to perpetuate the "sky is falling" rumor! For fun, pick THE most reliable (in YOUR mind) car you know of - then find a Forum for that car. You won't BELIEVE the "gloom & doom" you'll read about THAT model on THAT forum! Example: My wife has an '04 Lexus SC430 that we bought new. Has 52K ABSOLUTE trouble-free miles on it so far. She's prolly put the top up and down more than ANYONE short of the Lexus engineering staff - virtually twice/day since she bought it (we live in SoCal). Yet, if you spent enough time on the SC430 Forums reading about a FEW people that have had problems with their retractable hardtop mechanisms, you wouldn't buy an SC430! Granted, I've only had my VX for a few months, but I've had ZERO issues with it; bought it from the original owner who had ZERO issues - NO check engine light(s), NO ABS lights, NO failed CD player, NO oil consumption. I DID have to adjust the driver's side window when I got it to fix the "tilting problem" (A half hour and ZERO materials cost); that's been IT!

Do your "due diligence", find a good one (the majority of them ARE) that hasn't been flogged like a circus donkey, and then enjoy!