Isuzu Dmax service intervals

[Kenny202]

2014 Dmax 4WD pick up....just nearing 120,000 km. Always had regular 10k services since new. Just wondering if that's still necesary? I am a great believer in regular service and oil changes but on the other hand could do without the 4000-6000 baht charge every 10000ks. I am sure the gearbox oil doesn't need changing that regularly. What does everyone else do with a vehicle around this age or what is the norm

[HauptmannUK]

Stick with 10k services.

I've been involved in the motor trade for many years (UK) and was an MoT tester (UK roadworthiness inspection) until 2018.  'Fluids and filters' was always my mantra to customers.

Diesels contaminate their engine oil pretty badly and combustion by-products in the oil tends to harden oil seals and gum-up rings, which leads to problems over time. 

Transmission oils also shear-down over time and their additive packs deteriorate (antifoaming agents, zinc dithiophosphate EP additive etc). Manual transmissions and transferbox/diffs will therefore benefit from fresh oil every 100kkm.  Autos more often, especially CVT.

Services should also include a check of brake, suspension and steering systems.  In the long run scheduled preventative maintenance and checks are cheaper than unscheduled repairs.

[Kenny202]

3 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

Stick with 10k services.

I've been involved in the motor trade for many years (UK) and was an MoT tester (UK roadworthiness inspection) until 2018.  'Fluids and filters' was always my mantra to customers.

Diesels contaminate their engine oil pretty badly and combustion by-products in the oil tends to harden oil seals and gum-up rings, which leads to problems over time. 

Transmission oils also shear-down over time and their additive packs deteriorate (antifoaming agents, zinc dithiophosphate EP additive etc). Manual transmissions and transferbox/diffs will therefore benefit from fresh oil every 100kkm.  Autos more often, especially CVT.

Services should also include a check of brake, suspension and steering systems.  In the long run scheduled preventative maintenance and checks are cheaper than unscheduled repairs.

I definitely like to keep my vehicles serviced....and air on the side of caution. You say manual gearbox oil every 100,000k's? These guys are hitting me up for a gearbox / 4wd transfer oil change every 10,000k's. I think the cost of the gear oil alone 1500 baht  

[HauptmannUK]

17 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

I definitely like to keep my vehicles serviced....and air on the side of caution. You say manual gearbox oil every 100,000k's? These guys are hitting me up for a gearbox / 4wd transfer oil change every 10,000k's. I think the cost of the gear oil alone 1500 baht  

I can't remember transfer case change intervals off the top of my head. Isuzu will have a service schedule sheet showing recommended change intervals - just refer to that.  In the UK it was something like an initial change at 10k miles and thereafter every 40k miles.....  but you should have a schedule in the car handbook - if not then ask the dealer or Google.  10kkm is unnecessary for transmission oils.

[Eff1n2ret]

My DMax is coming up 14 years old, in recent years have been doing well under 10k kilometers. and only done 125k. I take it for a service every 12 - 15 months. It's still very smooth and comfortable to drive. The only unscheduled repairs I can remember in a long time were a broken gearshift linkage and a strange sort of nervous breakdown, when something went wrong with the engine management system and it lost power.

[Pib]

Just google until you find a mx schedule for your vehicle.  Something like the one below where it says ever 40K km for front and rear differential gear boxes.   Auto transmission fluid "inspect" every 100K km or 5 years....depending on how the fluid looks then you might want to replace but I expect Isuzu recommends the auto transmission fluid to be "replaced" every 150K km or so. 

 

[brianthainess]

I don't know if you have a timing "Belt" or not but if your engine does, change it every 100,000klm. 

[Peterphuket]

On 9/27/2023 at 9:05 AM, HauptmannUK said:

Stick with 10k services.

I've been involved in the motor trade for many years (UK) and was an MoT tester (UK roadworthiness inspection) until 2018.  'Fluids and filters' was always my mantra to customers.

Diesels contaminate their engine oil pretty badly and combustion by-products in the oil tends to harden oil seals and gum-up rings, which leads to problems over time. 

Transmission oils also shear-down over time and their additive packs deteriorate (antifoaming agents, zinc dithiophosphate EP additive etc). Manual transmissions and transferbox/diffs will therefore benefit from fresh oil every 100kkm.  Autos more often, especially CVT.

Services should also include a check of brake, suspension and steering systems.  In the long run scheduled preventative maintenance and checks are cheaper than unscheduled repairs.

Nice advice you give but can you also give advice about the time you'll have to change?

My dealer advice me to change every half year the oil and filters (my average km is 5000/year) but I think to keep every 10000 km is sufficient.

I'm talking about my Isuzu MUX with automatic gearbox.

[HauptmannUK]

8 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Nice advice you give but can you also give advice about the time you'll have to change?

My dealer advice me to change every half year the oil and filters (my average km is 5000/year) but I think to keep every 10000 km is sufficient.

I'm talking about my Isuzu MUX with automatic gearbox.

Ok. Slightly involved answer.

 

ENGINE oils become contaminated with combustion products. Most contamination takes place immediately after starting and during the warm up phase.  This means that a vehicle may cover a low mileage but have heavily contaminated oil (e.g. the old lady who drives one mile to the shop, one mile to her friend, one mile to see the vicar etc etc).  The contaminants include acidic combustion products which cause engine oil seals to harden and crack, and soot and ashes that gum up rings.

The advice for ENGINE oils is therefore to change according to manufacturers time and distance recommendation - whichever comes first. 

Obviously use your common sense though - for example I have a small collection of cars back in the UK. Some of them only get used a few times a year - I use my judgement.

 

TRANSMISSION oils are a different matter because they do not suffer contamination by combustion products. They shear down with use. So in general its more appropriate to focus on mileage interval.

ATF's are a bit different again. Heat is the enemy of ATF's (oxidation and breakdown of friction-modifier additives) so you need to be conservative in the case of an auto used in hilly country or for towing, and maybe change at 2x the manufacturer's interval.  CVT's are particularly sensitive to oil breakdown because the engine torque is transferred from the input shaft to the output shaft via the microscopically thin oil films between the belt and variator pulleys. 

I am not a fan of 'lifetime fill' - I would change any 'lifetime fill' oil at 100k km...

 

[Peterphuket]

2 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

Ok. Slightly involved answer.

 

ENGINE oils become contaminated with combustion products. Most contamination takes place immediately after starting and during the warm up phase.  This means that a vehicle may cover a low mileage but have heavily contaminated oil (e.g. the old lady who drives one mile to the shop, one mile to her friend, one mile to see the vicar etc etc).  The contaminants include acidic combustion products which cause engine oil seals to harden and crack, and soot and ashes that gum up rings.

The advice for ENGINE oils is therefore to change according to manufacturers time and distance recommendation - whichever comes first. 

Obviously use your common sense though - for example I have a small collection of cars back in the UK. Some of them only get used a few times a year - I use my judgement.

 

TRANSMISSION oils are a different matter because they do not suffer contamination by combustion products. They shear down with use. So in general its more appropriate to focus on mileage interval.

ATF's are a bit different again. Heat is the enemy of ATF's (oxidation and breakdown of friction-modifier additives) so you need to be conservative in the case of an auto used in hilly country or for towing, and maybe change at 2x the manufacturer's interval.  CVT's are particularly sensitive to oil breakdown because the engine torque is transferred from the input shaft to the output shaft via the microscopically thin oil films between the belt and variator pulleys. 

I am not a fan of 'lifetime fill' - I would change any 'lifetime fill' oil at 100k km...

 

Very clear explanation.

Thanks again!