2003 Monty Limited --Please Help--- Issues and Headaches!
 

I am a new member to this forum, but not to Monty forums or Pajero forums outside of Mitsu. However lately I have been searching for answers with the newest set of issues with my monty. I love this vehicle so much that I decided to try and fix these problems rather than trading it in on a Trail Team T4R.

First Issue:
Blinking Orange Diff Light -- Only comes on after driving 30-40 miles, and goes off when restarted but will come back on if driving persists. I have had this issue before with the blinking light but it was coming on sooner and more frequent and I replaced the vacuum actuator module with the two color coded hoses and that seemed to fix the issue for that time being. Now its back with avengence.

Second Issue- Traction control lights come on dash pretty much all the time, never when its just started and remained stationary, but after driving a both long and short, no consistent frequency.

Third Issue- Service Engine Soon light -- both banks too lean ( Added K&N awhile back, maybe clogged MAF sensor or bad MAP sensors)

Recent Maintenance-

Flushed and replaced both F &R Diff with AMsoil 75-90 severe gear fluid, and xfer case with AMsoil MTG 75-90. Rear was the only dirty fluid, both TC and Front Diff were pretty clean.

K&N Filter

New Tires- Goodyear Duratrac 32's (may be the cause of this all)- 32 psi , vehicle aligned prior to the new tires last year

Rear Rotors and Pads

Oil Change

All fluids checked and topped.


If you guys could help me out that would be great. Feel free to ask I will explain or give more info.

Welcome to the forum. The issues you describe do occur and you should be able to find lots of help here.
Start with the flashing orange C/D light - search the forum. There are many threads dealing with this issue. No reason to start another one and try to repeat what others have advised.
Check Engine Light - Lean condition. It can be as simple as come air getting into the system after MAF sensor. Check all connections to make sure the air duct clamps are tight. Check to see if bellows have a hole in them. If that all checks, clean the MAF sensor with the MAF cleaner. If all this checks out, you may have something else causing this (clogged fuel filter, clogged injectors, fuel pump going out, etc., but I'd check simple things first.
Post back what you find.
Good luck

this guy.

Ditto HunterD above...

Be sure not to over-oil your k&n. This will cause problems downstream.
The MAF sensor in the 2002 is a Vortex type sensor (IIRC), most likely the 2003 has the same. MAF sensor cleaners are not to be used with this type of sensor, according to the warnings on the products I have researched. There is a portion of the sensor that should not come in contact with the cleaner. However, the thin metal trip in the sensor can be cleaned with the fluid. The solution I came up with was to spray some cleaner into the can's cap and wipe down the sensor gently with the cleaner on a q-tip.

Nice choice on fluids! I'm also running Amsoil... but, my differentials are full of Amsoil Gear Lube 80-90.

Are you running Amsoil motor oil as well?

HUnter D: THanks for jumping in and started my thread off. I have searched the internet top to bottom and have read all these forums regarding these issues both on Monty forums domestically and pajero internationally. Seems to be better info on Pajeros simply because their are more of them running around. I fell in love with these in Costa Rica and when I got home I got the monty stateside minus the diesel and snorkel.

Anyways, it seems after trolling and poaching other forums I still find myself scratching my head becasue there are multiple fixes and remedies for each of my problems. For example the CEL with the dual banks too lean can either be the K&N oil from when it was new clogged the MAF sensor, or it can be from the actual airbox tabs that broke off when changing the filter which may let air leak in. Another possibility could be a vacuum hose off the intake that was never reattached after I had my valve cover gasket replaced. (see pic, and let me know if yours is like this). Vacuum leak somewhere else, I have also heard that it can be from

Blinking Diff Light after 35-45 mins driving- Could be my new tires, alignment, too much drag from tires causing diff's to heat up and set off sensor. Ive heard its the vacuum actuator (changed lasy year and solved the blinking light, but a diff scenario now bc it comes on only after driving for 35-45 mins, before it would come on sooner and actuator solved that back then), also it could be a fouled or clogged breather on the Diff's,(just did diff fluid swap, didnt check breathers, forgot), I have heard it could be the sensor for the actual selector lever on top of xfer case, I have heard it can be on of the many sensors on the xfer case other than the shift lever one.

Traction Control Lights on- heard it could be again the new larger tires, steering wheel sensor needs recalib (will try today), rear brakes need replaced (just changed, still an issue), rear wheel sensor L or R gone bad, out of alignment (had a 4 wheel done last year prior to new tires, tracks really true still,,?), and on and on...

To top it all off, my local Mitsu dealer seems worthless due to lack of knowledge of the LWB monty's. Out East inPittsburgh where I'm from these LWB Montys aren't as common, there are alot more of them out west due to low import numbers and the geographical distance from point of import in Calif, just not that many out here, which is kind of the appeal when i bought but now is proving to be a royal pain....

Library Slideshow by scanpropittsburgh | Photobucket

is there supposed to be a hose on this little fitting on intake?

would this airbox, leak and cause lean codes

MR.Z- I am not running AMsoil engine oil currently, I am using Wolf's Head Fully Syn 5w-30 every 4-5k. Ilike the severe gear 75w-90 for the diffs, it Gl-5 rated and seems to run good in my other rigs. THen i went with the MTG for the transfer case to get my gl4, this was all reccomended thru my amsoil rep. SO far so good.

kjg6583 - Looking at the photos you posted, I'm pretty sure that the tabs on the air box are not the cause of the lean. If any air is getting by due to broken tabs is metered because the MAF sensor is located right after that portion of the airbox . You might be getting some unfiltered air in, but it is all measured. However, the second photo does show a missing vacuum line and you would be getting unmetered air in there. I do not know where that vacuum line is supposed to go. Perhaps a purge solenoid? I looked at mine and unfortunately it is totally different (different year).

Now lets see if we can get you a little closer to zeroing down on your Center Diff light issue. Start by getting the transfer trouble code out of the system. You can do this by shorting the terminal 1 of the OBD2 connector to ground. Terminal "1" is the one in top row left (the center tab looking thingy is at the bottom row, center). Short the terminal 1 to ground. Turn on ignition and watch the CD light blinking pattern. It will flash in a sequence of long flashes (1 sec) and and pauses pauses (0.5 sec), then shorter flashes and pauses (0.5 sec each). Count long flashes and short flashes. Long ones are 10s, short are 1s. For example if you are getting 3 long flashes and 2 short flashes - that means the code is "32". This is NOT the engine code P0032, it is transfer case DTC. If you have more than one code (very possible), it will flash out all of them one by one in the same pattern, then repeats for as long as the terminal is grounded and ignition is on. Once you figure out what is the code(s), post it here and perhaps we can figure out if it is a sensor issue or something else.
Good luck.

i have the same issue... but now my coolant turn brown.. like oily .. have you check your coolant? do this trucks come with a transmission oil cooler? that could cause the blinking?