I have been checking out some Monteros the past few days and was wondering what kind of things to expect from 97-02 with a mileage range from 80-140k. 4x4 also

Are there any major issues to worry about?

With regular service how long will these things go??


Thanks in advance to all who reply.

Joe

 

hello! the montero is a very reliable vehicle. i have seen mileage over 200k and still going strong. one thing you need to find out is the previous service history on the vehicle. if it was well maintaned you should have no problems. regular oil changes, trans services and t-belt replacement are of the utmost importance. does the engine tap when running?? if it does chances are the oil wasnt changed very often, and the pickup tube is blocked with sludge. seen it happen. pull the trans dipstick out, if the fluid isnt bright red the fluid needs to be changed. montero's are hard on trans fluid. if the trans fluid gets real dirty the torque converter will shudder durring lock up. i suggest having the system flushed out and replaced with mitsu fluid. timming belt every 60k. if you dont know when it was replaced last, take one of the cam covers off and inspect the belt. if it doesnt look new, have it replaced. if the belt breaks, major engine damage will occur. 500.00 is a lot better and 2,500.00. most common things to look for on the montero is, cam plug o-rings leaking, cam seals leaking, 02 sensor. mainly bank2 sensor 1. also the spark plug tube seals can leak at that mileage, causing the plug wires to go bad, and will miss badly. have to remove the valve covers to replace. i know this sounds like alot, but it really isnt. the montero is a good vehicle, i work on them every day at my dealership. i also own one!! the best advice i can give you if you find one you like, is to take it to the dealership and have it inspected. best 50.00 you will spend! the dealer will also give you a cost of what if anything is wrong to be fixed. good luck!! greg...

 

I agree with most of what you said execpt that when you break a timing belt, it wont damage the engine. I broke 3 in 320,000+ miles with no problem. It just dies.Turns out they (Tbelts)go around 75,000. All seals are easy to replace EXCEPT the rear main. An unrebuilt motor will smoke when left to idle for more than a few mins. Oil backs up around the valve stems. As long as you change fluids regulary, you wont have any issues with normal usage. Like I said earlier, I have over 320,000 miles on mine and all works great.

 

killer your one lucky S.O.B!! all v6 montero motors from 89 and up are whats called interference motors. that means that there is no clearance between piston and valves. MAJOR damage can occur and 99 times out of 100 will occur. all of my factory manuals tell me that, all of my training at the mitsubishi training facilities instucted that, and i have pulled off more heads than i can remember because of broken belts. your engine must have broken its belts at T.D.C. killer. i wish i had your kinda luck!!

 

Mine is a 91 model. Normally I would agree with you but on mine when the belt broke, it just died. The wife even tried to restart. If there was a clearance issue, that would have finished it.