Mitsubishi Mirage Maintenance

bearing2000

Hi everybody,

I have a 93 Mirage 1.8L Engine 4 speed A/T with
70k on it. I just did couple major tune up:

Changed: Air cleaner, spark plugs, ignition wire,
distributor cap and rotor, brake rotor and brake
pad, A/T Fluid Changed, Engine Oil change and
flushed radiator and changed coolant.

Adjusted: Engine Valve clearance, ignition Timing
and idle speed.

Going to replace the timing belt and the 2 drive
belts next weekend.

Everything is right at the factory specification,
dead nut.
But the car(I think it is from the engine), still
runs noisy suddenly, and only, at around 30 mph
and
40 mph. I think that is the speed range that the 4
speed automatic transmission shift from 2nd to 3rd
gear(30 mph) and from 3rd to 4th gear(40 mph).
However, it will run normal again after that speed
range. I am driving 70mph all the time and this
Mirage is really smooth and quiet. This car is
giving me 28mpg on mostly local driving(with A/C
on
all the time) which is not bad. But I cannot think
of any reason why in that speed range(probably the
engine has just shifted from higher RPM to lower
RPM while the transmission has just shifted from
3rd gear to the the 4th gear) the engine will
become noise. My car does not have a Tach. on it
so
I cannot tell exactly what RPM the engine is
running at that point. I my guess will be at
around
1700 - 2000rpm.

I mean, if the ignition timing and valve clearance
is perfect and the engine does give good gas
mileages, why would the engine "roar" at 40mph
while the engine is running at lower RPM due the
the shifting up a gear?

Does anybody have this same problem with thier
1.8L Mirage?

Also, I noticed the Mirage's 1.8L engine has a
higher 9.5 compression ratio, does it "require" 93
octane fuel?

I understand this may be too much for an ordinary
driver but I really appreciate any input.

Thanks.

Ross

cluelessabtcar

Hey there people I am thinking of buying a 1999 or 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage Coupe DE and I would like to know how the mechanical side of the car is (in other words) is it worth buying? PLEASE let me know ASAP.

Thank you,

Jessica

bnormann

Be sure to post this question in Sedans (go ahead and cheat: say you are buying the sedan version...) AND the Coupes Conference.

ALSO, do some searches using the search feature on the sidebar.

This conference is about people with Maintenance and Repair issues, so your question is sorta off-topic for here. I don't want to discourage you from asking people's opinion though. That's why we're here, but I swear you will get a better response in Sedans and Coupes.

Your host, Bruce

cwolf1

I have a '99 DE sedan.It's so far been a great car for the money.It gets great gas mileage it's extremely quite.When I first got it I was upset because it seemed to have no power but it has some sort of smart sensor that monitors how you drive,now it's very responsive and powerful.If you get a '99 you'll save about $3,000 over a 2000 the only difference in the two is '99 has 13" tires 2000 has 14".The coupe you're interested in has the same 1.5l 92hp engine it did in '99 the sedan was upgraded to a 1.8l 113hp for 2000.If you want something very reliable with nice styling that you don't see everywhere(Civic!)I'd recommend a Mirage.Just don't look to get alot for it come trade in time.

carshateme

My dad's '95 Mirage does that too!!! It's this kind of humming noise around 30-40 mph and it goes away when you tap the brakes, right? He took it to be inspected and they couldn't find anything wrong though... arrgh, >:-[ But I'll keep ya posted.
ALSO, do any Mirage owners know of the brake indicator light on the dash coming on at random times for no apparent reason? We replaced the brakes on the car maybe 2-3 years ago and they work great (we had them checked out in the inspection too and once again they're OK), but that light keeps coming on and frankly it worries me. I've had my brakes give out on me when I was driving in another car, and it's not an experience I'd like to repeat!

carshateme

My dad uses regular ol' unleaded in his LS coupe (which I think has a 1.8, I might be mistaken though)and we've never had a problem from it.

lsap72

I had my Mirage up until this past March (I purchased it new in 1995) and I too had that problem. Also, my bucket seats were always squeaking. Other than those problems, the car was fine. What I loved most about the Mirage was the miles-per-gallon (32 city/35 highway) and it was cheap to fill up the gas tank.

schaffs2

I've been looking for this topic for a while glad I found it. The bucket seats in my 95 Mirage LS Coupe also make the EEEEEK sounds (it drove my ex-girl friend nuts). I know have a slightly larger problem. Above speeds of 20 mph, I get a loud humming from the rear driver's corner, that only goes away at illegally high speeds, or dropping below 20. NOW I also get a loud thunk over all corners, like a strut is banging against the fender, thought I hope that's not it. Any Ideas? Thanks

Schaffs

cwolf1

I have a '99 Mirage DE with the 1.5l engine.Lately while I'm driving the gas gauge needle goes down to empty then hangs out below empty for about 1-2 minutes then goes back up to where it was before all this while I'm driving.The dealer says they can't do anything unless I can get it there while this is happening.I can't really drive back and forth infront of the dealer hoping this happens so they can fix it.So I was hoping someone could tell me what could cause this so I know what to tell the dealer and if anyones had this happen to them in a Mirage I'd really like to hear from them.Thank You in advance.

schaffs2

Carshateme-
I've found the brake light turning on on my 5sp Mirage coupe, same year. I found that while shifting or reaching for something in the console, I would pull the brake lever only enough to get the light to come on. Also, it may be a faulty sensor (does it have ABS?) Get the computer codes read at a reliable shop and it may tell you what's wrong. If the brakes where done 2-3 YEARS ago, depending how much milage the car gets, it may very well need a brake job. I find my slef doing pads about evey 20,000 and rotors every 50,000. (I do a lot of in town driving, and stop and go.)

bearing2000

Hi carshateme,

I just check the servce manual and I found out the the gear ratio jump from 1.000 to .685 when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear which is quite a lot. I think at such a low rpm at 30-40mph, the 1.8L engine does not provide enought power.

Recently, I just found the when I am driving above 60-65mph and I press the brake, I can feel the brake pedal vibrate and the cars does to brake so well. However, if I am driving less than 60mph(lets say 55mph) the car brake really well, quiet and decelerate pretty quickly.

Note: The frond brake pad and rotor are brand new (only 1 months old) and the rear drum brake has been cleaned 3 months ago.

Does anybody have the same problem with their Mirage>

bearing2000

cwolf1

Just heard there was a huge recall on Mirages.It's for engine stalling something that has definataly happened in my Mirage.Don't know the details yet just saw it on msnbc.Recall also on Japanese made Mitsu.Galants and Monteros.President of Mitsubishi Japan publicly announced his company has been hiding recalls and defects on their cars for the past 20 years.Not good for Mitsubishi at all.

mjrieder

I read the news story on the recall. One account in USA Today implied that the recall was for a defective engine shaft. That could be a serious repair. The other news story in the Philadelphia Inquirer said that the recall was for a defective drive shaft, which is a much less serious problem. I tried DOT's website yesterday, but it just stalled out on the topic of Mitsubishi. Does anyone have the straight story on the recall?
Please let me know.

carshateme

schaffs2, you were right-- we took the car in to a different shop and guess why the brake light came on? one brake pad was MISSING. I wonder how the first mechanic overlooked that!!
Also it sounds like bearing2000 schaffs2 and I all have the same "humming" noise problem... I haven't heard it since we got the brakes done but I think that's just a coincidence. So anyone with a breakthrough please keep me posted!!

pat455

Well, I have just spent about a half hour looking for a website article I could post a link to that would discuss the recall in detail.

Everything I have found is focused primarily on the cover-up (including two USA Today articles) with no details of the recall that would be useful to Mirage owners.

Perhaps more information will be forthcoming over the next few days. Or maybe someone else can find more info than I did and give us a link.

Meanwhile, I'll keep looking, and I'll post here anything I can find that really explains what the recalls will be.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

schaffs2

I got that annoying thunk in the rear to go away. It turns out after a drive on a loose gravel road that a rock had lodged it's self between the lower control arm and a frame member, causing the noise. As for the humming. Mine turned out to be a defective hub assembly that Mitsubishi replaed under it's parts warrenty. Turns out that all parts bought from the dealership have a different warrenty on them, the hub happened to be 12 month 12,000 miles. I got the part replaced for free and it took all of ten minuets to install. hope this clears things up.

bearing2000

Hi,

I have a 93 Mirage and I feel some vibration from the steering wheel when the speed get up to 75 mph. I do not feel any vibration at 70 but, gradually, the vibration magnitude increases. It is pretty obvious at 75mph.
Does anybody have this problem?
I just adjusted the alignment three months ago and the tires are pretty new.
I am thinking about, may be the drive shaft has been bent a little bit due to the explosure to the "bumpy" road condition for the last seven years.

cutehumor

I have a 1992 mitsubishi mirage, 4 door, 1.5 L, 4 speed auto with 90 k on it, it started burning oil around 87k. It happened pretty suddenly. I just checked the dipstick, and the oil is on the minnimum mark, and I haven't reached the 3k interval to change it. I've only driven 2400 miles out of 3000 miles. I use 4 quarts of quaker state oil (not synthetic)in my car when I change it. what can I do to stop my car from burning oil? will a change from conventional oil to synthetic oil hurt my car since it has 90k miles on it? (I heard synthetic oil is better) It never burned oil since I have owned the car for two years now, but it has been a real hot summer in Memphis this year where temperatures have reached 105 degrees for almost two weeks, and heat indexes above that.(an explanation for the burning oil maybe?) I know that once a car starts burning oil it's too late, but I want to delay it for a couple of years until I'm done with school. I'm a poor college student, and I can't afford to buy a new car. If anyone could give me some advice, I would greatly appreciated. --Michael

mirageman93

I have a 93 mirage and recently put in a newly rebuilt engine. It is 1.5 liter with an automatic transmission. This car is a Federal edition so it doesn't have an EGR valve or solenoid. The car runs perfect except for the fact the engine runs rough at idle. I checked all the vacuum lines, the vacuum solenoid, and timing. All are perfect and within specs. The intake manifold has a new crush gasket between the manifold and engine block so there souldn't be any leaking there. Can someone let me know if I actually have a problem or if these cars normally run rough and I shouldn't worry about it?

copytech

Hey Michael. As far as oil goes, switching to synthetic will not hurt an engine. But, if your vehicle is using oil, then do not switch to synthetic. Synthetic oil is much slippier than organic oils, so if your vehicle is burning or leaking oil, then synthetic will increase the usage of the oil, plus it's 4 bucks a quart. It's not worth putting it in a car unless it's a 100K Mercedes or Porsche. They recommend it, but there service intervals are also 20k miles. Do you see any smoke upon startup? If not, have the compression checked. Pretty easy in the 4 banger. Remember, ALL cars use oil. Some just never show it, but a tiny bit always gets past the oil control ring for lubrication. Almost 90k miles on it, the tolerances are wearing. It's probably nothing to worry about. It's normal for a cadillac northstar engine to use a quart or so per oil change. A 45K car??? Go figure. Good luck.

copytech

Hey. You stated that the alignment was checked. Did you balance the tires too? I would check the tires. How long ago were they balanced? It's amazing what a quarter weight would to do cause tire vibration when it falls off. I would have the tires balanced. I doubt that you have a radial balance problem with one of the half shafts. The counterweights on them are large and rarely cause problems. If they were bent, the problem would be noticed over a wide range of driving. Since they are so short and are self-lubed cv joints, they're probably ok. I would check the tires for balancing, probably a dymanic balancing problem. I've had new tires, and within a few thousand miles, i had to rebalance them. Good luck.

99miragede

I have a 1999 Mirage DE with the 1.5 liter engine.I am having the same exact problem as was indicated in post # 8 from(cwolf1).My gas gauge will go from working just fine to all the way to empty and stay there for a few minutes or maybe even a day or two. When I went to the Mitsubishi dealer it was working fine and I was told they had to see the problem before they could do anything about it. Except for this one problem my car has been great.If anyone knows what to do to fix this problem please send me an e-mail or post a response.

cwolf1

Hey this is Cwolf1 I still haven't figured out the problem or had it fixed. I was lucky enough (I thought) to have this happen to me right outside of my Mitsubishi dealer. I left the engine running ran in there and told them it finally happened while I was there. I was told they were too busy to even look at it. So much for my once in a lifetime chance to have something like this happen while I'm actually near the dealership. I guess it needs to happen when I have an appointment or something. If you get answer about what it is 99miragede please post it I'm sick of it doing that. Thanks.

mag88

I have just found a 1992 Mirage Hatchback (Auto.) for my daughter. Was owned by a senior citizen who died. Recently had computer replaced, tune-up and injectors cleaned. This is the cleanest 92 I have ever seen. Are there any items I should check before purchasing this car? Thanks Jim

copytech

Jim, I would wonder why the computer and injectors needed to be replaced-maybe a model year specific problem. Sometimes, low mileage cars are great, but the problems with those cars that aren't driven too much is that there are items that are overlooked and noises that are not taken care of, such as bearing failure and lack of maintenance, like changing the oil every year or 2 and never touching the trans fluid or brakes. I would do a compression check and a radiator pressure check just to make sure that there isn't any problems there. I don't know how thorough of an inspection you are planning to do (an inde mechanic should charge an hour labor to do a full inspection), but items such as cv boots, radiator hoses and timing belt do age. Check the brakes. Probably everything will be OK, but if you do decide to buy it, definitely change out all of the belts, hoses, thermostat, plug wires, and flush the brake system, cooling system, trans, and power steering fluid. At least then you will have good knowledge of the condition of those systems at that point. All of this stuff hardly costs anything. So if you spend a couple of grand on the car, these $100 in parts will pay for themselves. Someone with more model year experience might chime in here. But I figure that the basics that apply to most cars should apply here as well. Just listen carefully for noises when accelerating, braking, and turning. Make sure it shifts smoothly and upshifts and downshift without hesitation. All in all, just listen carefully for any abnormal noises. Good luck on your choice Jim.

cutehumor

this may sound weird, but here goes. my brake pads need to be changed, I can tell. It almost goes down to the floor, but not quite. There is only a grind sound, a pretty rough grind, when my car is going down a hill, and I'm trying to stop. It only happens in that instance. I'm a beginner, and I was trying to change my brake pads, but I ran into a problem. I couldn't get the screws off. I got the C-clamp on there. How do these mechanics get old rusted parts off? I swear I used all my strength, and couldn't get off these rusted bolts off with a craftsman wrench.

junc

My 89 Mirage won't start. I had it checked in a garage. They checked everything (including replacing the plug) and could not find a problem.
Symptom: The engine started and then dead after 1~2 seconds.
Can this be related to engine oil? I didnot change oil for about 5 months (only 800 miles during that time) until I saw the check engine light is on. Then I poured half bottle of 10w40 oil into it. And then it refused to start.
Thanks!

apex007

I have had a similar problem that started 3 or 4,000 miles after I replaced tires. Following the advice of a trusted mechanic I rebalanced tires (~$25 or so) and everything was OK since then.

schaffs3

Well, It's Schaffs2 back in a different form. In any case, I have a question for y'all. Does anyone know if the power adjustable seat from the Eclipse would bolt in and power up to a 1995 Mirage LS Coupe with the convenience package? I love the car to death, but because of a back problem, need something with 6 or 8 way adjustments. Thanks in advance.

Schaffs3