Mitsubishi Problems

This is a pretty well-known problem with this model. The problem seems to be caused by a gear selector problem which gets worse over time as wear occurs. Jumping out of gear is also linked to a second problem of noisy engagement (grinding) of the first three gears.

Mitsubishi has developed a transmission repair kit which includes reinforced gear selectors and synchronisers. But it’s a pretty big job to fit and requires the transmission to be removed and disassembled. You could try Mitsubishi Australia’s customer service division to see if there’s any financial assistance in either obtaining or fitting this kit.

Running on after the ignition is switched off is more of a problem in petrol engines than diesels. But you haven’t told me which engine your Triton has, so maybe it’s the 2.4-litre petrol we’re dealing with here. If so, you may find that the running-on is being caused by poorly timed ignition which could suggest a problem with the physical bits that make up the ignition system, or even a problem with the computer that controls it all. Worn or leaking fuel injectors could also cause this problem.

If your engine is the turbo-diesel, then another potential cause of running on is a worn or stretched timing chain (the petrol engine uses a toothed timing belt which shouldn’t stretch) that has allowed the camshaft to get slightly out of phase with the crankshaft. In both these cases, the fault could easily be enough to trigger the check-engine light and keep it on to alert you to the problem. Have the vehicle scanned to see if there’s an ignition fault or what’s called a camshaft deviation, indicating a worn timing chain.

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 an older car now, and although it’s a simpler device compared to most newer cars, there are still thousands of things that can go wrong and cause a loss of performance. A full service and tune would be the first thing to do, as you may find the car is simply not running as well as it should be due to blocked filters, old spark plugs and possibly even stale fuel. A service and tune will rule out that sort of thing.

From there, you need to work out whether it’s the engine that’s the problem, or the transmission, or a poorly adjusted park-brake, or even something in the chassis like a binding brake or perhaps under-inflated tyres. All these things can make a car feel sluggish.

If you (or your mechanic) do decide that it’s the engine at fault, don’t rule out things like a blocked exhaust system, a dud sensor that controls the fuel injection or something simple like a vacuum leak as a result of a missing or burst rubber hose.

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.

A dirty or clogged fuel filter will stop a modern turbo-diesel engine dead in its tracks. In fact, it’s one of the first things a switched-on mechanic will check on vehicles like yours. So if the mechanic has changed the filter and restored to car to full health, then I reckon he or she has probably nailed the cause and fixed it very simply and cheaply for you.

Let’s be honest; there are literally thousands of things that could go wrong that might make your vehicle stop. Modern cars are very complex things, but you need to have faith that sometimes, simple problems occur and can be fixed simply.

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.