Lancer driving me nuts..misbehaving on the freeway.

[albertmonster]

Dear all,

Taking the freeway to work this morning I realised my Lancer would start misbehaving at 100-110kmph. I am a novice when it comes to cars and I apologise for having difficulty describing it but it would feel like the car was shuddering/shaking rhymically at those speeds, like a 'thudthudthudthud' sort of thing. It felt like the car was a t shirt 'fluttering strongly' against the wind or something. Sounds silly but it's the only way I can put it. It also felt like I was driving into resistance.

On the way back home post peak hour I was able to drive it harder on the freeway to test it out. I realised that the accelerator pedal felt slightly softer, almost that I had to push it more towards the floor to maintain that 100-110 kmph speed. This wasn't overly obvious though. On 60 kmph roads these issues did not seem to exist, apart from the soft steering which is mentioned below.

If it helps here is a brief background on my car:
- 2013 LX Lancer, bought new April 2014 but apparently sitting around as a 'unregistered showroom demo' for months. Had first service April 2015, nil issues, tyres rotated.

- Alternator had a loose bearing (apparently causing buzzing sounds from window), replaced with updated alternator at Mitsu 2 weeks ago, did not fix problem. Also got the ASC checked due to car swerving once, nil issues. Strangely, after I got my car back the steering wheel felt(and still feels) looser when turning and would feel like its shaking on the freeway however it's not overly obvious. I often wonder if Mitsu mucked something up when getting those jobs done.

-My 2nd service is due in August, only 4 months after my first service (Due to my capped price service intervals getting mucked up when without my knowledge the warranty had started long before me purchasing the car-a subject of another post I've written) but I plan to get this issue addressed ASAP, will call Mitsu to organise an appointment.

Sorry for the long post, but prior to sending my car in I would appreciate advice on what may be causing that 'rhymtic shuddering' and the other issues if possible and if anyone has had similar things happen to their lancer.

As a car novice any advice would help arm me with some background knowledge before I head back to the dealer to check out the issue/s

Many thanks in advance!

[Berek]

First thought is tyres. Probably wrong but check them all over for any bulges.

[bunnishiwa]

Hi. Stupid question first - you've checked tyre pressures (32 psi is a good target for oem wheels). Is the vibration speed or engine rpm dependent? Easiest way to tell is get to 100 kph, put cruise control on and drop it down a gear to see if the vibration changes/disappears or not.

If it is speed dependent (vibration does not change in different gears) I would go to your local Bob Janes/Tyrepower/Bridgestone and get all 4 wheels balanced and checked as a first step.

If it is rpm dependent then go straight back to the dealer as there is something else going on.

As a side note I would never have the dealer rotate wheels etc. I would rather leave that to the shop mechs

[Lancer1993]

Not quite the same but I had a vibration issue at hwy speeds in my MY09 VRX when I first got it 6 months ago. That was later put down to the after market wheels the previous owner had put on the car, it could not be fixed through balancing in my case.

But Id check the wheels/tires if its been sitting around too long the tires could be an issue, just depends if it was moved or not.

[Viking]

As everyone else has said, check your tyre pressures.

If that doesn't work get them aligned and balanced (or at least looked at) by a reputable tyre place. Getting that done will be peace of mind, if nothing else.

Tyres will get flat spots if parked for long enough, but once they get warmed up and back into a proper 'round' shape, they're right again. Took mine about 10 minutes or so of driving before they stopped vibrating and thumping. (Putting 6psi into them helped a lot, too! )

With regards to the "soft" accelerator, what petrol did you put in it last? And from what servo? There are places out there selling crap fuel (although not as bad as they used to be) and you might be unlucky enough to get a bad batch.[*]

Steering? No real idea, sorry. See how it feels after you look at the tyres. If the problem is still there, then start thinking about replacing the power steering fluid for starters.

Keep us informed with how things go.

Cheers,
V


[*] - The Caltex on Blackburn Road (as you come off the Eastern Fwy) has sold me bad fuel a couple of times. One time, the bike wouldn't even start, let alone run - 20l of what was supposed to be PULP-98 wasted.

[albertmonster]

First thought is tyres. Probably wrong but check them all over for any bulges.

Pumped them last week to 34Psi. I've checked the tyres as you've recommended, no bulges, just brown markings from kerbings possibly.

Hi. Stupid question first - youve checked tyre pressures (32 psi is a good target for oem wheels). Is the vibration speed or engine rpm dependent? Easiest way to tell is get to 100 kph, put cruise control on and drop it down a gear to see if the vibration changes/disappears or not. If it is speed dependent (vibration does not change in different gears) I would go to your local Bob Janes/Tyrepower/Bridgestone and get all 4 wheels balanced and checked as a first step. If it is rpm dependent then go straight back to the dealer as there is something else going on. As a side note I would never have the dealer rotate wheels etc. I would rather leave that to the shop mechs

Tyres have been pumped to 34 psi recently. I tried what you recommended but could only do it for a fleeting moment due to the peak hour traffic. Appears to be speed dependent to me, car still shook despite dropping down to 5th gear.

I plan to visit Bob Jane this weekend for a road test, tyre test and balance. If that doesn't work back to Mitsu for the diagnostics etc it is! Interesting point with the not getting your tyres rotated at the dealer. I'm thinking it's possible they did not fit the tyres back properly.

Not quite the same but I had a vibration issue at hwy speeds in my MY09 VRX when I first got it 6 months ago. That was later put down to the after market wheels the previous owner had put on the car, it could not be fixed through balancing in my case. But Id check the wheels/tires if its been sitting around too long the tires could be an issue, just depends if it was moved or not.

My car has been regularly driven for 16 months, however prior to purchasing it likely sat around the dealership for months on end, bought it new with 8 ks on the clock. Tyres seem ok to me, I plan to take them to get checked at the tyre shop.

As everyone else has said, check your tyre pressures. If that doesnt work get them aligned and balanced (or at least looked at) by a reputable tyre place. Getting that done will be peace of mind, if nothing else. Tyres will get flat spots if parked for long enough, but once they get warmed up and back into a proper round shape, theyre right again. Took mine about 10 minutes or so of driving before they stopped vibrating and thumping. (Putting 6psi into them helped a lot, too! ) With regards to the soft accelerator, what petrol did you put in it last? And from what servo? There are places out there selling crap fuel (although not as bad as they used to be) and you might be unlucky enough to get a bad batch.[*] Steering? No real idea, sorry. See how it feels after you look at the tyres. If the problem is still there, then start thinking about replacing the power steering fluid for starters. Keep us informed with how things go. Cheers, V [*] - The Caltex on Blackburn Road (as you come off the Eastern Fwy) has sold me bad fuel a couple of times. One time, the bike wouldnt even start, let alone run - 20l of what was supposed to be PULP-98 wasted.

Thank you for the advice. I've always used 91 Unleaded. I got the last batch from Shell Coles Express up Blackburn road next to The Pines.
Regarding the steering sounds like a thing I need to get checked under warranty then. Hopefully the trip to the tyre shop will yield good results in the meantime.

[Viking]

I got the last batch from Shell Coles Express up Blackburn road next to The Pines.

I used to live just around the corner from there and used that servo quite a bit. Never had any problems with it, so I'd guess fuel isn't the problem here.

Keep us informed with how you go getting things sorted.

[albertmonster]

Update: took the car to Bob janes doncaster for a 4 wheel balance+alignment (80 bucks). The guy said wheels were all out of balance/alignment but to a level expected for its use.

He was confident the fluttering and shuddering would go away with the work done but it did not fix the problem

I plan to call him again but it likely won't do anything. Sound like I have to take the car to eastside Mitsubishi again under warranty.

I'm hesitant to take the car back as the fluttering/ loose steering all occurred soon after having my alternator replaced back there. Are Mitsu dealers known to screw around with the cars under their care?

Any further ideas of what the issue could be or any advice at all would be greatly appreciated