Isuzu Diesel

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Thu 10 Jul 2003 21:37
Isuzu Diesel - StuW
Hello a good condition 1.5 turbo diesel nova caught my eye and i'm fairly interested. The only thing that concerns me is in honest john car by car breakdown it says that the combined alternator brake vacuum pump is very expensive if it fails, £600 to replace! Just curious to whether this is something that does fail often and is it DIYable? Also if anyone has owned a vauxhall with this type of engine (as far as i know the engine is pretty much the same as the 1.7 td one in the astra and cavailer) is it easy to tell if it about to fail or does occur suddenly and is there any sort of maintenance it requires or that will extend its life?
I know that if you took every word in the car by car breakdown as gosbel then you'd never buy another car again but £600 for one part is a heck of alot of money.

I'm gonna have a better look at the car tomorrow so any help would be appreciated.
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Thu 10 Jul 2003 23:42
Isuzu Diesel - oldtoffee
I had a Cavalier TD with the 1.7TD Isuzu engine and I took it from 80K to 170K in two and a half years with nothing other than oil and filter changes at 4500 mles, plus a belt change at 100K - long time ago but brilliant car 50 mpg on a run and quiet with it.
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Fri 11 Jul 2003 08:47
Isuzu Diesel - Malcolm_L
The 1.5 turbo diesel is a bit of a rarity, I don't have precise figures but how many have you seen on the road?
All I'm thinking is that if it does go, the chances of getting a 2nd hand unit are pretty slim which means it's £600 or nothing.
Having said that HJ doesn't say that they fail regularly, just that cost £600 if they do.
Worth having AA/RAC inspected with particular reference to the this item??
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Fri 11 Jul 2003 10:44
Isuzu Diesel - Crinkly Dave
The expense is because the unit is combined, I think, so you have to effectively service exchange 2 units.
Vacuum pumps are usually extremely reliable, but alternators may fail as they pass 100k, dependant on make (but one has done 186k on my 405)
If you have a local auto electrician they should be able to repair the alternator, and this should be cheaper than exchanging the whole unit
Finally, yes, £600 may seem expensive for an alternator change, but compare it with clutch replacement for some vehicles, and ABS repairs as sensors, main cylinders or ECUs fail. Your Nova will have none of that
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