QuestionHello Anthony:
Problems and History
1. Brake/Rotor problems - why do I have to change them every 3 to 6 months? I've had my car for 5 years and I have had to changes those rotors every 3 months.
2. Alignment - the car still wobbles after it is done. What can cause the car to shake so much?
3. Belts, timing belt and water pump replaced. After that was done, my car starts to idle crazy. The car would shut off stopped in traffic and twice when I put my car in reverse the car jumped and turned off.
4. Sent car to shop they tell me its a problem with the fuel line. They repaired that did the cleaning to it cost me $120.00 for something that I am sure did not need at the time. My car still act up.
5. Then a week later my car transmission jumped out of gear a couple of times and then it would not accelerate it died. I had it towed and it was sent to a Mitsubishi dealership. I was told I needed another transmission - the clutch went out. Well, that cost me $1995.00 and my car still feels like it is stuck in 3rd gear. It sounds like if I go past 50-55 mph it feels like it is straining to accelerate. Even when I go down a hill it feels like the transmission is over powering like I am sitting in neutral. What in the world is wrong with my car - can you help this woman who is tired of getting the run around. I want my car fixed - can you suggest as to what I can tell these mechanics. I want to walk in there this time with some since of knowledge.
Woman with many car troubles.
Vicky
AnswerVicky,
1. Having to change the brakes every 3 to 6 months is very frequent. If your normal driving style is stop and go traffic, then that can prematurely wear down your brakes. Also, poor quality brake pads and rotors will wear down faster.
2. A mis-aligned car does not typically cause wobble. Wobble is commonly caused by tires that are unbalanced. Also, damaged ball joints or tie-rods can also contribute to wobbley ride. Have your tires and front suspension checked.
3. If the timing belt was set incorrectly, then your idle would suffer. If your idle seems to surge (i.e. sometime is idles very high, and other times it stalls) that can indicate a problem with the Idle Air Control motor (IAC). If the IAC malfunctions, it will not know the correct RPMs to idle your engine at. Hence, that can cause stalling. Because the IAC regulates the amount of air that enters your engine, the amount of fuel that enters needs to be altered as well. That air to fuel ratio is controlled by your car's computer. It would also be a good idea to have your car's computer (the ECM) inspected to be sure it is not malfunctioning.
4. There are many fuel lines in your car. You should find out specifically what fuel line was having the problem and exactly what they did. $120 is a lot of money to spend on something that you're not sure of. Since they did not fix it, bring your car back and either ask for a refund or insist they fix problem correctly, less the cost of the original $120. Think of it this way, if you bought an item at a store that didn't work, you'd either bring it back for a refund or as credit for another item. Your mechanic should honor their work the same way.
5. Transmission problem can be very tricky. But since the dealership put in a new transmission, they should honor a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty with it. If you're still within the 12 months/12k miles, take the car back in and insist they fix your problems. If may be anything from a slipping clutch, bad throw-out bearing, broke cable linkage, or even lack of transmission fluid. Take it back to the dealership and insist they find and fix the problem.
Good luck!
