Mitsubishi Diamante

pat · January 2005

All manufacturers have some problems with some cars. The people who have the problems speak loudly about them. The people who don't have problems often don't even realize what's going on.

The discussions here about problems of any vehicle do not give any indication of reliability because of that.

And yes, there are lots of Honda transmission problems talked about here, also. But let's not get this discussion sidetracked on these things, okay?

pat · January 2005

I may not have been clear in my meaning in that last message about Honda trannys - all I meant was they also have issues in addition to Toyotas, and those Honda issues have been talked about all over our forums. Again, the point being that all manufacturers produce some cars that have problems.

I don't want to reopen this subject, but it was pointed out to me that my meaning didn't come across the way I meant it.

Carry on.

murph3 · January 2005

I own a 2001 Diamante ES which I bought used from the dealership with 11,000 mi. I think the car looks great and has a very smooth ride. the inside is also very roomy even in the back seat. However, I keep having electrical problems. Fuses keep blowing and no one knows why. Since I've had very poor service from the dealership in the past I choose to take it to my own mechanic who I trust. He advises me to get rid of the car. I'm going to take a bath if I trade it in. Any suggestions?

ktnr · January 2005

Presumably, fuses aren't blowing at random for systems all over the car. If any electrical accessories have been added (radio, alarm, fog lights, etc) those would be a great place to start looking for shorts. A four year-old car with 11,000 miles has sat a lot. Any evidence of nesting rodents that might have chewed on wiring for nesting material?

Then I'd be looking for a pinched or chafed spot in the wiring harness somewhere. If only a few fuses keep blowing, then you can concentrate on the wires between the fuse block and where those system's wires last touch each other.

Ultimately, if you can't find the short-circuit, you can either pay someone else to look for the problem or dump the car. I'd have a look myself, first.

atlanta buyer · January 2005

Hello everyone:

I'm seriously considering a 2001 or 2002 Diamante with around 40,000 miles. I've always thought the car was beautiful and I've rented the Diamante a few times. I'm well aware of the depreciation on the car--that's my motivation for buying used. What should I expect in terms of wear, repairs service, etc. At what mileage am I looking for major service? What's a fair price?

I realize that the car is no long being sold in the US and it looks that Mitsubishi may give up on the US market. Am I looking at owning an orphan?

Many thanks.

ktnr · January 2005

Looking through Mitsubishi's web site, I was surprised to find only 4 remaining Mitsu dealers in the entire metro-Atlanta area. Because two different Mitsu dealers (neither of whom are still in business) used to charge 150% MSRP and over on parts, I always went to Carmax in Kennesaw. Being a corporate store, they charged "only" list price for parts (as if that wasn't high enough) and maintained a reasonable level of customer service. They finally dropped being a new Mitsu dealer though.

These dealership changes had me wondering what happened. Did Mitsubishi clean house, did smart dealers bail, or did only the slimeballs stick with it? Hard to tell.

Anyway, before buying any Mitsubishi parts from a dealer, I'd be sure to look the parts up online to find out what list price really is.

lngtonge18 · January 2005

I would go for an 02 or 03 with less then 30k. Plenty of them around and for very reasonable prices. That way you still have some warranty left too.

The first big maintenance check is at 60k, where you need to do the timing belt, spark plugs, coolant and brake fluid flush, and tranny service. This could cost $600-800. Actual repairs shouldn't be needed until after 120k as overall these cars are mechanically reliable. The most common wear problem is the front brake rotors. They tend to warp easily but there are ways of lessening the problem.

As for Mitsubishi itself, I wouldn't worry about them just yet. Their sales slide has leveled off a bit and they are in the midst of restructuring. They should be around for many years to come. There is no imminent danger of them just up and leaving.

ktnr · January 2005

When I bought my car in 1998, I was told that the Diamante's 3.5 liter V-6 was known to wear out front crankshaft seals at around 55,000 miles. At 58,000 miles mine was leaking and I got it fixed under the 5/60 powertrain warranty. At the same time, I paid just $144 to have all my belts replaced including the cam timing belt which is expensive if done separately.

Unexpectedly, both camshaft oil seals failed on my car at 41,961 miles (fixed under warranty) so I'd ask the technician to have close look at those while the other work is being done.

vivona · January 2005

I have a 1999 with the AM/FM/Cassette radio that accepts a separate single-disk CD player that mounts under the radio and connects to the radio with a DIN cable. I want to buy a used 1999 Mitsubishi CD player (from eBay) but I need to know if that unit will play CD-R's.

If you have a 1999 with the factory supplied separate single-disk CD player under the AM/FM/Cassette radio, please let me know if it will play CD-R's.

I know the later model Diamante radios that have the CD player included within the radio itself will play CD-R's. I just need to know about the separate 1999 CD player.

Thanks,

Mr. Vivona

ktnr · January 2005

My 1998 with the add-on single-CD player played homemade CD-R audio disks without any problems.

sean3 · January 2005

yes, I bought My 04 Galant with a measly 2,300 miles on it back in '03(Former owner traded it for an evdeavor) I could have purchased a fresh '04 ES, but basically the slightly used one i bought was an ES also, but it has the Sunroof and anti-lock ebd add-ons, which brought this Galant to basically the same amount as a Base ES, but brand new..the 2,300 miles did'nt matter to me, But now I realize i Gave up the Long warrranty for a sunroof and brakes, because although it was in Perfect shape, it was still owned by a prior owner for 2,300 miles..I don't understand Mitsubishi warranntieng ther '03 to 100K, but not '04' models ....Actually I am greatly confused on what exactly my warranties are...21,000miles and Galant is Great..holding up very well, Mitsu must have really beefed up the brakes, No queaks,shakes,rotor problems, just un-dramatic strong brakes....Whats up with the warranty on my particular Mitsu? Thanks Sean

lngtonge18 · January 2005

Your warranty should be 5 years or 60k for everything on your car since you bought it used. Mitsu's warranty is just like Hyundai's. No matter how many times the car is sold, the bumper to bumper warranty stays at 5/60k. The powertrain warranty drops from 10yr/100k to 5/60 the first time the car is sold.

03 models were a special case. Mitsu was toying with a new extended powertrain warranty to capture some owners who were attracted to Hyundai. They offered a special "limited time" powertrain warranty for 7 years or 100k but the regular warranty stayed at 3/36. This warranty was carried over to 04 models briefly before they rolled out the entirely new warranty deal. All 04 models were given the new warranty even if they bought it during the previous offer.

sean3 · January 2005

manual states 3yr 36k for basic coverage

powertrain for 5yr 60k

Adjustments 12mo 12K

anticorosion 7yr 100K,

sounds like my bumper to bumper ends at 3yr 36K? where do you get 5yr 60k from? I sure wouldn't mind it but I'm sure Mitsu would go by what my book says. I remember when I got my car there was a paper in the glove box about 100,000 coverage, dont have or remember the wording it had something to do with if Purchased on or after a certain date. Ing I recently found out that the . "everything went wrong with it exept the engine' in my old 91 Chrysler Lebaron was a Mitsu 6cyl.. that little thing was a workhorse w/ nearing 200k miles..w/2 chrysler transmissions

that was a big part on my '04's decision, and my independent mechanic who worked on my lebaron said that the best chrysler engines in the early 80's-thru present came from Mitsubishi, and despite a span of bad valve retainers (blue smoke). Mitsubishi's just as every bit durable as toyota...and this guy was an old timer..

oh, almost forgot.. thursday drove by local mitsu dealer and noticed they put a new sign in place of there old one with the 3 diamond red logo.. the new one has the 3 diamond, but in a more chrome alloy look, underneath it says "MITSUBISHI MOTORS" looked sharp though. especially lit up at night..Maybe more confidence growing for Mitsu..plus I live in Illinois where some Mitsus are Made, I do know people in Bloomington-Normal, and they are very proud to have MMNA in there City..I've seen the plant and it is pretty impressive..Sean

lngtonge18 · January 2005

I'm very sure your car has the 5/60k warranty. Your car was bought before they switched to the new warranty so of course the manual will have the old info. My friend bought an 04 Endeavor in December of 2003 before the new warranty kicked in. He later got a letter in the mail about the retroactive new warranty that applies to all 04 models. Since you were the second owner, you probably missed this mailing. I would call Mitsu corporate just to make sure, but I'm 99.9% sure you are covered until 60k bumper to bumper.

atlanta buyer · January 2005

Thanks for the response regarding the purchase of a used Diamante.

I may have found one. I'm now looking at a 2001 ES with 65,000 actual miles from a private seller, second owner. It's got a clean car fax. He's had it detailed and it looks great, good leather and all of the electrics work. It drives great with no sign of warped rotors.

Big Question: the guy has not performed the 60,000 mile maintenance and he has no records for oil changes, etc. Is this a big red flag? I plan to have it checked out by a good independent mechanic that knows Mitsubishi cars. What do you guys think?

vivona · February 2005

As mentioned previously, I am trying to buy a single-disk CD player for my 1999 Diamante. I need to know the correct model number.

If you have a 97 to 99 Diamante that has a separate CD player under the AM/FM/Cassette radio, and your radio has the model number P602 printed on the cassette door, please let me know the model number printed on the bottom right of the CD player faceplate.

Thanks,

Mr. Vivona

lngtonge18 · February 2005

I took my 03 LS out on a deserted road last night to try out the ABS brakes since I've never felt how they act in an emergency and wanted to get comfortable with how they work. I slammed on my brakes at 60 mph. The driver side front wheel locked up very briefly with a chirp and then the ABS kicked in. First of all, I was impressed with how powerful the brakes are when called on for max performance. Under normal driving, the brakes feel average, but when you pounce on them, they really bring down speed fast and with little drama. Brake dive was surprisingly not bad considering the soft suspension setup. Secondly, I was very impressed with the minimal noise and vibration the ABS system produced. I felt very little pedal pulsation and heard only a slight humming when the system engaged, which was soon drowned out by the noise of the tires scratching for traction and the thumping of the brakes pumping. This was very impressive to me considering the ABS system dates back to 1997 and I've heard a lot about ABS systems scaring drivers with all the racket. They must be referring to some GM systems, because those things do make a lot of noise and the pedal pulsates hard. Anyway, Mitsu put some good strong brakes on the Diamante.

vivona · February 2005

I was once cut off at 60MPH and had to panic brake and steer off the road to avoid hitting the "idiot" that cut into my lane. I, too, was very impressed with how the ABS system kept me in control and I was able to steer off the road onto grass and back onto the road. After it was all over, I thought, "Hey, that was easy!"

I have driven other cars that make quite a racket when the ABS cuts in, but the Diamante ABS system is very quiet and capable.

I have been driving my Diamante for 6 years now and I still look forward to every drive because it is such a nice combination of quiet comfort coupled with that "fun to drive" feeling.

ccancio · February 2005

Mr. Vivona,

I'm quite impressed with it as well..

I was driving 199 Diamante LS taking my 5 year old to pre school, when exactly at the entry driveway to a Honda Dealer, a SUV decided to enter traffic and cut across 3 lanes of traffic, at a right angle to the flow of traffic. I was about 15-20 feet from him doing 35MPH.

When he saw me coming - he stopped right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, and just like the Volvo commercial (I saw a way back) I drove around the SUV under full control while applying full application of the brake pedal. There was no continual grinding noise to be heard

If I was driving my old 1985 Honda Accord, my brakes would have locked and I would just skidded straight into him...

-C-

vivona · February 2005

ccancio-If you still have that 1999 Diamante, do you have the AM/FM/Cassette radio with the model number P602 on the cassette door? If so, and if you have the separate CD player under it, I need the model number that is printed on the bottom right corner of the CD player.

ccancio · February 2005

Sorry, I did see your earlier post and would have loved to help but I upgraded my stereo back in 2001 and sold the original Cassette player on EBAY.

I do have some photos that I took of the CD player when I listed it on Ebay so I can have a look.

Will let you know if I still have it on my hard drive, I have to fish for it...

-C-

sean3 · February 2005

Drove my brothers 2003 Grand-Prix, very nice car, over the weekend, my god , the brakes were scary, It felt like a pack of sponges underneath the pedal, felt dangerous with poor feal, Overall IMHO a lousy braking system,you had to use them carefully...Drove my Galant after about 500miles in the Grand prix, and must say They felt way more confident and much better feal, maybe I was used to my gal's brakes, but my brother also said his lady complains that the gp's brakes feal "1/2 powered"

On slick pavement my Galant saved me twice now, recently I was coming at a stoplight and there was a car stalled w/no lights on, and a car right beside me both sides, it was raining, anyway I slammed on the puppies, as I slammed on the brakes, I was praying "please ABS work, brought me to a safe quick straight stop, most importantly not hitting the stalled car...My question, Why the $&*@ is ABS not standard on every car from sold? Airbags are why not ABS

ccancio · February 2005

Mr. Vivona,

According to my grainy photo the single CD player:

Model Number (Located on the underside)is: MR268217

The model Number on the lower right is:

P547 or P147 .

Hope this helps...

-C-

vivona · February 2005

ccancio - Thanks for the information. I was able to pick up a used MR268217 for $26.50 and it works fine. Now, with the original AM/FM/Cassette radio I can play tapes and CD's to my heart's content.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · February 2005

My original Goodyear GA tires developed a wear pattern in the inside edge of the tread that created a humming noise. This problem started about 10,000 miles and got progressively worse. You could see the wear as a darkening of every other segment around the tire, commonly called feathering.

I talked with Mitsubishi and they said the Goodyears had that problem, but other brands seemed to do okay. They said the feathering happens on the rear only. I had rotated tires so the feathering was on the full set. I replaced the tires at 30,000 with Falken Ziex's and they were very quiet. Meanwhile, my wife's Diamante got to 10,000 miles and sure enough the tires have begun to develop the feathering pattern.

Well, here I am at 10,000 miles on the Falkens and the feathering pattern has begun to show up on the rear tires. So much for it just being related to the Goodyears.

Rotating just gets the entire set ruined, so that doesn't seem to be the solution. I know that Nissan 350ZX's were known for this problem due to rear suspension geometry. Perhaps that is an issue with the Diamante? Has anybody else had this problem?

ktnr · February 2005

My '98 Diamante did the same thing on two sets of Yokohama's. After talking to a lot of people, the consensus was that the Australian-built Diamante's suspension is set up for right-hand drive on the left side of the road crown. The left-hand drive version we get here in the USA isn't corrected for our conditions and the suspension imbalance is made worse by American Biggie-Size drivers on the wrong (left) side of the car. Who'd have thought, huh?

- B.S.

vivona · February 2005

ktnr- If that were the case, it would seem that the solution would be to simply realign the rear suspension for the American roads. I am assuming that the suspension has already been set up that way. The wear pattern seems consistent on both rear tires, so I do question the right-left side theory. Can you direct me to your source of information. I certainly don't want to ruin each set of tires and that will happen if I don't change anything.

Mr. Vivona

lngtonge18 · February 2005

I haven't noticed this on my 03 and I have close to 15k. I did have the tires rotated around 10k. I'll look at it more closely and see if I notice any irregular wear patterns. I try to keep all 4 tires inflated at 32 psi, which is much higher then what is recommended in the rear. Maybe this is why I haven't seen the problem?

My 84 VW GTI had a bad feathering problem on both rear wheels. Every other tread block was worn down about a cm more then the block next to it. The problem was caused by bent rims.

ktnr · February 2005

Nah - I was just kidding. There hasn't been a lot of activity on this board. I signed the post "B.S." so that I wouldn't be taken too seriously.

However, I did get the feathering that you described on two full sets of tires that I wore through (with normal rotations).

vivona · February 2005

lngtonge18- I hadn't thought about using higher than normal pressure, though I do run mine 2PSI over the recommended amounts, so I set them to 31 in the front and 28 in the rear. I do tend to forget to keep the tires up to that level and sometimes find them 2 or 3 pounds under normal when I check them. I think it would be worth trying a higher pressure in the rear. That would transfer the wear more towards the center of the tread. Perhaps 31 or 32 all the way around isn't such a bad idea. Kinda goes against my normal thinking of keeping pretty close to the manufacturer's recommendations, though.

Mr. Vivona

lngtonge18 · February 2005

To me, 26 psi for the rear seems rather low for such a large heavy sedan. I mean thats the recommendation for my 2100 pound VW GTI. I don't think 32 psi is too out of range considering the weight sitting on the tires. The lowest I've ever let the rear tires drop to was 29 psi. So maybe that is why I don't notice the feathering problem. I also enjoy livelier steering response and better fuel economy. Give it a shot. It's worth a try!

ccancio · February 2005

Mr. Vivona,
Do you per chance have the part number for the 1999 Diamante floor mat set, beige?

I'm just guessing you have the parts manual ...

After 5 years they are a bit worn down. I'm planning to email aroudn several internet dealers to see what price I can get them for...

Thanks in advance...
-C-

vivona · February 2005

My parts list does not list numbers for accessories. There were only two interior colors in 1999 (probably all years)and that was gray or beige, so it won't be hard to order the right part. Try www.parts.com and click on Mitsubishi and check out the online dealers that sell at wholesale or below, like https://www.mitsubishiparts.com. A set of four should cost about $70.

rayk3 · March 2005

My Mitsu 97 has almost 90 K miles on it, but I have not yet changed the timing belt. I understand that I am very wrong and it must be done as soon as possible ( at 60K miles by the maintenance schedule), but I am curious how long Mitsu can ride with the same timing belt? Please, share your experiences.
Thanks. Ray K.

1racefan · March 2005

Well, a buddy of mine has a Mitsubishi product with a 4 cylinder. He has gone 130,000 miles on the original timing belt. His engine is an interference engine, so if it breaks, his engine will most likely be destroyed. His reasoning for not changing it is that his car is only worth about $1,000, so instead of paying $250 to change it, he will just take his chances and scrap the car for a new one if it does break.

vivona · March 2005

Though Mitsubishi recommends a 60K mile interval, in three states (CA and two others I don't recall) there are state laws that affect something related to emission control warranties that makes Mitsubishi extend their recommended interval to 100K miles in those states, even though there is no difference in the timing belt. So one could assume that 100K is the longest you should run a timing belt. If you change it now, you will probably be set for the rest of your ownership of this car. If you don't, you may be in for a big repair bill when it breaks.

Mr. Vivona

rayk3 · March 2005

Thanks for the suggestions on the timing belt issue.
Ray K.

mortarhead67 · March 2005

I recently purchased a 94' Mitsubishi Diamante. The previous owners had a cd player in it and put the stock stereo back in when i bought it. I needed a code to get it to work again but when i turn on the stereo it won't let me enter it. The display just says "off." Does anyone know how to troubleshoot this?

pwc · March 2005

my heating/cooling system makes the click click click noises, which concerns me. This all started yesterday when the heater didn't blow warm air. Any info you can share will be graetly appreciated.

kavanagh · March 2005

When I slide the control for recirculated air, the vents still let in car fumes etc. from outside the car. Does anyone else have this problem or know how to fix it.Thanks.

vivona · March 2005

I have heard that leaving the ignition switch in the accessory position and the radio turned for one hour will reset the code entry mode and give you three chances to enter the code. If you don't enter the correct code and OFF shows after the third attempt, you have to want an hour again. Try this, see if it works.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · March 2005

I am not sure what you are asking. What click, click noise?

If your heater is not blowing cold and your coolant is up to temperature, you have to check to see if the coolant valve is opening to let the coolant flow through the heater core. You may be able to verify this by starting with the temperature setting at 65 and warming up the car and feeling the difference in temperatures between the two hoses that go the the heater core (in the rear of engine compartment on the firewall). Then turn the temperature setting to full heat and see if both hoses warm up. If the temperature of the hoses do not change, the coolant valve is not opening. If the hoses do change temperature and you still do not feel warm air, you may have a linkage broken that operates an airflow damper in the heater core.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · March 2005

Either the fresh air door is not closing (linkage or actuator) or if it has a seal around it the seal may have deteriorated and outside air is leaking past it. You can check to see if it is working by running the fan on high and clicking the recirculate button in and out slowly and listening to hear if the sound of the air changes. You should definitely hear a different sound with the unit in fresh air than you hear with it in recirculated air.

nixyz123 · March 2005

Mr Vivona

I have a 92 Diamante which I love and it usually does not give me any problems. today, I had a problem which I needed help with.

My heating is not turning off . its blowing hot air on full speed on the windscreen only. can neither change the setting(of the air vents) or the temperature. Its just throwing hot air only

I was researching this problem on the internet and fouund out you are an authority on diamantes and would really appreciate if you could help me resolve this problem

regards
Nik

nixyz123 · March 2005

I made some more observations. the fans are working fine on different speeds. in fact when the temp is in the middle to high setting 77-87 it works fine... but when i bring it down to 68 and wanna make it colder it in fact makes it very hot like at 87 or maybe even more.... dont know how to sort this out pls help

diamgem · March 2005

I read on some consumer comments that the 2003 Diamante had some problems with cold air blowing after the heat level is reached. Mine is doing that and it seems it stays there forever. Even though the temperature drops the auto does not kick back in. Any suggestions on fixing it.

pwc · March 2005

Thanks for the info. The problem went away next day. But, I'm positive it'll be back again soon. I'm not sure about this loud click, click, ... noises that's coming at times from behind the front fan panels?

pwc · March 2005

The click, click... click noise is back again and has nothing to do with the heater. The weather isn't cold anymore and I don't use the heater now. But, when I turn the car on, sometimes it makes this click..click noise, which is telling me something is up?

dee9 · April 2005

I found this on the web while I was looking for the code for my 94 Diamante I purchase a week ago. I 'll just copy paste. What is the security code for your system? Will it work on mine? Email Deecomplexion@aol.com

Turn on the car to "ACC" and leave it on there for 1 full hour, and then u will see cODE written on the cd player thing...then put in the security code u were given, if u don't know it call a dealership and try to find out, then put in the code and it should work fine man, good luck

dblabahn · April 2005

my heater blew cold air and smelled like coolant for the beginning of the ohio winter. come to find out diamante's have a bad rep for heater core issues. i had to drop $700 to have mine replaced (2000 diamante, bought w/ 25k miles in summer 2003, made the fix @ 50k). blown gaskets was the culprit, ~$250 for the heater core, rest was labor for taking apart the dash to get to it.

my question concerns the stereo. I want to put in sirius satellite radio, but i have the infinity factory sound system w/ 4 aftermarket speakers. audio dealers are saying if I won't accept the sub-par sound quality of a plug-and-play solution, then I'll have to buy an after market head unit. and they say putting in an aftermarket head unit requires rewiring to the speakers because the infinity runs through it's own amps which must be skipped over in the new wiring layout.
~$200 for the head unit
~$150 to rewire the headunit to the speakers
~$100 for the alpine/sirius tuner
~$50 to wire the tuner
=~$500
is this best way to get satelitte radio in my diamante?
ps. I had to get new rotors already to fix the warping issue discussed in earlier chats.
I may not check this soon, so anyone w/ a "sirious" solotion may want to email me @ dblabahn@hotmail.com

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