[Carstens]

Hi all!

I'm posting on behalf of my father who is interested in buying a 2004 pajero 3.2D-iD SWB with 130 000km. Its going for R150k and its got full service history and seems to be in good nick.

Just wanted to ask you guys what would one look for when buying a used pajero? Hes had an outlander for the past 8 years and he loves it but hes always loved these SWB pajeros so hes decided to upgrade.

From what I can see its the facelift version. It has the round fogs, traction control button instead of difflock and 4 airbags. Also it has the colour screen altimeter and white clocks.

I know a lot of common problems can be found somewhere on the forum but its nicer to get the conversation started and hear what people have experienced with their own pajeros

Thanks in advance guys! We going to test drive again tomorrow and if all goes well then it will be in the driveway on Friday!

Also we keeping the outlander, just expanding the Mitsu family!
(I'll be selling my Honda Accord and buying the outlander, I enjoy driving it too much on fishing trips to let it go )

[Carstens]

Anybody?

[MThompson]

Sorry for the late reply.

I'm not an expert but can give a few tips.
Check the 4x4 system, make sure everything works.
Full service history is important.

Hmmmm....gosh, I can't really think of something that is very common on the pajero's right now....except that it is a great vehicle. Will post if I can think of something else.

[andrew.ashton]

Hi Carstens,

We look forward to you / your dad joining us here. Here are a few checks for you. There will be others in other threads on this forum. Search is your friend.

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Open the engine oil filler cap and then with a mirror and torch check the state of the top timing chain guide. Sometimes the nylon wear part cracks and breaks off. That means that the chain gets worn and can break and also parts of the broken guide may be floating around in the engine - not good.

Also ensure that the engine:
1. Starts easily from cold
2. Idles evenly - no misfires or uneven speeding up / slowing down (turn the aircon off to do this check).
3. Idles quietly

Check the VIN number with Mitsubishi agent - ask them to check for major engine / gearbox work and collision work.
Find out if any injector or pump service work has been performed.

Check the vehicle under nighttime lighting - is often easiest to see any respray work.

Tyre and rim condition (including spare) / wear (even / uneven).

Kick the tyres (it is very satisfying).

Check the upholstery wear - does its condition look right vs age and mileage?

Drive it on the highway - should cruise easily at 120kph. Put it in cruise control and tackle the steepest highway hill you can find with it in cruise control at 120. Make sure that the temperature needle remains (typically) just below horizontal - it should not move above that.

Check under the vehicle - are the bash plates scuffed? Especially the front one (even ask them to take the front one off to check that the intercooler has not been damaged (they are susceptible to getting dings in the bottom so there is upward curvature of the bottom tube(s) after hitting rocks).

While you are there are there any oil leaks (engine, gearbox, transfer case, front diff, rear diff)? Are all the CV boots and steering boots undamaged?

Any signs of coolant leaks?
Is coolant a nice green or blue?

Check the autobox ATF fluid colour (should be a lovely cherry red, not a dirty brown, since it should have been changed at 120k km).

That's a start.

They are lovely vehicles to own and drive (I have LWB) if you find a good 'un.

[andrew.ashton]

Oh, and you can also look out for smoke (How much smoke? What colour?
) from the exhaust:

1. On start up
2. On restart
3. On your highway road test - especially uphill in 5th / uphill in 4th at 3000 rpm
4. Let it idle for 10 minutes then rev it.

[Carstens]

Thanks guys! I did check most of what you said but will take a look at the rest again tomorrow.

The dealership did a Dekra test on the vehicle and it only found the rear shocks to be leaking so they replaced them with new Monroe shocks.

Everything else seems fine, I must just check under the bashplate to see if theres any damage but other than that it all seems great!

It has full service history and I got a friend at Mitsubishi to run the vin and everything seems fine. 1 strange thing is that it was serviced ONCE at SAC and then again back at Mitsubishi and I cant for the life of me figure out why it went there once, it was around 125000km. Its definitely not chipped so I dont think he took it there for modifications.

[andrew.ashton]

...

It has full service history and I got a friend at Mitsubishi to run the vin and everything seems fine. 1 strange thing is that it was serviced ONCE at SAC and then again back at Mitsubishi and I cant for the life of me figure out why it went there once, it was around 125000km. Its definitely not chipped so I dont think he took it there for modifications.

Mmm, so it went to SAC at about 125k km.
What is the service interval on that model 7500km or 10000km?
Either way 125 000km is not a service point.
And then it was serviced again between about 125 000 and 130 000 at the dealers. Why two "services" so close (unless serviced by elapsed time which is rare these days)? Something is not right there because you say it is on about 130 000 km now?

Can your friend check the details of those last services?
Can you contact the previous owner and ask him?
Can you contact SAC and ask them?

Sorry, I just have a suspicious / inquiring mind.

[Carstens]

Sorry it wasnt 125000km it was 112500km, then the service at Mitsu was at 120000km, but it was definitely on 1 of the 7500km service intervals. So nothing overlapped, it was just a normal service but I dont know why the owner chose to go there once and then back to mitsubishi and then about 5000km after that he sold it.

But anyway, my dad informed me today that he paid for the car today and we going to collect it tomorrow! So hopefully everything will be fine!

I have great confidence in Mitsubishi as a brand so hopefully 130000km is nothing for this legendary motor.

Will double check everything again once we have the car, thanks again guys!

[andrew.ashton]

I have great confidence in Mitsubishi as a brand so hopefully 130000km is nothing for this legendary motor.

Congrats to you and your dad and welcome to the Pajero fraternity.

At 130000km it is not quite run in - just look here to see what they can achieve: TOP GUNS

[Carstens]

Thanks!
I had a look at that list of TOP GUNS, thats insane! Think I need to start looking for a pajero for myself

We did quite a few small things on the pajero today. Fixed all the missing clips, took the bullbar off, looked around properly underneath, fiddled with the interior a bit. Everything seems fine, nothing fishy that I could see.

2 questions:
1.) Is it normal that there is a small loom with a 2-way plug in the middle under the passengers seat?

2.) Has anyone ever replaced the tape deck with an aftermarket frontloader? and then what happens to the onboard display and 6 cd shuttle?
The tape deck is just very outdated but my dad doesnt want to lose the 6 cd shuttle.