New 1996 Galant ES owner. Problems.

[Buckeye25]

Well, yesterday I bought a 96 Galant ES with only 79k on it for $3200. According to Edmunds I got a very good price. However, there's some problems.... I test drove the vehicle and everything seemed fine. To be honest, my dad and I were looking at a lot of vehicles and just didn't have a lot of time to spend test driving.

I have what appears to be two (maybe 3?) separate problems. On the way home from purchasing the vehicle from the lot, not 2 miles down the road, the car started smoking a bit from the right front (coming out the right wheel well). It did this lightly til I got home. It appeared to be a white smoke. Also the car was idling poorly and roughly at stoplights. I drove the car hard and for lots of miles later and the smoking did not reappear.

Additionally I have what appears to be a transmission problem. The car shifts strong up through the gears, and back down, until it is down shifting from 2nd to 1st, where the car has a jerk, seems to happen when braking. Seems like the opposite of a slip. Perhaps the torque converter is catching hard? Remedy?

Can you all help me diagnose these problems? I got a warranty with the car so hopefully if any of these are major problems I can get them taken care of, but I'm also afraid that they may claim these were pre-existing problems, and not fix them. Any course of action I can take if I believe that the dealer hid problems he knew about? Thanks all.

[Hodgson316]

7th gens are notorious for having bad trannys... i think everyone here has a had at least one that needed replacing, lol.

White smoke usually means oil, but I don't know where you'd get smoke from under your hood...

What does your car idle at?

[Buckeye25]

I'll report this back tonight. One good thing is I have a warranty. If this tranny is f'd you better believe it's getting fixed, and I ain't paying a damn dime. If it does need fixed what is the best route to take? Would it be best to try and get a used one, or do I get it rebuilt? Cost/benefits of each?

Have there been improved parts released, such as a torque converter, that make the transmissions stronger? Thanks.

[manybrews]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Buckeye25)</div><div class='quotemain'>I'll report this back tonight. Â*One good thing is I have a warranty. Â*If this tranny is f'd you better believe it's getting fixed, and I ain't paying a damn dime. Â*If it does need fixed what is the best route to take? Â*Would it be best to try and get a used one, or do I get it rebuilt? Â*Cost/benefits of each?

Have there been improved parts released, such as a torque converter, that make the transmissions stronger? Â*Thanks.</div>

best bet is to NOT go to ANY aftermarket repair shop.
you can get factory rebuilt trannies through mitsu.


but what he said is not true.. they do not have common failures. That doesnt mean yours has not got a problem, though.

[bradley1997]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>but what he said is not true.. they do not have common failures. Â* That doesnt mean yours has not got a problem, though.</div>

I understand that you did or do work for a Mitsu repair shop, but how can you continue to say there is nothing wrong with The 7g tranny. 7 out of 10 people on this forum alone have experienced some sort of blip with their transmission. I have personally talked with certified Mitsu mechanics and they have seen quit a few 7gs with tranny problems. Not everybody drives the shit out of their cars. I babied mine changed the fluid when I was supposed to and it still had problems. Sorry, I'm not trying to piss anybody off but the 7g has an incredibly weak tranny.

[manybrews]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bradley1997)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>but what he said is not true.. they do not have common failures. Â* That doesnt mean yours has not got a problem, though.</div>

I understand that you did or do work for a Mitsu repair shop, but how can you continue to say there is nothing wrong with The 7g tranny. 7 out of 10 people on this forum alone have experienced some sort of blip with their transmission. I have personally talked with certified Mitsu mechanics and they have seen quit a few 7gs with tranny problems. Not everybody drives the shit out of their cars. I babied mine changed the fluid when I was supposed to and it still had problems. Sorry, I'm not trying to piss anybody off but the 7g has an incredibly weak tranny.</div>

I say that because not only do I see that trannie every day, Ive owned one.
187000 miles on normal maintenence.

they last as long as the owners allow.

[DOHCstunr]

i agree with many brews on this

trannies fail just cause the heat over time were's them out.
even if you change the fluid every time it is supposed to be changed or sooner,
servos wear out
end clutches wear out.
trash screens get clogged and hyrdolics operate on lower than required pressures.
tranny coolers get clogged and fluids foam and overheat.
erratic shifting results, leading to long term damage if not fixed soon after.

you think a manual tranny lasts forever?
clutches wear out, its the nature of the beast.
just like brake pads
just like engine bearings.

all these things wear.
if they didn't, then a lot of auto manufacturers would go out of business cause there wouldn'tbe much of a demand for new cars.
service techs too.
the only thing we would have in this world would be quick oil change shops.

[Buckeye25]

Great info all, and how about you guys agree to disagree on the reliability of the tranny? Like many things in life, without concrete data, it just comes down to people's individual experiences.

But back on topic... (my topic) https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif

I drove it to work and back today and the car ran great. It's a bit loud due to exhaust issue I believe, but no issues with the tranny whatsoever. When it has acted up, it jerked fairly hard, but seeing that it is occasional and not frequent is a positive. Since it seems I may have early indication of the tranny going out, what all should I do and in what order? I really appreciate your help. I'm no gearhead, so keep it simple. What preventative maintanance should I do on it right now? On the other hand, if the tranny goes and the warranty covers it, maybe that'll be a good thing.

Manybrews, you say no aftermarket shops. Do you mean nobody except the Mitsu dealer? There is a transmission shop right down the road from me as well as a Mitsu dealer.

Thanks for your help. I really love the interior on this car and the body is in great shape. It's a deep red (maroon-like). Hopefully she just is a little rough around the edges and needs a little TLC. I look forward to visiting this forum.

[Buckeye25]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hodgson316)</div><div class='quotemain'>7th gens are notorious for having bad trannys... i think everyone here has a had at least one that needed replacing, lol. Â*

White smoke usually means oil, but I don't know where you'd get smoke from under your hood... Â*

What does your car idle at?</div>

It's a little rough, but seems mostly at 700 rpm. Occasionally it has dropped to 500 and gotten pretty rough (shaking).

[manybrews]

Great info all, and how about you guys agree to disagree on the reliability of the tranny? Like many things in life, without concrete data, it just comes down to people's individual experiences.

But back on topic... (my topic) https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif

I drove it to work and back today and the car ran great. It's a bit loud due to exhaust issue I believe, but no issues with the tranny whatsoever. When it has acted up, it jerked fairly hard, but seeing that it is occasional and not frequent is a positive. Since it seems I may have early indication of the tranny going out, what all should I do and in what order? I really appreciate your help. I'm no gearhead, so keep it simple. What preventative maintanance should I do on it right now? On the other hand, if the tranny goes and the warranty covers it, maybe that'll be a good thing.

Manybrews, you say no aftermarket shops. Do you mean nobody except the Mitsu dealer? There is a transmission shop right down the road from me as well as a Mitsu dealer.

Thanks for your help. I really love the interior on this car and the body is in great shape. It's a deep red (maroon-like). Hopefully she just is a little rough around the edges and needs a little TLC. I look forward to visiting this forum.

We get a good 15 percent of our work thats supposedly "fixed" from independant shops. Trannies in particular are a REALLY weak spot. Its just not possible for a mechanic to know how to rebuild 45 companies worth of auto transmissions.
Not to mention the fact that half the time, the independant shop just slaps in a "rebuilt" unit from god knows where... Never using factory parts for the rebuilding procedure.

I may be biased, but in this case a GOOD mitsu tech is your best bet. In fact, if you can find one, Id pay him a diagnostic fee just to make sure something IS actually wrong with the trans. Could be something else.
TPS' failures cause weird shifts.... and loose or worn motor / trans mounts can cause clunking and shifting of the drivetrain that could be mistaken for transaxle problems.

your first order of business if you suspect a trans is to check the level and condition of the fluid. drive the car 'till its warm, park it on a level surface, and place it in NUETRAL (NOT park). check the level and make sure its somewhere in the "hot" range, and that the fluid is reddish in color (bright red is better, but just because its dark doesnt mean anything). check the smell. it should smell slightly acidic WITHOUT smelling "burnt".

[manybrews]

7th gens are notorious for having bad trannys... i think everyone here has a had at least one that needed replacing, lol.

White smoke usually means oil, but I don't know where you'd get smoke from under your hood...

What does your car idle at?

It's a little rough, but seems mostly at 700 rpm. Occasionally it has dropped to 500 and gotten pretty rough (shaking).

clean your throttle body. You only need a generic can of "carb cleaner" available at any autoparts store.
mearly remove the intake tube (car OFF), and spray the throttle body and throttle plate liberally, opening and closing it.
do that until its obviously clean.

reassemble everything, and start the car. it WILL be lightly flooded, so youll need to hold the throttle open for a little bit to "clear it".

[98ACR]

I agree with Manybrews. I used to work at an aftermarket trans shop (we only worked on American cars and 90% of the time used factory rebuilt units) And from experience transmissions will last as long as you take care of them. Mitsubishi transmissions are just not as forgiving as many others of abuse and neglect. They're more senitive to the fluid you put in them. This is largely because they are more complex than many American transmissions. A Chrysler transmission for example will withstand neutral drops all day long as long as the fluid dosen't overheat. Now, if you want to see a fragile transmission, look at a Lexus transaxle sometime :shock: They have extremely poor heat dispersion and very often die due to excessive heat and viscosity breakdown if the fluid is not changed EVERY 40k miles.

My Galant has 150k miles on the original transmission, and the fluid was not changed before I bought it at 120k. It's having problems now, but mostly due to massive neglect. It'll still hapily spin one wheel any time I floor it though.

The main problem with buying a used car is that 90% of new car buyers don't even know they HAVE an owner's manual let alone actually read the damn thing. So routine maintnance is never performed, and problems arise and they sell off the car and go buy another new one to destroy. The dealership than does the bare minimum maintnance/repair to turn it back around and get the maximum profit from it.

[Buckeye25]

I drove the car home from work today and parked it in neutral. I checked the tranny fluid and it was at the bottom "hot" line. It was red and it did not smell burnt.

[DOHCstunr]

bright red or dark red?

thick or thin?

any bubbles on the stick?

[SuperGALANT]

best thing at this point is a 5spd triany and rebuild ur motor w/ the 4g63 head and turbo.. lol.. most here would agree.. lol

[blacknsilver96]

Whats up bro, no offense; but you slightly got ripped (my opinion). Mainly b/c you "didn't have time for test drives" any time u buy a 10 yr old car, you must test drive at a minimum. Best to have someone mechanically minded to look over the car 1st. Not saying you got a bad deal, but the auto tranny in the 7g is notorious. Mine does the same thing. It started with a soft pop going down from 2 to 1. before I could get it into the local shop (for a slot to service), it began revving up to 4-5k rpm, and then popping into gear. I got it fixed, the local shop told me not to go to aamco, b/c they would rip me off. Turns out they did too, I paid like 1,200 for them to rebuild and it still had issues (no where near as bad as before though). For that I coulda done the manual swap myself, and only had to worry about replacing the clutch (I don't even want to tear into the actual tranny to try and rebuild), which to me is much more doable.

My suggestion, if you are not mechanically inclined is to take it only to a mitsu dealer and no one else for the tranny. If it is not covered by the warranty, look into swapping with a 5 speed (if you can drive one). I had a 5spd 94 g and never a problem one 30,000 miles and my clutch was even strong, not that it is standard; but I have had nothing but probs with my auto, plus it just isn't as fun or responsive. Hope it helps

[Buckeye25]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm not going to do a swap. It's out of the question. I like having an auto. I live in the city, and an auto serves me well. I'm going to have the car checked over good. If I need a new tranny, then I'll get it replaced under warranty at the Mitsu dealer. I have a feeling that they won't cover the full cost, but if I have to shell out $500 or so for a good factory rebuilt tranny, it'll be worth it.

What is a good place to take my car to have things checked over? A good place that'll do full, good diagnostic checks and that won't rape me on the price. I'll probably take it to Midas first and have the oil changed where they do good point inspection, but I'd also like some more in-depth checks. Thanks.

[Buckeye25]

So, any suggestions on good places to have thorough diagnostic work done? Thanks.

[Rogo]

I also just bought a galant, and it is my first mitsu, so correct me if I am wrong on anything. These engines have computer controlled timing and rely on a 'Cam Position Sensor' to properly adjust the timing. The auto transmission, from what I can tell, doesn't freewheel (?correct term? auto version of clutch...) while slowing down the car. It downshifts like using engine braking on a manual tranny. The transmission puts load on the the engine. If the MAS, either O2 sensor, or the Cam Position Sensor are functioning improperly, and the ECU jumps the timing suddenly, couldn't that make the car jerk. It also explains the rough idle. This should all show up on a computerized engine diagnostic. Just a long, drawn-out thought. But back to the transmissions, Every automatic transmission I have ever driven, (Nissan, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Audi, VW, Porsche, and BMW) when you coast, there is no load on the engine... As I said, I am new to mitsubishi, but is it normal for a mitsu tranny to act as I described earlier? If this is normal, then couldn't that extra load between the engine and transmission account for the failing transmissions? Maybe a design flaw? Let me know if any of this helps, or even makes sense...???

[DOHCstunr]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rogo)</div><div class='quotemain'>I also just bought a galant, and it is my first mitsu, so correct me if I am wrong on anything. Â*These engines have computer controlled timing and rely on a 'Cam Position Sensor' to properly adjust the timing. Â*The auto transmission, from what I can tell, doesn't freewheel (?correct term? auto version of clutch...) while slowing down the car. Â*It downshifts like using engine braking on a manual tranny. Â*The transmission puts load on the the engine. Â*If the MAS, either O2 sensor, Â*or the Cam Position Sensor are functioning improperly, and the ECU jumps the timing suddenly, couldn't that make the car jerk. Â*It also explains the rough idle. Â*This should all show up on a computerized engine diagnostic. Â*Just a long, drawn-out thought. Â*But back to the transmissions, Every automatic transmission I have ever driven, (Nissan, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Audi, VW, Porsche, and BMW) when you coast, there is no load on the engine... Â*As I said, I am new to mitsubishi, but is it normal for a mitsu tranny to act as I described earlier? Â*If this is normal, then couldn't that extra load between the engine and transmission account for the failing transmissions? Â*Maybe a design flaw? Â*Let me know if any of this helps, or even makes sense...???</div>

the tranny behavior you are describing is a mitsubishi feature and is called fuzzy logic. actually its a good thing. that engine braking will save you some brake wear, wether slowing for a stop light, or driving down steep grade.
no the timing isn't causing your engine to jerk. timing can however effect your idle, so it wouldnt hurt to check your base timing and adjust your idle properly.
might also want to clean the throttle plate ot as well. new plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor. not because these things are causing problems, but because you have no idea of their condition or age.

[Rogo]

What he said... The idle shouldn't be hard to fix. Engine braking is good for brakes but, correct me if I am wrong, it is harder on a transmission. What component is the usual cause on a blown mitsubishi tranny? On alot of manual VWs, engine braking can wear on the bolts that hold the differential to the main transmission housing. It's a realatively cheap and easy fix, and using a higher grade bolt, you won't have the problem again. Alot of transmissions weren't designed for engine braking. They were designed for the engine to move the transmission. Not the other way around. Just my two cents...

[spyder97gs]

But with the correct cooling geared towards the transmission, you should have no problems. Installing a better transmission cooler should ensure a trouble-free tranny life, with the exception of too much abuse being averted to it.