I just replaced the timing belt, water pump, idler pulleys, tensioner, and serpentine belt. I finished the job and let the car run for a few minutes. It ran great and i never felt more relieved. Then all of a sudden it started pouring white smoke from the exhaust and it died. Now it won't start. I'm at a loss and don't know what to do. please help. Thanks in advance - Manuel

 

Any ideas?

 

I don't have an answer for you, but I am curious as to why you think it is a timing issue? I just bought a 2002 Montero Sport two days ago down in Phoenix. I live up in northern Arizona. After driving the truck around town for a couple of days, we headed home today and as we climbed a steep mountain it suddenly starting billowing huge clouds of white smoke from the tail pipe. It wasn't overheating, but it was so much smoke we had to pull over. The smoke soon stopped and we drove into town. In checking the fluids, the transmission fluid was a quart low, the oil was at least a quart high, and the coolant reservoir was empty. It was dumping rain outside and the truck was running fine, so after filling the fluids that were low, I chose to wait until I got home to drain any of the excess oil. Seeing as how I just got home a few minutes ago and it is dark outside, I have yet to drain the oil to see just how over-filled it is. I will do that tomorrow. The ride home from where we pulled over was over 150 miles of mountain driving and it didn't act up at all for the entire rest of the trip. The coolant and transmission fluids are at acceptable levels, the radiator having only sucked a small amount of coolant from the reservoir to the engine. What was the problem?

 

Had our 02 since new. We have 179000 on it and JUST replaced Serpentine and only the tensioner pulley assembly since it went out. Will have the idler pulley and the timing belt replaced because they should be long past, however, the timing belt still looked good. This is our 5th Mitsu. Number 4 is a 2002 Mirage 5 speed with 186K miles and has had very little done to it, still on the same serpentine and timing belt. This was my commuter car at 183 miles a day until 2 years ago. I don't want a new SUV UNTIL they bring back my Montero or Pajero to the US!!!! Then I'll be first in line! This vehicle has only broken down once in 12 years and that was last weekend when the pulley assembly died. I can afford a new one, but I don't like ANYTHING out there! BRING BACK THE MONTERO/PAJERO! Can you imagine this ride with a Mitsu DIESEL??????!!!! WWWAAAAANNNNTTTT!