New Challenger problems

Submitted: Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 22:34
ThreadID: 77159 Views:8589 Replies:5 FollowUps:13
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We bought the new PB Challenger and took delivery in mid Jan. The car ran fine for the first 5000km. I had a set of electric brakes installed the last week in Feb. Drove the car home, noticed a funny noise when parking in the garage but wasn't sure if it was the car or the roller door coming down - so I turned the car back on and it started fine. Went to go out later that evening and the car wouldn't start. It would turn over but wouldn't ignite. NRMA came out but couldn't diagnose the problem. Five week old car loaded on the tow truck and carted to the service department. Turns out the computer was shot, service manager wouldn't commit to it being a electric brake problem, but that was more likely than it being a vehicle fault he said. After five working days in the shop I got the car back but it wasn't performing the same as the first five weeks. You would be cruising along the highway and it would shudder every now and then, pulled in to get petrol and it wouldn't lock, started running rough on cold start, stability control wouldn't kick in. After driving it for three days like that we took it down a dirt track to try out the 4wd, after getting back on the bitumen the car was like back to its original self. It was already booked in to be looked at so took it in, but of course nothing showed up and the suggestion of putting it in 4wd had helped was disregarded. After running it for a week we took it back to the dealership to discuss hooking the electric brakes back up, the auto electrician was keen to get together with the service manager to check out the wiring diagrams, but the service manager didn't want to. In the end it was organised through the dealer principle that their auto electrician - who is a mate of ours - would check his work, turned out all was good there so brakes were hooked back up and no problems. Looking like a vehicle fault. The car is still shuddering when cruising at a steady speed, like it is trying to decide what gear it wants to select, but service have no fix and the best they could offer was to get us to note down when it has a problem to see if there is a pattern - like I have nothing else to do - emailed the dealer principle today with a weeks worth of findings and just got the brush off.
I am now very disappointed with the car and the after sales service - or lack there of. Would be interested to hear of anyone else who has one or a Triton with similar problems, Cheers Michelle
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Reply By: Member - Vince B (NSW) - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 22:43

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 22:43
Hi Michelle.
Why don't you enquire on the Pajero 4wd Club of Victoria?
They have a section on Challengers.
I have found this site to be very helpful in dealing with Mitsi enquiries.

Cheers.
Vince
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Follow Up By: flashcher - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 08:04

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 08:04
Thanks for the tip Vince, I have signed up and just waiting for approval.
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Reply By: Gronk - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 01:03

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 01:03
I have a Challenger on order...although its a manual, I hope it goes a bit better than yours..

These sort of problems can be very hard to diagnose....could even be a sensor somewhere playing up intermittently ?? who knows ??

Always be polite, but let them know you are not happy and you will have to contact Mitsubishi Australia to try and resolve the problem..

Where have they taken the brake feed from ?? near the pedal ?? is it the actual wire that feeds the brake lights or is it a computer/cruise control feed ??
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Follow Up By: flashcher - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 08:15

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 08:15
I also hope that your goes better that ours. It has been very frustrating.

We started off being very polite, but the customer service skills at the service centre leave alot to be desired. I emailed the dealer yesterday and mentioned I would be contacting Mitsubishi Australia now.

From my understanding of the brake set-up, they have run wires from the battery back to the rear brake light wires.
The brake set-up has been cleared of any problems and it appears the computer blowing at that time was just coincidental.
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Reply By: Member - Don M- Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 07:09

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 07:09
Michelle,

I think Gronk may have a point, these new electronic controls.,, bus system??? cause all sorts of problems and I had brake light problems on my LC200 because of it, not the same as yours but they are all related I believe, to the way the modern vehicles are wired and it's not an issue that the average auto electrician can sort out, it needs the full diagnostics done on a Mitsu computer.

However, being a bit if a smart a.. that I am, maybe the problem is that you filled it with petrol...!!! They are diesel only the new Challenger...then maybe it's the name.., my better half, also Michele is always referring to filling the car with petrol...a diesel LC200 and gets really cranky when I tell her its a diesel..." so what, you know what I mean...blah blah...."

Another thing Michelle, could you separate your thread into paragraphs, it's very hard to read in one big block. Sorry for the English lesson..
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Follow Up By: flashcher - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 08:25

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 08:25
Hi Don,

The car has been back on the computer at the service centre that may times I swear it has it own facebook account.

They had their auto electrician check the wiring and he said he wouldn't have done it any different.

Very tongue in cheek there Don regarding the fuel. Beleive me it is one thing I was worried about, however after working in a service station for many years I have seen it done that many times its not funny.

The best part is when the customer comes in and abuses me for them putting the wrong fuel in.

Thank you for the English lesson, I don't think it was one of my top subjects at skool...lol
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Follow Up By: Wizard1 - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 09:12

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 09:12
I have a Prado 90 series TD. One thing I worked out was don't take the opinion of the dealership's mechanic. I read that you worked that out with the brake controller. I appreciate and understand that your under warranty and you have already identified the "pay off" attitude of the dealership.

However, my truck strated to have a rough smokey cold start problem. The dealer went from one theory to the next, glow plugs, the fuel filter assembly, global warming, it just went on and on. I demanded they send it to a diesel specialist.

They eventually found a cracked head. It got replaced.

But then it started doing it again around 12 months after the repair. Straight to a diesel specialist who found a burnt out glow plug and one that had lost the tip. He also found the glow plug light is on a preset timer and not linked to the time thne glow plugs actually need to be on for. So they haven't warmed up the combustion chamber enough before I try and start.

For a new vehicle to be displaying so many problems of an electrical nature is a real concern. Hope you get down to the route cause and it is all running properly.
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Follow Up By: Wizard1 - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 09:18

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 09:18
I must also add that mine had done over 170,000 km before it started having this problem.
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Reply By: PaulBron - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 13:18

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 13:18
Hang in there Michelle.

We had more than our fair share of electrical dramas with our Territory from delivery. To cut a long story short it wouldn't start on cold mornings. (completely dead) cut out on me in busy Melbourne traffic and left me stranded over an itersection trying to push it. etc etc... after 4 visits to the service dept I was fed up and was completely over it!!

I left it with them for the best part of a week until they finally found the problem. The positive terminal was never tightened on the production line. A quick turn of the nut and it hasn't missed a beat since. (Except for the usual ford quality issues). Hopefully they find something simple with your Challenger.

Funnily enough I was heading in to take one for a test drive soon as I would like to trade in the Territory soon.

PB
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Follow Up By: Mark S (cns) - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 16:31

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 16:31
Wow! '4 visits to the service dept.... and then they had it for nearly a week' before they worked out it was a loose battery terminal!!!!

Add that to the growing number of cases regarding the ineptitude of dimwits in so-called 'specialist dealer service departments'.....
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Follow Up By: Tonyfish#58 - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 19:47

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 19:47
I agree Mark - Shows you everything has just got just a bit too clever.

The first thing you check when you have an electrical problem is Battery and fuses.

I guess that must be too easy a solution now - go straight for some sensor somewhere :-)

Hope you are well - must do that Maytown road again soon - Cheers Tony
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Follow Up By: Member - Wayne B (NSW) - Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 21:49

Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 at 21:49
You can keep your NEW Vehicles. TOOOOO many things to go wrong and way tooooo difficult to fix.

Ill stick with my old HJ80 thank you.
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Follow Up By: Tonyfish#58 - Friday, Mar 26, 2010 at 17:08

Friday, Mar 26, 2010 at 17:08
At least when they break down they are on the ground and not in the air.

As stated in other threads your HJ80 was new fangled technology not that long ago - no different really. I have done 70k without missing a beat, hopefully that will continue and if it does not hopefully it can be fixed by common process of elimination.

I had a 94 model toyota forunner that mysteriously died when up on the Bloomfield track would keep blowing ignition fuses - I spent hours going through all the electronic fuel injection relays etc, a mechanic turned up and gave me a handful of fuses as he had no idea where to look.

In the end I though better trace the wires back to the fuel tank, lifted the back seat and found an inspection hole for the fuel sender unit. Was just about to pull all that out when a pulled the wiring harness to get more cable. It came from out the chassis and there was the fault - the wire had rubbed through on the chassis. Taped it up and never had any more trouble with that car.

It would not matter what car that happened on - it would take a long time to find it and I would bet a lot of wrong diagnostics until it was found.

Cheers Tony
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Reply By: Patrol22 - Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 11:00

Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 11:00
I'm gonna go right out on a limb here Michelle.....the modern vehicle can comprise 4 or 5 separate computer systems that are then interlinked through the ecu. As with lots of software it only take one 0 or 1 to get its knickers in a knot so to speak for things to go arse up. Often the 'Microsoft solution' will fix lots of these problems...what that requires is for you to disconnect the negative terminal of your battery....leave it off for around 10 minutes....face Mecca and bow 22 times (make sure you get the bowing cadence right -ie 1 and 2 and and 3 and 4 and and 5 etc) and it just may (only may mind you) reset the gremlin that is running around in your system(s).

Cheers
Pete
AnswerID: 410638

Follow Up By: Tonyfish#58 - Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 12:13

Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 12:13
:-) You got to like that solution - has worked for me on my own car (the 2007 Rodeo)

While putting in the dual Battery setup I accidentally sorted a circuit. Got in to the car and all types of funny things were happening on the dash - Whoops I said, this will be expensive.

Did the battery disconnect and all was sweet - Whew I said :-)

Cheers Tony
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Follow Up By: Gone Bush (WA) - Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 12:55

Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 12:55
Yep, works on my mobile phone....

I'm glad I ain't too scared to be lazy
- Augustus McCrae (Lonesome Dove)

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Follow Up By: flashcher - Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 14:54

Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 14:54
I know they had the battery disconnected when they replaced the computer, but not for who long or anything. Will have to tell hubbie to give it a go.
Michelle
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Follow Up By: Patrol22 - Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 19:02

Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 at 19:02
I should have said that this approach has resolved a couple of problems I've experienced with my Navara D40 - and I believe the problems started to occur after some after market auto electrics was done - first time was after fitting a brake controller, the second was after fitting a iCom 440 UHF radio.
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