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Has anyone else had this experience? Does anyone have any ideas. I would like to have some advance ammunition before talk to the dealer so I can readily rebut his standard BS line of " oh there's nothing wrong they all sound that way"
There is a filter ( similar in look to the oil filter) located right below the air intake into the air filter.
At first I thought it was the oil filter to which I said to myself " hmmm...that's a "funny" orientation for a oil filter."
I tried looking hard at the Chiltons manual but it doestn't describe it. So what is it... is it a transmission oil filter?
-C-
I cannot see obvious irregularity in the tread, but I placed a clean sheet of paper in front of each tire and slowly drove over them, then inspected the resulting pattern left on the paper. I could see some variation in the imprint left by the outside segments. Every other segment left a lighter mark than the ones in between. I suspect that the noise is either coming from the irregular tread wear or internal belt rippling.
You won't get much help from the dealer, the tires are covered under a Goodyear warranty, not Mitsubishi (a very common arrangement for any make of car). Look through your owner's manual and materials for a Goodyear warranty paper. Or go to a Goodyear tire dealer and see if they will replace them for what they call "road disturbance" problems. You may have to pay some prorated amount for use, or maybe you'll get free replacements. Look over the tire warranty and hold them to the terms.
I have thought about doing the same, but I really would prefer to get away from Goodyear's altogether, so I am just enduring the noise until they wear out...for now.
It is handier to replace than the one that requires you to drop the pan and remove bolts.
Mr. Vivona
Change oil finally on my 'D'.
Just wanted to warn any would be DIY's that the Fram brand oil filter (PN#7317) is about 10-20% smaller the the original Mitsubishi part so probably less oil flow through is possible.
Besides it was harder for my oil wrench to grip the smaller oil filter.
The oil pan drain nut has a rubber 'O' ring rather than the usual metal washer...hmmm. Better buy one for the next change just in case.
It might just be worth spending the little extra to buy the original part. I paid $7.70 all up for the more expensive Fram Toughguard series. I just didn't want to drive 20 miles to my nearest Mitsubishi dealer just for an oil filter (...next time).
Also installed my new Pioneer TS-a6999 speakers on my "D" over the weekend. Overall I like the quality and no longer get the distortion on the bass.
-C-
As to the oil drain plug. Make sure you use a torque wrench to tighten it to 29 ft. lbs. to assure it is tight enough, but not too tight. Always use a new O-ring with each oil change.
When I turn on the auto climate control on the D, it seems like I get mostly cold air and no heat. I have to crank it up to 78 or 80 before I get any substantial heat. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?
I have been putting 93 octane in the D. Should I continue this or can I use mid grade or 87 octane. I have seen posts about loss of performance but I don't really know what this means.
Thanks for all your help.
I have to say, I love my car. Even with Edmunds bad review. I took it today for the first 3000 mile oil change at the dealer. I even got a free wash to boot. It made me feel good when the service people told me I made a great choice in a vehicle. The bottom line with the D is you have to keep the oil and transmission changed and serviced and the D will give you miles and miles of pure pleasure. He told me the story of the old guy who has over 300,000 miles on his D but he religiously brings it in for the oil change and minor service. They also talked about the brake issue and said that Mitsubishi cars in general was sensitive to hard braking and rotors warped easily. The D was not so bad but the Galant was horrendous. The whole service experience was great. If anyone needs good dealer service on their D in the Southern California area contact Dynamic Mitsubishi in Pomona California. They are great.
Keep up the good work. These cars are great. Everyone tells me how good it looks. And the drive, man oh man. I love to get around slow-driving people. My baby accelarates like a dream.
I also have had very good service experiences @ Dynamic Mitsu in Pomona and highly recommend it.
70,000 mile update:
No further brake problems.
Runs solid as the day I bought it.
Not a squeek, rattle or noise anywhere.
Still a great strong freeway cruiser for the commute.
Still a classic, beautiful and unique looking car if you don't want a "Me-too" car.
- Bad quality (rattles and assembly issues)
- Inferior dealer service
- Sky-high depreciation
- Very low prestige
Just wanted to add my 5 cents.
I asked him why he now had an Acura RL. He said he wanted to try a larger car. This guy is very big (his name is Mac...we call him "Big Mac"). So, how do you like the Acura? He says "It's okay, but I liked the Diamante much better and will go back to a Diamante next time!"
He summed up his opinion of his Diamante as "The best car I have ever owned."
Also Twoof1 you must live in or near the Inland Empire. I had a great experience with Dynamic there. I wish I had bought my car from them. (Riverside ugh) I will get my next D from them. I even had the guys trying to help me figure out what rims off other vehicles (Eclipse,Galant) would look good on my car. I have the ES. Hate those covers.
I definitely have to get the LS next time.
NormanBates- You're right. Maybe I should have read the manual more thoroughly. I just read it for the air.
Mr.V I understand you wrote Edmunds a letter regarding their review. Good Going.
twoof what year is your D? Mr. V I know yours is a
99.
Also, Everyone post your review of your D at carreview dot.com
I absolutely love the car. I've changed the oil twice and rotated the tires, insisting on hand tightening of the lugs(I personally observed). I also added factory mud guards and a wind deflector to the sun roof. The car has performed flawlessly and is a pure pleasure to drive.
This car is very unique, I do a lot of driving for my job and rarely see the it on the road. Everyone who has rode in the car raves about the styling and comfort. My Dad owns a Chrysler LHS, a beautiful car, but does not have the quality in workmanship and comfort of the Diamante (my opinion). My personal favorite option is the heated seats! I'm looking forward to driving this winter in total comfort.
I will post again at 15K with an "honest" update on overall satisfaction. My rating at 7,500 miles is a 9 out of 10.
I will NEVER even consider Diamante (or any other Mitsubishi) again.
Anyway to always show the outside temp. - without having to press the button everytime.
For the heat to work should the little snow flake like symbol be off. If so, the auto also disappears
Anyway to have the doors lock automatically when the car is placed in drive or at a given speed
Anyway to turn on the interior lights for the back seat without opening the car door
Since there is a lot of talk about whether to follow Mitsubishi's recommendation of using Premium gasoline or use lower octane.
Have you ever or do you have an easy means to test using the different grades of fuel and run a "D" on a dyno to see the performance difference on the 3.5 litre engine?
-C-
As to how much you lose in performance...I have not seen any test results. You could find a deserted area of road to run some 0-60 tests on. Run it several times with a full tank of premium and average your times. Wait until you are almost at empty and fill up next time with regular and run the 0-60 test will the full tank. You want to have a full tank both times to keep the weight the same. Don't bring passengers or fill the trunk on either test run or that will throw off the comparison. Also make sure your tire pressures are the same for both tests.
Though this is not as scientific as an immediate comparison using separate fuel containers with a flow switch, it will give you a fair representation of the difference.
I opt for just using premium. The difference in cost per year is only about $120, or about $2.30 per week. That expense certainly won't change anybody's lifestyle. At least anybody that owns a Diamante.
The temperature display resets to the inside setting each time you start the car, so you can't make it stay on outside temperature. If the outside temperature goes below freezing, the display will automatically switch to outside to warn you of possible ice conditions.
If you turn off the snowflake, you are turning off the compressor. Heat will come on sooner with the compressor off. If you leave it in auto and set the temperature where you want it, the system will automatically set the airflow, vents and air temperature. You have to give it time to sense the return air to be able to provide the correct outflow of air.
The doors cannot normally be made to lock automatically. Conceivably, one could develop a circuit that would sense the placement in drive and provide a contact closure for the locking system. I just make it a normal part of my routine to push the lock button when I close the door. Works for me.
The back lights can be turned on with a switch immediately behind each light. To get all inside lights to come on, you could install a small switch somewhere convenient and tie it to the door light switch. The lighting system will then "think" you had opened a door when you push the added switch.
About those Goodyear Eagle GA's we both hate! I went to the local authorized Goodyear dealer with my noise problem. Come to find out, my car is way out of alignment. I asked how this could be since the car is only one year old. His response was that they sometimes come into the Mitsu dealer that way. Transportation people sometimes tie down one side of the car much tighter than the other for long periods of time while being transported. He said this was a common problem with all makes.
After examining the tires he said they looked as if the car had been out of alignment for a long time. He checked the alignment & found only the right side wheels were out. After a long discussion, he called the local Mitsu dealer's service mgr. & discussed the problem. I don't know what all was said but the Goodyear dealer admitted that part of the problem could have come from the tire.
What is important here for everyone to know is that your Mitsu warranty covers wheel alignment for the first 12,000 miles or 12 months. My car was 14 months old but only had 10500 miles. After letting the Mitsu dealer know in no uncertain terms that I was not going to just let this issue drop, he agreed to work with the Goodyear dealer.
So to make a long story short, between the two of them they gave me a 60% prorated credit on the tires, and paid for my four wheel alignment.
Today I bought Michelin Symmetry tires. After only a few short miles of driving on them, I feel like I own an even more refined vehicle. There is no comparison between the two in noise level even when the Goodyears were new. It is also a more comfortable riding tire.
A little advice for everyone out there who would like to improve the ride & noise level in your Diamante, get rid of the Goodyears!
I am not a fan of any brand of Performance tire or Touring tire. I have never owned one that is quiet or comfortable. For the life of me, I can't understand why Mitsu would put a V rated or any kind of performance tire on this car. This car is classified as a " Near Luxury " car. There is nothing luxurious about performance tires.
If you are having a tire problem with the original Goodyears on your Diamante, my advice is to be persistent with your Mitsu dealer & a local Goodyear dealer. It worked for me.
Thanks.
Every once in a while people such as yourself posts this questions.
Unfortunately this question opens huge can of worms. Especially to some who have made it their sworn, fanatic duty to destroy the Diamante model line (if not the entire Mitsubishi brand).
If you are really serious, it would be best that you read all the historical postings in this thread as well as the Diamante II thread.
I cannot imagine that the answers you get now will deviate from the answers 3 - 4 months ago when this topic was hotly debated.
Unlike the presidential election in Florida, bear in mind that the users in this type of discussion group can easily masquerade as different people with ease. So take this into accoount when deciding who has more votes....otherwise you'll surely hear from good 'ole Bohlen and Maury2 (...but not necessarily with those ID's).
Good luck with your decision,
-C-
and window rattles, and rough idle come to mind. I think if you spend $25K (or more) on a new near-luxury car, you are better off buying something else. I would recomment Acura TL, Nissan Maxima or Infinity I30. Diamante just doesn't make the cut.
> my prior posting a few days ago,
...Yep, sure you are ;-)
-C-
does anyone have any ideas what is causing this vibration, (I don't want to keep on buying stuff for the car that It don't need), could a warped rotor (that a lot of people are talking about)cause this vibration.
any help will be appreciated.
regards
A few of the members reassured me and I going to try the same.
I have two cars. The Diamante and a MB SLK320. I drive the SLK320 during the week and the Diamante on the weekends (I have to drive a lot on the weekends - 500 miles. Before I purchased I test drove a lot of cars
BMW 525, MB C-class and E-class. The Jag S-type. I was about to purchase a 525 when I was driving home from work and saw a car with the Mitsubisi logo that I though was very sharp looking. So I stopped by a dealer and found model of car that I saw - a "D" LS. I enjoyed the looks of the car, inside and out so I test drove one. The car drives as good as the E-class or S-type sedan. While the car does not have the prestige of the other cars it does cost about 15,000 less. After a month of owning the car I am glad I purchased it and so far have not had any problems. However, there are somethings I wish for
Wood on steering wheel and shifter
Better lighting in the cabin at night. For instance, the door locks button is not lit
Door locks when car placed in shift
Trunk not on hinges and closed automatically
Cassette with radio
Rain sensing wipers
Auto-dimming rearview and side mirrors
Hope this helps
The brake pads got glazed by a panic stop when the car was new. That is no fault of the car, any new car can glaze the pads if you panic stop. Glazed pads make a groaning noise just before stopping. The replacement pads have been excellent.
The vibration came from the Goodyear tires. On a car with low unsprung weight (luxury cars, sports cars) some tires need to be balanced with a force variance balancer (Hunter GSP9700). Regular balancing won't work. Mitsubishi took care of everything. No problems since, except the Goodyears are running a bit noisy. I will change them out for Michelins later on.
I consider these two issues as minor and not unusual. They certainly do not indicate any reliability issues for the Diamante.
I made my choice of Diamante based on reading many reviews, checking out every car in the entry luxury field, and talking to six owners with mileage up to 180,000 miles without problems. I would put much faith in the Edmunds or Consumer Reports reviews. I have written extensive rebuttals of both articles that I would be glad to repeat here if you want. Point is, the articles were subjective. I go by my own preferences, not those of journalists.
Drive the car yourself. If you like it, buy it. Don't get caught up in other's opinions, you are the one that has to live with the car.
Mr. Vivona
http://www.gsp9700.com/index.htm
Click on "Locate a GSP9700" to find a shop near you. If you are under 12,000 miles, the car warranty should pay for the balancing. Ask Mitsubishi to pay for the work. If the GSP9700 finds your tires to be defective, have them replaced under the tire warranty.
The GSP9700 balances down to a certain number of pounds of "road force variance" while pressing a 700 pound roller against the tread. You want the final number to be under 10 pounds. Many shops will balance to under 20 pounds, but on a car with low unsprung weight, you will feel vibration unless you get it under 10 pounds. Ask the tire mechanic to write the final number on the inner sidewall so you can check it.
Also, MAKE SURE they remove and replace the wheels only using hand tools, not an air impact wrench. And they should tighten the lugs to no more than 80 ft. lbs. with a hand torque wrench, or you will be asking for brake problems later on. This is true of any car, not just the Galant.
Mr. Vivona
A few of the members reassured me and I going to try the same.
I have two cars. The Diamante and a MB SLK320. I drive the SLK320 during the week and the Diamante on the weekends (I have to drive a lot on the weekends - 500 miles. Before I purchased I test drove a lot of cars
BMW 525, MB C-class and E-class. The Jag S-type. I was about to purchase a 525 when I was driving home from work and saw a car with the Mitsubisi logo that I though was very sharp looking. So I stopped by a dealer and found model of car that I saw - a "D" LS. I enjoyed the looks of the car, inside and out so I test drove one. The car drives as good as the E-class or S-type sedan. While the car does not have the prestige of the other cars it does cost about 15,000 less. After a month of owning the car I am glad I purchased it and so far have not had any problems. However, there are somethings I wish for
Wood on steering wheel and shifter
Better lighting in the cabin at night. For instance, the door locks button is not lit
Door locks when car placed in shift
Trunk not on hinges and closed automatically
Cassette with radio
Rain sensing wipers
Auto-dimming rearview and side mirrors
Hope this helps
BUT, I love the car! I just hate the dealer. Any suggestions of better dealers in the San Jose CA area?
I remember somebody was replacing the from 5.25" door speakers a few weeks back.
Can they please let me know how it went and how they did it!
Thanks in Advance!
-C-
Any recommendations on suspension and rotor replacement parts? I did read about the Powerslot rotors from a previous poster.
Pull the door panel by grabbing the lower edge at the bottom recess, and disconnect the door light assembly.
Remove the factory speakers, the holes of the 6"3/4 aftermarket ones should line up with the existing holes. My Boston Acoustics speakers are 6"1/2, and I had to use braces. Since you had Pioneer rear speakers, the obvious choice is Pioneer front speakers which fortunately come in 6"3/4.
Reverse the process to put things back together. The factory tweeters were inefficient, so I just left them alone. They would not impair the sound quality. The project is fairly easy and takes about a couple of hours. Good luck to you and enjoy the improved sound.
Having read through quite a few of the discussions here, thought I'd add my 2 cents: I bought a 1999 Diamante in August of 99. The car has 17,500 on it and I have been generally pleased.
1) Experienced what is known as "rail dust". Painstaking in its removal from my otherwise beautiful Pearl color.
2) Drivers door armrest broke.
3) Vibration developed at 12K traced to "tread deviation" from OE Yoko tires. Replaced with AVID H4 (Yoko paid 65%).
The Diamante has proved to be a fairly enjoyable automobile. I kind of wish I paid more for an LS version - miss leather. I am presently looking to upgrade audio and purchase for spring a Tire/Wheel package. For the money - (I paid 23,500, and after audio/wheel upgrades, 25,000,) I find the "D" a wise buy with looks that one can't find for much under 32,000. I'll be asking the forum for help on the audio (thanks Vivona and C) when I get ready for purchase. Look forward to everyone's insightful and information posts!
Of course AFTER I got it home did I realize the key has to be in the ignition (and the car in park) before the seats will move. HOw idiotic is that. As a result, I now have mem seats I don't use.
Curious if anyone else is annoyed with this.
Vivona = please don't tell me it's a safety issue!
Ace
First program your seat with your "OWN" designated key in the ignition.
Then in future...
Each time you unlock the car with your remote control the seats go into that same position.
Your wife will also have to memory position the seat with her "own" key in the ignotion so when she unlocks the car with the her remote it will automatically change to her fit.
This works on my 1999 "D" I don't know about the 1997.
Hope this helps!
Ace
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Bill