The Holden Jackaroo has been generally found to be a reliable vehicle …. provided that it has been serviced regularly according to the factory schedule! Deferring oil and filter changes is a sure way to cause future problems.

The turbo diesel Jackaroo with the 4JX1 engine is a very sophisticated design and requires special care to maintain performance, nevertheless with care, engines have been known to go to over 300,000 km and still continue to provide satisfactory service. Unfortunately this reliable performance has had the effect of few mechanics gaining exposure to the vehicle. The larger Holden dealers should have the resources to solve any problem. That is, people with knowledge, test equipment and access to Holden service bulletins and factory support personnel (who are very experienced!). Unfortunately the Holden Dealer service charge rates are more expensive than your local mechanic but the upside is that they may be able to identify problems quicker than someone starting afresh without appropriate knowledge and experience with the Jackaroo.

Above all, we would recommend that the Factory Service schedule be followed. The service schedule is contained within the Driver’s Handbook supplied with the vehicle.

The following tips are offered to assist 1999-2003 Jackaroo owners in understanding their vehicle (and perhaps guiding local mechanics) in servicing and determining possible causes of poor performance. They are downloadable separate pdfs and you might consider putting a copy of the MIL Fault Codes (Tip 10) in the glove box. There are a number of “common” problems that might be experienced with the Turbo Diesel that can be identified reasonably quickly to allow you to get moving again.

Disclaimer: The Jackaroo Club Victoria and the document authors offer this information in good faith, however they accept no liability for any misinterpretation of the information or damage to a vehicle that might result from application of the procedures contained therein.