Mitsubishi Pajero Engine Problems

It is using too much oil as you suggest, but you don’t say how much it was using back when you first noticed it, or if you brought it to the attention of the dealer. A dealer is unlikely to know when an engine is using oil unless the owner tells him or her. It’s too late now to do anything about it, the issue should have been addressed when the vehicle was under warranty, and the initiative has to come from the owner.

NORMALLY the engine would last much longer than 107,000km and it's unlikely that yours needs replacement, though it might need reconditioning for some reason. We asked Mitsubishi for their input on your case and they told us the problem is likely to have been caused by sludge build-up in the engine as a result of it either not being serviced, or being poorly serviced. Because it hasn't been serviced at a Mitsubishi dealer they can't check its service history.

YOU'VE done 70,000km without any problem, which is enough for any problem to surface, so I'd leave it. I've heard of some issues with engines blowing up on these systems, but it's because drivers take full advantage of the power boost and drive their vehicles harder, instead of easing off on the throttle and getting full advantage of the fuel-cost savings.

USE a quality head gasket, like a factory spare, and you should have no trouble. When you've got the heads off, inspect for cracks and warping. Consider having the heads faced to make sure they're flat when they go back on, and certainly grind the valves.

LOOK at the fuel system. It's usually the cause of the problem. It could be a number of things, from a faulty fuel pump to a faulty fuel pressure regulator and dirty injectors. The temperature in the engine bay builds up after you turn the engine off and can cause the fuel in the fuel lines to vaporise. When you come to restart the engine, there isn't enough fuel getting through to fire up. It's not until the temperature comes down again and enough fuel can get through for the engine to start. Take it to a Mitsubishi specialist and have them go through the fuel system for you.

MODERN engines are designed to be driven away from a cold start with no warming up, so doing that doesn't damage the engine. Your problem is probably the carburettor or the supply of warm air. Warm air is normally piped into the carburettor in the first few minutes of driving, and this is often dumped when the engine is worked on later in life. It could also be wear in the carburettor or simply an incorrect adjustment of the carburettor or choke. Have the carburettor settings checked, and check it for wear.

There is no problem in converting the engine to run on gas, either as a dual-fuel installation or dedicated LPG. The quote for the conversion is about $2500, which is a little more than most cars, but that is due to the need to fit a new petrol tank.