Can a red P-plater drive a 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer?

The rules in QLD are based around pre- and post-2010 vehicles. Since the car you’re looking at is a post-2010 model, for it to be legal for a P-plate driver under the age of 25, the vehicle can not have eight or more cylinders, have a power-to-weight ratio of greater than 130kW per tonne or have a modified engine that would otherwise need to be inspected and certified by the authorities. Fundamentally, this means that most Lancers should be fine while turbocharged variants such as Ralliart and Evo models are not legal for P-Platers to drive. However, many state governments are continually refining these rules, ruling cars in and out. So check with the authorities before handing over money for a car you may not be allowed to drive.

Is something wrong with my 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer's air-conditioning?

There’s nothing wrong with your car, Regina, this is just the way a car’s air-conditioning works. And yours is behaving completely normally. Although the fan will blow air when the car’s engine is stopped, the actual air-conditioning (which is what makes the air cold) needs the engine to be running to power the AC’s pump. Without the car’s engine, the AC pump won’t work and the air coming out the vents won’t be cold. When you start the engine, the AC pump suddenly has the power it requires and the air gets cold. That’s just how it works.

Why is my 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer jumping out of gear?

It could be that the gearbox linkages are poorly adjusted, meaning that the gearbox is not fully selecting fifth gear, allowing it to jump into neutral. But it could also be that the selectors themselves are worn or that there’s internal wear inside the transmission that is allowing the gearbox to leap from fifth to neutral all on its own. Either way, it’s a problem that could lead to a range of potentially dangerous situations, so it needs further investigation. It’s probably worth mentioning that a batch of five-speed manual Lancers made between May and June 2014 were recalled to fix a problem with the gear selectors which could see them suffer gear-selection problems with reverse and fifth gear. Your car, as a 2011 model, shouldn’t be affected by that, but it does seem a bit of a coincidence.

How do you access the plenum chamber drain in a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer?

The first sign of a blocked drainage system in a car is usually wet carpets. This, however, is not necessarily the result of a blocked plenum drain, as there are other causes including a blocked air-conditioning drain, a poor door or window seal and even a hole in the firewall between the engine bay and the passenger compartment. In the case of a simple hole in the firewall, the solution is usually a rubber grommet which will cost a few cents and will sort things. For other leaks, however, you need to take the time to learn where the drain tubes live and ensure that they’re clear and free of mud or dust that could be blocking them, causing them to overflow into the cabin. The other possibility is that the leak into the car is being caused by a faulty heater core which is allowing the engine’s coolant to escape. That’s a bigger fix as it usually involves removing the dashboard to access the heater core which then needs to be replaced. But if you’re lucky and it’s a simple blocked drain pipe, the drain holes for both the plenum and the air-conditioning drain should be visible on the firewall, below the windscreen. Undoing them and clearing them would be the first step to curing the problem.

Does my 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer sedan run a timing belt or a timing chain?

Your Lancer uses a timing belt which is made from a rubber compound and drives the camshaft. This makes for a cheaper engine to build and potentially quieter running, but it also means that the belt has to be changed periodically to prevent it snapping in service. Mitsubishi recommends a belt-change interval of 100,000km. The advice of most mechanics it to replace the water pump at the same time since this part of the engine will be apart to change the belt anyway. It’s a lot cheaper to do both things at once, rather than open the engine a second time to change a water pump at a later date.

What can I do about the metallic red paint on my 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer peeling?

I’ve certainly heard of metallic paint on Mitsubishi Lancers peeling from the clear coat before, but it’s hardly a Mitsubishi-specific problem. Many car-makers had trouble (and some of them still struggle) to get clear-over-base paint finishes to work with Australian levels of UV radiation. Strangely enough, Australian car-makers have been some of the worst offenders over the years. The problem is that once the top, clear coat has begun to discolour and peel, the lower, colour cat is usually compromised beyond salvation as well. Repainting either the entire car or the horizontal surfaces (which cop the most UV grief) is the only real long-term solution. I’d be very surprised if any car-maker came to the rescue with a paint-finish warranty claim after a decade, but it certainly can’t hurt to ask Mitsubishi Australia’s customer service department at head office. In any case, getting any sort of help with this will depend on how the vehicle has been maintained, where it’s been parked and whether any aftermarket paint treatments were ever applied. Largely, however, this type of paint degradation is regarded as normal wear and tear.

Should the thermatic fan run constantly in a 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer?

A thermatic fan is designed to run only when it’s needed. As the name suggests, it should switch on when the engine attains a pre-set temperature and then turn off below that temperature. It’s a way of having the engine run at a more constant temperature as well as saving the power normally used to run a fan that isn’t needed the whole time. Sometimes, a second electric fan will cut in when you turn the air-conditioning on, but the short answer is no, a thematic fan should not run all the time.

What is included on the 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer InStyle?

We have no record or recollection of the Mitsubishi Lancer InStyle from any year sold in Australia, and nor are there any Intense or Basic models sold in this country in which to compare and contrast it to. It appears these may be European-specification grades.

Mitsubishi Lancer 2010: Are there any known problems?

That price sound about right for a manual Lancer with those kilometres on board. If anything, it’s probably a little on the bargain side. A lot of cars need a windscreen to gain a roadworthy certificate, so that’s no big deal and, provided the car is in good condition generally, it sounds like a decent buy. Common problems with this model often involved the electrical systems, so make sure all the lights and gadgets in the car work properly. Manual lancers also had the odd problem with a gearshift that could become disconnected from the gearbox itself. If that has happened, you’d definitely know about it as you wouldn’t be able to select gears. It’s not a huge fix if it does happen. Other relatively common faults in this model included a faulty ABS module that needed to be replaced and this can be a big expense. Oil leaks from the front of the engine are also an issue (particularly for a roadworthy inspection). And don’t keep the ignition key in the same pocket as your phone; stray signals can wipe the key’s memory and leave you stranded.

Mitsubishi Lancer 2012 Problems

No car is perfect, but we've gathered everything relating to the Mitsubishi Lancer 2012 reliability here to help you decide if it's a smart buy.

Used Mitsubishi Lancer review: 2007-2018

10 Nov 2017 · by Graham Smith

The CJ Lancer arrived in 2007 with plenty of promise.Compared to the previous model the CJ had fresh looks, a longer wheelbase and wider track for more cabin space, and there was more equipment.In an ...

Reliable secondhand small autos?

Answered by CarsGuide 30 Jun 2017

Unless you are buying a manual I would rule the Cruze out, the automatic is trouble in that model and not worth the risk. If you do but a Cruze I would choose the 1.8-litre engine. Others to think of are the Hyundai i30, Mazda 3, or Mitsubishi Lancer.

Transmission

Best first car options?

Answered by CarsGuide 11 Nov 2016

Do not buy a Cruze, or buy a European brand. They will prove costly. It's best to go for the cars that are well proven over many years. The Lancer is a good one, but so too is the Toyota Yaris or Corolla, Suzuki Swift, Mazda2 or 3, or Mitsubishi Colt.

Used Mitsubishi Lancer review: 2007-2014

11 Nov 2016 · by Graham Smith

Graham Smith reviews the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer as a used buy.

800,000 cars recalled in two days

30 Jun 2016 · by Joshua Dowling

Cars are either being built worse -- or companies are getting better at detecting faults.Almost every Mitsubishi model sold in Australia over the past 10 years -- close to 500,000 cars -- and 324,000 ...

Used Mitsubishi Lancer review: 2007-2013

8 May 2015 · by Graham Smith

It seems the Lancer has been around forever, much like the Toyota Corolla, but unlike the small Toyota it has never commanded a lot of attention from buyers. Those who know recognise it as a solid, ...

Used Mitsubishi Lancer review: 1995-2014

3 Feb 2015 · by Ewan Kennedy

Japanese designed and built to a high quality, Mitsubishi Lancer is at the forefront in the reliability stakes, so has long been popular on the used-car scene in Australia.The Lancer began life as a ...

Mitsubishi Lancer 2012: Incompatible bluetooth

Answered by CarsGuide 17 Oct 2014

It's worth checking to see that the car is compatible with your phone before you buy it.

407 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2008-13 recalled

31 Oct 2013 · by Karla Pincott

Mitsubishi has announced a global safety recall on their performance hero, the Lancer Evolution, for a faulty clutch master cylinder on the five-speed H-pattern manual transmission. The defect means ...

Used Mitsubishi Lancer review: 1995-2012

26 Jun 2013 · by Ewan Kennedy

Mitsubishi Lancer is a small to medium Japanese car designed and made to a high quality, making it one of the leaders in the reliability stakes.

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