A Mitsubishi L200 engine experience

Thomasman

If you are wondering about purchasing a Mitsubishi L200, I would advise you not to!!! I brought mine in England in 2007 and had 3 years of no problem driving. I am an aircraft technician and I serviced my pickup regularly!!! My problems started last November 2010. Engine management light came on and L200 would drive in go-slow. I drove it to a dealer at Noonans Cross in Dublin and they told me it was a pump over-haul! 1500euro was the quote. I was driving to Naas on the 20th of January 2011 when the No 3 conrod came out through the side of the block. Without going through the decision making, I overhauled the engine for 1250 euro including a replacement short block from Roscommon. I got the pump worked on in Portlaoise for 280Euro!! I started my 4x4 on Good Friday 2011. But the engine management light was still on and engine would go into go-slow. I gave the car to a mitsubishi garage and asked for a diagnostic printout. Cost me 80euro approx. Changed parts with new parts (all very expensive) but still engine management light coming on. I brought the car to Portlaoise after extensive investigation on the emission system myself. The lads in Portloaise re-mapped the ECU and since then, I have had no problems!!! Total cost to sort out the engine management light was 1800 euro approx. What a joke!!! So based on my experience, The car has a poor fault finding system and it is very much based on hit and miss even with the MUT (diagnostic Tool). Mitsubishi cannot fix your car instantly, but based on replacing parts until the problem is sorted, you will pay to fix a poorly designed emission system! And in my case, 1800Euro.
Also, the conrods has a design flaw!! There is no locking mechanism to hold the nuts tight which hold on the Big End. There is no spring washer, castle nut, split pin so these nuts come lose at approx 100,000 miles. I modified the studs to prevent the nuts from ever coming loose again. Hence my engine overhaul. I love my L200 for what work it has done since overhaul, but I would advise anybody not to buy a L200 Mitsubishi!!! you will be paying dearly when it breaks down.

MidlandsM

What year is your L200?

Thomasman

It is a November 2003 Mitsubishi animal. Great work horse!!

Cobbe354

If i was going to buy any sort of Truck, Ford F150 all the way. All. The. Way.

Thanks for the tip though, think i'll stay away from the L200.

MidlandsM

.........ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, they all go wrong........landcruisers, hiluxi, them all.....

Thomasman

Im sure all cars and pick-ups have problems of their own, but Mitsubishi is the only 4x4 I know of.

MidlandsM

Thomasman wrote: »

Im sure all cars and pick-ups have problems of their own, but Mitsubishi is the only 4x4 I know of.

have you never heard of the nissan navara horror stories?

Thomasman

I did hear of a Mayo footballer (named withheld) who owned a nissan navara. Conrod came out through the side and he had hassel getting a replacement engine. Eventually paid a lad to overhaul the engine and then he sold the 4x4 at a loss. I am not sure what caused the conrod to come out the side!

101sean

Thanks for sharing your experience but slapped wrist for multiple posting! I've toned down the thread name as well.

Your experience isn't exclusive to L200s, could happen to any vehicle. One mistake you made was going to a dealer for diagnostics, not many seem to be clued up and will just throw parts at it to try and solve it. As you've since found, it's best to go to independant specialists after asking on here for recommendations

Thomasman

I had the L200 with two different Mitsubishi dealerships and both of them could not diagnose my problem. It took a non-mitsubishi person to eventually fix the emissions and still cost less. That doesn't really say much for Mitsubishi that they cannot fix their own car problems, a system that they would of developed!

Cheers on the wrist slapping...Im only new to this today and finally got to understand threads.

101sean

That's OK, and welcome. Plenty of owners on here with experience of pretty much every brand.

It's not just Mitsubishi. Dealers get guys trained up and then they go and start up independently elsewhere or move on so the experience isn't there. The diagnostics is probably fine, it's the interpretation that's often the problem.

Had a dealer diagnose an alarm problem on Defender as needing a new unit at over €300 plus fitting after having it on test all day. Took a 10c fuse to fix it :rolleyes:

rancher

101sean wrote: »

That's OK, and welcome. Plenty of owners on here with experience of pretty much every brand.

It's not just Mitsubishi. Dealers get guys trained up and then they go and start up independently elsewhere or move on so the experience isn't there. The diagnostics is probably fine, it's the interpretation that's often the problem.

Had a dealer diagnose an alarm problem on Defender as needing a new unit at over €300 plus fitting after having it on test all day. Took a 10c fuse to fix it :rolleyes:

Had the same problem in 2002 l200, brought it to keenan bauer Mullingar (mits dealer) remapped the ECU.. 2 hours,, 100euro job done, no prob since..

Fishtits

L200's are known to be soft, its reflected in their resale values.

YouTookMyName

Engines are made of toffee. Engine code matched the one on the log book so i don't think it was changed. Imported from the Uk in april 2008

Heres what happened mine after 120k had it since 80k oil changed every 5000 miles. Blew January 2011.

03 Animal. Couldn't afford to fix it so sold it on.


Join the L200 owners club, loads of info.

Fishtits

L200's are dirt cheap. There's a reason for it.

They seem to be based on the Mk1 Pajero, ish, with all kinds of costcutting. Pity.

Ford4000

Ive an 03 L200 too, no real problems so far 145,000 miles on it but thanks for the tip on the conrod bolts !!!!

earpiece

I'm in a '99 Pajero Sport (as good as an L200), clocked 190,000 miles, no problems, refurb of altenator 2 years ago, and a new clutch last year.
OP, think most of your costs are the garages, not the truck.
Think you've been unlucky.

YouTookMyName

earpiece wrote: »

I'm in a '99 Pajero Sport (as good as an L200), clocked 190,000 miles, no problems, refurb of altenator 2 years ago, and a new clutch last year.
OP, think most of your costs are the garages, not the truck.
Think you've been unlucky.

The problem is/was in 2002/2003 the L200 and the 4d56 block was changed from being built in japan to thailand.

New work force and factory meant it wasn't up to the standard it should have been.

Theres a story somewhere also that there was a timing mishap on one of the lines for some compotent, it could have been oil pump, and they weren't up to the quality they should have been.

A 2001 or before should be bullet proof. Afters are sketchy.

Thats why there is major problems with some l200's in reg'd 2003/2004

cujimbo

can you tell me where in portlaoise did you get your L200 ECU remapped

oldsmokey

Is there any way to check the conrod bolts torque BEFORE the expensive mess?

CJhaughey

oldsmokey wrote: »

Is there any way to check the conrod bolts torque BEFORE the expensive mess?

I'd say if you drop the sump, you can check them from below.
I can't remember if there was any subframes or other stuff in the way though.