Ok, so after having an 08 lancer GTS I swore I would NEVER own another Mitsu again. Shame on me, less then a month ago I bought a 2007 Outlander XLS to use for towing smaller trailers. I bought it for a business I'm starting so, I don't drive it everyday but, at least once a week just to 'stretch it's legs' otherwise, it sits in a garage all the time.

Earlier this week I had been noticing a coolant smell (like molases) when i first start it up. Checked a bunch of times and have seen no coolant leaking on the ground or under the hood so i thought nothing of it. The following day I got a SES light and the code read for a Random misfire. I should mention at this time that the car has always started with a hesitation since I've owned it. Kinda like it's not getting enough fuel when first starting as the RPM's struggle to get to the 1500RPM mark on cold start up but, it eventually 'flutters its way up'. Anyway, So I cleared the code hasnt came back since. BUT NOW, when I was at the drive-through, with no A/c on or anything, the AUX fans started blowing on high A few second later I noticed my temp gauge was flashing and the heat was climbing up until just before the last 1/10 of the gauge where it has the bar and maybe 1mm before it's full blown over heating. So I shut the car down, reestarted and the gauge was maybe at half of what it was reading a few seconds prior.

I did some additional test and, I can re create the problem when i'm at a stand still, with the car in Drive only and foot on the brake. If it is in neutral or park i believe it wont do it. Also not that when I increase engine speed the temp drop's. If I turn the AC on it will blow luke warm but, because it increases engine speed, turning the AC on will also drop the engine temp?

Also, I noticed that my coolant over-flow tank is basically full to the rim when cold!! and, when i removed the cap for the main radiator add-in, i got a air sucking noise? or a whooshing.. cant tell if its sucking in air or blowing it out lol.

anyways, i did research, and can;t find a similar mis-hap anywhere online. Does anyone have a suggestion of where to start looking? Is my head gasket blown? what am i dealing with here?

Thanks Much

 

Warm engine up then safely remove radiator cap. Then top up if needed, then you need 2 people, one to accelerate and one to watch the opening..
If when you accelerate say constant at 3000rpm and see bubbles accumulating, you have a breech in the jacket system,possibly head.
The other thing is to check that the pump is pumping too,may have failed.

 

signs of blown head gasket, you got it from a used car dealer or Mitsubishi dealer?
I recommend looking into a possible warranty.

 

I bought it from a Mitsubishi dealer.. Now im able to get it to overheat in park or in drive, if it just sit's. but when you raise the rpm's, the temp will go down. I will try what you guys suggested to start with. Hmn, haven't even made a payment on this puppy yet.

 

also, it has 68K on it...

 

Take it to the dealer you bought it from right away.

 

Make sure the Radiator fan is working.

At stand still there is no natural flow though the Rad only the one provided by the fan...if it work.

Driving increase the flow.
Turning the A/C on turn a second fan on, thus giving you some flow.

The symptom you mentioned, I had in one of my previous car when the fan thermostat died.The over heated fluid push itself into the over flow can and the volume is filled with steam, that is the sound you hear (escaping air) when you open the rad cap.

Also there was a problem with the fan relay on Outlander some time ago.

You just bought it, then run to the dealer, at least it how you a working car.

 

I'm thinking it has something to do with the thermostat now that you mention it. At work, we have a system that mechanic's use to store notes about specific cars and issue's they have experianced and, most of the time, a solution to the problem. With that said, You can search 'Key words' for each vehical. I searched head gasket and only had 2 hits that did not go into detail. Water pump gave me the same results. However, thermostat gave me 7 hit's which indicate a possible sticking thermo.

Just to clarify, The moment my heat gauge read's above normal, the 'Fans', aux fans, whatever you want to call them, start running at full blast to no availe. The car now overheats in any gear, even park w/ or w/o the brake depressed. It will climb all the way unless you rev it up to around 2K </> an hold it for a sec, will quickly bring down the temp. I have no steam comming from the exhaust or under the hood etc. No Miss-match fluid's / mixed fluids etc. I will have to look at it maybe tomorrow or Wednesday when I find time. until then, It's parked.