Mitsubishi Problems

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.

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.

There are several things that could be causing a loss of power on really hot days, but a prime suspect would be an engine that is getting too hot. When that happens, the car will often go into limp-home mode which is usually signalled by a loss of power and a check-engine light illuminating (the precise symptoms you’re seeing).

The air conditioner consumes quite a bit of engine power when its working, and this extra load might be the tipping point for the car starting to overheat. When you switch it off, the engine can relax a little and the temperature falls. So the advice would be to have the car’s cooling system checked. It could be low on coolant or have a faulty pump, hose or thermostat. While you’re at it, have the car electronically scanned to see if any fault codes have been recorded, as this will also help your mechanic diagnose the issue.

This is not a difficult job, but may require moving the battery or air intake box to gain access to the rear of the headlights from inside the engine bay. From there, you simply twist and remove the socket that holds the globe in the back of the headlight assembly. Then, you can unplug the globe from the wiring harness and simply replace it with a new globe.

It’s important not to touch the glass portion of the new globe as this can lead to a hot-spot that will shorten the globe’s lifespan. Use a cloth or paper towel when fitting the new globes.

The parking light and headlight globes will be separate and held in separate sockets, and need to be purchased individually. From memory, the headlight unit is what’s called a H4. Now is also the time to consider a headlight upgrade with a brighter replacement globe.

Clearly, there’s something inside the fuse box that isn’t enjoying cold mornings. It’s more likely to be a relay that controls the fuel pump (or some other vital system) as a relay has moving parts (as opposed to a simple fuse). Those moving parts could be weak or worn and might not be so keen to move correctly when the ambient temperature is low. It sounds pretty weird, but stranger things have happened.

It’s not uncommon to find unused electrical connectors inside the cabin and engine bay of modern cars. You may find, for instance, that your car is a mid-spec model with electrical adjustment of the front seats (which explains the two connectors that are wired up). But further up the range, there’s a more expensive model with, say, heated front seats that yours doesn’t have. But the wiring loom is the same in both versions of the car, so the connector for the heated seats is present in your car, but has nothing to connect to. If that’s the case, then this is very unlikely to cause a starting problem.

However, a lot of modern cars also position their computers under the seat, inside the cabin. If somebody has removed the seats or fiddled about down there and either dislodged or not reconnected a plug for the computer, then this could definitely cause all sorts of running and starting issues. If you’re still in doubt, most workshops should be able to identify what the connector is and whether it needs to be reconnected or simply left alone.

Electronically fuel-injected engines don’t have a choke like old cars did, so the cold start process is handled by the computer. It detects the temperature of the engine (and ambient air) and then alters the fuel and air mixture going into the engine to give it the right ratio to fire up the engine. Cold starts generally require more fuel and less air than when the engine is at operating temperature.

The computer does all this via sensors so, if one sensor is not playing the game, the computer can’t alter the mixture and the car can be very difficult - if not impossible - to start. A good workshop should be able to sort this pretty quickly as the Magna’s engine is not an overly complex one and is a well-known quantity.

Changing the starter motor on this model is a bit tricky as the transverse engine locates the starter on the side of the engine, down low and sandwiched between the engine and firewall. You may need to remove some other brackets, wiring and plumbing to gain proper access, but the starter can be removed with the manifolds in place. It just takes some fiddling and patience.

Replacement is the opposite of removal (as they say in the best workshop manuals) but it’s critical to make sure the wiring goes back in the right order or you’ll fry the new starter. Taking a photo of the starter’s location and wiring before you start to pull it all apart is often a wise move as you can use the image for reference later on.

This is typically not a difficult job, but due to the cramped engine bay of this make and model, maybe it’s not a great first project for the home mechanic.

It’s amazing where rainwater will get to under the influence of a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the car, not to mention a 100km/h gale trying to blow everything inside the car. As such, you only need a tiny tear or crease in a door rubber for water to enter the car. And if it enters somewhere near the driver’s seat, that’s where it will stay when it hits the carpet.

Check the rubber seal in the door opening for any signs of damage or a small chunk missing. Even a piece of leaf debris stuck to the rubber can allow a gap big enough for water to enter. Make sure, too, that the door itself is properly aligned on its hinges and is making contact with the whole of the door rubber when it’s shut.

No, by adding that much oil, you’ll almost certainly be overfilling the engine which is no good for it at all. It’s a fair bet that an engine that needed an extra seven litres of oil added has already blown up. Which means you can ignore the numbers; they’re probably a part number or batch number.

What you’re looking for are two holes at the very end of the dipstick. The oil level should be between those holes. For whatever reason, Mitsubishi used holes in the dipstick rather than a high and low mark stamped into it. But it works just the same. Keep the oil level between those holes and you’ll be fine.