mitsubishi L200 auto box problems when towing?

[colin9r]

Hi there looking for some advice,bought my L200 to tow trailers and it is meant to tow 2.5 ton as per manufacurers guide lines. But when i tow my trailer it will lock in 2nd gear as a precaution as oil temp is getting to high, trailer plus load is 1.5 ton.

Spoke to mitsubishi after looking on internet regarding problem,mitsubishi are aware of issue and offer a ecu re wrire to let autobox lock in 3rd which cost me £100,still did not solve it.

My car is now out of warranty and to me seems not fit for purpose do i have a case for a refund from mitsubishi or should they fix it by fitting an oil cooler as they fit now to this model?

Any help would be great

[heliosuk]

Interesting one this. Firstly did you buy it from a Mitsubishi approved dealer and was the vehicle new or used (not that it makes any difference in reality).

 

 

What I know is that most car sales people do not have a clue about the GVW, GCW and GTW. It would help if you could post a picture of the vehicle chassis plate but remember to block out the actual VIN number but not the letters preceding it as they are important as well.

 

 

On this all the weights are listed for that vehicle as applicable to the country it was originally built for. I've come across instances where a car for example is a South African version and re-imported back into the UK, still within the manufacturers warranty period and trying to claim warranty for a part not rated for use in the UK.

 

 

So let's assume it's a genuine UK car intended for use in the UK.

 

 

On the VIN plate will be a figure for the GVW. Generally the GTW figure will be around 1.3 to 1.5 that of the GVW and that's the figure which the car is rated for in the market the car was intended for.

 

 

If everything checks out (and you cannot rely on the owners handbook as that is frequently full of errors believe it or not) and you are towing within those limits then you have solid objective data to go after Mitsubishi.

 

 

I'm surprised the box does not have a cooler on it however it might be that it's not possible to retrofit a cooler like those fitted to the later models. If Mitsubishi confirm that it's not possible then you might like to point them in the direction of the VCA, NOT VOSA, as to me there is then an issue with the cars homologation into the UK market.

 

 

So let's wait until you answer the questions I've askedwhere we can point you in the right direction as to what you can do next. Believe me....there is more to this than meets the eye!!

[colin9r]

Hi thanks for the response, yes it is a uk car not a grey import and has been serviced by mitsubishi since new,it is a 2010 which i bought from a independant motor dealer,i will look later for cappacity plate.

The reason the oil cooler was removed from this model was in britain and some other countries the low outside temperature was causing transmission failures as the oil was not heating up enough on.cold days that is why they removed oil cooler.

[Conniff]

Have you got some dates on when purchased and when the software update was done ?

[scaniaman]

Very strange indeed why pick ups seem to have towing problems nowadays. I understand Ford have a gearbox problem with their equivalent to the L200. It would appear that they say not to tow in 5th gear irrespective of speed---great for fuel economy and the environment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[colin9r]

Have you got some dates on when purchased and when the software update was done ?

 

The car was purchased 16/6/14

And the software was updated in july 2014 by mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi uk have told me there is nothing else they can do for me, really bad customer service.

 

Many thanks colin

[scaniaman]

Did selling dealer know that you intended to tow at point of sale?

Does handbook say they are unsuitable for towing under certain conditions?

IMHO there may be reason to reject vehicle if not fit for purpose.

[heliosuk]

You really need to show the VIN plate and data stamped/etched to make a call here as to what to do. Without it you don't have any real objective evidence to go with. The handbook will be irrelevant anyway as there is bound to be a reservation of rights statement.

 

 

If the data from the Vin plate shows correct then you have a problem with both the dealer and Mitsubishi UK. The problem being is, that will come up, is that it is not a safety related issue. The vehicle will pull the required amount of weight though it locks in gear. Provided it does do this then it will comply with the regulations. The fact it might well knacker gearboxes is not really their concern. Odd though that they are walking away.