Mitsubishi Galant

lngtonge18 · June 2002

Sounds to me like your valve stem seals are leaking. It's not a big deal. It just means you now have a slight oil burning problem and need to keep an eye on the oil level every few weeks. You can drive it like this with no problem for a long time. Only when it pours out smoke at all times are you in need of a major engine rebuild. Mitsubishis are known for weak valve stem seals on their early-mid 90s cars so its common and nothing to worry about. I would just drive it until you are ready to get rid of it or the smoking gets much worse.

pat · June 2002

The Town Hall is about to take on a new look in an effort to make content more easily searchable and accessible.

Have you seen the Letter from the Town Hall Manager on the Town Hall Welcome page? If not, you might want to follow that link to have a look.

And hang on to your seats. Change is never easy - for any of us - but resolving the Search problems we've had will be worth the pain.

Pat
Sedans Host

cxshortie · June 2002

CK -- check out thegalantcenter.com

There are several galant owners there acutally about 2000 of us!

cayennered1 · June 2002

My 99 Galant V6 lease is up in November. I have been pleased with the car and am thinking of buying the car off lease. Residual is around $10.700.

Has anyone had any experience buying a vehicle at lease expiration. Are there any additional charges other than the straight residual as a purchase price. Is a down payment required? Information on the above
would be greatly appreciated.

bhambob · June 2002

My wife has an '01 ES V6 and frequently complains of the problem. Is there a TSB for this? Is there a recommended fix for this problem?

cbnearla · June 2002

Does the shimmy occur at 60-70 mph? Do you also notice the steering wheel pulling side-to-side when hitting the brakes fairly hard at 50-60 mph or so? If so, yes there is a TSB for this problem: the lower control arms (with integral bushings on the V6) need to be replaced. The fix also includes a front brake job. I have a 2K ES V6 and recently had this repair. The TSB to look for says something about "brake judder".

bhambob · June 2002

I answer 'yes' to both questions. The questions you asked are right on the money. Thanks for the quick reply and I will get the work done ASAP. BTW, is this covered under warranty?

cbnearla · June 2002

There should be no charge for this repair.

sebring95 · July 2002

You'd have to call the leasing company (assuming Mitsu?) to get the exact buy-out. A new Galant even with 0% financing will run you at least $300/month for a stripped model. You should be able to buy yours for $200-$225/month depending on sales tax in your area. Or finance it for 3 years for $330/month and own it in two years sooner. You can finance it through any bank you want so that's where the decision of a down-payment will come in.

The main thing to do is check around and see how much you can buy an identical used '99 Galant. If the buy-out on yours is cheaper then you're ok. If your buy-out is higher, you'd be better off to give it back and start-over with something else. There were a few years (97-99 mainly) that the leasing companies/manufacturers were putting high residuals on vehicles in order to get the payments down. Now those vehicles are being turned in and they are worth no where near the residuals. I can't comment on yours because it might be high if you have a base model, or low if you have a loaded V6. Just check out the numbers before you do anything. I know a guy with a '99 Camry and his residual was about $2000 higher than what the vehicle was really worth. He just gave it back and bought something else.

cayennered1 · July 2002

The residual on my Galant is $10,700. Car is a V6 with leather and after market wheels and mileage after 39 months will be around 44000.

I have read that you can negotiate with the leasing company (Mitsubishi) to buy below residual as the company saves by disposing of the car immediately and makes no repairs or clean up which also costs money.
Anyone heard of this?
I really love the car and if I can own it for 10 grand or so I see no downside. I can always sell it a year or two down the road if something else strikes my fancy.

sebring95 · July 2002

I've heard of some folks doing that as well, but I know some companies so "no-way" and others will. You'd just have to call them and negotiate. Seems like your mileage is right on average and $10K for a loaded up car doesn't sound bad, but again I have no idea what these are worth. Edmunds gives pretty fair values. Just don't use Kelly Blue Book, they are crazy.

marak88 · July 2002

Hello

99 ES, the light bulb behind the temperature and the fuel gauge burnt out and I don't know how to take the cluster out so I can change the light bulb, Would any one know how or what would be the easiest way to change the fuel gauge/ temperature gauge light bulb.

thanks in advance.

marcin · July 2002

well, what a coincidence. my dashboard bulb went out this weekend so i was planning on posting the same question in the forum. the only difference in my case is that all of my bulbs are out now except the temperature and the fuel gauge. i did not want to replace anything until now - it's not easy. but i have no choice as i can't see anything at night now. my '99 ES has +70K miles and the first bulb went out around 45k. i'm pretty upset and believe that there is either an electrical problem or just poor mitsu design. most of my driving is done during daytime and i do not use headlights throughout the day. anyway, i will ask the dealer how much they want for the job, but i'm pretty sure it will be around $100. most likely i will end up doing it myself.
anyone else has the same dilemma?

joathlete · July 2002

The bulb between my speedometer and coolant level has gone out as well. I would rather change it myself if not to complex. Would anyone know how to do this that can explain

cbnearla · July 2002

If you don't get an answer here, go to www.thegalantcenter.com. Check the frequently asked questions or tutorials sections.

cga · July 2002

I have a 4 cylinder 2000 Galant ES, with about 20,000 miles, which I purchased new.

Due to a bad car accident years ago I'm very sensitive to how a car handles. I noticed the overall front end wander (drift, yaw, call it what you will) more or less the first time I drove the car on the highway. I believe it's a design issue. It's most noticeable in the winter, even though I have four very good snow tires. It's very subtle and not everyone would notice it or be bothered by it. But it bothers me considerably. Naturally, the dealer don't help.

cga · July 2002

Make that "the dealer won't help."

homer61388 · July 2002

One of my best friends is looking at these two vehicles for his wife. He wants a sporty car coupled with performance and comfort. But he wants safety and reliability too. I have already checked into safety and both cars performed admirably. The warranty on the sonata is making him lean toward it more. But I personally think that the galant has the sonata beat in sportiness. His main questions are which is the sportiest, the most reliable, and the most comfortable. Oh, and he and his wife also drive in less than ideal weather conditions and he is wondering which car would be a wiser choice for snow travel?
He has talked to me about the galant gtz and how it demands premium fuel while the sonata runs on regular? Can the galant run on regular fuel too?
Please write back and inform me on your opinions. Thanks!

cayennered1 · July 2002

I drive a 99 V6ES Galant and find the car to have been most reliable. The GTZ model is not appreciably different except for a few cosmetic differences. While premium fuel is recommended it is not required. I have used mid range 89 octane for most of my ownership with absolutely no problems. I think regular would also be ok. It just reduces the performance level. I know that when I first bought the car it performed like a rocket. With the mid range fuel I now use it performs well but not spectacularly as it did before.

So I guess it would be a tradeoff between an off the line rocket sled and a nice performer at less cost (no premium fuel).

If you want a testimonial for this car let me just say that with 40000 miles on the clock I'm so happy with the car that I plan to buy it when it goes off lease in November. I think it looks and performs great. Very BMW like styling and fine performance. Have not had the car in for anything but an oil change for the last 18 months. It's been highly reliable.

I have no knowledge of the Sonata but if looks, sportiness and reliablity are important I think the Galant wins hads down.

lngtonge18 · July 2002

Here's my opinion: The Sonata is geared more towards comfort and space. The seats are very comfortable to me, whereas Mitsu seats hurt my back. The rear seat in the Sonata is roomier and the cabin feels more open and airy. It looks classy and elegant whereas the Galant looks sportier. The suspension is soft and only has average handling whereas the Galant handles pretty good and has a firmer ride. Reliability should be about equal. Both offer traction control so they should be about equal in winter traction. So, I'm not sure which one to recommend to him. If he wants sportiness, the Galant wins. If he wants comfort and a big warranty, the Sonata wins.

sebring95 · July 2002

My wifes Galant runs fine on regular fuel. There is a slightly noticable performance difference by using reg. over premium. We've had the car for about 16 months and are very pleased with it. Have not returned to the dealer for anything and have had no problems. The winter traction was fine, she had no complaints. I'm not crazy about the factory tires, but they work for now. Just a bit noisey, typical of Goodyears.

lawman1967 · July 2002

If you are having tire noise you might check balance or alignment, or perhaps yours came with different tires.

My 2002 ES (4 cylinder) came with 195/65/15 Goodyear Eagle LS tires, which are advertised on Goodyear's website as their quietest tire. My experience matchest he advertising as I've found these tires to produce so little road noise that I bought a set (same size) for my wife's Saturn L200, and what an improvement they were on that car. The Saturn's Firestone Affinities had always bothered me, but more for lack of grip than noise. The Eagle LS was just a night and day transition for that car.

sebring95 · July 2002

It has Eagle LS, but they are 16". They very well might be the quietest tire Goodyear makes but that's relative. They are very quiet on smooth roads, but expansion joints make them ring and rough roads really give a roaring sound. I think I've bought four new cars in the last five years that came with Goodyears and wasn't pleased with any of them. My Cherokee came with GY Wrangers and they sucked so bad I swapped them for some Michelins with well over 1/2 tread left. The Michelins do everything better, plus they are all-terrain instead of highway tires like the GY. Just picked up a Tahoe this week and it has Firestone's on it (first set of them I've owned) and they are very quiet. We'll see how they do with a few miles on them though. I also was considering a Durango but they come with those GY Wranglers also, so right off the bat I have to drop $600 for tires because I'm not putting up with those again. I can only justify spending the money on the Michelins on something I drive alot like the Jeep. The Eagle LS isn't an overly sporty tire (at all!) so I'll probably shop for something else before long. I think I can find something with better grip that is just as comfortable. Alot of people complain about Bridestones but I've had good luck with them on V6 Camrys. Just can't get alot of miles out of a sporty tire, that's all.

ultratech · July 2002

Don't buy a Hyundai ... I know mitsu may be bad and everything ... but a Hyundai is even worst !!
---------------------------------
www.TheGalantCenter.com

bbf65 · August 2002

i have a silver ES-V6 with 28,000 miles on it. (well 27,897)

several reasons i chose the galant - test drive, previous experience with mitsubishi, car and driver review, not ur garden variety sedan, not most stolen, price, 0-0-0 financing and relatively good sales dept. experience.

got mine in late october of 2000 in illinois
and have since moved to california.

drove the car through the mountain roads in all of colorado and utah, and the highways of iowa, nebraska, and parts of arizona and nevada in below freezing temperatures with the worst of road conditions during the dead of winter in 2001.

logged on an additional 3100 miles to what was an 1800 mile car.

car was a blast to drive during that memorable trek from midwest to west coast.
V6 power was smooth and consistent even at the continental divide in monarch crest, colorado. (elevation 11,300 ft(?))
adequate pull even at steep grades.
never missed a beat in that 10 day road trip.

also had excellent picture opportunities with such a great looking car poised against the huge red rock formation(s) in utah.

upgraded to aftermarket stereo (pioneer) and all four speakers (kenwood).
tremendous step up from factory unit.
replaced the rims with aftermarket alloys.
not only looks cool but added athletic cornering and braking abilities when compared to OEM steel rims with wheel covers.

problems? -front brake rotor resurfacing
($120 at 24,700 miles) admittedly a disappointment on a newer car,
wiring harness recall , and a few cosmetic touches on what seemed to be a very minor paint defect on the hidden parts of the car (i.e. inside of trunk, near door hinges).
car is maintained religiously.
mitsu service isn't the best though.
has big room for improvement.

car has seen several weekend trips to san francisco and las vegas.
really comfortable highway cruiser.
average MPG - around 26.
has only used premium grade.

all in all, perfectly happy with the drive.
smooth and quiet as new.
has proven to be reliable and dependable.
darn good looking.

only reason to part with - upgrade to one of those "entry level luxury sport sedans".

bibbens · August 2002

Any Chrysler employees out there who know what the employee plan for Mitsubishi is? Thanks in advance for any help.

marcin · August 2002

I just can't believe it! Like I said in my previous posts, I have lost 3 out of 4 dash illumination bulbs. Dealer wanted about $115 for the job. I told him that I will try it on my own first. He was so cool about it that even offered help, to call him if I have some questions. Also gave me a printout with a diagram of the dashboard. Anyway, just now, during lunch break I went to my car with a philips screwdriver. In just 5 minutes I got the entire dashboard piece in my hands! It takes 2+4 screws to take it apart and disconnect 1+2 harness connectors. Taking the black trim is kind of hard. I though I'm gonna break it. Make sure you remove the dimmer knob first and pull evenly. Again, this procedure is so simple - all you need is a screwdriver. Once you take the entire console out, the 4 bulbs are in the back of it. Actually the electronics look pretty neat. Only now I have a big hole in my dash and have to drive it this way to the store to get my bulbs. I won't even know if I'm speeding

Bulbs are D8 GE158, at least that's what is imprinted on them.
I'm very excited like a little kid now, but once you do it and see how easy it is you will understand. You will smile too once you have $100 in your wallet!

marcin · August 2002

http://www.cpfire.com/net/mitsu/dash01.jpg
http://www.cpfire.com/net/mitsu/dash02.jpg

joathlete · August 2002

Hey Marcin
I need to change the bulb behind my speedometer
can you email me or give me detailed directions to do this anything would be great
thks
joe
joathlete@yahoo.com

xo247 · August 2002

Hello,
Planning to purchase a used 2001 es galant 4 cylinder. Was just wondering if there's any recalls or TSB's for it. Just want to know if there is any so I can ask the dealer if it's been fixed or not. I noticed a recall and tsb for v-6 models, but don't know if they apply to the 4 banger also. TIA.

edsados · August 2002

Check the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) website for Car Recalls and TSB.
Bought the car used with 10,000 miles on it. 41,000+ miles now on my 2000 Galant ES I4 from city and freeway driving.
No major problems so far except for the noise coming from the rear right wheel when braking to slow down/stop. Dealer found no problem and pads has still 50% life.
Performed all the required maintenance including the recalls.
Great commuter car with decent power for 4 cyl. and good handling.

regala · August 2002

At 34000 mi, which one would you go for, OEM pads or Aftermarket pads?

vac23 · August 2002

When I replaced my pads, I chose an aftermarket pad (Bendix) No problems with them whatsoever.

automatous · August 2002

This is more of a prey for reassurance than anything. I’m a college student who has been driving around an ’89 Jeep Cherokee for way too long, thus, with support from my uncle I decided to purchase a new(ish) car. We were looking to spend about 15-16k (vehicle cost, not total) and I wanted something not terribly generic or untrustworthy, such as a Hyundai or a Saturn, thus I started looking at cars such as the Sentra SE-R, Subaru 2.5RS, etc. Yet, after 3 weeks I had come up with nothing but overpriced cars and uninformed salespeople. I was starting to lose hope when I saw an ad for Dodge Dakotas for way below retail, so I went over to the Dodge dealer to check them out, and I hated them. So I started looking around the used lot and happened to notice a 2001 Galant GTZ for 15990 and only 13,100 miles on it. Thus, I test drove it, loved it, and after a lot of arguing got it for 15k. Now, from what I can tell, I got one helluva a deal. Before I purchased the car I talked to the Mitsubishi dealer about their 2001 GTZs and they informed me they would go no where near that price and insisted that it was a lemon (which I had already verified it wasn’t, I also had a car savvy friend inspect inside and out for damage). Can anyone reassure me that this was, in fact, a great deal? =P

bbf65 · August 2002

check out the Kelly Blue Book site...
or one of the similar sites.
if the GTZ is in good condition and you have already verified that it's not a lemon,
it's a steal.
in california, a similar car may go for
about $20,000.
enjoy your GTZ.
i have an '01 ES-V6 with around 28,000 miles
on it and still drives like new.
also, visit THE GALANT CENTER.

pat · August 2002

The Town Hall Membership Agreement prohibits using the boards to buy or sell anything. Sorry.

automatous · August 2002

Thanks for the response and the site reference, the Galant Center forum seems to have a lot of valuable information. Good luck with your car!

imillinger · September 2002

i am thinking of getting the 4 cyl galant. can those out there who have purchased a 4 cyl tell me if it has enough pick up to get onto the highways and to properly run the a/c or do i have to get a 6 cyl model

sebring95 · September 2002

I've driven both and own the 6, which I prefer but someone else can comment on the day-to-day driving of the 4cyl. The only thing I'll say is that the 6 seems to hold it's value much better and be in greater demand. We've been thinking about selling our '01 V6 and have been looking around at prices. The used 4cyl are in the low teens, some near $10,000. Basically they are everywhere because of rental fleets. Hard to find other V6's for sale to compare to, but asking prices seem to be in the high teens.

lawman1967 · September 2002

I too drove both the four and the six, and chose the four. Both cars are powerful enough for anything legal, extremely smooth and quiet, and a pleasure to drive.

What made the decision for me wasn't any shortcoming in the six (it does slurp premium fuel, though), but rather just how much I liked the four. My only dissappointment has been fuel economy, which with my admittedly lead foot, averages around 21mpg in the city.

cayennered1 · September 2002

I just finished a 1500 mile trip in my 99 Galant V6 and I averaged an amazing 32 mpg on the highway with the air conditioning on.

I also get around 21-22 mpg in the city and use mid-range gas (89 octane). It has a modest efect on performance (not as much of a hot rod) but no real negatives otherwise.

I have driven the 4 and found the performance to be fine and the engine seemed quiter than my V6. As for resale, my lease is up in a couple of months and I plan on buying the car off lease. I've been very pleased with the performance, looks and reliability. I've done a little price checking on line and I believe the V6 does hold its value better. That won't help me I guess trying to negotiate a cheaper buy with Mitsubishi Leasing. Still I've read that leasing companys have been taking a bath on off lease cars so I'm hoping to get a buy below the residual ($10,500).

As for choosing between a 4 and a V6 I think they are both excellent choices from performance and economy perspectives. So whichever floats your boat.

bbf65 · September 2002

aside from the obvious power differences between the two engines, the V-6 also has quicker steering and comes standard with 16 inch tires.
i drive a V-6 and a close friend of mine drives the 4 which i also get to drive quite often.
i love the power and smoothness of the 6.
the 4 has plenty of get-go acceleration but seems to lose some steam at higher speeds.
both engines are quiet and have proven to be reliable and dependable.
the 4 gets better fuel economy and does not require premium fuel.
hope this helps.

bbf65 · September 2002

also, i didn't notice any difference in the cooling power of the AC between the 4 and 6.
as far as passing power and merging on the highways, both do a fine job.
the 6 just seems smoother.

fushigi · September 2002

EPA estimates that the 4 gets exactly 1 mpg more than the 6 for both city & highway driving, so the fuel consumption penalty for the 6 is pretty trivial. Bigger differences will more than likely exist based on how much lead is in your right foot.

My 99 LS V6 with 65K miles still runs pretty much like new. With a K&N air filter, I average about 24-25mpg in mixed city/highway driving. Closer to 22 in pure city & closer to 27-28 for pure highway. I have gotten over 30mpg, but rarely. I always use premium fuel.

Mileage drops by about 2 to 3 mpg during our lovely Chicagoland winters.

Running the AC doesn't seem to drag the engine very much or significantly impact the mileage that I've been getting.

Overall I'm very pleased with the car and have few gripes, most of which are minor.

vadim_st · September 2002

I have just discovered a rather unpleasant detail about warranty repairs. I have a 2001 Galant, which was in a minor accident some time ago. A headlight had to be replaced. Recently I noticed that the beams were not aligned right, and asked the dealer to fix it during a regular maintenance visit. They charged me for the beam alignment, but nothing was fixed. The next time I was there and pointed this out to them, they told me that, since the car had been repaired by another shop, they would not touch those parts, because they were not responsible for somebody else's bad job. My argument that the malfunction was inside the headlight assembly, which is a Mitsu defect, left them unmoved. Naturally frustrated, I called the Mitsu customer service for explanation. To my surprise, they confirmed that the dealer would not touch a part repaired or replaced by another shop, EVEN IF IT'S ANOTHER MITSU DEALER, and that I would have to go to the mechanic who had performed the job. This leaves me with a question about long trips or moving to another part of the country... Any reactions?
(P.S. I fixed the headlight myself by adjusting a defective reflecting lamp cap which screwed up the beams. Needless to say, the dealer lost a customer for charging for a fake job).

sebring95 · September 2002

Actually, that sounds about right regardless of manufacturer. They aren't going to cover parts that were not a part of a warranty repair or came new with the vehicle. The body shop replaced the light and that's who would be responsible for it technically speaking. If you had a warranty repair and then the part failed again, any Mitsu dealer would fix it. They charged you for aligning the headlights which is not a warranty item anyway and is something any compentant shop would have done after a replacement. The other question is, did the original shop replace the lens with a factory part or did they buy aftermarket or salvage yard? If it wasn't for sure a factory part, even a mechanical failure would not be covered by the Mitsu warranty.

I'd have to wonder why the reflecting lamp was wrong to begin with if it was a factory new part. It probably was not the reflector that was wrong, but how the front-end of the car was "fixed". If a headlight gets hit hard enough to break, it's quite possible the mounts aren't in the factory spec positions which would make it appear the headlight was aimed wrong.

lngtonge18 · September 2002

I agree with the above statement. How could you possibly expect Mitsubishi to cover a headlight that was replaced by a body shop after the original was destroyed due to your accident? Headlight reaiming is not covered under warranty if an accident was involved. So the dealer did the right thing in charging you. It's amazing what people expect of their warranties.

lngtonge18 · September 2002

By the way, headlight aim is covered by warranty only for 1 year or 12k miles. This is considered an adjustment. So even if the headlight had not been destroyed in the accident, the dealer still should have charged you to re-aim them. But if the headlights were still off after the re-aiming, a good dealer would fix their mistake no charge.

lvaughan1 · September 2002

I purchased a 1999 ES Galant V6 and are experiencing a shake in the steering wheel at between 65 and 75 MPH. Is anyone else having this problem? I have rotated, balanced and re-balanced the tires and nothing works !

joathlete · September 2002

Been having problems with my 99 Galant sunroof since purchase... About every 6 months it makes a clicking and snap sound at the opening and closing point.. The sunroof did not come with car I guess the dealership installed it so my question is even if my warranty has expired is this a lifetime guarantee with the dealer in NYC at 50th st and 11th ave. where car was purchased..

Mitsubishi Galant

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