Mitsubishi Problems

This is a very common problem for owners of modern turbo-diesel cars who only do short, stop-start runs in city or suburban traffic. When the engine and exhaust can’t get hot enough for a DPF burn-off, the computer dumps extra fuel into the engine to get everything hot. If some of this excess fuel gets into the engine’s sump, it can force the level of the sump to rise, leading to the warning light you’ve just seen.

In the worst-case scenario, this fuel in the sump will dilute the lubricating oil and that can lead to a damaged engine. But as you’ve found, even if that isn’t the case, there’s still a price to pay to manually force the DPF to burn off as well as change the oil for fresh, undiluted stuff.

The solution is to make sure you drive the car for at least half an hour at freeway speeds once or twice a month. That will get things hot enough for a complete DPF burn and will keep you out of the workshop. Mind you, making this sort of effort might cost you more than the fuel savings you gain from owning a diesel car. This is just one reason a modern turbo-diesel is not ideal for every consumer.

Mechanically, there’s virtually nothing to separate these two versions of what is essentially the same car. Both have the same power and torque and the transmission is the same CVT. The only real difference that could make the GSR feel a bit frisker than your Exceed is that the former is about 40kg lighter.

Perhaps it’s your perception that is the difference here. The Exceed is the more expensive variant so perhaps it has a little more sound deadening on board. That would help explain the extra mass but could also be making the vehicle sound a little more muted and, therefore, less perky. Don’t rule out the spectre of manufacturing tolerances, either. It’s far less common (and marked) these days, but it remains that some cars are just a bit more powerful than the car that came down the same production line either side of them.

Ultimately, even higher tyre pressures can have an effect on acceleration, but if you can detect these small differences, you are indeed a very sensitive driver.

This is not necessarily a problem, but rather a characteristic of modern, multi-ratio transmissions. They can give the impression that they’re constantly searching for the right gear for the conditions, and it’s worse in hilly country or if you’re towing something. By constantly trying to be in as high a gear as possible, the engine will theoretically use less fuel.

Probably the real question is why a computer-controlled turbo-diesel engine needs an eight-speed transmission in the first place. The answer is that it’s all to do with recording a better fuel consumption number than your opposition on the official test. Sometimes, the vehicle has more gears than it can actually use in Australia. Our 110km/h freeway speed limit meant that early examples of the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series (which had `just’ six gears) wouldn’t shift into top gear. That’s because the factory calibration told the transmission it could only use sixth gear at speeds of more than 115km/h. Which, just wasn’t happening for the vast majority of 200 Series owners in this country. A reflash for the computer fixed the problem, allowing the Cruiser to select top gear at closer to 90km/h, but it’s a great example of where transmission tech is heading.

The first question many mechanics will ask you is when was the last time the car’s fuel pump was changed. Electric fuel pumps have a finite lifespan and if yours is the original one that came with the car in 1996, I’d say it’s well and truly past its use-by date. Even if the car is on its second or even third pump, it could well be due for a new one. Without a working fuel pump, you’ll get the exact symptoms you’re experiencing.

The best way to check (if you’re reasonably competent with tools) is to remove the engine’s air intake trunking and spray a small amount of starting fluid into the engine. If the engine then cranks and tries to splutter to life, even briefly, then a dud fuel pump is pretty much a certainty.

That said, there are literally hundreds of things that will also produce the same problem, so a scan of the vehicle might throw up a few clues as to what’s going on.

First suspicions would be the body computer which controls all sorts of functions including central locking, indicators, dashboard, heating and central locking. The fact that two functions have disappeared together is what makes the body computer a great place to start.

An auto electrician should be able to diagnose the problem. The worst-case scenario is that you’ll need a new body computer model and will then have to re-sync the new computer to your existing keys. But don’t rule out a poor earth or even a battery that is starting to show its age.

According to website howsafeisyourcar.com.au, this version of the Triton has side air-bags in both the front and rear seats. Fitting side airbags was a great move by ute makers and reflects the fact that these vehicles are being used both as family cars and as company cars where OH and S requirements require a high safety rating.

Ultimately, you may have to resort to a locksmith to have the key fob re-synced with the car. But before you do that, try this: Mitsubishis of this era often have a key fob with a lock and unlock button. While sitting in the car (or standing next to it) push both lock and unlock buttons down together. Hold them down until you see the fob’s LED flash three times. Then, push the unlock button for one flash of the LED. The LED should then flash another two times and you’re all set. The lock and unlock buttons should now work.

It may not work with all cars, but it’s definitely worth a try. If it doesn’t, you probably have a Mitsubishi model where syncing has to take place via the OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) plug which requires a bit more know-how and the correct plug tools. That’s where your friendly locksmith or auto electrician comes in.

There are literally dozens of reasons the check-engine light might illuminate in a car like the Pajero. Fundamentally, the car is trying to tell you something is not right with one or more of its systems, and that it needs attention. Those systems could include (but are not limited to) the ignition, fuel, emissions, exhaust, mechanical and cooling systems.

Simply replacing random parts is a quick way to burn up a lot of money and still not fix the problem. I’m curious as to why you’ve assumed the problem is with the EGR system. And even if you’re right and the EGR system is causing the problem, you might find the fault is with the actual EGR valve or its coolant system, rather than the electronics that control and monitor it.

Take the car to a workshop and have it electronically scanned to try to narrow down the cause of the check-engine light. The fault codes will have been logged by the on-board computer and are usually the only way to zero in on the actual problem. Even once that’s done and the problem fixed, there’s probably a separate procedure for switching the engine light off.

As a commercial vehicle, the 2006 express van was not crash tested by ANCAP when it was released. These days, the van carries a one-star safety rating as a used car, based on real-world crash data.

Fundamentally, the Express is an old design and doesn’t make use of many of the most basic safety features that passenger cars of the day had. The forward seating position also has an effect on crash safety and, if you look at newer van designs, you’ll often see that the front-seat passengers are placed farther back in the vehicle as a result. The bottom line is that there are better choices if crash safety is your major concern.

This sounds like a case of a split fuel pick-up pipe in the fuel tank. When the tank is full, the split in the pick-up is covered by fuel, so the pump works normally at supplying the injectors with fuel. But when the level in the tank falls, the split is exposed and the fuel pump suddenly finds it’s much easier to suck air rather than fuel. And engines don’t run too well on just air.

This could be interpreted by a scan-tool as a fuel leak, so a check of the tank’s pick-up tube seems like a good place to start looking. Any actual fuel leak large enough to cause this problem would, presumably, be visible, but it’s worth a check of the fuel rail and return lines as well. Failing that, you could have a dud sensor that is telling the computer there’s a fuel shortage and sending the car into limp-home mode to protect the engine (which would also explain the loss of power). It would also be worth checking to see that the new Suction Control Valve (SCV) is working properly, even though it's brand new.