Mitsubishi Starion Pricing and Specs

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.

The NSW government website advises that you must not drive a high performance car on red P-Plates. But that’s hardly the case for a 2007 Outlander, so you should be fine. The catch is that you must also only drive cars that feature the type of transmission you took your test on. So, if you took your test in an automatic or clutchless manual car, then the Outlander you drive unsupervised must have the same transmission type, and not have a conventional manual with a clutch pedal.

You have a couple choices here. You can either go to a brake specialist or a general spare parts store, both of whom should have what you need, or will be able to order it for you. If it’s not on the shelf, metropolitan stores can generally have the parts for you the next business day. If you can wait a little longer, there are plenty of online sites that also sell the repair kits you need. Some of these sites might allow for local pick-up, but the majority of orders will be mailed to you.

Just make sure if you go down the latter route to use a secure payment system that will refund your money if the parts never turn up. Also, local (Australian) online stores will likely have a faster turnaround than overseas sellers, regardless of any price difference. If you do shop overseas, you’ll also need to decide whether you want the faster (more expensive) shipping option sometimes offered.