Hello all! I am new to the forum because I just bought a '05 Montero which seems pretty great so far minus the rear cargo latch issue.

Other then that, what are things I should be on the lookout for? I have the service records for the past couple of years only as the original owner's son was a mechanic and serviced the it regularly. I know the timing belt was done recently, around 75k along with the water pump, valve cover gasket and a few other things.

Oh and they bent the power antenna before I bought it. I take it that it is fairly easy to replace?

Thanks again everyone and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

Hello MrInternational, welcome to the forum. Congrats on your new ride.
The 3-rd gen Monteros are very reliable and last forever, especially if you taken care of them. The couple of things you described do happen, in fact - I just recently had to deal with the rear latch issue myself. It is actually a pretty easy repair. Most likely the mechanism got a little rusty and is not moving as well as it suppose to. You will need to open the rear door (tap around the handle and it may eventually engage and unlock, etc.) than, take off the plastic from the inside the door (upper part firs, then lower part.) Once past this point you'll be able to see the mechanism of the latch through the openings in the door under the plastic moisture barrier. Spray some WD-40 on the stud with the spring to loosen things up, move the handle back and forth and repeat few times. Then put some lithium grease (if you have it) on all parts and you are done.

As far as other common issues, it is hard to say. There is really nothing that happens to every single vehicle (like some other brands out there). One of the most common things you find on the forum is the "rough shifting" issues. This is most frequently due to using wrong type of AT fluid. Mitsubishis are very sensitive to the type of fluids used and it seems that most of the time the rough shifting issue is resolved once the transmission is flushed and refilled with the OEM Mitsubishi AT fluid (not the equivalent generic type).

I have an '01 Montero with over 175k now and it has held up really well. I've had to replace few idler pulleys, few front wheel bearing assemblies, brake disks and pads, etc. I did bust couple of power antennas too I consider most this to be normal wear and tear especially considering that I do take it off road on regular basis. Anyway, enjoy your new ride. I hope if you do run into any issues, someone here on the forum will have an answer for you on how to deal with it.

 

The rear oil cam seals and the front passenger oil cam seal. Dash lights for the drive wheels. Ignition Control Module and Throttle Position Sensor are issues I have seen are common, from reading here. I just bought an 02 with 96k miles and going through the maintenance that has been long overlooked. Some alignment bolts are prone to getting stuck if there, especially with exposure to any salt. Also, the fuel lines over the back right tire are prone to corrosion. They are all gone except for the fill line on mine. After everything else is running right, I plan to tackle their replacement.

 

Thanks for the heads up everyone. So far so good on this rig except for today, the steering wheel started making a funny noise when I would turn it left or right. It sounds like a squeaking sound of rubber on rubber or something... I checked the power steering reservoir and it's full still. Not sure if it's the humidity here down in FL or if its the sign of a much larger issue.

Thoughts anyone?

 

I have a question for "mlduncan96" ... I am needing to know where the "Ignition Control Module" is located. Can you or someone else help me know where to find this? I have a 2003 Montero Ltd with the 3.8L. While you are at it could you tell me where the "Throttle Position Sensor" is located as well?

 

I have a problem with my 2001 Montero XLS rear brakes. I took her to the shop - the backend was shuddering when I slowed the vehicle with the brakes. Yes, you would immediately think "warped rotor". The shop replaced brakes on all fours. A few weeks later, I felt the shuddering again. It only happens after I have been driving for about 15 minutes or more, is my guess. Never when just going to the grocery story a mile away.
I took it back to the shop, and the mechanic said he took the rear tires off and lubed up the calipers. Next week I noticed the shuddering again, and called the mechanic. He mentioned that it might be the master cyclinder. I'm wondering if it could be something simpler, such as a faulty caliper or maybe the hose?
If it was the master cylinder, would it only make one rear (drivers side rear) brake "drag"? It appears as if the caliper is always squeezing down on the disk, since the disk gets HOT... over 100 degrees hotter than the other side. I can smell the brakes after 15-20 minutes of driving. I can splash some water on the rim and it poofs away in the form of steam like a hot pancake griddle with water on it.
My question is this: Could it be the master cyclinder, or is it likely the caliper? Has anyone else had this issue?

 

On the subject of brakes I've recently uncovered a common brake fault that many are not aware of. The HBB (Hydraulic Brake Booster) motor fails due to worn brushes in motor. Cannot buy motor seperately from dealership or parts store as they only sell complete brake/ABS assembly at a horrific price.


The surprising thing about this part failure is that your only given a warning when pressure from booster has dropped. This gives you 2 or 3 stops until the pedal goes rock hard and brakes are totally useless. Should this happen on a trip somewhere you will not have enough pressure to make it home.


Please for anyone who has one of these vehicles do some research and check out the motor condition. My vehicle only had around 60k miles on it and my electric motor was absolutely toast. And before you ask the brushes simply cannot be replaced as the commentator becomes worn and must be replaced (with windings).


https://www2.pajeroclub.com.au/forum...ad.php?t=46516


Why oh why did Mitsi and others (Lexus, Honda, etc) use an old fashion motor on such a critical system!


jim

 

I've recently experience major issues with rear wheel alignment on my 2001 Mitsubishi Montero XLS. The rear camber adjustment bolts commonly get corroded and rusted into position due to road salt, water, etc depositing between the internal cam adjuster bolt's surface and the lower control arm bushing's internal metal surfaces. Since the cam adjuster bolts for aligning the rear wheels are normally never touched until the vehicle is older, the cam bolt and control arm bushing have had several years to fuse together due to corrosion and rust. It's as if the bolt and control arm bushing have been welded together somehow - the effects of rust and corrosion between two metal surfaces can simulate a good weld at times!! No matter how hard I tried and the amount of torque and PB Blaster Penetrant I sprayed on the cam bolt, it wouldn't free up the darned cam adjustment bolt to allow the wheel camber to be adjusted. After receiving a cost prohibitive estimate from a repair shop ($1300.00 US) to replace the rear right lower control arm assembly and new cam adjuster bolt, I took it upon myself to tackle the job on my own. I bought the control arm and cam bolt online for $200 from Febest. I took a portable sawzall with a handfull of metal cutting blades and I cut off the rusted cam adjustment bolt that attaches the lower control arm to the frame of the truck. You'll need a couple of floor jacks to lift one side of the truck off the ground and the other jack to support the control arm assembly. You'll need to disconnect the bolt that connects the shock absorber to the control arm first, then remove the bolt that attaches the upper end of the control arm under the brake rotor. The rear coil spring will release its tension from its nested position as you lower the unbolted end of the control arm that's near the brake rotor. Note: you need to leave the cam adjuster bolt in until you've disconnect the other two large bolts on the control arm and lowered the upper end slowly with a floor jack so the coil spring's tension is relieved slowly and you've removed the coil spring. Don't remove the cam adjuster bolt first or the tension will release from the coil spring and all hell will break loose. It will take some time and patience to cut through the cam adjuster bolt with a sawzall, but I fount that a short 2"-3" cutting blade with 14 TPI versus a long cutting blade with course cutting teeth works best. When reassembling the parts, just work in reverse and glob lots of grease on the cam bolt, inside the control arm bushing and any other surfaces the cam bolt and washer end will contact on the frame. That way, you won't have to worry about water and salt corroding and rusting out the cam adjuster bolt again. Good luck and save yourself some major $$ by doing it yourself if possible.