Hello all,
Just happened to notice lately my car has a noticeable misfire when idling...car still runs perfectly fine but when stationary at idle its rather noticeable and the motor does shake a bit more than usual...could this be anything to do with injector seals? coil packs? Any advice would be appreciated

Cheers
Mikey

dirty fuel possibly can make it feel lumpy at idle

I've felt this too, but only occasionally. I also figured (and hoped!) it was a batch of dud fuel. Thankfully it never persists for long.

I dropped some liquid moly injector cleaner in my tank an have not had an issue with rough idle
Sometimes strain on the electrics will produce what feels like lumpy idle as fans etc switch on/off
Could be dirty MAF sensor the list goes on

dirty fuel possibly can make it feel lumpy at idle


I've felt this too, but only occasionally. I also figured (and hoped!) it was a batch of dud fuel. Thankfully it never persists for long.

Well it has been happening for quite some time...I never thought much of it so I assumed it might be the o rings on the injectors failing...not sure where I heard that but I was told the 380's can suffer from it?

Have tried anything to see if it made a difference champ?

sometimes it is something small

O ring failure tends to happen more on LPG engines AFAIK

Have tried anything to see if it made a difference champ?

sometimes it is something small

O ring failure tends to happen more on LPG engines AFAIK

As of yet no I have not tried anything. Tomorrow I will check the spark plugs to see if it might be bad fuel.....Just trying to work out if im game enough to check the maf?

In a weeks time drop some good injector cleaner in it and see if it fixes it
try one thing a week to see if it makes a change (the Computer would take a week to sort itself out)
Start with the simple and cheap ones and get more in depth until you can go no further

In a weeks time drop some good injector cleaner in it and see if it fixes it
try one thing a week to see if it makes a change (the Computer would take a week to sort itself out)
Start with the simple and cheap ones and get more in depth until you can go no further

Cheers for the advice mate, hopefully its nothing major.

Mikey.

never mind.

never mind.

Hello all,
Just happened to notice lately my car has a noticeable misfire when idling...

Cheers
Mikey

Hey Mikey,

this has been happening to my 380 for a while as well. Bought a second hand series 3 (33k on the clock when i got it, about 35k now) about 2 months ago, and within two weeks, the idle seemed rougher, which coincided with a bit more noise from the engine which you mostly notice from outside the car (sounding like a weird "putting" sound from around the front facing exhaust manifold, but hard to pinpoint and very hard to describe in a useful way...) Inside the car at idle, this new sound seems to be filtered through the cabin as a faint ticking sound - very minor but definitely there.

When the car is in park or neutral at idle, it seems to misfire every so often - there's a noticeable shake transferred through the body every few seconds, but at idle in drive, it wasn't noticeable (opposite to the old VT Commodore I used to have).

Then about 3 days ago, while sitting traffic, the car started idling noticeably rougher (and has been since). It's pretty minor but is really pissing me off - the wife thinks I'm fussy, but I can definitely notice it. When i bought the car, you pretty much couldn't tell if it was running while idling (apart from the noise and unless you held the steering wheel which would vibrate a little) - it was that smooth. Half the reason i bought the 380 over an Aurion was that all three 380's I test drove felt imperceptible at idle while the Aurion's all had a noticeable shake at idle.

I'm not sure if now after having the car for a while, I'm just noticing what has always been there, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the case, so I'm planning on taking it in this week to be looked at by the dealer I bought it from. I did drop in to them a fortnight or so back to ask about it and one of the sales guys said he was aware of a "lash adjuster" or something like that (not that I've ever heard of this) that was known to tick a little as it got some wear in it...

I'd be interested to hear anyone else's experiences if they have noticed this - I don't want to look like a whinger to the dealer if it's nothing, but I'm sure it's not just in my head...

oh, btw, i have tried different fuels (91, 95 and 98 ron, caltex and bp) - seems to make no difference...

Cheers,
Adam.

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as for the fuel debate you have to use one specfic fuel consistantly in order for the knock sensor to adjust chopping and changing week to week means the car can not get a consistent read as it is always adjusting but the 380 can use anything from 91 to 95 although many use 98 (me included) for consistency

All those with idle problems; use 98 octane for at least three tanks. It has better cleaning ability. When you get a chance run the car up to 5500rpm full throttle a couple of times. Sounds to me like dirty injectors particularly if the car runs smoothly otherwise.

Hey Mikey,

this has been happening to my 380 for a while as well. Bought a second hand series 3 (33k on the clock when i got it, about 35k now) about 2 months ago, and within two weeks, the idle seemed rougher, which coincided with a bit more noise from the engine which you mostly notice from outside the car (sounding like a weird "putting" sound from around the front facing exhaust manifold, but hard to pinpoint and very hard to describe in a useful way...) Inside the car at idle, this new sound seems to be filtered through the cabin as a faint ticking sound - very minor but definitely there.

When the car is in park or neutral at idle, it seems to misfire every so often - there's a noticeable shake transferred through the body every few seconds, but at idle in drive, it wasn't noticeable (opposite to the old VT Commodore I used to have).

Then about 3 days ago, while sitting traffic, the car started idling noticeably rougher (and has been since). It's pretty minor but is really pissing me off - the wife thinks I'm fussy, but I can definitely notice it. When i bought the car, you pretty much couldn't tell if it was running while idling (apart from the noise and unless you held the steering wheel which would vibrate a little) - it was that smooth. Half the reason i bought the 380 over an Aurion was that all three 380's I test drove felt imperceptible at idle while the Aurion's all had a noticeable shake at idle.

I'm not sure if now after having the car for a while, I'm just noticing what has always been there, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the case, so I'm planning on taking it in this week to be looked at by the dealer I bought it from. I did drop in to them a fortnight or so back to ask about it and one of the sales guys said he was aware of a "lash adjuster" or something like that (not that I've ever heard of this) that was known to tick a little as it got some wear in it...

I'd be interested to hear anyone else's experiences if they have noticed this - I don't want to look like a whinger to the dealer if it's nothing, but I'm sure it's not just in my head...

oh, btw, i have tried different fuels (91, 95 and 98 ron, caltex and bp) - seems to make no difference...

Cheers,
Adam.

That is basically the exact same scenario I have gone through since I bought it with 26,000k on the clock. The engine was smooth as silk and like you mentioned was not noticeable inside the cabin whatsoever....it has gotten progressively worse as the kays increase (done 48,100k to date)...It isn't a lack of servicing because I service it every 8-10,000km....Might just take it into the dealer. Do your revs rise sometimes in idle without the aircon on? Mine sometimes flares up to 1000rpm with no accessories running and will stay there for 5 seconds or so....

Mine does the same and the first thing I check is air con and that's not on,just put it down to must be what it does,as for rough idle prob haven't had that happen yet and hope I don't or misfire, but does be a bitch sometime starting if you miss ignition first time takes about 3-4 more goes to get her going,doesn't happen often but can be embarrassing

Do your revs rise sometimes in idle without the aircon on? Mine sometimes flares up to 1000rpm with no accessories running and will stay there for 5 seconds or so....



Mine does the same and the first thing I check is air con and that's not on,just put it down to must be what it does,as for rough idle prob haven't had that happen yet and hope I don't or misfire, but does be a bitch sometime starting if you miss ignition first time takes about 3-4 more goes to get her going,doesn't happen often but can be embarrassing

Do your revs rise sometimes in idle without the aircon on? Mine sometimes flares up to 1000rpm with no accessories running and will stay there for 5 seconds or so....



Mine does the same and the first thing I check is air con and that's not on,just put it down to must be what it does,as for rough idle prob haven't had that happen yet and hope I don't or misfire, but does be a bitch sometime starting if you miss ignition first time takes about 3-4 more goes to get her going,doesn't happen often but can be embarrassing

I do know that it does when the aircon compressor comes on. But I have pulled up in a carpark after a 20min drive and it will rev up for no reason. Rather odd. I dont think that is related to the rough idle however

Forgot to add to my own earlier posting... one time when my car was running rough (must have been a tank of crap fuel) I also experienced that shaking at idle (ie stopped at traffic lights, etc). Then at one set of lights, the engine stalled! Scared the s##t out of me (haven't experienced that since my crap $1,500 cars decades ago). Luckily it kicked over straight away and that hasn't happened again.

Forgot to add to my own earlier posting... one time when my car was running rough (must have been a tank of crap fuel) I also experienced that shaking at idle (ie stopped at traffic lights, etc). Then at one set of lights, the engine stalled! Scared the s##t out of me (haven't experienced that since my crap $1,500 cars decades ago). Luckily it kicked over straight away and that hasn't happened again.

Gees..well I wouldn't say it is bad fuel in my case. i checked all the spark plugs this morning for any abnormality but they were fine. I cannot say the rough idle is that extreme but it is progressively more noticeable, and the motor sounds more and more tapety for a lack of better wording

Mine does the same and the first thing I check is air con and that's not on,just put it down to must be what it does,as for rough idle prob haven't had that happen yet and hope I don't or misfire, but does be a bitch sometime starting if you miss ignition first time takes about 3-4 more goes to get her going,doesn't happen often but can be embarrassing

I've had this starting issue to Bitsa.What i do now is turn the ignition on ,wait 2-3 secs then crank her over.No problems now and I have been told ,not 100% on this, that turning the ignition on for a few secs before starting makes the MAF sensor self clean by heating the wire dramatically? Regardless, she starts properly now.

Nice to see im not alone on this,will try your idea witewalzs, thanks.

I've had this starting issue to Bitsa.What i do now is turn the ignition on ,wait 2-3 secs then crank her over.No problems now and I have been told ,not 100% on this, that turning the ignition on for a few secs before starting makes the MAF sensor self clean by heating the wire dramatically? Regardless, she starts properly now.

I've had this as well and I agree, by cranking immediately it sometimes fails to fire but wait a second or two and its fine. I thought it might be the immobiliser just needing a second to disarm.

i have too experience these problems, what i have done is keep rotating the ignition keys around and it seems it keeps it a bay

Could be a vaccuum leak. Check all hoses or there is the possibility of the injector seals as Blackstar said earlier.

hmm...sounds to me more like some of these cases at least are just like the 3rd gens, just a slight rough idle.....mines always had it, can only notice it in park or neutral, once any load has been taken off the engine, my 380 has always done it since i got it, never bothered about it, and nor will i....but then again, she wont be my car in about a week....

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Ok, so I had the car in at a dealer today for them to look at this and they claimed they couldn't notice anything wrong - supposedly all ticking was "normal" for this engine and it's common for them to have a slight shudder at idle when in neutral/park...

I spoke to the workshop manager and he said they checked all hoses and injector seals but couldn't spot any vacuum leaks and there were no engine codes indicating any issues. He seemed pretty genuine - said their workshop was fairly quiet right now, so they would've happily done any extra work if necessary, since it would have been covered by Mitsubishi anyway...

So for now I keep monitoring it and will take it back if it gets worse... I'm at the point of hoping there is something wrong with the car that will keep getting worse so it becomes more obvious, because the vibration when idling in drive is now starting to really annoy me... right now I'm kinda wishing I got an Aurion instead even though they handle like a wet sponge.

oh, and I haven't had the problem of revs flaring up at idle but I have had the occasional issue starting like bitsa380gt and witewalzs - just cranks over but doesn't fire - like trying to start a car with the immobiliser still armed. I find prodding the accelerator (which i never normally need to do when starting) does the trick.

my engine was runnning slightly rough one day. Turned out to be a powerpack on cylinder one connector was loose so want firing at all. Was running suprisingly smooth for only 5 cylinders tho. Now its smooth as.
A few things i would recommend:

Trans fluid change and flush as old fluid is notorious for causing shudder and idle. Needs to be done every 40000.

Injector cleaner. Never mind off the shelf stuff. You need the stuff trade use by Nulon. Go to Repco and ask for Nulon part no WFS, its currently on special at $7 per can if you buy 3 cans (half usual price):
http://www.nulon.com.au/products.php?productName=Fuel_System_Cleaner_Trade _Strength

I had a bogging down/ power loss/ torque loss/ increase in fuel consumption in my 380 recently that Mitsubishi could not solve as usual. Cleaning hotwire Airflow sensor fixed it right up. I used this product and now swear by it as other electrical cleaners i used did nothing. You can also use it to clean the MAP sensor while your at it which is situated on top LHS of intake manifold as these playup when dirty too:
http://www.crcind.com.au/catalogue.nsf/web_brands/MAF+Sensor+Cleaner?openDocument

Hey Terry,

Thanks for those suggestions - the first two I had planned as they seem logical (and especially as my gearshifts don't seem as smooth as they used to be).

I'll try cleaning the hotwire airflow sensor too if the first two items don't help - that may well help given that when I changed the intake snorkel last night (to the US galant version) I noticed the air filter was absolutely filthy - looked like it had never even been tapped out - full of leaf fragments and heaps of dust...

Cheers,
Adam.

Trans fluid change and flush as old fluid is notorious for causing shudder and idle. Needs to be done every 40000.

The Service Schedule calls for Auto Flush at 90K unless severe operating conditions the 40K. Why is it most recommend service at around 40K?

The Service Schedule calls for Auto Flush at 90K unless severe operating conditions the 40K. Why is it most recommend service at around 40K?

Because we all drive under severe operating conditions? :hmm:

I had mine flushed at 40k. It just seemed to be getting a bit rough until then, now its much smoother......Generally I get things serviced before the recommendation anyway. 90,000km is alot for one batch of gearbox fluid in my opinion...

Because we all drive under severe operating conditions? :hmm:

I had mine flushed at 40k. It just seemed to be getting a bit rough until then, now its much smoother......Generally I get things serviced before the recommendation anyway. 90,000km is alot for one batch of gearbox fluid in my opinion...


Sister's Volvo 940 purchased in 1993 still on same auto trans fluid, and never serviced.

279,000 k's.

Sister's Volvo 940 purchased in 1993 still on same auto trans fluid, and never serviced.

279,000 k's.

That is mighty impressive, but my mechanical sympathy means I cant stand the thought of leaving servicing late..and the trans fluid did have an awful brown tinge to it within 20,000km of me purchasing it.

Hey Mikey,

... within two weeks, the idle seemed rougher, which coincided with a bit more noise from the engine which you mostly notice from outside the car (sounding like a weird "putting" sound from around the front facing exhaust manifold, but hard to pinpoint and very hard to describe in a useful way...)

Adam.

I've been having the same sounds come out of my engine bay and it seems that it is progressively getting worse, which is scaring the shit out of me. It also seems to be worse after the car has been driven around a bit.

I dont think its the MAF sensor as fuel consumption is sitting around the 10.9-12L/100km zone, which is about average depending on how you are driving.

Idling is heavier than when I first go it and sometimes makes a slightly unhealthy grindy sorta noise. Also when starting up the car there is this high pitched whine that comes from the sensor near the back of the intake manifold (Ive looked it up on the workshop manual and it seems to be the crankshaft position sensor),has anyone else had similar problems?

Maybe I should do a transmission flush and see if that makes a difference?

are there any updates from others on this thread??

cheers,
-

I've been having the same sounds come out of my engine bay and it seems that it is progressively getting worse, which is scaring the shit out of me. It also seems to be worse after the car has been driven around a bit.

I dont think its the MAF sensor as fuel consumption is sitting around the 10.9-12L/100km zone, which is about average depending on how you are driving.

Idling is heavier than when I first go it and sometimes makes a slightly unhealthy grindy sorta noise. Also when starting up the car there is this high pitched whine that comes from the sensor near the back of the intake manifold (Ive looked it up on the workshop manual and it seems to be the crankshaft position sensor),has anyone else had similar problems?

Maybe I should do a transmission flush and see if that makes a difference?

are there any updates from others on this thread??

cheers,
-

The sensor on the back of the intake manifold is the MAP sensor. You might have a vaccuum leak there if your getting a high pitched whistle from there & that would explain the rough idle too. The sensor has a little rubber oring to seal in the manifold, if you undo the 10mm bolt you will see this. If it looks in good nick put some rubber grease on it & put it back.

The sensor on the back of the intake manifold is the MAP sensor. You might have a vaccuum leak there if your getting a high pitched whistle from there & that would explain the rough idle too. The sensor has a little rubber oring to seal in the manifold, if you undo the 10mm bolt you will see this. If it looks in good nick put some rubber grease on it & put it back.

:facejump:Thanks Fooz, will take a look at it in the morning.