1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport

WE EXPERIENCED A SMALL SLEET/FREEZING RAIN EVENT. I TURNED ON THE FRONT WIPERS FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND BECAUSE I REALIZED THE BLADES WERE FROZEN. I PROCEEDED TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD AND WARM UP THE VEHICLE. AFTER WARMING UP THE VEHICLE THE WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK; THE 15 AMP FUSE HAD NOT BLOWN; AND I COULD NOT FIND A WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER (I PURCHASED THE SERVICE MANUALS WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE). TO MY AMAZEMENT THIS IS WHAT IS STATED IN THE VEHICHLE OWNER'S MANUAL "BEFORE OPERATIONG THE WIPERS IN COLD WEATHER, CHECK TO BE SURE THE WIPERS ARE NOT FROZEN (GOOD ADVICE).ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE WHILE THE BLADES ARE FROZEN COULD CASUE THE WIPER MOTER TO BURN OUT". THE NEXT STATEMENT GOES ON TO SAY THIS "IF THE MOVING WIPERS BECOME BLOCKED BY ICE OR OTHER DEPOSITS ON THE GLASS THE MOTOR MAY BURN OUT EVEN IF THE WITHER SWITCH IS AT OFF." THE MOTOR MAY BURN OUT JUST WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST; THE FUSE DOES NOT PROTECT THE WIPER MOTOR (IT DID NOT); AND THERE IS NO CIRCUIT BREAKER TO PROTECT THE MOTOR EVEN THOUGH THERE IS ONE IN THE SCHEMATIC IN THE SERVICE MANUAL. THE MOTOR DID BURN OUT WITHIN THE FRACTION OF A SECOND. I CALLED SEVERAL DIFFERENT MITSUBISHI DEARLERSHIPS AND THEY ALL TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND THEY HAD REPLACED NUMEROUS WIPER MOTORS. NOW THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. WHAT IS WRONG IS THAT ANYONE WHO HAS AN INKLING OF BASIC ELECTRONICS COMPRHENDS THE PURPOSE AND USES FOR FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THESE DEVICES ARE UTILIZED TO PROTECT IMPORTANT ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THERE IS AN INVISIBLE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THE REPAIR MANUAL AND A 15 AMP FUSE THAT DID NOT OPEN AND THERE IS A WIPER MOTOR THAT WILL BURN OUT EVEN WITH THE WIPER SWITCH IS OFF. I HAVE WORK WITH SEVERAL WELL TRAINED MECHANICS FOR MANY YEARS AND THERE WAS A SAYING WHEN WE FOUND IGNORANT MISTAKES MADE BY U.S. MANUFACTURERES. THE QUOTE WAS "BUILT IN DETROIT (JAPAN)BY IDIOTS". THIS IS MY SUMMARY STATEMENT REGARDING THE WIPER MOTOR IN THIS VEHICLE. *CN

I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 MONTERO SPORT AND LOST POWER STEERING IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY. MY BELTS BROKE WHICH I HAD TO GET A WRECKER TO TOW MY VEHICLE GET IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE CALLS BACK WITH YOU HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE REASON THE BELTS JUMPED OFF WAS THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY CAME LOOSE AND SCREWED THE HARMONIC BALANCE AND OTHER THINGS UP. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED AND I KNOW THIS WAS A RECALL ON THE 1998'S BUT I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED SO I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WAS TAKEN IN FOR THE RECALL AND NOW MY MECHANIC SAYS SOMETIMES REPAIRING THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS HOLD SO HE WOULD NOT WARRANTY MY 800.00 OF DAMAGE. HE DID SAY THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH MITSUBISHI VEHICLES IN THE DESIGN AND I WAS LUCKY IT DID NOT SCREW THE MOTOR UP. VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE ON THE ROADS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE LOST THE ABILITY TO MOVE AND THERE WAS A SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE PULLEY WAS BROKEN. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE CONCERNING THE BOLTS IN THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY. THERE WAS ALSO A RECALL FOR THE ENGINE, NHTSA # 00V311001. THE VIN IS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. BUT THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT APPROVE THE RECALL PERFORMANCE BECAUSE THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP.

DURING MY DRIVE TO WORK AT ESM MARKETING, I WAS DRIVING ON I95 IN BROWARD COUNTY FLORIDA, AND GOT OFF ON CYPRESS CREEK ROAD AND I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND WHEN I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL, THE WHEELS DID NOT MOVE. THE FRONT END OF THE STEERING LEFT ME UNBLE TO CONTROL OR MANIPULATE MY VEHICLE. I LANDED ON A MEDIAN STRIP, MAGICALLY BACK OUT OF THE MEDIAN AND MADE MY WAY TO A SHELL GAS STATION. I HAD THE GENTLEMEN LOOK AT THE CAR AND HE STATED TO ME THAT "YOU MUST HAVE A GUARDIAN ANGEL CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SUVIVED THE STOP". I HAD MY MECHANIC COME TO MY CAR AND REPAIR THIS DAMAGE AND HE STATED THAT SAME THING. " IN ALL THE 16 YEARS AS A MECHANIC HE NEVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. HE REPAIR THE FRONT END. APPARENTLY, THE MITSUBISHI FRONT END STREERING WHEEL PART WHERE THE PART TWISTED INTO THE SLEEVE OF THE FRONT END WAS STRIPPED. MY MECHANIC REPAIR THIS DAMAGE AND FIRST CHOICE IS THE MECHANIC THAT CAME TO MY RESCUE. MY MECHANIC REPAIRED THE DAMAGE AND TOLD ME THAT THE PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND THAT I SHOULD GET A REIMBURSEMENT ON THE INCIDENT. *AK