Fuel filter problem

Hi, all! This is my first post under the 'new' forums. Great to be back (been away for quite a while). I have a 2000 Strada 4x4 Megacab with the 2800cc diesel engine. I've got two or three problems I'm hoping someone will be kind enough to help with.

1. A few months ago, my truck wouldn't start, and it turned out that a few pumps on the plunger-type mechanism on the top of the cannister-type fuel filter solved the problem...for the moment. A few days later, it happened again. I had the filter replaced, and then if the truck sat for more than overnight, it would start right up the next day, then stall after a moment, starving for fuel. Pump the plunger, crank for a few seconds, and it would start again. Occasionally it happened several times in a row, but once the truck had been running for a few moments, it ran fine, and on the street it was OK. I had the filter replaced again (with a genuine Mitsu filter this time,) and it seems OK, but then the other day it happened again. Could the problem be something other than the filter/plunger mechanism? Could there be air in the lines, or sediment/crap somewhere else?

2. The passenger-window 'down' button on the driver's door control switch assembly broke. I can put the window up from the passenger's door, but I must use a key as a lever on the switch in the driver's door unit to get the switch to put it down, and now that's not doing it either. Is there a way to 'jump out' the driver's side control, so that the passenger's switch operates it independently? The switch-block assembly under the driver's side armrest has a multi-wire plug on it, and I was thinking if I could just jump across a couple of them, it may be able to cut-out the driver's side control.

3. The horn is out. Can anyone tell me which fuse is the horn fuse? I see the fuse box under the hood, but the labeling is all worn off, and all the ones I've checked look OK.

There's a few more little things but I'll leave them for another post.

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like air in the lines to me, maybe you have a leak somewhere allowing the fuel to return to the tank when it's off.

Welcome to the wire

what your facing is a common problem with the 4m40 which is the front injection pump seal leaking diesel you can't see it leaking because its leaking into the oil you need to pull the pump and either change the seal your self or take it to a shop and have the seal replaced you can either have them do a full seal job or just the front seal which is the problem most of the time. When it gets really bad you will have to wait til the engine is warmed up or it will begin to stall and not wanna start untill cranking on it serveral times. best to get it done soon as possible the diesel getting in your oil will cause other problems.

Mitzybitz.com sells the front seals and they come with a instruction set to show you how to change it out i bought one i don't need it yet i bought it just to have it when it does go.

If you have a bad window switch i'd check local wreckers or even ebay and see if you can find a replacement, if you can't find the electric switches but find alot of trucks with matching interior maybe just get all the bits together and switch it over to manual crank windows most of the doors have the holes already drilled from the factory and switching over is pretty easy. doing bypass wiring leads to problems like melted wiring harnesses.

Lordtrunks, Wow! Thank you for the info. I am from Pittsburgh, but I live and work here in Thailand. There are no junkyards open to the public here that I've ever seen, especially up here in Khon Kaen (about the 4th largest city, in the NE part of the country). It's not like back home.

1. The info about the front injector pump sounds like it could be the problem, and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to explain it for me. I hate to take my truck to any of the shops here. The mechanics are not well trained at all, they do not know how to analyze a problem systematically. That's why this problem has gone unnoticed, and the attempted fix of replacing the fuel-filter is all they could come up with. One 'mechanic' suggested to me (after the second filter was replaced) that perhaps it's a problem with my valves....<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />


2. The switch unit is about $170 (equivalent), and I just don't have it, that's why I thought of doing it myself if possible by just jumping some wires, but I lack a wiring diagram.

Get to Bangkok. I was in 3 different major recycle "malls" LAST WEEK. You will need to search a little, but I found everything I was looking for. Gen 1 & 2 and Diesel Pickup (especially pickups!) parts are a plenty in Thailand. Check in order: "Bang Na" area. Near MBK and about 45 minutes out past the old airport. Sorry I can't give more specifics, friend was driving.

Lordtrunks,
Are you talking about the 'O'-ring seal that is between the injector pump and the body of the engine? I brought up an exploded view of the engine and assemblies, (http://free-mitsubishi-manuals.blogspot.com/2011/05/mitsubishi-4m40-engine-workshop-service.html) and it shows this pump with such an 'O'-ring. I'm not sure I can do the repair myself, it looks a little detailed and I have no tools except for a basic (and cheap) socket set, some wrenches, and misc handtools. (Tools sold here are made in Taiwan, China, Indonesia, the Phillipines etc and are basically junk. Quality tools from the states or Germany are way out of my price range due to import duties and taxes).
Also, I'm hoping the engine hasn't been changed much since 2000 (my year) to this one in the manual. I'm going to print this manual, it may come in handy in future, but for now I'm dreading the prospect of spending the money and facing the uncertainty of having it serviced by a local Mitsu dealer. But thanks again for your info. At least when I go into the shop I can tell them 'just do this' and hopefully it will be done in a manner approaching correctly.



plh,

Thanks for the info. When I lived in BKK, (for about 7 years) I never needed to check into a part from a junkyard, hence I had no knowledge of where they might be. I'd like to get back down there, but the problem is one of time and $. I've got to get this fuel-pump fixed first, then maybe I can drive down there. I haven't been back there in almost 4 years, I luckily moved up here about a year before the big flood of several years ago. But thanks for the tips.
BTW, I saw your post about having been in BKK for a week, and wondered where you'd found the yards. Glad to know there's some there. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Pretty easy to find. Google: "Siang Gong" or "Chieng Kong" - Thai or Chinese Thai words for auto recyclers.

the seal i'm talking about is on the nose of the injection pump.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PAJERO-SHOGUN-L2...=item58926c23a8

Sorry...I posted this before I noticed your link to the pic of the injector-pump seal. I still haven't gotten it fixed due to low finances but I was planning on doing it at the end of this month (hopefully...the wife's selling some cassava crop, and we'll be flush for a week or two.

Thanks for taking the time to post the pic.

Rocker Would you please take a bunch of pictures for us. We would absolutely LOVE to see the scenery there. Countryside, cities, street food vendors, vehicles, Mitsubishis, etc! I'd seriously enjoy seeing it all.

Hands down best fried chicken I've ever had.

Thailand is excellent. I've been there 15 times since Oct. 2010 for at least a week each trip for work. Was there last end of March '14, can't wait until June (next trip). Absolutely love the country.

LandRaider,


I'd be happy to. I'll be moving back down to Bangkok soon, (new job starting next month) and I'll take some for you and all. I'll have to post them on one of the forum's threads abut general living, etc. but I'll get them on there soon. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Yes, there is some tasty food to be had at the roadside vendors, but one must be careful, as some of them are not overly concerned with sanitation, and by the end of the day may be selling food that has been exposed to an entire day of roadside smog and dust.
It's an interesting and enjoyable country to visit, but living here (12+ years now) poses a lot of 'challenges'.
Maybe I can catch you on your next trip. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I arrive in BKK on Wednesday July 16th (2 days from now) In Taiwan now. Paul

Hey, Lordtrunks,

This is Rocker, and you helped me with a problem about my 2000 Strada with a 4M4O engine about 8 months ago. Sorry to bother you again after all this time, but I've finally gotten relocated down here to Bangkok, and I'm trying to get that front seal on the fuel-injector pump fixed. The problem here is that (and I'm not being culturally insulting) the Thais are not taught analytical thinking, and have no clue how to diagnose other than the shotgun approach.
I've tried explaining the problem, through a very competent translator, but they still insist that I'm not correct, because the exploded drawing of the fuel-injector pump shows no seal such as the one in the picture you were kind enough to send/post (from Mitzibitz).

I have a copy of the service manual for this engine on HDD, and printed out the page with the injector pump (page 90) , and all it shows is an O-ring. Is this seal located behind the gear whose edge is visible on the drawing? That would explain why it cannot be seen.

The truck is getting much harder to start, usually requiring three tries until it will run long enough to smooth out and idle, and even then the idle seems low. I only ask because if I put it into a shop here, there's no guarantee what will happen, and I don't want to lose the truck for weeks, then get hit with a mega-bill because the mechanics didn't know what to do except start replacing parts until it works better. I'm attaching a pic of the page from the manual that shows the pump.

Once the truck settles down, it runs OK, so the fuel-pump itself is probably OK, right? Should I also replace that pump-topped canister fuel-filter on the firewall? If I just replace the whole fuel-injector pump, that new bearing will already be installed on it, and not have to be ordered as a separate part, correct?

Thanks again

Short stop at customer in Bangkok last week again. Left on Nov. 16th. Missed you one more time. Probably there in Jan or Feb '15 for roughly a week. Didn't get to any auto recyclers this trip unfortunately.

Here man this dude did a write up on changing it like the old saying goes pictures are worth a thousand words if take these pictures and show them to mechanics hell print out the write up and take it to them.

http://www.mdocuk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=26178

Lordtrunks, thanks a million. I will print these out and then try to find a competent shop here in BKK. You wouldn't believe the #$%^&* that passes for mechanics here. the shop I've gone to so far (just moved here again) couldn't even get a part number & price for the pump. It's like they don't understand their own parts listings. They told me to write a letter to Mitsubishi telling what the truck was doing and then wait for Mitsu to respond. They can't believe that anyone who is not a mechanic at their shop could possibly know anything about their vehicles, so when I explained what I'd been told the problem was, they simply blow it off. I'll keep trying and let you know.

Thanks again.

Hard to believe it's been this long, and the truck finally gave out. It was getting harder and harder to get to warm up, me standing there working the pump on top of the filter for about 10-15 minutes before it would run without stalling. Finally a few weeks ago, it died in gear on the highway, and I had to have it towed home.
Hopefully good news: I found a shop that is supposed to be Bosch 'certified' and can supposedly fix the problem. They're going to rebuild the pump, and I'm trying to make sure I email all the pics I have of the new seal and a couple of the pics of the seal-replacement procedure that lordtrunks attached. The trick is to get this cat to answer his phone. I've met him ,and he seems cool, but he and his shop are apparently quite busy. The logistics of this will be hard. I have to have the truck towed to his shop, as I don't want to have it die on me again on the highway. But, I'll try and get this done and let you know the outcome. Shame I won't be able to hang around and watch and take pics.