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The Mitsubishi Pajero Owners ClubŪ The Mitsubishi Pajero, Shogun, Montero, Challenger, Raider and EVO 4x4 Owner's Club
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L-200 **
Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 84 Location: Finland
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Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 9:37 Post subject: Pajero buyers guide ... |
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Hello.
Anyone mind if i try to be a little help for buying a paj? No, good then, sit down and be patient because this will be be long story of what i looked when i bought my paje over 18 months ago. It's a 2,8 TD LWB, but these things can be chekked wiht any car as well.
Chassis and carosserie
chassis
Look for corrosion, both outside structures and with flashlight as far as you can see inside the chassis(use ventilation holes as looking points).
Make sure that car's typrcode can be seen , code is located at hullbeam at rear right side behind rear wheel. Most likely this is under rust, use steelbrush to clean it and make it visible to check*hint: but grease onto it, this will slow down corrosion*.
If chassis is badly corrosidated and need repairing by welding means and you don't have capability to do it yourself or someone who is willing to to do this cheap, forget the car. Chassis repairing is poo job, need lots of removing and covering of car >> takes time and costs of money, been there and done it to my dad's nissan pick-up. Left and right side rear end complete repairing by welding etc was one week's job, althought we made whole hullstructure as new, that's why it took so long.
If chassis is in ok condition, then continue cheking
*hint: flashlight, screwdriver and little hammer are useful tools when digging out condition of chassis*
carosserie
Look corrosion around windshield and front of the car. Also lower parts of doors are to be chekked as well as lower rear section from end of the car.
If you suspect that any parts are repaired wiht moulding paste instead of welded metal, use light magnet to find this out. Magnet will not stick to moulding paste, but will stay on painted metal. At same time check lower parts of each doors, also boot door. Same thing with wheel arches, there may be some corrosion and it's a usual place where it begins to corrosidate. Bottom of the car we check later on. So far so good, we move on.
Technic, engine, gears and gearboxes, axles and bearings, joints, brakes etc etc
Motor
Look general overwiew first, how does engineroom look like. Test that all belts are tight and batteris are well mounted onto their place and nothing is loose or broken(of course when working at engineroom engine is off)
Start engine and listen how it sounds, how does engine sound at idle run, normal driving round revs and also engine must reach max. revs.
No "alarming" extra noises allowed or unsteady running.
4. cyl. long stroke diesel sounds bit hard, but still noise must be steady diesel sound.
V6 gasoline engine sounds like steady humming, like nest of bees and engine must run without vibrations. No after running is alloved when turning any engine off. All extra ticking, metally noises, clicks or those kind is signal that something is wrong, if yuo heard any those sounds, forget the car and leave. Ask seller when airfilter and oil has been changed, then check those. Airfilter might be some dusty but not too much or completely worn out. Oil level must be between F and L marks, color is most likely black but this is typical for diesel engines. Check service booklet if it's available.
Make sure that timing belt has been changed by as instructed by manufacturer, ask receipt or require adequate prove of that has been done. Belt needs to be replaced every 5 years or 100 thousand kilometres, wich ever comes first. 2,8 TD uses timing chain and doesn't need replacing, all other engines(2,5 TD, 3,0 V-6, 3,5 V-6) use timing belt wich needs replacing.
Turbo must not leak oil, also make sure that overboost valve and intake manifolds overboost valve works properly. If turbo leaks oil it's broken.
Gears and gearboxes(manual transmission only)
Stop engine if it's running.
Press clutch down and release it. Now go thru gears 1 to 5 one after each other. All gears must go on without any problems. Reverse gear must not go on if trying to connect it straight from any forwarding gears, R will connect only when first letting gearselector to go to free area. Also R must go on without problems.
Transfer gear have next selectived areas. 2H, this is normal rear-wheel driving mode, 4H, this is normal 4-wheel driving mode, 4L, this is low range driving mode wich is ment to use onlu off road use or when needin most pulling or towing capability. Rear axle have lock wich can be used only when 4L is connected.
Test drive the car and test all driving modes and that rear axle lock is operational. Test 4-wheel drive modes on non gripping surface, snowy, muddy or icy field. Differences on 4-wheel drives comes out most easily when testing on non grip surfaces.
During test drive no alarming noises must be heard and both gearbox and transferbox operation must be fluent. -89 and older pajeros are with mitsu galant's gearbox and are notoriously for their weakness, newer model have stornger boxes.
Well, so far so good, moving still on. Hope you still have interest to keep up.
axles, joints, bearings etc etc..
Now, if here you don't find anything alarming were almost home free.
Starting from the front of the car.
Wheel bearings, no vertical or horizontal loose movement is allowed, none. Also no "squuiiiky" sounds is accepted. Those are sure marks that bearing are broken and need replacing. Also broken bearing is serious risk at traffic, if bearing(s) broke, lost of control of vehicle is certain.
Ball joints, driving stabilators and their mounting must be firm and in condition, these also affect to handling and driving, check these also very carefully.
Check that spring mounting points are in condition, most likely you will find corrosion here, slight corrosion is normal but metal under corrosion must be in good firm condition, also look at shockabsorbers mounting and their condition. These also affect to both driving stability and are a matter of security, don't overlook these.
Check that ball joints don't have loose movement, if they are loose then they are in need of replacing, ball joints are greaseable model and if greasing has been ignored then joints will worn out quicker. There are five greasing point at front, two upper steering joints, L and R side, lower steering joint greasing points L and R side also and steering arms greasing joint. those nibbles are ment to grease by owner/at service. Greasing is minimun two times/year.
Look that front drive axles protective rubbers are not broken, if they are broken then there is a big risk that front drive shafts will broke soon besauce sand, or any dirt will brake drives there. Tested with nissan pick-up, take my word for that, protective rubber breaks and soon will break drives, bye bye money....
Drive shafts
Check that cross joints are tight and well greased. If they are loose or even broke then they are in replaceable condition. There are greasing nibbles also at drive shafts and shafts are ment to be gerased. Greasing minimum two times/year.
*hint: greasing, push grease until it comes out by it self, overcoming means that there is enough grease for the moment*
Drive shaft can have loose turning radius movement 1/16 parts of a turn, this is approx. 22 degrees. This is measured when wheel are not at air, gear neutral and turning drive shaft, when gearbox and rear axle starts to resist loose movement stpo turning, this loose movement betveen resisting points is 22 degrees, no more.
Well, going forward.....shall we
Look general overwiew of the botton of car. Gearboxes might be lightly moist from oil, quite normal but clearly oil must not leak out from boxes, same thing with rear axle, might be moist but no leaks allowed.(says someone who's paje's gearbox leaks oil a bit ).
Look corrosion, there might be some, i know that there is some in my paje, again(i'll take care it when snow melts off), also look brakefuid tubes and their condition. If something looks suspicious look it over again and make sure that it is in condition.
Brakes
Surprice, they must work prefectly and nothing less is acceptable.
Look the condition of brake pads and discs, if they are badly worn they need to be replaced. Rear discs must not be rusty, if they are then rear brakesaddles are not in condition.
Test handbrake and that it's operational, this is simple(and actually bit fun).
Accelerate car to 40-50 km/h speed and set gear to neutral, then push the knob at handbrake and pull the handbrake up tight and let car stop by using only handbrake. Get out of the car and look how handbreke has been operated. Skidmarks must be equal, large difference of skidmaks tells that something is wrong(later marking wheel has a brake problem)
Holding test. Drive car to 30 degree slope, push brakes and and pull handbrake 5-7 clikcs, then release footbrake and car must stay on palce just with handbrake, if not, then handbrake in not working ok, simple as that. Also a good place to tes brakes is a brake dyno tester wich is very reliable test.
Well still awake, good...
Noe just take a good final look of the car that every electric thing works properly and if there has not been any alarming things....
Go for it.
That "testing" wich i've just tried to descripe was how i tested my paje when i bought it, tooks about 2-3 hours and is time well spent. Well also i got my paje for test drive for over weekend also in wich time i had plenty of time to look into it. No, i'm not professional car tester or not working on auto industry so therefore this test is on amateur basis, but mind if i say that it's still quite adequate testing.
A few minor things, if you are not familiar with diesel engines i'd recommendent gasoline engine. Diesel's have some their own tricks wich needs to know if you want them to reliable engines, otherwise they can be a real pain in the ass. But if you must have diesel engine, take my word and seek only 2,8 TD's aknd later model's. 2,8TD engine suits better for pajero than 2,5 TD, this time size does matter and bigger is better, tested both -00 pajero sport and -98 2,8 td and -98 2,8 TD took win at my comparison.
Also think wich car suits you better in long time use, an SWB or LWB.
My missus said first to me that she is not driving that tractor a one meter, and now i can't drive my car almost at all, she's taken that also from me , even LWB is rather big car, it's still quite handy to drive when you get to know it.
Well, thats about it, thank you for interesting and now i'm going to nurse my fingers wich have blisters...
cheers...
Mikko |
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Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 9:37 Post subject: Google Ads keep the POCUK free to join! |
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Zulu77 ****
Age: 57 Zodiac: Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 281 Location: Caribbean
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 19:44 Post subject: |
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Very good advice, there. I want to inspect a 2.8TD this week and these pointers will surely come in handy. I have a 3.5L 24valve V6 that I use everyday but this other vehicle just seems to beg me to relieve her of her present distress. |
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Linton Chilcott **
Age: 63 Zodiac: Joined: 07 Feb 2010 Posts: 64 Location: Inverness
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 20:22 Post subject: |
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Thank you for the above. Some additional suggestions:
Try to ensure that the engine is cold when you get to the vehicle (ask the seller not to run it for at least 4 hours or so). Check it with your hand to check is it actually cool. When you start, any excessive smoke, rattling, etc, is more pronounced when the engine is cold.
Before starting the engine, check all the necessary warning lights illluminate. If, for example, the ABS / oil lights, etc, do not illuminate and /or extinguish when they should, the system is either u/s (unserviceable), or: it is u/s AND the seller has disconnected the warning light...
Block the exhaust while the engine is running - any leaks may be easier to see / hear.
Front end. Check the bonnet catches are not new, as these often get replaced after front end shunts.
Check the lights and all electrics work - even a duff headlamp can be very expensive.
Take a tape measure to check diagonals in the chassis.
Try to drive away with hand brake set:
If vehicle drives away - the handbrake is kaput.
If it stays still but the engine does NOT stall - the clutch is kaput.
Automatic gearbox torque converter stall test:
Apply park brake (if it worked).
Select Drive.
Floor the accelerator (not too harshly, just a steady application).
Check the rpm rises then stabilises at a mid point - no more than half rpm I would suggest. If you can, previously research the specified torque converter stall rpm. If the engine revs higher than this, the torque converter is in a poor state: Walk away.
If the transmission goes BNAG! Don't walk away - run!
When test driving an automatic, check that the rpm does not increase between the gears while accelerating hard. If the rpm rises between the gears, the autobox is knacked.
Swerve from side to side fairly sharply (losing control is not recommended) - if there is noise from the wheels as the vehicle leans in the corners, then a wheel bearing may be on the way out.
Get it cross-axled in order to check out the 4x4 system. Or, put one pair of wheels on some nice slick mud or grass (not the neighbour's front lawn...) Now you can check the diff lock(s) or LSD (if fitted).
Remember that you are not just buying a vehicle. Even more than that, you are buying FROM A PERSON. If you have any doubts whether you trust the person, then you probably can't trust the vehicle - anticipate problems.
Regards
Linton |
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jimmerz *
Age: 41 Zodiac: Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 11 Location: southampton
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Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 12:05 Post subject: |
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Thanks for the advice. |
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rewjon LifeTime Member
Age: 49 Zodiac: Joined: 27 Jun 2010 Posts: 126 Location: London
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 23:15 Post subject: I'm actively seeking Pajero |
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Read Slickey's posting about the guide for Newbees and I printed it out as a check list table I've managed to look underneath one Pajero and understood what i was looking at and for but i'm at abit lost when it comes to the engine compartment - does anyone know of someone who has some Pajero knowledge and would come along with me to view one - I would be willing to pay for their time, I live in South London near Croydon |
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rewjon LifeTime Member
Age: 49 Zodiac: Joined: 27 Jun 2010 Posts: 126 Location: London
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 0:30 Post subject: overboost valve & intake manifolds overboost valve |
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hi this list has been so useful - together with other info I put it into a word doc as a tabled checklist of over 40 points to look at in buying a Paj with a scoring system of good/fair/poor but there is only one thing I didn't get.
You mention in the Motor section - "make sure that overboost valve and intake manifolds overboost valve works properly" could you tell or showme (pic or diagram) where these are?
many thanks |
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chriszz Newbie
Age: 48 Zodiac: Joined: 08 Sep 2010 Posts: 1 Location: Pretoria, South Africa
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 20:14 Post subject: Post Checklist |
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Hi there,
checklist sounds excellent / please post it here!
regards
Christian |
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geran ***
Age: 56 Zodiac: Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Posts: 137 Location: West Yorkshire
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Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 17:12 Post subject: |
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Wow lots to take on board thanks. |
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Daniel90 **
Age: 34 Zodiac: Joined: 28 Feb 2010 Posts: 106 Location: Romania
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:24 Post subject: |
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Excellent topic!! Helped me out a lot more than i could 've thought! Thank you! |
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johndps *******
Age: 59 Zodiac: Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 3204 Location: Paisley,Scotland
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 23:22 Post subject: |
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Does it charge.
Is the head ok.
Does it have overdrive.
Then start looking at the rest starting with paperwork. |
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johndps *******
Age: 59 Zodiac: Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 3204 Location: Paisley,Scotland
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 23:23 Post subject: |
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Oh - and on the 2.8, does it start and KEEP GOING? |
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gojrracing Newbie
Age: 33 Zodiac: Joined: 29 Oct 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Minneapolis
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Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 15:25 Post subject: |
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Thanks for thr suggestions that posted here. I really appreciate thaem. |
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hpwan2 Newbie
Age: 41 Zodiac: Joined: 19 Feb 2011 Posts: 9 Location: melbourne
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Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:00 Post subject: Re: Pajero buyers guide ... |
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nothing to worry about the super select system?
or they are super tough |
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SundayForever Newbie
Age: 34 Zodiac: Joined: 06 Apr 2011 Posts: 1 Location: lishui
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Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 6:46 Post subject: |
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Come on, do it and do it well! |
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mrpsychopath Newbie
Age: 57 Zodiac: Joined: 11 Sep 2011 Posts: 4 Location: Ayrshire
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 8:19 Post subject: |
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wish I seen this before I bought my shed. |
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