QuestionI have a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer ES. It is automatic. After I got my 30K miles service done at a neighborhood shop, my car started vibrating. When it is very cold outside, I usually let it warm up about 3 minutes before I drive it. Then I start driving it, but if I have to sit in traffic within a minute after driving it it will start vibrating. It is not completely warmed up at this point (the temperature gauge is not in the middle yet). Is this normal? What could be causing this? Someone suggested that it could be that I don't have Mitsubishi spark plugs on it, but I have never heard of that causing a problem.
About once a month in the last three months, if I ease off the gas and then step back on the gas it is not immediately accelerating. It seems like it hesitates to shift from like 1st to 2nd and then it jerks and goes. What could be causing this? I had my 30K service done in January.
Also, I have had brake pads put on twice since I got this car. Isn't that excessive? And I have had my rotors turned and resurfaced each time. Now my brakes are still grinding. This time I used Auto Zone pads. The pads are fine, but why do I still have this noice?
My last question is concerning a cracking noice that I hear when I am backing out of a parking space and have to turn my wheel hard left or hard right. What could this be?
AnswerLisa,
The good news is that your car came with a 3 yr./36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. As long as you haven't rolled over 36,000 miles yet, the dealership is responsible to fix all your problems for free. And if anything mechanical is wrong with your car, your car has a 5 yr./60,000 mile drivetrain warranty.
Your first problem is probably normal. Most cars will idle faster during colder temperatures and that can cause excess vibrations. If the vibrations go away after the engine has warmed up, I don't think you have an issue. Non-Mitsubishi spark plugs should not be causing this problem. But if it concerns you, spark plug replacement may be covered by your warranty.
Different brake pads all wear differently. Unfortuntely, that is considered a variable maintenance item and your warranty will probably not cover that, unless your pads came with a seperate warranty. Pads wear depending on quality, driving still, rotor integrety, and weight in the car. If you haul heavy items in your car a lot, or if you drive 3 people in your car on many occassions, that extra weight will make your brakes work harder and wear faster. If you drive in lots of stop-n-go traffic, that too will cause excessive wear. It's hard to determine what pads are higher quality. Higher prices doesn't alway mean better. But find a pad with a decent manufacturers warranty. This way if they wear too fast, you can get refunded. Also, next time you replace your pads, replace you rotors. You can usually only turn and resurface them once (or twice at most) before you'll need to replace them.
A grinding noise can indicate a caliper that is not completely retracting when you take your foot off the pedal. You'll need a mechanic to check your calipers to make sure they are all right.
A cracking noise when backing up and turning can indicate a wheel coil spring that is slipping from its seat. It's not a problem, but can get annoying. But this may be able to get fixed under warrarnty.
Good luck!
