It's the funniest thing, just yesterday I went to your channel page and wondered when we'd get to see another video from you. Glad to know my curiosity was only a day off
Personally I like the fact they are IRS as well as IFS, More clearance standard without that diff pumpkin and more comfort on the road. I've heard people say the Monocoque body design makes it so you feel the bumps etc more but I have found my NM Pajero/Montero to me more comfortable to drive than a much newer Toyota Prado owned by my mechanic. I've learnt to do a lot of work on the car myself due to cost mostly but it is great to know how to fix things if something goes wrong in the bush. The departure angle is a problem and my rear bumper needs to be replaced as it has been smashed around a lot. In Australia we don't have the large rear lights wired up due to Australian Standards design rules (Something to do with placement of the spare wheel) so this means all our brake lights etc are in the bumper and when they get smashed up so do the lights. Yes they are heavy on fuel but I've seen worse with Patrols pulling 20L/100km at almost stock, I average about 15L/100km in my 3.5L V6 Paj. Sorry I don't know Mile/Gallon conversions. As for the community around the Pajero, It is awesome, so many friendly and helpful people out there and they really do have a cult following.
Your timing belt comment made me laugh, my montero gen 3 2003 has been in the shop for now 2 months. Back story two months ago I found a mechanic in my area that said he can change the timing belt on my montero. It takes about 3 days but I get a call come take it back. I drove it home about 10 miles and I live 20min Ed away from the shop. But before I could make it home my engine blew up. Apparently the timing belt was not installed correctly. Fast forward two months he Finnaly got me a new engine and luckily it wasn’t out of my pocket. Overall I think I will do the timing belt myself next time. Just thought I could save some time having a mechanic do it.
Sadly this happens more often than it should. It’s not hard, just specific and 1 or 2 steps different from a standard one and most shops just won’t know to look for it
Wow this really makes me see how lucky I was to get the timing belt done at a locabrakes plus (that I trusted), and they did it right (the first time).
I like the 2003+ V6 3.8L motor versions we have a few of in the USA. I have two with over 225,000 miles, all original, no rebuilding. I've had all previous generations also, with high miles. They are better than Toyota, Nissan (way better), USA brands, and any European competitors I've driven, tested or owned. One thing to do when present ASAP: remove the secondary intake butterflies that are in the intake plenum, or fasten them with permanent thread locker or via welding. I just remove them as they do nothing. From factory, they commonly come loose and damage the cylinders or valves, around 135,000 to 160,000 miles, some sooner. Ask me how discovered this? 😆 And spray any bushings with coconut or similar food oil, and suspension bolts with light anti-rust oil once a year. Will save your ass in climates with salts.
Hi from Montero owner in the Russian extreme North. Agree about the mode selector, most often I have an error when a brick in the middle of the display starts blinking while driving 2H - then it means you are at 4H mode by default . Suspension - I made a 4 cm lift, this is crucial for driving in a very deep snow. As for parts, we have a lot of them because of so many used Pajeros brought from Japan.
Very well thought out points. You and I have had our Montero’s about the same amount of time. Seems like a lot of people get really into them then bail due to the limitations, you discuss here. Maybe this video will help future potential owners be more aware.
Number 1, yeah that one sucks, at least you can kinda physically push the lever under the car to switch manually if you really reallyt need to. There is a small motor that pushes a geared rod. Number 2, yeah, departer angles sucks, i also elimitated the rear heat, just for that reason. I can live without AC if i break it, but losing the coolant and destorying the engine is a no no. Number 3, that's why i got the diesel, u can climb 35deg uphill at 1600rpm and it just goes. I get around 10l / 100km city driving ,and 8l / 100km at 90km/h. This is 23.5 mpg city and ~29 mpg. When offroading i haven't done measurments. Well i'm haven't done any mods yet, so i assume i would go up 2 liters per 100km. But even with 12 or 13 liters per 100km that's 18mpgs. This is the reason i didn't get the petrol one, its just consumes 2x from what the diesel does and the diesel has the low end tourqe for slow climping. (I do have a manual) Number 4, yeah, i also wanted a solid excel rear, but the rear lock really helps (i don't have the traction control one), i didn't had the money to get something like a patrol (but the engine is a no no), or an older land cruiser, they are just sooo much more money =/ with the difference i will modify the pajero instead (and factory center and read locks Wohoo).
How were you able to get a diesel?! Is it still a Montero or technically a Pajero imported? I'm assuming it's still the 3rd generation and were you able to get it in left and drive as well?
@@on1ytheb3st I'm from EU, we mostly have the diesel version here, petrol is very rare. Its also left drive and a manual. ^_^. I'm i still haven't modified it yet =/, I hope it will be this year.
Great content man. I’m in the market for a 3rd gen montero. Glad i’ve came across this channel. I’ve yet to come across a video what to look for when shopping around for these rigs. I would hate to get someone else’s problem and turn into a money pit.
I have all sorts of vacuum leaks and oxygen sensor faults, we don't have emissions so I don't care. It has affected no 4x4 ops and we use it all winter long off and on. But they are such good weight I rarely engage it as much as my spouse (all the time lol). Also I've been getting 16 to 17 mpg in town and 18 to 18.5 interstate doing 75mph. I don't do recreational off-roading so I'm not versed in that.
Well I find all my original parts en any mopar parts seller, I drop a 2.75 lift and yes it was a nightmare to install it,BUT I still love it…. just saying hi from PR🇵🇷
I've had a dozen of these since the '90s, love them but they are flawed, this was very well done, regarding the rear having so many impact points, curious what they did in Paris Dakar? Probably bananas and kumquats from factory to racer. I'm almost at that point where I'm going to wave goodbye to Montero ownership, have an 06 Odyssey with 260 horsepower and 26 miles per gallon and all the storage I need and here in Minnesota snow management with plows is a thing, if the snow gets deep I'll stay home for a few days, they were fun for 30 years. there's a gal named Lisa who is hyperactive on the Facebook group and has more monteros than you, has a couple of very impressive builds,I'm sure you will meet her eventually if you haven't yet. Very impressive vehicles in my ownership experience with minimal problems, the last two that I crashed hard I sold to African dudes who shipped them back to Africa, hard crash damage and undriveable and sold a 200,000 mi 03 for 400
I like mine but not much as my explorer for the simple reason that both are sucks in mpg but explorer has way more power then my Montero it’s a lot of difference, but oh well both Still nice to me.
I fell in love with my Mitsubishi Montero several years ago. I own a 2003 Mitsubishi Montero and I love this SUV, for future references can you give me names of communities Mitsubishi Montero ( People that work or service is SUV) Thanks
Got a stock 1999 Gen 3 with a 4 speed - that thing is a gas guzzler by itself. A full tank of 65l gets around 300-350 km around town at best. The most fuel efficient trip I had was 2 fills 120-130l for total of ~900km.
i've taken my monty to places it has no right in reaching, it keeps up with the big boys and hasn't let me down.... yet. and i 100% agree with the electronics and "super select" thats my No.1 problem with the car.
yeah no doubt the gen 3s are capable, and when everything is working properly, it's awesome. but i've had enough issues with it, and know that others have too to make me not like it as much as a hard mechanical option
Hi very interesting video, I've had mine 6 years but fitted GDI engine. Three faults had on mine balance pipe o ring failed major work to repair. Under drivers seat 2 water tee pieces, they failed removed tee fitted steel coupler. Then car wouldn't get above 3000 blocked filters in high pressure pump. Removed fitted steel inline filter. As garage said it wasn't fixable. I ordered spares from Japan agents useless, had a wait but got OE spares. Yes bridge on OB2 socket works as uses Mitsu system. I keep mine basic does what I need.
Thanks a ton for posting this video, brother. I have heard about the vulnerabilities of Pajero (I am in Australia) from auto journalists. Your personal experience with this vehicle and their assessments are totally in line with each other. There are tons of people in Down Under who own Pajeros, and praise the car. Perhaps Gen1 and Gen 2 were better quality that the latter. After watching your video, the deal breaker for me is the electronic system mess up. I will now look for Landcruiser Prado. :)
haha i think you are missing the point, i did another video where i talk about all the things i love about it, and how it's perfectly built for what i do with it. This video is just to show that while i has some good, there is also some bad that comes with it.
Have you made a video that features the rock sliders, they look custom. I am looking for some at the moment, and I am interested in how they are mounted, and what gauge steel you used, as well as any gotchas to watch out for.
ive had the transfer case issue come back a few times, ive bought a mechanical tcase from the same year and style Montero, just different trim and im gonna fix the 4x4 permanently (i will loose awd though) mines an older 3rd gen so it doesnt have traction control
I have a 2001 XLS and the check engine light came on while driving home. I stopped and had it tested; camshaft position sensor. I made two more stops and then parked it at the house. Next day went out to start it and pull it in the garage and it wouldnt start. Have you had to change one out? Do you have to take everything off the front of the motor including timing covers to change out one sensor? Any help would be appreciated.
It's on the back of the driver's side head (3.5) you have to remove the whole cap to get it out because the bolt holding it in is inaccessible. Search a pic of the back of the engine and it will all make sense.
Do you think there is an SUV of this size that would consume less fuel? Say, Toyota FJ Cruiser or others. Because I also suffer from high fuel consumption and am considering helping myself by changing the diffs to 4.9, which I learned from you, and I thank you for that!
it's true, they all deal with the issue, but i find that the montero is worse than it's competition. especially the newer cars, they seem to be more forgiving with things like bigger tires and lift
@J S yea the select valves in the box get stuck if you neglect htf oil changes , as bits on metal debris dropped down they have close tolerances , I've read its best to change the autobox oil every 30k
You drive a 20+ Year truck, learn how to wrench 🔧. Plus this is a rally truck, built to carry speed on ANY terrain, but can still crawl some some gnarly trails including Uwharrie, NC 27371.
I suggest you to buy and found another car which does not have Rear A.C, manual transmission and .. , super select on this car is one of the best system in SUVs. Good luck
what do you think about a 2013-2017 model? i would like to get one instead of a jeep, im planning on light offroading and beach trips…. how often do the 4wd gets messed up?
Yes new vid.. hey is there any motor upgrades you recomend , like to make it more dependable or more power, and have you ever thought abut flexfuel kit for the montero?
not really. the motor is actually not that bad. i think it makes good power and it's decently easy to work on. but like anything, it has it's weakness and maintenance requirements. out of all the montero engines i like the 3.8l best (at least in the USA because we only got gas engines)
@@montanamontero is the 6g73 in the montero similar to the eclips 3.8 v6 that you might know, just becose of parts, thers still a lot of aftermarket for the eclips .
@dave the 3.8l in the montero (at least the 2005 model) is the 6G75. Hopefully it is an earlier version in the 2003 model. Also the 3.8l in the Eclipse is not as similar to the 3.8l in the montero (at least from my experience in research and salvage yards).
Another thing is.. brake system the electronic brake. I got mine problem. Take 4 5 month to other parts. And my 4x4 vacuum stuck. So i lock the vacuum system .
Do you have experience changing out the transmission to an 01 limited? There is one Craig listed here in Bozeman that has a 4 speed transmission. According to the owner it needs a 5 speed to run properly. Wondering if the purchase price is worth the hassle / chance that the transmission swap is a doable thing and eventually reliable?
i think i saw that one for sale haha. i don't have experience pulling the transmission, but it would make sense that the 4 spd and 5spd are not compatible
I have the gen3 2005 3.2 D,ID. Burst a front brake line so I replaced all brakes with better calipers, hoses and drilled disks. Now I cant bleed the system. The fluid comes from the reservoir to ea h caliper clean with no bubbles. I've tried bleeding in the correct order, reverse bleeding, pressure bleeding. Everytime I start it up, the pressure drops and the brake pedal hits the floor. I've had numerous professionals look at it who are also scratching their head. The abs pump is working and was working perfectly before this. Any ideas? Is there a technique to get the air out?
from what i know, it requires a special computer to bleed the brakes on these. you have to go in through the OBD2 port and tell the ABS system that the brakes are being bled
I THINK YOU SHOULD FIRST READ YOUR MANUAL ON HOW THINGS WORK AND NOT TRY GUESSING HOW THINGS WORK THEN YOUR MARBLES IN YOUR HEAD WILL COMPREHEND HOW THINGS WORK
lol. It is a mechanical transfer case shifter. How do you not know this? yes, there are electronics involved but the transfer case lever is physically connected to the shifting mechanism in the transfer case. the front differential 4wd vacumn actuator is a common issue but easily fixed.
have you taken the lever apart? it doesn't go any where, it's just a switch board designed to look and feel like a mechanical lever. There is no physical connection between the lever inside and the transfer case.
It doesn’t appear that easy unfortunately. The sensors monitor the different positions and relay that info back to the computer to verify that it made the changes. It would have to be a pretty involved bundle of relays to get everything to play nicely
Mitsubishi montero USA is the facebook group and i just follow a few different instagram account that work with monteros. the montero collective is a cool page
I'm curious to know your thoughts on the 2000 Pajero Exceed 3.2l Diesel. It would have all the same issues as the montero but with better Mileage. I'm trying to figure out whether or not to get the Pajero 3.2, Hilux Surf 3.0, or the Touareg 3.0; all diesel.
Great vid. Thank you! I'm looking at an 03 Montero limited for my wife to use as a daily driver. When trying to engage the transfer case the orange rectangle on the 4x4 light cluster simply flashes and it won't engage 4x4. Not being my vehicle and unable to start working though any kind of trouble shooting process, what would be your thoughts? Everything else seems to work fine . Thank you!
it could be any number of things, ranging from very easy, to pretty involved. there are some good forum write ups about the issue if you poke around the interwebs
@@montanamontero Thank you for the response! Was a time I went to the library for info. Then AOL. Then Google. Now I've gotten so lazy, if I don't find the answer in a RU-vid Video, I just assume the answer doesn't exist! I guess I'll actually have to do some reading now :(
Most the Facebook community, it’s really solid. Mitsubishi USA discontinued the montero 16 years ago.. so most of the techs haven’t even seen one. They are also not nearly as popular as they used to be so there are less dealerships all together
I would also stay away from spacers, especially on the gen 3! the front end suspension is too particular to handle even a little bit of off center mounting. i use hub centric rings with these wheels
15 year old ns diesel, 220k , no major problems and can do most things on and off the road. Always serviced by mitts.mechanics. reputation is solid, as backed up by what the sell rate is today. 11 litres per 100 around suburbs driven carefully. Was going to trade but got rid of a 4 year old forester instead, bought a pj sport deluxe. I could write about all the thing to like especially compared to competition at the time.
Great videos! Did you get your Montero with that grill or you made it? If you made it, I wonder if you happen to have a video showing how you redesigned the grill? and a link to the material that you used? The grill looks fantastic. Thanks in advance!
Regarding the electronic shifter, I think you could fit a lower spec auto box from a Mitsubishi L200 which uses a manual type shifter. Our SWB 3.5 GDI never has an issue
So onto your 1st point, my gen4 3.8v6 center diff light just started flashing. I read it would be either vacuum, solenoids or 4wd actuator. Any advice on where you'd start? Thanks!
