Mitsubishi Outlander Maintenance and Repair

batman47 · October 2012

Mitsubishi has upgraded its ATF specifications for the Outlander V6 3.0L. It appears that the only ATF suitable for the Outlander 3.0L (2010-2013) is DiaQueen ATF-J3. Below is the Advert for this part:

Part # 4031610

This is the only transmission fluid for the 2010 - 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander 6 Cylinder Engine with a 6 speed automatic transmission is to use! No equivalent is available from ANY auto parts store!

Outlander 2007-2009 V6 3.0L the recommended ATF was DiaQueen ATF-J2.

stever · October 2012

Is that a Mitsubishi ad or in the owner's manual? I'm always curious when manufacturers try to require tie-in sales to maintain warranties. (FTC link)

People were sometimes using the Hyundai brand for SP-III fluid. Same stuff licensed to Hyundai but often cheaper.

batman47 · October 2012

I have noted that sometimes the automatic seems to hesitate a little bit when the engine drops to slow speed (10-20 miles/hr) from high speed (60-80 miles/hr). From past experience (Lexus SC300) I have noted that a small amount up or down (lets say ¼ of a quart) of the required volume of ATF may cause this small vacillation.

I consulted the 2012 service manual to find out that the automatic fluid of my GT is indeed DiaQueen ATF-J3. Approximately 1-quart of ATF-J3 costs $20 while ATF-J2 costs $10. The ATF-J3 is sold in 4-litre container while the ATF-J2 is sold in 1-quart container.

I will experiment by adding ¼ of a quart of ATF-J3 to see if this may eliminate the automatic hesitation of my GT. I said adding instead of taken away because Mitsubishi technicians may lapse by exclusion than by inclusion. The saving that Mitsubishi may gain is 250,000 quarts of ATF-J3 in 1 millions cars sold wide world.

I am not an oil engineer but a grade of fear of damaging the automatic unit may be the main reason to use the OEM ATF given by Mitsubishi (i.e. ATF-J3). Oil scientists add additives (many of which are patented) to oil used in the automotive industry. I am very careful of obeying what cars manufacturers specify for their cars (although this may be a hoax) because I do not know what will happen with my automatic transmission unit if I use cheaper or unknown ATF oil.

I personally follow the specifications given for Mitsubishi as far as fluids are concerned. Example: brake fluid, engine oil fluid, steering oil fluid, transfer fluid, A/C fluid and ATF fluid

stever · October 2012

Thanks Batman. I'm not fond of proprietary formulas for scheduled maintenance items but the FTC seems to be easing off enforcement of those kinds of tie-in sales so I suspect we'll be seeing lots more of them.

With correspondingly higher prices too.

toomanyfumes · October 2012

Oil change at Mitsubishi dealer yesterday. Had a coupon for $22 oil change plus I got $20 gift card for test driving new car. Service advisor hit up everyone getting service for a $60 cabin filter, about half bit. I picked one up at autozone on the way home, $17. Drove a '13 Forester, OK, nothing special, not a disappointment getting back in my 5 year old Outlander.

20vcq · January 2013

I have moaned about the sloppy suspension in the 07 Outlander - you know the head bobble that is caused by the suspension set as one changes lanes and the body tries to catch up with the tires.
I installed a set of H&R Springs two months ago and WOW - not cheap when you employ a mechanic to install them but REALLY worth it. They lower the car about 1." overall but most importantly the spring weight and progression is dialed in really well. If road clearance isn't big deal I recommend them.

batman47 · January 2013

Yes, my Outlander XLS 2008 had a weak rear suspension spring (coil). This was improved with the Outlander GT 2010. The Outlander GT 2012 has stronger suspension spring and it stands much heavy cargo.

Right & left rear suspension spring (coil) has part#4140A187 at a price $78 each. It may prove better choice than H & R spring.

comem47 · February 2013

Does anyone know of a less expensive source for the intermediate pipe of a 2007 4WD Outlander? I'm finding the local parts stores don't stock it and the Mitsubishi places online want $750 (discount) compared to about $950 list. I'm about 5 months beyond my 5 yr bumper to bumper and while I've heard certain things get covered longer under "emissions", I don't think this wil (anyone know?). It's part 3 below and bolts in with triangular flanges front and rear. I think the front blob to the whole assembly is a catalytic, but nothing describes it as such.

toomanyfumes · February 2013

Wow that's pricey, must be a catalyst in there.

batman47 · February 2013

What is wrong with part No 3 in your exhaust? Why do you need to replace it? Is it broken/damaged? Can not be welded? How does it affect your performance? Exhaust gases escape from this part? etc?

What problem does part No 3 cause?? Did you use poor quality gas?

comem47 · February 2013

There is a large hole at the top of the pipe immediately after what I believe is the catalyst. Unfortunately Mitsubishi has this as one large welded assembly, not separate pieces to be put together, making it custom and expensive. I currently have a soup can held on with hose clamps rendering it totally quiet, but for how long? I don't drive very far each day so the exhaust doesn't totally dry out from start up condensation. 42K miles since fall of 2007.

batman47 · February 2013

OK.
How did the hole appear in the first place? What is your diagnosis? Was the hole made by corrosion or because you hit the exhaust with something unintentionally while driving?

If a soup can is able to solve the problem so perhaps you can make it permanently by using a piece of stainless steel pipe (home depot) and using 2-clamps to fix it in place or just use the service of a mechanic welder to do the job.

However, it is very important to know what caused the exhaust pipe hole in order to apply corrective measurements before the problem happens. My Lexus S300 has 140K miles and the exhaust pipe is still the original.

comem47 · February 2013

Respectfully, it is immaterial that a Lexus with likely a stainless steel exhaust system can last 140K miles.(not surprised) Apples and oranges. This Mitsubishi pipe section is NOT stainless (but should be be for the price). Prior to stainless exhaust systems it is quite common for systems to corrode from inside out in a few years (especially if not driven enough to dry out the condensation (short trips). The large hole is on the top of the pipe (rust through, not from any collision damage). Over time I've had a few heat shield pieces fall off this pipe from cheap spot welds. I'm not impressed with the lack of quality. So rather than delving into how I got here I'm just hoping to find a more reasonably priced replacement (if one exists) Thanks all.

kyfdx · February 2013

I would suggest a local exhaust shop, and let them weld a piece in.

I remember taking my Mazda 323GTX in to the dealer for exhaust work. The service writer looked at it and said, "You don't want to get that fixed here". He directed me to the local place. $300 vs. $950, and that was in 1994.

batman47 · February 2013

I have talked with Mitsubishi car owners with cars older than 2007 (e.g. Montero, Galant) to be told that problems seem to appear in the engine (burning oil or leaking oil) at around 120K-140K miles of use. These problems were quickly solved by replacing the old engine gaskets with new ones. They never mentioned to have an issue with the exhaust pipe. How many Mitsubishi owners of 2007 Outlanders are having this exhaust pipe problem? If there are many more with similar problems then perhaps is worth it to extend the warranty (i.e. 7-year/100,000 mile Anti-Corrosion/Perforation Limited Warranty) if this is feasible and pay a bit more or save $10 per month from the date of the buying of the new vehicle for 5-6 years to buy a new exhaust.

However, it seems to be true about the short journeys in your Outlanders as a cause for exhaust corrosion. A good rule of thumb could be to take the Outlander for 20 miles ride every 15-day at speed above 65 mph. Please do not get me wrong but your experience with your Outlander is a good indication for other owners to prevent premature exhaust pipe corrosion.

toomanyfumes · February 2013

No problem yet with my '07 Outlander with 63k. Wife's commute is about 7 miles each way. Salty Wisconsin winters, also. I'm guessing most extended warranties won't cover exhaust pipes, not sure about catalyst unit.

fushigi · February 2013

My '99 Galant had no exhaust issues over 10.5 years & 152K miles. I live in the Chicago area so winters bring salted roads and whatnot. The Galant's replacement, a '10 Outlander GT, hasn't had any issues other than a coil throwing a code twice in 3 years/28K miles (dealer's moved it to another cyl & will replace if the error happens again & follows the coil).

r8d · March 2013

hi everybody,
im new here and new to outlanders.
just bought a jan 2009 black outlander, 65000km done. service history shows all services were done right upto 60000km at the same mitsubishi service centre. have had it for about 2 months and all was good,
until 3 days ago when i start my car, ABS light comes on as well as 4WD with the exclamation mark and the large ABS sign with service required. All the lights stay on, and sometimes when I'm driving, even at 10km/hr the light goes off saying drive slow.
Wanted to know how bad is it? Is it just a sensor problem or is this really serious.

comem47 · March 2013

I had an ASC problem that turned out to be and ABS module problem on my 2007. While in my case I could still drive around , I didn't like they originally quoted several weeks to get the part. Luckily it only took 2 weeks to get the module and was replaced while still under the 5 yr bumper to bumper warranty. (don't want to guess how much it would have cost otherwise ) If you go back to article 320 you can pick up the thread. Sure hope it is only a sensor in your case or it's otherwise covered and whatever parts are quickly available. (modules like this should be more readily stocked if so many things depend on them and the replaceable part is the whole module and not a sub assembly)

fastgst · March 2013

Why not have the exhaust shop fabricate a piece to replace your corroded piping

That second canister is likely a resonator/inline muffler and not a catalytic convertor.

It sounds like for $950 you are getting a new catalytic convertor too?

Even though the mitsubishi builds it as one piece, a shop can cut off right after the cat and make new pipe piece-wise to the muffler. replace the resonator with another one, etc. Check with local emission laws though.

r8d · March 2013

so finally went to the mitsubishi service center, seem that it was just an dirty sensor. Got the warning rest. All seems ok.....for now.

anm032204 · May 2013

My 2010 Outlander locked my ignition and could not be started unless I got my battery jumped because my dome light was left on for a couple hours. A few months back the same thing happened, the ignition locked and had to get a jump because I left the radio on for a few hours and I replaced my batter then. Does anyone know how to get it to stop doing that?

toomanyfumes · June 2013

What do you mean by "ignition locked." Couldn't turn the key? If it's just a dead battery the interior lights should shut themselves off after a while, I know mine do. Leaving the radio on for an extended period of time will kill the battery, a few hours should be OK. Still have the original battery in my '07, gonna replace it before winter.

jonox · July 2013

Just had a 3 year service under the severe maintenance schedule protocol required for Canadian owners. The 2010 AWD Outlander ES has 26,320 kilometers (16324 miles). I declined a mechanic's recommendation to have the brake fluid flushed every 3 years. I see no mention of this procedure in the Mitsu service schedule but notice the owners manual specifies dot3 or dot4 brake fluid rather than the more advanced dot5 spec.

Given the advanced braking systems on these vehicles with ABS and ASC stability control what would be a reasonable brake fluid flush interval?

kyfdx · July 2013

I don't know about Mitsu, but BMW recommends a brake fluid change every two years...

Brake fluid is hygroscopic..... it attracts water.. Water makes rust... Not good for brake lines..

I think your mechanic gave good advice, in this case..

Good luck!

batman47 · July 2013

For some mysterious reasons when my wife started our car,(Outlander GT 2012) yesterday while visiting a friend the message keyless operation system service required appeared on the drivers controls fascia.

Querying my wife about what happened at her friends she told me that they have been using remotes (transmitter) to open the gate of their home and also the same (or other remote) to open the garage door.

Making a search on Google about the problem it comes out that this problem is endemic specially with the Mitsubishi EVO where drivers could not even start the engine as usual (having the key in his/her pocket). Some of these owners had to transport their car to the dealer to sort out the problem and others decided to use the manual key to start the engine, which was a relief when the engine started. However, they inform that the warning message is still there.

Everybody seems to be concerned about how to solve the problem but no one seem interested to know what triggers the problem in the first place.

RF remotes in the US work in the region of 315 MHz and every remote used in the country has to use this range of frequency to operate including every car used in the US (by law).

At the moment we cannot lock our car by touching the little button adjacent to the door handle and although we can still use the control key to open the door (by pressing the key manually), and start the engine while having the control key in our pocket the warning message:Keyless operation system service required is still there.

We will appreciate it, if members in this forum may provide their own comments and experiences about this problem.

costello1 · September 2013

I just brought a used 03 Outlander , my third Mitis . Is there anything I need to know about this model such as possible problems or quirks . I am aware of the temp dial issue .

tomml · April 2014

My experience in "The best warranty".

Last year my outlander had a noise under the car, it was caused by heat shield. Delear fixed it under warranty. The same noise(even louder) came back this week, Called the dealer, they said it should be the heat shield. They only removed the loose part last year and this time they said that they will tie it down and it would be an adjustment therefore not covered under warranty. Called Mitsubishi, they agree with the dealer.

Good car, bad service. Never buy it again.

fushigi · April 2014

Heat shields ought to be covered under the B2B warranty. What year/how many miles are on your Outlander?

I did have a couple of clamps that held my heat shield rust through this winter; the dealer replaced them at no cost under warranty. But I'm within the time & miles for the B2B.

comem47 · September 2014

Anyone replace their liftgate struts yet? I see places like Advance Auto don't map a specific strut to specific vehicles and you must match the weight and travel and purchase that way. Just hoping someone's been through the exercise and has a part number (other than going to the "stealer".)

comem47 · September 2014

BTW: it's for a 2007 Outlander LS.

stever · September 2014

RockAuto.com shows a few lift supports for the rear hatch and one brand (Monroe) lists the specs. Maybe that'll help narrow your search down. It's listed under Body Exterior > Lift Support.

comem47 · September 2014

Thanks a lot for the tip. So far I had been up empty,

toomanyfumes · September 2014

Haven't replaced mine on my '07 but they're getting weak and making noise, so it"s just a matter of time.

toomanyfumes · September 2014

Getting new tires next week. Replaced the battery in spring, that's been all I've done other than brakes, oil changes and air and cabin filters. '07 Outlander, almost 80K.

fushigi · September 2014

toomanyfumes said:
Getting new tires next week. Replaced the battery in spring, that's been all I've done other than brakes, oil changes and air and cabin filters. '07 Outlander, almost 80K.

Let us know which tires you get. My '10GT is due for tires before the snow starts falling. Last January, after 4 years of ownership, I replaced the OEM battery and a few months ago splurged on the nav update but otherwise have only had to do oil changes, tire rotations, and the occasional filter. I only have 39K miles on mine so the brakes are still good.

comem47 · September 2014

Just an update. I found a vendor on Ebay selling the exact replacement liftgate struts for $30 each with warranty and free shipping. Popped right in. I'm happy but later found a vendor on Amazon that sells a pair for $40.

toomanyfumes · September 2014

I got General Grabbers again, price was right, got a rebate and the current set have served us well.

comem47 · October 2014

Well I finally got my 2007 49 state LS exhaust system replacement for my ever rusting and decaying stock exhaust. I ordered a Magnaflow Stainless Steel system (cat back to mate to the rear muffler flange) that is much beefier in wall thickness and appears the pipe diameter is a bit larger while mating up to the stock flanges nicely. It was like $545 with free shipping, but I had to wait a few weeks while they fabricated one as they were out of stock. I will say be prepared to use an Oxy-acetylene torch to cut the rear flange nuts/bolts off by first cutting the pipe ahead of the flange with a reciprocating saw to get the muffler out where you can work on it (you couldn't recognize the nuts/bolts through the rusty fused lump). Overall , outside of the pipe getting a pit close to the drive-shaft (doesn't touch though) I'm very impressed and this section of exhaust will never rot away like the OEM one. If you don't choose to reuse the rear muffler you need to go OEM for like $320 plus shipping. I was also able to ruse the O2 sensor and pre wound up the cable as there is a rusted plate covering where the disconnect was, (I plastic tied it away from hot pipe/catalyst. The Junk yard gave me $45 for the old catalytic converter and 85 cents for the rusting out rest of the exhaust making the exercise about $530 after you include buying new gaskets and nuts/bolts. (save springs from front flange).

toomanyfumes · October 2014

Recall notice for my "07 Outlander. Stop lamp switch. Was looking at the maintenance schedule, looks like Transfer case fluid change and coolant change are due, I'll either have my independent mechanic do it or maybe do it myself if I feel ambitious.

jonox · December 2015

2010 Outlander ES Keyless Entry

Battery recently replaced on main ignition/door key recently without problem but discovered spare key would not operate even though it's battery is in good shape. Never had to use the spare before and suspect it may need to be reprogrammed. Dealer cost for reprogramming is $55.00.
Tried to reprogram myself following "Customer remote control transmitter programming" instructions in the Owner's Manual but without success.
Suspect the spare key may have belonged to another Outlander and switched at time of purchase.
Could this be the reason it won't reprogram?
Ideas anyone?

jonox · March 2016

Issue resolved by dealer free of charge.

stever · March 2016

Good for them. Did they say why the spare wasn't working or unprogrammable per the manual?

toomanyfumes · July 2016

Got the exhaust repaired for now. $60 to weld in a new section of pipe. Needs a muffler, shop said only one available is from the dealer, $900!! I see in the post above someone quoted 320, I think I will check around myself. Also replaced rear brake pads, Still need to do the fronts. My daughter is driving it now, it's a great school car for her.

fushigi · July 2016

Exhaust is dine on mine, but the rear brakes are getting closer and closer to needing work. I was going to get them done this last time but the dealer said they'll still be good for awhile longer, like my next oil change in December.

toomanyfumes · July 2016

I just did rear pads last weekend, I bought front ones to install also. About 50ķ on this set. Odd that back brakes seem to wear out faster than the fronts.

PF_Flyer · November 2017

Do you currently own a Mitsubishi vehicle? If so, a reporter would love to ask you a few questions. Please send a note to PR@edmunds.com by end of day Thursday, November 30 if you'd be willing to chat. Thanks!

Mitsubishi Outlander Maintenance and Repair

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