Dear All,
I recently bought a 2008 Model Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 MIVEC Engine with CVT Transmission. The car is ex Japan Import. on one previous trip to a costal town which is 400 KMs from where i stay, the car gave with the above mentioned warning on our return. I slowed down and the warning went. We drove slowly home and the car didn't show the warning again. Day before yesterday, i also drove on the same highway and after almost 100KM drive the car gave the same warning as per attached picture. i slowed down and it disappeared. I drove normally and the light didn't come back. It came on once on the way back. Please help. I had taken to a local mechanic last time and his diagnostic machine didn't through any fault codes

 

that's a new one for me! I'm sure an explanation is in the owner's manual somewhere.

 

Do you happen to know what the outside temperature was? (Air temperature of surrounding environment.)

 

It is CVT overheating. Check its radiator in front of left front wheel:


Were you driving too fast during long time?

 

The outside temperature was around 30C. I was driving between 120-140. I had driven almost 130Kms when the signal appeared first. I have taken the car to a local garage and the mechanic suggests that we replace the transmission fluid. I have also asked the manager to ask mechanic to check the radiator for cooling the gearbox. Lets see what happens. I hope he will manage to fix the problem, as test drive doesnt show the problem and car drives normally.

 

Well, that's the reason. Cleaning CVT radiator from outside might help, but generally it is not an issue, it is rather a feature preventing CVT from being damaged by overheating.

 

Replacing transmission fluid is almost always a good thing.............. as long as the "local garage" uses the exact fluid that Mitsubishi recommends for your year car's CVT. Check your manual for the correct fluid, or call Mitsubishi for that information.

Whether the rather expensive job of changing the fluid will then allow you to drive as fast as you'd like in pretty hot weather is far from certain, IMO. Please let us know if it does and, if so, how fast and how hot it was outside.

CVTs are getting more and more common. I'd like to know if they're as "good as" the traditional-design automatic transmission. Certainly, how they perform in hot weather at high speed would be a good thing to know.

From the look of it, I suspect that our Outlanders are not the best aerodynamic shape. After all, they're an SUV. That can't help the cooling situation one bit.

 

I live in Windhoek, Namibia and its summer now a days here. The outside temperature was around 30 celcius when the sign appeared. During my search on internet around this issue, i came across a news article in Australia where Mitsubishi has decided to put an extra cooler in the newer outlander models to keep transmission cooler. I am attaching the article as well.
So far following things have been done with the vehicle

1. Changed transmission oil and filter was cleaned. Mitsubishi Diaquin CVT Fluid J1 as indicated on the dipstick was sourced from Mitsubishi dealer ship was used. (unfortunately the only dealership in Windhoek does not want to work on cars imported from Japan but they sell parts. Hence we have to rely upon private workshops)
2. Changed Engine Oil; I used Liqui Moly 20W50 after an advice from a Mitsubishi Specialist who had been working for dealership and now runs his own independent garage
3. Mitsubishi Oil Filter
4. Mitsubishi Air Filter

The mechanic also suggested that he feels that thermostat is taking tie to open etc and we should change thermostat as well. So i requested to go ahead. He is going to do the following today

1. flush the old anti-freez (coolant) and replace with Mitsubishi coolant
2. replace thermostat.

I test drove the car yesterday after they were done with above 4 jobs and it felt lighter. shifts were smooth. I drove around 120 for almost 25KMs on a freeway. No warning sign appeared but it was not appearing even before when i was using vehicle for almost a month now for day to day use in town.
i appreciate additions and suggestions from other members and

 

Yes, forgot to mention one thing. I have mentioned the issue to a few other people. A friend who drives a 2006 outlander with same engine a transmission happened to see this warning when he drove in sand and for some distance and the vehicle was struggling. he saw the sign and than vehicle cut off. he waited for a while and it started again. he than further reduced air pressure and managed to escape safe with sign not appearing again. a few other friends who work for a used car delaership that sells japan imports also mentioned seeing such sign on a highway and one time an incidence of cut off as well. the dealership never got customers coming back again with such complain except one where the transmission oil had leaked out.

 

One more thing about CVT comparison. My wife drives a Toyota Auris 1.8 CVT. That car is driven hard in town as well as on freeways. She can push it to 140Km/hr even on her way to work. I have myself driven that car at 160KM/hour on a freeway for almost 400KM round trips in the similar weather but that car never gives any malfunction. We are only used to one sign which asks you to refill the fuel tank. So in my opinion CVTs can work in hot weather but it might depend upon the manufacturer may be. I wonder why mitsubishi claims even in case of outlander that they test their vehicles in DAKAR kind of environment to make them fit tough conditions. Even Toyota used Namibia (Namib desert) as there preparation ground for DAKAR Rally. Even right now they are camping to prepare for their next dakar rally. So how Mitsubishi failed to address this issue if they realised and put additional coolers in new outlanders in Australia?