Workshop Manuals Factory service & repair Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi common faults and how to fix them

Faults that are well known on Mitsubishi models we hold manuals for: what the owner notices, what causes it, and the pages in our manuals that cover the repair.

Mitsubishi ball joint recall: Eclipse and Galant lower ball joints (1994–1999)

Symptoms

A knock or clunk from the front suspension over bumps, wandering steering, or a torn rubber boot on a lower ball joint. Often there is nothing to notice until the joint is checked.

Cause

Mitsubishi recalled the 1994–1998 Galant, 1995–1999 Eclipse and 1996–1999 Eclipse Spyder for premature wear of the front lower lateral arm ball joint. Moisture gets into the joint, through a cut or torn boot or other leak paths, and the wear opens up the clearances. Mitsubishi warned that this could eventually lead to the ball joint separating. An earlier recall (99V066001) covered damaged lower ball joint boots.

Fix

Check with a Mitsubishi dealer that the recall inspection has been done. To check a joint yourself, follow the revised inspection in the Mitsubishi ball joint recall bulletin, looking for torn boots and excess play. A worn joint is replaced with the lower arm. The Eclipse ball joint boot recall explains the earlier boot check. Have the alignment checked afterwards.

Repair instructions on this site

Sources: Mitsubishi safety recall SR-04-001 (supersedes SR-01-007); NHTSA recall 99V066001.

Mitsubishi timing belt: 4G63 and 4G61 campaign for the Eclipse, Galant and Mirage (1989–1991)

Symptoms

A broken timing belt stops the engine at once and it will not restart. There is usually no warning beforehand, which is why the belt is replaced at set intervals and why Mitsubishi recalled these early belts.

Cause

Mitsubishi service campaign SC-93-003 replaced the timing belt on certain 1990–1991 Eclipse and 1989–1991 Galant with the 2.0 DOHC 4G63 engine, turbo and non-turbo, and on 1989–1991 Mirage with the 1.6 DOHC 4G61. It did not apply to engines that already had a belt of the later part numbers MD182291 or MD171748 (Eclipse and Galant) or MD199418 or MD182201 (Mirage).

Fix

On any car with these engines, check the service history for the last Mitsubishi timing belt change. If there is no record, replace it, with the tensioner and idler pulleys, as the procedure describes, and line up all the timing marks before turning the engine. The 4G63 timing belt campaign lists the part numbers that show whether the revised belt is already fitted.

Repair instructions on this site

Sources: Mitsubishi service campaign SC-93-003.

Lancer CVT: fluid temperature warning lamp and code P0710 (2008–2009 Lancer and Outlander)

Symptoms

The CVT fluid temperature warning lamp comes on, sometimes often. On some cars the code P0710 (CVT fluid temperature sensor) is stored instead.

Cause

The continuously variable transmission (CVT) in the 2008–2009 Lancer and 2008 Outlander measures its fluid temperature and lights the lamp when the fluid gets too hot. Mitsubishi bulletin TSB-08-23-011 added a diagnosis for "the fluid temperature warning lamp illuminates too frequently" because it was missing from the service manual, and another bulletin added P0710 sensor diagnosis. So the lamp can mean real overheating, or a sensor or wiring fault.

Fix

Read the codes, then check the CVT fluid level and condition,. Follow the Lancer CVT warning lamp diagnosis, and for P0710 the Outlander CVT sensor diagnosis. Use only the CVT fluid Mitsubishi specifies, filled to the correct level as the procedure describes.

Repair instructions on this site

Sources: Mitsubishi technical service bulletin TSB-08-23-011; Mitsubishi bulletin on DTC P0710 diagnosis.

Repair instructions for every Mitsubishi model: Mitsubishi workshop manuals