Why did you buy a Pajero iO?
What got you interested in the Pajero iO?
For me, I didn't even know they existed until i started doing research on the Kia sportage's a couple of years ago.
I found an article talking about baby "REAL" 4x4 ( Transfer case and low range ) and how they are not made anymore, there all soft roaders these days, the last of the "real" little 4x4 to die out were, along with a couple of others, the Kia and the Pajero iO.Brazil been the only place left in the wold that has "Real" 4x4 left with the TR4 (Pajero iO) still been made today.
As a life long Mitsubishi fan, ever since my dad turbo charged a 4 door 1976 GD Galant when i was about 10 years old. Going on to own (and still own) a 1974 and 1976 2 door Galant Coupe, 350kw at the wheels in one of them, and having owned in the past a Lancer GSR with VR4 2ltr conversion, Delica, and my wife's 2002 lancer. I did some research and that was that, Pajero iO it was! It had everything i wanted for a little toy 4x4 project.
The rest, is future history :) As will be shown in my build thread.
I was after a small 4wd to do
I was after a small 4wd to do a little off road work & as something different. I've got an MR2 as my fun car & thought it would be nice if my everyday car could do all the things it can't, such as scale mountains! I also like a vehicle with a slightly commercial, tough feel.
I was first looking at a Daihatsu Feroza & was about to buy it when the test drive alerted me to an unwell bottom end. The head had been done, but there was obviously more to do, so I walked away. Then I was checking out a 3 door Rav4, but the dealer gave me the run around. In frustration, I pulled out an old car mag I remembered that compared the Rav4 with the Honda HRV & something else. The something else was the io! So onto Carsales I go & came across the one I bought.
It had 175,000km, 2 owners & was in VGC with 12 months reg & RWC. In that was also new tyres & windscreen, plus they fixed the 4wd sensor. All up it was $6k, which I thought was excellent value.
I have been pleasantly surprised by people asking me "Is that the new one", which shows what good condition it's in & how rare they are. After all, if they were more common, people would be aware of the age of it.
I love the little thing, but my Mum is pushing me to sell it to her...If that happens, I'll most likely get a 2.0 ZR 3 door or a 2 door full size Pajero. That's if I don't end up putting a turbo on this one...
Sell it!
my Mum is pushing me to sell it to her...If that happens, I'll most likely get a 2.0 ZR 3 door or a 2 door full size Pajero. That's if I don't end up putting a turbo on this one...
Perfect!!! charge her good dollar and go the ZR :), Or ill sell her mine and do it :) only 125k on the OD
My previous 4x4 was a 200tdi
My previous 4x4 was a 200tdi landrover discovery, which as a family we all loved to bits, but as my wife has a disibility she could struggle getting in and out and using the clutch which was quite heavy for her.
Our main car is a skoda roomster which gets us everywhere we want to go with all the stuff we could ever need (it is a simply brilliant car) so for a 4x4 we thought we would look for something which would fit us three and our three dogs, has low box and relatively economical.
The one thing that the roomster is no good at on the road is snowy conditions, so up here in the north of scotland its more than handy to have a 4x4,our hobby of shooting and gundogs does take us offroad from time to time, plus we enjoy going to our local 4x4 course and charity green lane events.
So far so good, had to make suspension and tyre changes to improve ground clearance, but delighted with it even though I am really a fan of diesel power.
Love at first drive
Fielies actually bought one first and invited me to one of his 4x4 clubs events. Once I saw what the IO could do, I was hooked. A month later, mine was parked in the gargage.
I bought her in Cape Town, so had to fly there, pay and drive it back up to Joburg (1440km). She had her fair share issues in the beginning but most of it is sorted out now.
Being in the CFA it was time
Being in the CFA it was time for me to upgrade to a 4x4. naturally after driving an outlander i wanted another mitsubishi, one with high and low range, but still economical to run...
Alsdo with certain safety requirements that i had to meet from my mum, as i still hasve to drive my sisters around, i was looking around for a small 4x4 with high and low range. Initially the suzukis came to mind, i was looking at a sierra, but was too old for mum. This led me to the jimny...to slow and small... this led me to the vitara and grand vitara. Vitara was again too old...it also led me to the daihatsu feroza, but i never have or probly never will trust the dihatsus...and so along came the Grand Vitara... met all the requirements and looked like they had me sold, then i remember seeing the infamous maroon iO driving around town in ballarat. so i looked it up on carsales. found a few good ones.
So as it turned out it was between the GV and the iO... initially i was leaning more towards the GV. but couldnt find one that i liked, and the pre-2004 models are pretty ugly imo. So after reading some reviews and comparing the two against eachother, it turned into a 50-50 decision. So onto carsales it was and i was looking for a post 2000 vehicle. it was again another requirement from mum, the car had to be post-2000. So looking through carsales i came across 2005 and onwards GVs but were too expensive and i still didnt really like the look of them.
And along came the iO looking like the hero of the day. Owning and driving mitsubishi in the past i had full confidence and trust in the iO and with the same super select 4wd sytem as its bigger brother of which my parents used to own and my girlfriens dad owns, i knew it was a good sytem. So there i was on carsales again looking for a zr iO. preferably a 2002 model as it had the 2.0l in it. and the 1 month later i applied for a loan and 2 weeks afetr that i picked it up.
a White 2002 3dr 2.0l ZR. Completely stock and loving it. Just need to get some bigger tyres and suspension lift and then im hitting the dirt. been out to creswick a couple of times but nothing serious...
Hey there all, First post
Hey there all,
First post here, just want to say that it's great that there is finally a iO forum around.
Reason I got the iO, well, I'm a South African, living in Scotland but working in Botswana, bought the iO in Botswana (grey market import)to have a small car that I could also take offroad on weekends.
Here in Botswana there are tons of grey market imports around with a fair share of these great little cars running around, though no where near as many as the toyota rav4 that are commen here.
Hey all. Not long joined and
Hey all.
Not long joined and glad to have found this site.
Will be picking up my 1999 IO in the next few days.
LWB 1.8 litre manual white.
Has a ratteling sound in engine and keen to find out what it is.
Reading some posts on this site indicate problem somewhere in ignition rather than bearings.
Also clutch master cylinder is full of fluid, well over full mark.
Engaging clutch in second with handbrake applied and engine will stall without any slippage.
Had a quick look underneath and only problem that stands out is the exhaust pipes are covered in surface rust.
Also both front seat mounting bolts (floor) covered in rust.
Can assume vehicle has been in salt water and left ?
Car is unregistered and has been sitting for a few months so maybe this has something to do with it.
Lastly, in back at 12 volt accessories socket there is a short lead coming from panel with a platic socket like what you would plug into your old elec kettle.
I wonder if there is an inverter tucked away somewhere.
Hey Claude Have to get pernit
Hey Claude
Have to get pernit from Vic Roads to drive IO home some time this week.
60 Ks from there to home so should be able to get a feel for what is wrong.
Been driving NH Pajero 93 3 litre manual for last 4 years and thinking about up dating.
Came across an IO 99 manual for $500 and thought Id take a look.
Did some research on internet to find out more about this model.
Not alot of info and it seems even less in the way of spare parts.
Spoke to a couple of mitsubishi wreckers for engine, just in case , and some of these guys hadnt heard of an IO.
Got onto mitsu website and found list of engines and models they were used in so spare parts will be easier to track down.
Spoke to China and can get new 1.8 litre engine shipped over for $3,500 US.
Location is 60 kilometres Melbourne side of Ballarat
Cheers
Phil
Noise in engine found and fixed
Read the on line repair manual that was supplied somewhere else on this site.
To get to sump have to dis connect clamp just above steering box.
Undo bolts holding control arm and drop down, look out for hydraulic hoses behind.
Undo front axle to move for access.
Undo bottom sump ???
Mine has a 1 piece sump, not 2 so am guessing is a replacement sump from a different model car with same engine.
Remove aluminium bracket between engine and bell housing.Could have been steel, anyone know why alum,to help with heat dissipitation ???
Undo sump bolts and drop down. Oil pick up in the way so guess this is why supposed to have 2 piece sump ???
Drop sump as low as possible and undo oil pick up, drop into sump.
With a bit of jiggeling around, sump slides down and clear of engine.
Check oil in sump and problem clear.Bearing Metal debris in oil.
Check conrod bearing caps for tightness on all 4 caps. Cannot get torque wrench in easily but this is more about sameness of torque.
Socket and T bar to check tightness as ratchet should never be used for torqueing. Torque wrench ratchet type are designed for torque, standard ratchets
will shit themselves in a short time as they are designed for light duty only.
All cap bolts differing in tension.Number 4 caps very loose.
Mark all caps and nuts for proper refitting. Disassemble and have a look at conrod bearings.
No 1 beautiful. No 2 and 3 slight wear and number 4 mangled. Flattened in middle and sharp from wear.
Clean up bearings and see they have been replaced as not genuine and also 1000 oversize.
Working under vehicle on ramps is a pain so have to feel crank journals for wear and move around a lot to glimpse through parts of under body.
Sit down with coffee and cigarette and think about next step.
1.Cap bolts differing tension - not torqued properly
2.Bearings non genuine and over size.
3.Is it possible number 4 crank journal is oval ?
Decide to take a punt and replace bearings only. Crank is harder than bearings so assume no damage to crank.
Different tension on cap nuts so assume last engine doctor did a lousey job.
Order new bearings same oversize @ $65.00 AU
As still working under vehicle, had to put new bearing shells in top of conrod and slowly ease into place using bottom bearing cap with shell properly seated.
Pull bottom cap off again and visualy chech top cap has seated properly.Allow 3 hours as prick of a job.Bearings have to seat properly or waste of time.
Finger tight all cap nuts then torque to 20 NM.This feels like the same torque when i was undoing caps to begin with.
Repair manual says torque to 20 NM then tighten a further 90 to 100 degrees.
Coffee and cigarette time.
Getting torque wrench in to tighten to 20 NM was hard enough, how to know for sure the extra 90 degrees.
Another cigarette and coffee.OK circle has 360 degrees.Nut has 6 sides.360 divided by 6 is 60 plus a half flat is 30 total 90 degrees.
Get back under and mark conrod above edge of nut. Mark nut on flat so I know where to end up.Tighten nut past next corner of nut and reposition socket.
Tighten the nut a little further so my top mark lines up with the centre of the flat that I marked.Do same process with each nut.
I noticed each nut was in the same position relative to the conrod as each was finished so am confident this is good.
Clean out oil pick up and sump.Hold oil pick up in place and tighten a couple of threads.This will allow tube to move as I struggle to get sump back in.
Drop sump as low as possible and put other bolt in and tighten.Make sure gasket is in place properly.
New oil filter and new oil.Cigarette and coffee.
This is it.
Started the engine and let tick over on idle till warmed up.
Rev the engine slowly increasing to 2500 rpm.This is where the engine started knocking when I first got her.
All smoothe and beautiful so the sterring and axle can be put back together. Noticed fluid leaking from clutch slave cylinder boot so replaced slave cylinder @$75 AU
Test drove the car and took for roadworthy. Got to tighten rear brakes, clean top of engine and replace rocker cover gasket.
Headlights have to be polished as plastic has faded.
Will get sorted and booked in for registration in 4 days time.Then i will drive it 1000 km and check the oil again.
This is the suck it and see method of repair.
i am assuming that whoever replaced the bearings before me did not tighten the caps properly and that was the problem.
I guess I will know in a couple of weeks whether this has been a pass or fail.
I had a vague notion of the
I had a vague notion of the Pinin's existence since its inception because of the TV ads Mitsubishi Germany had placed back when. Those with that really annoying speaker (sounded like the one who did the German dubbing for Captain Picard on Enterprise TNG) and the little Pinins released into the wild from cages like animals. I had no idea why it was called 'Pinin' then; I suspected it was probably a word for something exotic in an African language, which made the whole car suspect to me.
I was not enthusiastic about it then.
I have been wanting an off-road car for some time though. My top favourite would be a Bandeirante, which is a Brazilian Toyota Land Cruiser which for some time could be had with a fucking big Mercedes 4-cylinder Diesel lorry engine. My kind of car exactly. Too much effort and WAY too much expense running one of those in Germany though. We not only have that ridiculous road tax penalty on Diesels but also some ridiculous laws against micro-particulate emissions.
Similar reasons make it a real effort and a rather expensive hobby to run a J7 Land Cruiser Diesel. And there are hardly any petrol ones to be had. And for the price of a very decent Pinin, you only get completely worn-out, abused, rusty shitboxes in a Land Cruiser.
I was toying with the idea of a Jeep Cherokee for some time, the styling is nice. Hefty road tax in a petrol though, due to the huge (for Germany) displacement. Not really fun with the smaller engine, rust-prone and usually either insanely modified or with a leather interior reminiscent of New Orleans tourist brothels. Similar considerations turned me away from Ford Explorer and the like.
Also, there is the problem of parking space where I live. The car should ideally not be much longer than 4.3 meters. Everything that sticks out any further is in the trajectory of my stupid idiot sister when it is stashed away in my customary parking spot. And that is a bad place to be. For a car, mind. The bitch'd never run over an animal or some such.
Spent some time in the USA. Drove several Dodge RAM pick-ups, did NOT toy with the idea of driving any of THOSE in Germany, with its narrow roads and prices of more than €1.50 per LITRE of petrol, two thirds of which is taxes.
Nissan Terrano II / Ford Maverick seemed a bit soft and the 4WD not sufficiently capable. Toyed with the idea of a Suzuki Samurai. A LOT. It is not only very cute but also a hugely capable off-roader. The small size means easy handling, you can easily lift those axles on your own. Huge market of custom parts. You can put on a complete plastic body and never have to worry about rust again. The convertible even has a folding windscreen, one of the last ones available. You can drive it without doors if you want to. Few other cars can get this open.
That plastic body is not cheap though, and otherwise there is that huge rust problem, and the prices are too high for what the car is. And it is hugely uncomfortable on the road. You'd not only need OME springs but also sprung seats for any kind of longer drives to get not altogether too annoyiong. And it is a bit small.
Toyed with Jeep Wrangler (drawbacks a mixture of Samurai and Cherokee), toyed with Jimny (HUGELY tempting), Vitara (most engines not durable enough, rust) and Grand Vitara (FT/GT too ugly, NGV too expensive), basically toyed with everything else. Long story short:
Pinin is the Goldilocks 4WD.
Also I love the styling. Some idiot journos have called it dated and boring. I call it timeless and contemporary.
.
Syndicate
I didn't know much about
I didn't know much about 4x4ing before i bought the iO, it was actually my grandparents who left a 4x4 action mag at my house, i flipped through and immediately i was interested.
I wanted something economical (due to the magna v6 i owned previously) and looked around at a few 4x4's, the iO immediately caught my eye, it was the only economical, real 4x4 with a decent and comfortable interior. I liked the idea that it was only a limited sale in australia and not every second person owns one!
I wouldnt have anything else at the moment! and the limitations in mods just makes it more exciting, hasnt let me down yet!
Im looking forward to meeting up with other iO owners and doing some trips in the near future!