1986 Mitsubishi Pajero Pricing and Specs

Squeaks from the engine bay are often caused by worn drive belts, their pulleys and tensioners. You might even have a worn power steering pump, water pump or air-conditioning compressor that is giving off the odd squeak or groan. It’s worth tracking down, though, as should any of these components seize or snap, you could be left stranded.

Check around the water pump for any sign of moisture. At the bottom of the pump housing near the front of the engine, there should be what’s called a 'weep hole’. Any dampness here suggests a pump that’s already leaking and could let go any time, perhaps without further warning.

Even an air leak in any of the car’s vacuum systems (including the one that powers the brakes) can sound like a squeak or squeal, so check all the rubber lines for splits or holes and also that they’re tightly secured to their respective fittings.

Don’t forget to look for any evidence of chafing or rubbing together of various parts. This can also create odd noises.

This model Pajero is a bit notorious for having a crank-angle sensor that can fail over time. This is the part of the engine that tells the computer which cylinder needs to fire next, and precisely when, and if it starts to fail, that information is not conveyed and the engine will stall.

This sensor can fail gradually and intermittently too, producing the sort of hit and miss running you’re seeing now. It will often start to fail once the engine gets hot, and perhaps that’s why your car is stalling after running for a short time.

The bottom line is to not ignore it as it won’t fix itself and will eventually get worse until the car won’t start at all. At which point, you’re stranded where ever you happen to be. It shouldn’t cost too much to replace the sensor, but a mechanic should be able to tell you if, indeed, this is the problem.

This problem could be caused by any number of things to do with the fuel or ignition system, or even a sensor that is not giving the on-board computer the information it needs to light the fire. But since your car is now almost 20-years-old, there’s a very good chance that the problem is a fuel pump that has simply stopped working. These pumps have a finite lifespan, and when they stop, they often just quit on the spot, leaving you stranded.

The other possibility in a Pajero is that the crank-angle sensor has failed. Without this functioning, the computer cannot determine which cylinder it should be firing when, and that will also put a stop to play. It’s a relatively common Pajero thing.