What is wrong with my car?

LeFigaro

I did a 10mile run and tried to check the wheel temperatures (not sure which point you mean though!) I checked the tires and the disks and both were very cool.

Also, for the first time, when I started to run the car, I had real trouble to move it, it was as if there was something in the wheels preventing it (but it can also be something in the engine).

The garage checked the wheels and found nothing! What can I really do? There isn't really a diagnostic test? I am about to get it to a Mitsubishi dealer for examination, but I am afraid they will charge me an arm and a leg.

What I have noticed is that when I go with considerable speed (30mph+) and I lift the handbrake, the car doesn't decelerate! Is that diagnostic sign or is it normal?

Ebe_Scrooge

LeFigaro wrote: »

I did a 10mile run and tried to check the wheel temperatures (not sure which point you mean though!) I checked the tires and the disks and both were very cool.

I am about to get it to a Mitsubishi dealer for examination, but I am afraid they will charge me an arm and a leg.

What I have noticed is that when I go with considerable speed (30mph+) and I lift the handbrake, the car doesn't decelerate! Is that diagnostic sign or is it normal?

Brake discs should be warm/pretty hot ( not scalding hot ) after a 10 mile run of normal driving. And at 30mph, a handbrake is going to make !!!!!!-all difference to the speed of the vehicle !

I wouldn't bother with a main dealer - they will charge an arm and a leg. I'm no expert, but from what you've described, any competent mechanic should be able to sort this. As usual - ask friends and neighbours, post on your local community facebook page, whatever ... there are a lot of very good, very honest mechanics out there. There are also a lot of cowboys ! You must have a decent independent mechanic nearby who will be able to sort this out for you for a reasonable price.

arcon5

You checked both wheels... what about the other two

BeenThroughItAll

arcon5 wrote: »

You checked both wheels... what about the other two

Read it again, OP didn't say that.

checked the tires and the disks and both were very cool

gilbert_and_sullivan

It's no use at all people trying to diagnose this from their armchairs, might as well chuck a thousand scraps of paper with a different fault writ on each in the air and catch just one.

This car will most likely have an automated manual gearbox, assuming the engine itself is running well the fault could lie in the gearbox or clutch, either way it isn't going to fix itself and the longer you avoid finding a mechanic that has a clue to bigger the bill will be.

bertiewhite

Why is everybody slating the garage for suggesting a fuel filter change? Diesel engines rely on high fuel pressure to operate correctly, so a blocked fuel filter is probably the first & cheapest thing to do. Most diesel problems I've had have been down to blocked filters, water in the fuel (lots of white smoke out the back) or, in once instance a tiny split in one of the injector lines meaning that air was getting into the fuel, causing reduced pressure.

I think you need to decide if it's engine not operating correctly or something else hindering the car's speed. I guess the best way to decide if it's a fuel problem is to ascertain if the engine is revving correctly. In the cases of air & water in the system, the engine would only get to around 4000rpm with the accelerator pedal to the floor which narrowed it down the engine.

Is your engine performing normally at standstill?

BeenThroughItAll

bertiewhite wrote: »

Why is everybody slating the garage for suggesting a fuel filter change? Diesel engines rely on high fuel pressure to operate correctly, so a blocked fuel filter is probably the first & cheapest thing to do. Most diesel problems I've had have been down to blocked filters, water in the fuel (lots of white smoke out the back) or, in once instance a tiny split in one of the injector lines meaning that air was getting into the fuel, causing reduced pressure.

I think you need to decide if it's engine not operating correctly or something else hindering the car's speed. I guess the best way to decide if it's a fuel problem is to ascertain if the engine is revving correctly. In the cases of air & water in the system, the engine would only get to around 4000rpm with the accelerator pedal to the floor which narrowed it down the engine.

Is your engine performing normally at standstill?

Are they? Having said that, the OP said they saw no improvement, so the garage clearly didn't fix it with a filter change.

bertiewhite

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Are they? Having said that, the OP said they saw no improvement, so the garage clearly didn't fix it with a filter change.

It may be just the way I'm reading it but it seems like it from these remarks:

gabitzul wrote: »

Take it to a garage, ideally a local family one which comes recommended, to have the codes read etc. This way you know they are likely to not invent work needed.

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

there are a lot of very good, very honest mechanics out there. There are also a lot of cowboys !

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

and the longer you avoid finding a mechanic that has a clue

It's not clear from the opening post

LeFigaro wrote: »

, as the horrible garage suggested to change fuel filter, but I saw no improvement!

but it appears that the garage suggested changing the fuel filter which is what I would have tried first as already mentioned. Did they actually look at the car and do any work or was it just an enquiry?

BeenThroughItAll

bertiewhite wrote: »

It may be just the way I'm reading it but it seems like it from these remarks:









It's not clear from the opening post

but it appears that the garage suggested changing the fuel filter which is what I would have tried first as already mentioned. Did they actually look at the car and do any work or was it just an enquiry?

Fair enough, I didn't read them as 'slating' so much, just commentary. I think the OP is pretty clear though, as 'saw no improvement', past tense, fairly clearly says to me that the work was done and no improvement was seen.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Garage receive Diesel car that won't pull your hat off, hmm lets fit a fuel filter, good sensible idea fellas and hopefully you checked the air filter hasn't ingested an errant pair of socks or similar, test drive car no improvement, well it wasn't the easy fix so shall we investigate? no we'll hand it back just the same.

That's why some of us suggest another garage, quite apart from the OP stating ''horrible'' garage, why would the OP return to throw more money at a garage they think is horrible.