Hey everyone,
First off, my car has had the P0455 error code for about a year, I got a reader and can just turn it off when I feel like it. Unfortunately I just moved back up to MA where inspection is required and I worry that it won't pass.

Anyways, I think the problem may be coming from a hole in the fuel filler neck (I can feel up past the guard and there is a large amount of sand stuck behind it. I just purchased a new gas cap to see if that solves the problem but putting it on and turning the car on for 30 seconds didn't turn the light off so I don't know. What I'm wondering (among many things) is if anyone knows what the part number of the clips holding the filler neck guard, I'm going to have to rip them out to get at the filler neck since they won't unscrew properly... I've includes a picture of the broken clip I already pulled out for reference.

On another note, I've also included a picture of the gas filler tube, I feel like I'm missing a metal flap that normally goes there (don't know what it's called), anyone know?

If anyone knows the part number of the clips or can help with my overall problem in general I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks a lot,
Vanq

 

You can most likely pick up the plastic clips at your local auto store. Bring them in to see if you can find a match.
The hole you might be referring to looks like the breather hole. Did you clean out the area that was packed with sand? Perhaps it's pinching the breather hose, so there isn't proper venting.
I'd start looking into your parts by checking out the exploded view on some of the OEM parts sites, or calling/visiting a MM dealer and talking to the fellas at in parts department.

Here are a couple sites to check out:

https://www.mitsubishiparts.com/oe_parts_catalog.html

Mitsubishi Parts | OEM Mitsubishi Parts | Genuine Mitsubishi Parts

BTY, there is no 'metal flap' behind the filler hole.

Good Luck

 

Thanks for your help, I got the fasteners at Pep Boys today, not exactly the same but close enough. and it's good to hear that I'm not missing a flap in the gas filler.

Well, I got the guard off to great disappointment. (check the picture)
It appears all the tubes (except the delivery tube) are completely rusted through. Probably stupid of me to have removed the sand and the guard because now the error code (P 0455) is on 100% of the time and I won't pass inspection until I get it fixed... I assume I'm just going to bring it to a shop since I worry about not getting the tubes back on (due to rusted mounts). I'm still debating if its cheaper for me to buy the parts and bring them than it is for them go the parts. I'm also trying to find if I can buy the whole assembly (evap tubes, etc) and not just the fuel filler tube because it appears the filler tube is in the best shape while the others are entirely rusted through...

I have to say, I'm really disappointed in the quality here... I've been affected by rust on the underside of the car (side panel mounts rusted off, running board mounts corroded, and now the fuel tubes) and my A/C unit makes a terrible noise. This is a car that now still only has 83k miles on it, has had oil done religiously at every 3k miles, and has been garage stored. I don't think I'll be buying another mitsubishi, as capable as this car is (I know they don't sell in US anymore), the quality has been awful, and I take pretty good care of what I can see... If I had known there would have been this problem I would have already taken the guard off and protected it from rust...

Just what I needed, another couple hundred bucks down the drain...

 

Are you saying that your above picture is from a rig that's been garaged, not driven on salt incrusted roads, not driven on the beach, or left in a maritime climate for any length of time? Are you the original owner? If not, how was this vehicle treated before you purchased it? IMHO, Mitsubishi parts are some of the stoutest OEM around.
Past vehicles of mine that have seen a lot of beach driving have always gotten an under-carriage coating. If you do a good job preparing the surface, an under coat can save the rest of the surfaces from rusting through.
Service is everything. Staying on top of a vehicle's required services will keep it on the road for many years. Occasional vehicle inspections (check according to the FSM) often time catch part failures before they happen, especially if you replace parts according to the FSM. (In short, crawl around under your vehicle-lubricate the parts, and keep it maintained.)

 

I am the first owner of the vehicle. For the first 6 years of its life it lived in MA so it saw snow during the winter, but was washed regularly (even the undercarriage, but I'm sure not behind that guard) and kept in a garage every night. The car has NEVER been driven on a beach or kept in a marine environment for an extended period of time. For the last 3 years of it's life it's been in South Carolina where there is no salt/sand/snow. Given that lesser cars survive with never being washed/waxed and not being garaged I'm stunned that my mitsubishi has succumbed to such mild usage in bad situations. I should also point out however that the for the first three years of it's life it was only used in the winter and thoroughly cleaned before storage.

I would have removed the card had I known this was a problem, it honestly never dawned on me that a car company would create a problem by putting the guard there because lets face it, yes it protects the lines, but they should have done something different for drainage because I always spray up in the week hubs to remove what sand I can see, this was just poor planning. As for the rusting running board brackets, I cleaned off the rust and gave it an anti-rust coating, but the damage is done, the brackets look half as thick as they once were... And the A/C problem is ridiculous, I rarely use A/C (only on the highways, and once every couple weeks to lubricate the system) 83,000 miles with the noise happening for the last 10k is pretty bad...


Like I said, I don't doubt the capabilities of the Montero, I love being able to go anywhere (mainly in snow up my steep driveway). But I take care of my car as well as any normal person does (without removing pieces of metal and such to get at obscure places) and seeing crappy camrys and corollas go down the road driven by people who have probably tried to put diesel in their cars (let alone ever washing them) without these problems and passing inspection, just kinda ticks me off... The Montero was not a cheap vehicle and my family has owned a Montero since the late '80s. Once again though, I can't stress enough my love for the car itself, it's awesome... I just wish it would do better on the quality aspects and that when I took the car in under 7yrs/100k miles they would have fixed the running board brackets under the corrosion warranty.

Edit: To update on the situation pertinent to the thread, I had Pep Boys replace the fuel filler neck assembly (and buy the part) for $612 pre-coupon, $550 after the coupon. They were too stupid to figure out how to put the guard back on so right now it's half on (their half-*** job coupled with my MacGyver fix using a cellphone charger, it was late and rainy and cold) I'm trying to decide if I should put it all the way on (using clips I bought) or just take it off entirely, I never do off-roading but I've learned to love the shielding on the underside of the car after the skid plate protected my engine from a truck tire tread I hit at night on the highways. At least by them not putting the guard I was able to see the work they did, and it looked good, can verify that they indeed did replace the filler neck assembly. If anyone is wondering, the nearest mitsubishi dealer 20 miles away quoted me $628 for the parts and labor (and I didn't have a coupon), and no other auto shop I talked to would do the repair (all said it was dealer only).

Cheers,
-Vanq

 

I just bought a 2002 and realized the fuel lines and vent tubes were all rusted out. The pictures here look pretty good. I only have two lines left. The other two are gone! It is very surprising because the rest of the Mitsubishi auto tend to stand up against elements very well. Also, I am amazed there has not been a recall for this problem. When filling the gas tank, I have gas leaking out over the wheel. Seems like a tremendous fire hazard.