The owner of a 2007-11 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2008-11 Lancer or 2009-11 Lancer Sportback may come into your store with a complaint of sluggish engine performance on a restart about an hour after the vehicle was driven in a snow storm.
Mitsubishi says the drivability issue often be will accompanied by an illuminated check engine light, with one or more of the following trouble codes stored in the PCM: P0061A, P0068, P1235 and P1241.
One possible cause for the trouble is snow entering the air cleaner housing as the vehicle is being driven and then freezing on the air filter element. When the engine is shut down, underhood temperatures then cause the snow to melt and puddles to form at the lower portion of the air cleaner assembly.
On the restart, the water gets sucked passed the mass airflow sensor and into throttle body, which causes the drivability issue. The fix is to provide an escape path for the water by modifying the air cleaner housing seal.
Here's how to do it:
- Begin by removing the air cleaner cover, filter element and housing.
- Place the housing on a work bench, then turn it over to expose the lower seal.
- Following the illustrations, carefully lift the seal with a small screwdriver in the areas indicated.
- Now cut about ¾" from the seal with a single-edged razor blade to create a gap in which the water can escape.
- Clean the gap with a suitable solvent to remove any sealant.
- To complete the repair, reinstall the air cleaner housing, filter element and cover, then erase any trouble codes that may have stored in computer memory.
"Factory Fixes" is written by Jim DePalma, a 30-year veteran of the auto repair business who has served stints as a service manager, parts manager and ASE-certified technician. His column provides vehicle manufacturers' authentic factory technical service bulletins (TSBs) that have been condensed for easier reading. Mr. DePalma advises that techs always check with a dealer or repair information system for the latest revisions before starting to work on a vehicle. He can be reached via email at [email protected].