Mitsubishi Diamante

ccancio · December 2000

Floatly feel...
The only time my D felt floaty was when I purposely inflated all my tires to 30psi to see if my milaeage would improve as I do a lot of highway driving.

The steering felt too light and a bit too much feedback from the road especially on small humps on the road.

After following the reccomended tire pressure I enjoy higway driving a lot more.

-C-

ccancio · December 2000

Tim,
Thanks for the instructions to install the front door speakers.

I just finally purchased 6.5" JVC component speakers on Ebay. It took a while to find a decent pair for a decent price. I hope to give your instructions a go before the year is out.

I'm also halfway in installing a amplifier in the trunk, but I'm having a difficult time finding a passage through the firewall into the cabin.
Any ideas???

-C-

timdemio · December 2000

The best place for amplifier placement is the back of the back seat (that's right). There are even molded raised areas for speakers cables to go in. Really neat!

ccancio · December 2000

Tim,
Yes I did eventually place the amp in the center back of the rear seat and I did notice the depressions on the metal backing. I had to drill holes and use self tapping screws to mount the Amp.

Right now though I can't see any passage from the engine compartment (battery) to the interior cabin to route to the trunk (Amp).

I might have to drill a hole through the firewall which I'm hesitant to do for obvious reasons.
Did you have an amp placed in your "D" and if so how did you route your (+) wire through the firewall???

Many Thanks,
-C-

dkrazy · December 2000

Just like to share this revelation I had about my D. I found out that mines does not like ARCO gas. Its the cheapest brand name gas you can get in California. I didn't realize it the first time I used it I thought something was wrong with the car It idled really high. I could feel it through the steering wheel. I took it back to the dealer and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. The problem subsided and finally went away. I don't normally use ARCO. The second time I filled up the problem came back again. So I knew it was the gas.
Shell seems to run the best in my car. It really expensive though. Still love my D.

vivona · December 2000

ccancio--You are right. There is no obvious way to get from the cabin to the engine compartment. When I added a chirper to my alarm, I found a way.

There is a weatherproof boot with cables going through it located at the top back of the left front fender. You can see it if you open the driver's door and look above and behind the top hinge.

Lay on your back under the dash (driver side) and look at the front top corner under the dash and you will see some wires going out through the booted hole. What you want to do is run your wire through that boot (you'll have to carefully puncture the rubber boot) and loop it forward under the fender and into the engine compartment through a cable opening located at the driver side top rear of the engine compartment.

When you are done, the wire runs out from the boot, runs under the top of the front fender, and then into the engine compartment. To get the wire through the boot, I made a needle with coat hanger wire and taped the wire to it. Then I used long nosed pliers to push the needle through the rubber boot from under the dash, being careful to not hurt any existing wires. I then used extra-long nosed pliers to grab the end of the needle under the fender and pull it, and the cable, through the boot. Then I pushed a piece of wire through from under the hood, grabbed it under the fender with the pliers and pulled it and the needle out where I could get to it and cut the needle off the first wire and spliced the two wires together. Then by pulling on the second wire from under the hood, I was able to continue routing the first wire through the engine compartment opening and to its final destination. You cut the second wire off once you finish pulling the first wire so you don't have a splice.

When I was done, I made an injector by fitting a straw over a pencil and filled the straw with silicone sealant. I then pressed the open end of the straw into the boot (from under the dash) and pressed the pencil in to expel the silicone into the area where I ran the wire. I did this to seal the hole I had made to run the wire through the boot. Probably not necessary, but I like to keep things sealed up if they were originally that way.

Mr. Vivona

ccancio · December 2000

Sorry seem to have lost my earlier post 4 some reason!
-C-

ucsc · December 2000

I just got a 92' Diamonte LS. Previous owner told me there was no difference between 87 and 92 gas. But the owner's manual said 92'. Does it really matter?

Thanks!

UCSC

ucsc · December 2000

Hi, Ccancio:

In #104 you talked about replacing the stock headlight bulbs with after market Xenon bulbs at www.eautoperformance.com. Have you tried it?

Thanks!

UCSC

ccancio · December 2000

UCSC,

I am currently using the $19 variety of poor man's Xenon lights.

They are just Xenon gas charged that emit a whiter light that the stock yellow light halogens. They are NOT the real thing ( which you would spend $700+), but they do fine by me.

In my opinion they have a better illumination than regular halogens.

I have replaced all six bulbs and found that the larger the bulb, the better the effect. Unfortunately the H3 bulb for the fog lights did NOT show a marked improvement from the stock H3 bulb. The 9006 and 9005 bulbs for the headlights and high beam on the other hand had a very nice "white" light hard to distinguish from the more expensive real thing. Unless of course you put then side by side.

Check Ebay for a selection of Xenon lights. There are many people selling them and the lowest I got them for is $11.00 don't spend more than $19 for a pair. Watch out for crazy shipping/handling costs to!
Sometimes a vendor would sell a pair of 9005 and 9006's for $25 with free shipping. That would be a good deal.

Talk about Xenon lights, I had a BMW Z3 on my tail the other night in traffic with the real Xenon lights and they were so strong that it blinded me "bad" every time I looked in my rear view mirror and when it overtook me (thank god) I could see it illuminate a great distance even with regular beam!

Makes me wonder how they got approved with such high wattage???

-C-

ucsc · December 2000

Hi, ccancio:

Thank your advice. $19 is really a good deal. I checked Mits dealer and found 1 stock 9006 bulb for $58! Really surprised. PIAA Super White 9006 in local store costs $85/pair and HELLA $40/pair. I will try EBay.

UCSC

twoof1 · December 2000

The Z3 is not available with Xenon lights. It is only available with what BOW calls "Halogen free-form" headlights and fog lights. The 3 series does offer the Xenon's as an option. I have a 2000 Z3 and while driving, I think they are brighter than the regular bulbs in my Diamante, but not like Xenon's at all. What you may have been experiencing is someone who had the pseudo Xenon's like you have. Be very careful with these because you may be blinding others like this Z3 did to you. True Xenon's are much more than just bulbs. They have a self leveling system that keeps them pointed at the ground as the car bounces.
Happy Holidays

capeman1 · December 2000

This is just a test message. Sent a message last week and it was not posted.

capeman1 · December 2000

I have had the heater blower fail to work 3 times now.

The first time I was told that the resistor had burned out and it was replaced. The blower worked for 2 days. The second time the entire power head was replaced and a new resistor installed. It stoped working again this morning and I am bringing it to the dealer tonight
for the third fix. The dealer has never seen this problem before.

Any sugestions would be most helpfull as it is cold in New England
at this time of year.

ucsc · December 2000

Hi, Mr. Vivona:

I just bought a 92' D LS with ABS brake. From repair history I found this car had brake pulsating problems before. Previous owner did vechicle alignment and resurfaced front rotots 1 year ago and tire balance (not by GSP9700) 2 months ago. I tested the brake on highway. If the highway is straight, no brake pulsating problem at 70 mph. On very shape turns at 50mph on Hwy17 the brake vibrated and I could hardly stop the car. But if the turns are not very sharp or speed is low, no brake virbration.

My friend has a Acura Legend with ABS brake. He told me that he also felt brake pulsating, but he thought it was normal because of ABS brake. Is it true?

My front and rear tires are Michelin MX4(not MXV4). Although tires are at normal pressure (32lb), but the front tires bulge out at the spot where the tires touched the groud. (It looks like the front tires pressure is low. ) Could the tires be the source of the brake problem?

Anyway I am going to change the front tires to Michelin MXV4+ XSE, which are available in Costco, and keep the rear tires.

Any suggestion is appreciated!

UCSC

vivona · December 2000

I am on vacation and cannot quickly respond, but I will catch up after December 27th.

Mr. Vivona

slytle · December 2000

I have a 92 Diamante with 100K miles and have been having transmission problems. Alot of slipping and some hard shifting at lower speeds. Do I have to have it replaced?

Also, just spent $500 replacing the front rotors, calipers, and axles. I was expecting this so not too mad about it.

I want to keep this car for two more years, 30K miles. Is this a money pit or will I be safe after the new/rebuild tarns??

vivona · December 2000

capeman1--You first need to find out if the blower is not running due to it not receiving the proper voltage, or if there is a control or wiring problem. If the engine temperature sensor is defective, the control circuitry will keep the blower off, thinking that the coolant isn't warmed up yet. The best way to do this is to measure the voltage across the blower motor when it should be running, and isn't. If there is normal voltage present, then the motor itself is bad. You can have a bad winding and the motor will run sometimes, and not other times, depending on where the motor shaft comes to a stop.

The fact that your dealer just replaced parts makes me think they aren't actually diagnosing the problem, but just replacing parts until they find the problem. The proper procedure is to look at the actual wiring diagram and use a voltmeter to see of battery voltage gets to the motor or not. If not, then tracing the circuit will tell them where it is stopping. If so, then the motor is the likely problem.

Just replacing parts won't cost you money because your car is still under warranty (if less than 36,000 miles) but it will cost you time for each visit to the dealer. The mechanic may lack DC circuit trouble shooting skills and only know to replace parts. That is more common than you would think. Ask their service manager if they have a mechanic on staff that actually knows automotive electronics and have that etch diagnose the problem.

If the problem is intermittent and doesn't show up when the car is at the dealer, then the problem is carder to find. A etch can wire a test light across the motor and have you tell him if it was lit when the motor quits. That will separate a blower motor problem from the related circuitry.

I hope this helps.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · December 2000

Brake pulsation due to rotor problems would show up at all times, not just during cornering. The only exception would be a caliper that isn't floating due to dried out lubricant on a slide pin.

If you have a tire slipping, the ABS might be kicking in causing the vibration. You can verify this by disabling the ABS. This is usually done by removing the ABS fuse and testing the car. The ABS light might come on with the fuse out, but don't worry about that. If the pulsation goes away with the ABS disabled, then the vibration is due to the ABS kicking in. That may be normal, or indicative of a weak signal from an ABS wheel sensor.

A radial tire normally does bulge at the bottom. Compare your tires with the tires on other cars. The bulge should be about the same. The bulge on the front tires is greater than the bulge on the back tires since there is more weight on the front tires. The correct pressure for a Diamante is 29PSI front and 26PSI rear. You can go about 2 PSI higher if you want a more responsive ride, but higher will add harshness and lead to center tread wear.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · December 2000

The spell checker on the new software will change words when you didn't intend it to.

In message #218, the word "tech" came out as "etch" and the word "harder" came out as "carder". If you make the proper substitutions in that message, it will read better!

I hope Edmunds emkas het pells keckerh wkor bttere, er I mean, makes the spell checker work better.

mkc · December 2000

Slytle-

Hard to say whether you need a new tranny, new belt, have low fluid, or what - your best bet is to see a reputable mechanic.

That said, I've got a '93 with 115K miles on it - have had all the appropriate regular maintenance done (including tranny service every 15K). I have had no tranny troubles whatsoever, and generally haven't had any problems with the car. To date, repairs included brakes (one bad job in there, too that resulted in new rotors being needed), a/c clutch, front struts, knock sensor, and water pump. Oh, and the plastic handle for the manual driver's seat adjustment snapped off. That's it. I put a lot more into my '86 Subaru by the time I reached the same mileage.

The car seems built to last. It's nearly as "tight" as when I bought it. I wish the new ones seemed the same to me, but they just don't. Even sitting in them, I prefer the "cockpit" of my '93 ES and its satin fake wood and cloth seats to the newer LS.

Michelle

ucsc · January 2001

Hi, Mr. Vivona:

After I adjusted tire pressure from 32 psi to front 29, rear 26, the front tires don't bulge as much as before.

Thanks!

UCSC

ucsc · January 2001

Hi,

Does anyone know a good brake mechanics for Diamonte in bay area?

Thanks!

UCSC

camon · January 2001

I have a 98D and the front floor heater duct openings are too small(dime sized at best) to let enough heat flow through. The heater, blower motor and distribution valves work fine (dealer checked them out too) but the darn duct openings don't let enough heat go to the front floor. The driver and passengers feet freeze. I was thinking about cutting open the ducts (they are plastic) but I still think it won't do much good since they are so small to begin with. My 92D had superb floor heat. Anyone with the same complaint on a late model I and/or any sugesstions??

vivona · January 2001

I have often thought the front floor ducts were small, especially compared to my previous car (87 Galant--the Diamante predecessor) and my wife's 89 Galant. I haven't pursued making any changes because I live in Florida and down to 30 degrees outside, the airflow has been okay.

I seem to remember that the driver side floor outlet was not aimed properly, with the air hitting more under the dash than at my feet. I have planned to check this out more fully, but heating is not a big priority. Now that you mention it, I will see if I can find some time to check this out in more detail and make some suggestions.

In the meantime, make sure you turn off the AC (push the snowflake button until the snowflake disappears from the display), set the air on recycle and turn the temperature control up. That should give you the maximum amount of heating. Also make sure your engine heats the coolant to halfway between H and C on the gauge. If the engine runs cold, replace the thermostat.

Mr. Vivona

ericgregory · January 2001

I just bought a Sand 97 Diamante LS and after looking through the past 1,000 messages I have a few questions I hope you nice people can answer.

1) I am having a problem with my transmission similar to what several other people have mentioned (there is a very hard shift between 2nd and 3rd gear when I am driving at slow speeds, 25-30mph, and I let my foot off the gas). Now I believe that Mr. Vivona mentioned that there was some type of factory notice about the 97's transmission and I was wondering if it was in relation to this exact problem with the transmission or just the transmission in general. The reason I ask is I am wondering if clearing the fuzzy logic might clear up the problem or if I am going to have to replace the computer which controls the transmission (it is out of the 3 year bumper-to-bumper warranty)? Is there a place where I can get a copy of all the manufacturer notices?

2) My car did not come with keyless entry (although for some reason there was a seperate 2 page handout included with the owners manual on how to work the keyless entry system) and I was thinking of adding it now but the cost seems rather steep for what you get. Instead I was thinking of adding an aftermarket alarm system, which could be set to open my doors, and in addition it would have a shock sensor which would trigger an alarm if someone smashed my window. I was wondering if anyone has done this and if so how it has worked out? Does anyone think that by installing an aftermarket alarm system that it might disrupt the standard anti-theft system already on the Diamante?

3) I read ccancio's comments on trying to add an aftermarket CD changer to his 'D' and I was wondering if anyone has successfully done this?

4) One final question, my side view mirrors have a little symbol on them, a square box with a few wavy lines running up it and I was just wonder what this symbol indicated? Does this indicate they can be defrosted, if so how do you activate it?

As a final comment, after reading Mr. Vivona's comments on the over tightening of lug nuts, I checked mine since my tires had just been taken off at a garage for a routine break inspection. All of them were tightened to over 150 ft. lbs. and one was almost 190 ft. lbs. Needless to say I retightened all of them to 75 ft. lbs.

Sorry for running on for so long and thanks in advance for any advice you give me,

Eric

camon · January 2001

Mr Vivona.. You are correct on the issue of not only are the ducts too small, but they are also misaimed. Some of the small amount of heat that does go to the floor is directed to where it ends up under the dash. This was not a problem with the 92D-ES model which had the best/fastest heating system on the planet. Mitsubishi needs to go back to the ducting and manual control system for that year car. The new electronic system basically overides the drivers input even when not on automatic. As you mentioned the snowflake comes on when you don't want it and when the heat is ducted to the floor position it shuts down the mid level center dash ducts while leaving on the midlevel side door ducts. This is is annoying and cannot be overridden. Also, the temperature setting, when not on automatic, is ineffective since the same temperature heat is discharged from the duct no matter what the setting. It's solely a function of whether the temperature of the car is above or below the temperature set on the dial. The dealer has checked this out and its just the way the "smart system" was designed. A true manual overide is what is necessary. In cold climates this heating system would give me pause to buy another D, but it may be fixed in later models, since it wasn't a problem in earlier models. At least they improved on the airconditioning system from the 92D to the 98D. Trouble is, I use heat as much as or more than air.

ccancio · January 2001

>3) I read ccancio's comments on trying to add an
>aftermarket CD changer to his 'D' and I was
>wondering if anyone has successfully done this?

I have already done it and if you have installed a car stereo before and know the basics of wiring, it's quite a simple affair.

Eventhough Mitsubishi design people have been very good in providing access holes to route wiring the hardest part still is pulling up the carpet and routing the required wiring.

I recommend to do all you wiring at once if you plan to install Amps in the future.

Always protect your wiring from possible electrical short's by buying flexible tubing OR if you have the time, wrap the wiring in electrical tape.

In my younger days when I was less intelligent ( hmmm...) I had a flash fire in my car when my positive battery wire for my fog lights I installed chaffed and burned like a fuse!

Anyway this is how it went...
(Please read all the instructions that came with your new equipment beforehand)

I selected the right rear corner of the trunk to install my Pioneer 12 disk CD changer.

Exposed the trunk wiring by removing the clips that held the trunk lining.

Remove the rear bench seat by pulling on two (left and right) protruding black rectangular grips, this would unlock the bench seat. Pull the bench seat up and out to unhook and place it out of the way.

Unhook and lift away the right rear door carpet by removing the plastic door step guard. Just pull the step guard UP - as it is only held by clips. Do the same for the right front seat.

( Remove the stereo Head Unit with the help of Mr. Vivona's instructions located on his website )

If you are replacing the whole system like me unhook the wiring harness. Buy the Mitsubishi wiring harness for around $15 from Circuit City and match the wires with the new head units wiring harness. The color coding is on the package and it seems to be correct. Make room to add power for you CD player.

Solder your new connection and buy shrink wrap for good insulation. Be very sure you identified which is the positive cable and negative cable.

Install the connection for the CD player to the new head unit.

Re-install the Stereo head unit into the console.

Route the required wiring through the center console and under the front and rear carpet and out through the rear trunk. There is a access hole on the right rear side of the trunk. Use plastic wire straps to make your wiring tidy.
It may be a bit tough, especially trying to route through the from seat but just stick with it!

I mounted my external CD on a piece of wood that I measured to fit the right rear nook in the trunk. I then used self tapping screws to mount that piece of wood through the floor board (not to worry nothing is underneath!). Then screwed my CD unit on top of that peice of wood.

Lessons I learned doing all this:

1) Read ALL the instructions
2) Do ALL your wiring at once.
3) Getting the the power for an external AMP
is a b_tch! ( but thats another story!!!)
I would have probably paid some one else to do that in hindsight.

Hope this post helps people!

-C-

ericgregory · January 2001

ccancio thanks for all of the info on how to install a DC changer, it will come in helpful when I install one. But what I meant to ask was whether anyone has found an after market changer which was compatible with the Mitsubishi factory stereo/ad head, so that I would not have to do what you did and buy a new head as well.

Eric

mlax · January 2001

We have found a 2000 ES with 4000 miles for $17,000 firm. Is it a good- fair- bad deal? Please e mail us with you comment laxlaw@hotmail.com
Thanks

ccancio · January 2001

Martin -

I think $17K for a 2000 D' ES with 4K miles is VERY fair. Thats about $7,000 from brand new (MSRP $24K me'thinks).

That's the kinda deal you have to look for to save money from an otherwise depreciating asset yet otherwise still have the quality, feel and warranty of a new car.

Your still protected by 3 year warranty (from new) so that's another good factor in you decision making.

All I know is that the ES does not have leather and I'm not sure if it has climate control aircon and power seats??? But the engine is the same 3.5 Liter V6 so you can't go wrong.

Might be a good idea to get a Carfax report to see its has any bad history.

Is it from a dealer or private sale???

-C-

mlax · January 2001

We have found a 2000 ES with 4000 miles for $17,000 firm. Is it a good- fair- bad deal? Please e mail us with you comment laxlaw@hotmail.com
Thanks

mlax · January 2001

It is a private sale. How do you get the report? and how much does it cost? We went to our local dealer with the vin nothing came up. It does have an odd history. Purchased new sold with 752 miles. Repurchased by an older lady who is now ill and wants to sell. She bought it on a payment plan and then turned around and paided it off this month $21,340 +tax etc...

friendlydacat · January 2001

I recently purchased a 2001 Diamangte LS and I'm just wondering if the SSC package/upgrade is available for the latest Diamante Models. If not any info on aftermarket performance parts would be appreciated. Also, any suggestions on reducing the body-roll while cornering? Possibly changing to lower profile tires?

ericgregory · January 2001

You can get a carfax report by going to www.carfax.com. It will tell you if there are any problems with the title, stolen, salvage, etc. It costs $15 for a report or you can pay $20 and get all the reports you want for 2 or 3 months. Actually, I payed the $20 about a month ago when checking out several Diamantes before I bought one. Since you are looking to become a fellow Diamante owner I would be glad to help you out by looking up the information for you, so if you want me to then em-ail me the IN number I will run it for you for free and then forward the information.

mlax · January 2001

We need your email. Ours is laxlaw@hotmail.com
Thanks!

edwardoplunket · January 2001

Just bought a 2001 LS and like it for the most part. Holding my breath on the brakes. Have not checked the lug not torque yet.

Anyway, one of the few things that I miss is the ability to light up the entire cabin with the flick of a switch. As far as I understand, rear lights , as well as the front dome lights only come on manualy w/their switch or w/ auto control (when doors open/close) by one of the computers (ETACS I think).

I want to add a switch right next to the TCL switch to manually operate all the interior lights on or off. I bought tha factory manuals (not that great - poor description and operations sections - more on this later). I want to insert the switch in the light circuit so that it makes a ground signal available to the lights ecu so that the ecu will turn on the lights (like the door is open). When the switch is off, the lights ecu will dim/ then turn off the lights just like a door closing.

Ay thoughts anyone (Mr. Vivona seems pretty sharp)? I don't want to insert a ground and fry a computer!

Thanks

Ed

Jason5 · January 2001

Looks as though my wife finally made a decision. We'll most likely be trading her low mileage 1992 Diamante' LS for a new 2001 Diamante' LS. I'd like some opinions in two areas. First, those of you who made recent purchases--how far from MSRP were you able to negotiate--with or without low APR financing. Second, those of you with 2000-2001 Diamantes. How are you faring with your vehicles?
Obviously we have considerable experience with my wife's first generation Diamante'. We've also owned three other Mitsu's. I would have preferred she go with a 300M or LHS, but her preference (and better financing and rebates) prevailed.. Thanks in advance for any opinions you can offer. We reside in Eastern Pennsylvania..

edwardoplunket · January 2001

We bought or 2001LS a few weeks ago. Paid about 150 over invoice. I assume that this is pretty good, but you never know!?? I called about three dealers in my area and asked to speak w/the sales manager directly. I told them I would buy on a certain date, and asked them what their best, out the door (including tax and license) price was, starting at invoice. Totally painless. Just went in to sign papers/pick up car. 1.9%@48 mo.

Hope this helps

ed

ebrown7 · January 2001

I had my 97 LS serviced at the dealer yesterday and wanted to share pricing with the forum. I know I paid more than I could have from a private shop but Diamantes are so uncommon, I can't find a private shop in the Cleveland area that I can trust. Pricing was a as follows:

Oil Change $23.70
Timing, P/s and Alt. Parts -$128.71 Labor-$231.88
Spark Plugs - $76.38
Cap, rotor and fuel filter - $85
Labor for above $205.38

Tax and shop supplies $55

Total Bill $806.64

I figure I paid between $150 - $200 more by going to dealer versus finding a private shop, any thoughts????

Ed

Jason5 · January 2001

Thanks... I've been toying with the figures and also with Edmunds "true market pricing" (or whatever it's called).. Mitsubishi was always none for it's ludicrous markups (her 92' was stickered at near 31K and we marched it off the lot for 25K). Your figure is encouraging..I had hoped to go a bit lower than Edmunds suggested and use the low APR financing..
How do you like it so far and how's it working?

vivona · January 2001

edwardoplunket--I too, have given thought to installing a switch to bring on all the lights that come on when a door is opened. Using the manual if you create exactly the same circuit grounding that occurs when the door is opened, that should do the trick. You will get all the same actions that would happen if you opened your door while driving, including the warning light on the dash.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · January 2001

ericgregory--You can read a brief of all the technical service bulletins on the Diamante at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/servicemmy1.cfm

Your dealer might let you see the entire text of the bulletins. Or, you can buy the full text of the service bulletins from www.alldata.com

Mr. Vivona

ccancio · January 2001

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=544369464

The above is an example of a 55K mile 1997 Diamante that is currently auctioned at Ebay.

At $10K it already has met the reserve price.

That's pretty good I should say!!!

-C-

bohlen_back · January 2001

I cannot believe you are still discussing this beast with its ancient technology, and floaty ride!

Diamante's time is up: it is profoundly inferior
to such competent vehicles as Nissan Maxima and Honda Accord. Mitsubishi should stick with Australia to market its "luxury" sedan.

Save your money: buy something with a decent resale value and quality and no 60k timing belt replacement!

ucsc · January 2001

Hi, Mr. Vivona:

I have read your #186 post about Hunter GSP 9700, visited www.gsp9700.com and located several in Bay Area.

My question is: besides asking mechanics to balances down "road force variance" while pressing a 700 pound roller against the tread to less than 10 lbs, are there any other important things I should ask mechanics to do?

Thanks!

UCSC

vivona · January 2001

ucsc--Any time a mechanic takes a wheel off your car he has to put it back. And any time a mechanic installs a wheel I give it a 95% chance that he will improperly torque the wheel lug nuts. Mechanics will use an air impact wrench capable of over 200 ft lbs to tighten lug nuts that should be tightened between 65-80 ft lbs. Even if they use a torque-limiting extension (torque stick) or a hand torque wrench, they do so AFTER they have already tightened the nuts with the impact wrench. That is incredibly stupid, but they don't seem to understand what they are doing when they do that. You can't loosen an already tightened lug nut with a torque wrench.

Insist that they remove and replace your wheels with a hand torque wrench. Insist that they tighten the nuts in a star pattern to no more than 80 ft lbs.

When balancing the wheels, make sure that they mount the wheel on the balancer with the flat mandrel pressed against the inside of the wheel (the part that mounts against the hub). I had a Goodyear tire dealer put the cone on the inside and the flat mandrel against the outside spoke center surface which is not machined to the exact tolerances needed. The wheel wobbled on the balancer and they said I had a bent wheel. I made them remount the wheel properly and it was perfect.

Have them write the final force balance number in pounds on the inside-facing sidewall of the tire. If you still feel a vibration, you will know which tire is marginal and can have them rebalance it. If any tire cannot be balanced to 10 or below, bring it to Goodyear and ask for a replacement under the warranty. You may find that it takes several tries to get a good Goodyear Eagle tire.

At replacement time, get Michelins.

ucsc · January 2001

Hi,

The master brake cylinder in my 92 D ls leaks and need to be replaced. The dealer charges $313 for parts and $170 for labor. Has anyone tried some aftermarket master brake cylinder?

Thanks in advance!

UCSC

ucsc · January 2001

Hi, Mr. Vivona:

Thank your advice about GSP 9700. I had my car balanced and now it drives much smoothly now. But the brake vibration still exist because of rotor warping.

I have a question about on-car lathe to turn brake rotors. What's the difference between a normal one and the on-car lathe? I remembered Accu-turn 8750 on-car lathe was recommended. But in my town only Toyota dealer has one and refuses to repair my Mit. Could you recommend some other good on-car lathes?

Thanks!

UCSC

steel2b · January 2001

These Diamantes are pretty well constructed; far Better than contemporary Nissans I have recently owned. My D has 120,000 miles but its in great condition and gets rave style reviews from friends. It has a recently re-built tranny and new front end. I shudder at the $2500 the former owner spent on it but I am happy after 2,000 miles of cruising. The SOHC engine is essentially the same one Dodge/Chrysler uses in their mini-vans. My friend is tech with Dodge and says over-hauling it should be inexpensive when the time comes but apparently if they are babied these engines can run 150,000+ The radio controls on the steering wheel are intermittently wigging out but that's not a huge deal. The premium sound system is just great. I cannot believe how much car for the money Mitsu has delivered.
BTW - that Bohlen character is all over other threads relating to sedans spewing venom about his hate for the "D" He should seek counseling.

Mitsubishi Diamante

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