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02-03-2011, 05:10 PM
TM MAGNA HISTORY
In 1985, we bought a new TM Magna SE manual. In 2000, we sold it privately after buying a 1998 TF Advance to replace it. To this day, my wife still wants her TM, but freely admits that the TF we have now is a damned good car. She just reckons that the TM was even better!
A brief history. When we sold it, it had 345000 km on it. Bodywise, it was 100% - no rust and it had been garaged most of the time (except when it was doing the345000 km).
I did oil changes every 5000 km if possible, filter every 10000 km. This is the secret to a long life. The car used to do about 3 – 4000 km and then start to use oil at about 1 L per 1000 km. At 50000 km, we set off for a 11000 km trip towing a large (8 berth, 950 kg) camper trailer. I threw in the tension wrench, workshop manual and everything else I could think of, and the car didn’t even touch a drop of oil for the whole trip. When we got back home, my wife reverted to her usual habits – short runs - and the oil consumption returned as before.
At 150000 km, we did another long trip around the block – 18000 km this time. Again, all the tools etc with us just in case. I intended to change the oil at Darwin (10000 km), but it was still clean and hadn’t touched a drop of oil. By the time we got to Perth,(14000 km) the oil was black (the weather was getting colder), but it was still only 500 ml down, so I topped it up and drove home (another 4000 km). When I got home, the oil was 1 L down so I immediately changed it and yes it was black, but it still had plenty of viscosity with it. Overall fuel consumption for that trip was 13 L/100 km, towing a 950 kg campervan at 100+ km/hr. It was a damned good car.
What went wrong with the car? Pretty well everything, but I really cannot complain.
* Balance Chain Tensioner: The 6 mm dia pivot bolt failed. I replaced it with a high tension 6 mm bolt and it was still there when we sold it. I wish I had done the 8 mm conversion, but never had any more trouble.
* Rear Brake Pads: Every 80000 km I had to replace them. Don’t know why. The front pads lasted 230000 km for the first set.
* Clutch: It lasted 304000 km and I replaced it because it developed a minor shudder. The anti-chatter springs had gone hard and had caused this shudder. There was still 0.5 mm of friction material left and it had plenty of grip.
* Cracked Head: At 235000 km, I noticed some water leaking near the water pump. I assumed it was the head gasket, so I stripped the head, only to find that it was the O ring on the water pump. However, at the time I decided to put new rings and bearings into the car. I reassembled the engine, only to find it using 1.5 L of water per 100 km. Eventually I traced it to a cracked head under the camshaft bearing post. CE Engines (now TopTorque??) in Mitcham Vic fixed the head for me. At this time, I had the car converted to gas as well. We did another 110000 km on the gas.
* CV joints: We got about 230000 km from the CV joints. They then started to growl a bit. Replacede tehm then.
* Springs: Why can’t Japanese manufacturers make durable springs? The original springs sagged badly. We got a set from a cheaper model, but they also sagged. Old Falcons & Holdens go forever on the original springs without sagging. Why can’t Mitsubishi’s? Even the TF has sagged.
* Shock Absorbers: The original rears lasted only about 65000 km. I put Konis in and they were still there when we sold the car, still working very well. At 245000 km, I put Monroe Gas inserts into the front suspension. They were still going strong as well.
*Body: The paintwork on the front and rear corners of the roof started to rust about 7 years after new. I took the car back to the dealer and said “I have heard that this was a problem”. Good guess – the service manager, said “Yes – it was a problem on the early models”. EUREKA! He rang Mitsubishi Sydney and they asked when the car was last serviced. Answer – 6 years ago (20000 km). ‘No way’ said Sydney. The service manager replied that this was by far the best example of a Magna he had seen, and then Mitsubishi Sydney said OK – fix it, which they did – no charge. How’s that for service?
* Clutch Hydraulics: We were at Bright (Vic) camping one Easter and as we drove into the campground, the clutch pedal collapsed to the floor. I had a look and saw that the steel pipe was cracked. We bound it up with a bit of wire, but on the way home, it let go totally just as I started the climb over the Snowy Mountains (with the Campervan on the back as well). Clutchless gear changes from there to Cooma, no backup traffic to help. We got home OK. A bit of new steel tubing and it was as good as new.
* Exhaust System: Because my Wife used to drive short trips all the time, the exhaust system never really warmed up properly. This meant (sadly still does) that condensate built up in the system and rotted it out. Early in the piece, I had a stainless system fitted and never had a problem after that. Eventually, a baffle in the rear muffler came loose, but it only rattled a bit. Stainless was still on the car when we sold it,
* Ignition Module: I went through 3 modules in the car’s life. Don’t know why, but eventually it seemed to settle down.
* Fuel Pump: Just before we sold the car, I had to ut a new fuel pump on. The old one was leaking petrol and even though we ran almost exclusively on gas, had to fit the new one.
As you can see, the car was virtually trouble-free up to 230000 km. At that stage, my Mother-in-law had developed cancer (terminal) and I offered to buy a new Magna for my wife to commute to Sydney. No- she didn’t want a new car, so she stuck with the TM. Wrong – that is when it all fell apart! After about 6 months or so I had debugged it all and we had a fairly trouble-free run until the end then.
That is about the whole story. We bought the TF and sold the TM privately for $3000 (15 years old, 345000 km). The girl who bought it kept it for about 2 years and then sold it on. Last seen it had 375000 km on it and as far as I knew it was still gong well.
AND MY WIFE STILL WANTS HER TM BACK AGAIN!!!
In 1985, we bought a new TM Magna SE manual. In 2000, we sold it privately after buying a 1998 TF Advance to replace it. To this day, my wife still wants her TM, but freely admits that the TF we have now is a damned good car. She just reckons that the TM was even better!
A brief history. When we sold it, it had 345000 km on it. Bodywise, it was 100% - no rust and it had been garaged most of the time (except when it was doing the345000 km).
I did oil changes every 5000 km if possible, filter every 10000 km. This is the secret to a long life. The car used to do about 3 – 4000 km and then start to use oil at about 1 L per 1000 km. At 50000 km, we set off for a 11000 km trip towing a large (8 berth, 950 kg) camper trailer. I threw in the tension wrench, workshop manual and everything else I could think of, and the car didn’t even touch a drop of oil for the whole trip. When we got back home, my wife reverted to her usual habits – short runs - and the oil consumption returned as before.
At 150000 km, we did another long trip around the block – 18000 km this time. Again, all the tools etc with us just in case. I intended to change the oil at Darwin (10000 km), but it was still clean and hadn’t touched a drop of oil. By the time we got to Perth,(14000 km) the oil was black (the weather was getting colder), but it was still only 500 ml down, so I topped it up and drove home (another 4000 km). When I got home, the oil was 1 L down so I immediately changed it and yes it was black, but it still had plenty of viscosity with it. Overall fuel consumption for that trip was 13 L/100 km, towing a 950 kg campervan at 100+ km/hr. It was a damned good car.
What went wrong with the car? Pretty well everything, but I really cannot complain.
* Balance Chain Tensioner: The 6 mm dia pivot bolt failed. I replaced it with a high tension 6 mm bolt and it was still there when we sold it. I wish I had done the 8 mm conversion, but never had any more trouble.
* Rear Brake Pads: Every 80000 km I had to replace them. Don’t know why. The front pads lasted 230000 km for the first set.
* Clutch: It lasted 304000 km and I replaced it because it developed a minor shudder. The anti-chatter springs had gone hard and had caused this shudder. There was still 0.5 mm of friction material left and it had plenty of grip.
* Cracked Head: At 235000 km, I noticed some water leaking near the water pump. I assumed it was the head gasket, so I stripped the head, only to find that it was the O ring on the water pump. However, at the time I decided to put new rings and bearings into the car. I reassembled the engine, only to find it using 1.5 L of water per 100 km. Eventually I traced it to a cracked head under the camshaft bearing post. CE Engines (now TopTorque??) in Mitcham Vic fixed the head for me. At this time, I had the car converted to gas as well. We did another 110000 km on the gas.
* CV joints: We got about 230000 km from the CV joints. They then started to growl a bit. Replacede tehm then.
* Springs: Why can’t Japanese manufacturers make durable springs? The original springs sagged badly. We got a set from a cheaper model, but they also sagged. Old Falcons & Holdens go forever on the original springs without sagging. Why can’t Mitsubishi’s? Even the TF has sagged.
* Shock Absorbers: The original rears lasted only about 65000 km. I put Konis in and they were still there when we sold the car, still working very well. At 245000 km, I put Monroe Gas inserts into the front suspension. They were still going strong as well.
*Body: The paintwork on the front and rear corners of the roof started to rust about 7 years after new. I took the car back to the dealer and said “I have heard that this was a problem”. Good guess – the service manager, said “Yes – it was a problem on the early models”. EUREKA! He rang Mitsubishi Sydney and they asked when the car was last serviced. Answer – 6 years ago (20000 km). ‘No way’ said Sydney. The service manager replied that this was by far the best example of a Magna he had seen, and then Mitsubishi Sydney said OK – fix it, which they did – no charge. How’s that for service?
* Clutch Hydraulics: We were at Bright (Vic) camping one Easter and as we drove into the campground, the clutch pedal collapsed to the floor. I had a look and saw that the steel pipe was cracked. We bound it up with a bit of wire, but on the way home, it let go totally just as I started the climb over the Snowy Mountains (with the Campervan on the back as well). Clutchless gear changes from there to Cooma, no backup traffic to help. We got home OK. A bit of new steel tubing and it was as good as new.
* Exhaust System: Because my Wife used to drive short trips all the time, the exhaust system never really warmed up properly. This meant (sadly still does) that condensate built up in the system and rotted it out. Early in the piece, I had a stainless system fitted and never had a problem after that. Eventually, a baffle in the rear muffler came loose, but it only rattled a bit. Stainless was still on the car when we sold it,
* Ignition Module: I went through 3 modules in the car’s life. Don’t know why, but eventually it seemed to settle down.
* Fuel Pump: Just before we sold the car, I had to ut a new fuel pump on. The old one was leaking petrol and even though we ran almost exclusively on gas, had to fit the new one.
As you can see, the car was virtually trouble-free up to 230000 km. At that stage, my Mother-in-law had developed cancer (terminal) and I offered to buy a new Magna for my wife to commute to Sydney. No- she didn’t want a new car, so she stuck with the TM. Wrong – that is when it all fell apart! After about 6 months or so I had debugged it all and we had a fairly trouble-free run until the end then.
That is about the whole story. We bought the TF and sold the TM privately for $3000 (15 years old, 345000 km). The girl who bought it kept it for about 2 years and then sold it on. Last seen it had 375000 km on it and as far as I knew it was still gong well.
AND MY WIFE STILL WANTS HER TM BACK AGAIN!!!