vk4kij io
Hi All,
I have just bought an iO, probably not the best vehicle I have bought, a bit more run down than I thought when I bought it, but hopefully it's within my means to fix her up.
I put a couple of pics up for it later, might not be to next week, very limited Internet access, only from work, cannot get it at home.
It's a 2001 3 door 2.0l, just standard.
So far the crank shaft seals, the cam shaft seal and the front diff have started leaking - was dry as a bone when I got it, the front crank and cam shaft seals have now been replaced, being the easiest.
I should of done more research into Pajero's, didn't realise the dashboard 4x4 lights were more than just for display, I found that 3 plugs on the transfer case had been unplugged, also found 2 vacuum hoses to engage the front wheels were broken. Anyhow replaced or plugged them all back in and now have pretty green lights on for 2 wheel drive, doesn't like 4 wheel drive as they just flash. I have read about some things to try and I have downloaded the manual, courtesy of Fielies.
I was underwhelmed by the fuel usage, started getting around the 15 litre per 100km mark, but since I played around with the 4 wheel drive stuff above, it now looks to be closer to 10 litre per 100km, I will know after I go from full tank to full tank.
Front wheel bearings have now also started to become noisy in my first week of driving to work and back, around 85km each day.
There's my story so far. This weekend, if the weather is bad, I will be able to investigate the 4 wheel drive stuff, otherwise I will be at work.
Ian.
Wheel bearings & flashing lights
Thanks Fordem.
I have been looking at the manual and found another plug unplugged, but it just made the lights flash all the time no matter what I did with the transfer gear, so I unplugged it again for the time being.
Wheel bearings.
The noise in the wheel bearings changed from being noticeable to very loud quite quickly one day while driving to work. Bad enough that I only drove the vehicle home and borrowed another to go back to work.
With some effort, and supplied twice with the wrong bearing, the vehicle now rolls quietly enough I can listen to the stereo again.
Next, the dashboard 4x4 lights.
Both vacuum solenoids where full of dirt, my guess being that when the two vacuum hoses that I had already found and replaced were broken when the vehicle was playing 4wd in the mud, vacuum being what it is, or isn't really, sucked muddy water up into the vacuum system.
Cleaned the solenoids out, worked okay, but by the next day they were not working again. Time to replace them.
Went to Mitsubishi to find out the damage - $282.80 for the pair...ouch!
Bought some after market ones, hopefully fit them this weekend.
Will need to check the whole vacuum system, probably find more dirt in the metal lines as well as the vacuum tank :(
Still no pics, it's blue though.
Ian.
Nice work so far
Good job so far. Have you got the details/ part numbers/ suppliers of all of these parts which you've replaced? It would be great if you could post them on here to help out others who might have the same problems.
Where in the world are you?
Good luck with the rest of your work :)
Vacuum lines.
Still trying to get the free wheel mechanism working.
Removed all the vacuum lines associated with, including the metal piping.
Found two of the pipes blocked, and a couple others had restricted air flow.
Unblocked the metals pipes by soaking and jamming copper wire down them, and replaced all the rubber hoses.
Replaced the two vacuum solenoids, still not working.
Tested the free wheel diaphram by putting vacuum directly to it, no problem at all.
Left it for a week, decided I should test the new vacuum solenoids, they don't do anything.
Back to the shop, they need to "evaluate" them before replacing them, and that will take a week.
Getting close.
Ian.
Have you checked the switch on the transfer case yet?
That is actually a very simple system - operated by a single switch on the transfer case - there are (going from memory here) two other switches, one on the transfer case and the other on the axle, whose sole purpose is to control the dashboard display - to tell you when it's not engaged, and run your blood pressure up.
Stop throwing parts at it, the details are in the manual in the respurce section ...
1 - Are you getting vacuum to the solenoids?
2 - Are you getting power to the solenoids?
3 - Does the control switch work?
Yes, flashing dashboard lights contribute to my blood pressure:)
Thanks Fordem, I see what you are saying and I think I have been logical in fault finding, I have downloaded the manual and had a read before I started this.
1. Yes, there is vacuum to the solenoids.
2. Yes, there is power to the solenoids, power is supplied when 2wd is selected, no power when 4wd is selected (from memory).
3. Yes, but it may be intermittant.
The only parts so far, 1m of vacuum tube $4.95, 2x vacuum solenoids ~ $66, plus some connectors.
The original solenoids were literally full of dirt, I have been unable to clear them so far, I cannot blow through them, so I bought 2 new ones, unfortunately they are broken (they are not switching the vacuum), the shop showed me another new one which worked unlike the 2 they had already supplied.
I have tested all the solenoids by putting 12v directly to them from the battery and testing where the air flows through them with the power on or off.
With the 2 new ones I made up a lead and demonstrated in the shop that they were broken by blowing through an air hose and nothing would change, with or without, power. They then connected up another new they had in the back and it performed as I thought it would with the air being directed depending on power being applied, or not.
I have also found that the ECU, under the drivers seat, was full of dried mud.
I think the main issue I have is that there are multiple faults and I did not know the history of the vehicle.
Ian.
Check out my build thread
I once drowned my 4x4 selector ECU, and had flashing lights and locked centre diff for a little while. The roadside assistance guy swapped the vacuum lines so that I could drive home without wearing out my driveline, but could not use 4x4 until it was fixed.
After searching for a replacement ECU, I found that normal pajeros had the same one, but after allowing my ECU to dry out and brushing it clean with an old toothbrush, I plugged it back in, fixed the vacuum lines and everything has worked ever since.
I also mounted my ECU a bit higher so that in the same water inundation I had (just seeping in through the bottom of the doors - bogged for about 1 hour), the ecu would have remained dry.
http://www.pajerio.com/forum/natsterrrs-io
So let me see if I understand you
You're presently waiting on the shop to replace the not working solenoids - is that about right?
And don't worry about the ECU under the driver's seat yet - all that does is control the fancy display - the free wheel will still engage without it, but you have no way of knowing that unless you get under the vehicle or ge tstuck.
I'm still not convinced
Fordem, with all due respect, and you do have a wealth of knowledge, are you sure there isn't a signal from the switches sent to the indicator ECU which then goes to the free-wheeling clutch or the centre diff lock?
The time I got stuck, the problem was resolved when this ECU was cleaned out. I've also heard that free wheeling clutches have worn out on other vehicles when being driven around with the lights flashing on the dashboard.
Correct me if I'm wrong (politely please), but here is my experience:
The problem I had was that when in 2 wheel drive on the transfer case lever, I had lights flashing (centre diff light from memory) and heavy steering on the road (heavier than if I were driving with 'all wheel drive' - unlocked 4wd - selected on the road). This could only be the case if my front freewheel was still engaged and the centre diff lock was also engaged, even though only the rear wheels were being driven.
The roadside assist used the vacuum lines to disengage the free wheeling clutch, which solved the heavy steering issue, though I still had the centre diff light flashing for the next several days.
All that I did after this was wash the carpets, clean the indicator ECU, and then re-attach the vacuum lines in the correct configuration, and everything worked again.
So it is my theory that when you move the transfer lever to the 'lock' position, it moves a switch which sends or cuts a signal to the ECU, which sends a signal to the centre diff lock solenoid/actuator, which then sends a signal back to the ECU when it engages. This is why the dash light may flash before it engages properly. Is it not possible for there to be a short in this ECU which will send a signal to engage the centre diff lock even when the transfer case selector is not in the 'centre diff lock' position?
As I say, this is just my experience, and I'm just trying to help others out. I was very impressed with how robust the electronics were to be fully submerged, mud encrusted and malfunctioning, and then work fine again after being dried out and cleaned.
You don't have to take my word for it.
There are electrical schematics in the resource section - I have gone over those drawings as they relate to the automatic transmission and 4WD (transfer case switches, front differential, super select ECU & display) - I did this because the wiring loom on my car was damaged, I suspect by a dog, prior to my acquiring the vehicle - I spent the better part of two days unwrapping, matching wire colors and pin numbers against the diagrams, splicing, heat shrinking & then rewrapping the loom to get my 4WD fully functional - the ECU controls the display, nothing more.
You don't have to take my word for it - look at the drawings and then get under your car and verify it for yourself.
Oh - there is no center differential - there is a viscous coupling unit - which can be locked, and that lock is 100% mechanical, no vacuum and the only electric is the two switches, one that detects when the lever is moved, and the other that detects when the lock hub engages - if those switches don't both say "engaged" or "disengaged" - the lock light flashes
The resource section also contains transmission manuals which show the transfer case mechanisms - I've also spent several hours going over these - feel free to do the same.
It is near thing now
Okay, it was a couple of weeks ago (having no internet), but the vacuum solenoids were replaced by the shop, tested them both before installation, now the free wheel mechanism works as it should - very happy.
It looks like the mud in the ECU contributed nothing to the problems anyhow.
My last thing is the centre diff lock led is flashing, I checked the switch on the transfer case with a multimeter and it never closes contact fully, gets down to about 600 ohms, but I understand that this is just an indicator, and not electrically driven, so I just need to check if it mechanically works, hopefully this weekend.
Ian.
Yes - the center lock is mechanically engaged.
Is the center lock light flashing in 2H/4H or only when you select a center locked position?
If the light flashes only in a locked position, I'd suspect a defective switch or possibly a broken wire, if it's flashing in a "non-locked" position that would be a either a short or possibly a problem in the transfer case.
The centre diff lock led only
The centre diff lock led only flashes when in 4wd.
Orignally, before I pulled it out of the transfer case, it would flicker, very quickly, in 2wd and was solid on when in 4wd.
I suspect it's just a defective switch, if I earth the cable the led lights up.
What's a good way of testing whether the centre diff is locked, or not?
I tried jacking all 4 wheels off the ground at once and rotating them by hand, but that didn't tell me anything except 2wd or 4wd.
Ian.
Long time since my last post...
Actually I received an e-mail today from Bob_Oz if I still had my iO and did I fix it. Thanks Bob, I didn't realise how long since I had posted anything. I usually have a quick read when I have time to keep up on ideas.
Well I do still have my iO and I still like it.
Things done so far:
Changed the oil in everything, who knows when it was last done.
Made up a bash plate out of a star picket and some 1mm steel sheet I had around, it has taken some hits.
Joined a 4x4 club local to me. They have never seen an iO before, so I am educating them on what it can do.
Replaced the transfer lever bush.
Fitted an UHF 2 way radio.
Replaced the lower control arm.
Had to un-bend the transfer case cross member. To be fair it was already bent when I bought the vehicle, I just bent it a whole lot more. My mate had an 80t press, we used that to get it back to straight as much as we could, the press was starting to crush rather than straighten at the end, welded a length of angle iron to it.
Bought some rims and fitted some new tyres to them - Kumho tyres 225x75x16. Only touches on full lock, but then the old tyres did a bit as well, they were Maxxis 225x70x16. Haven't really tested the new tyres yet, went for a play last weekend and the iO keeps unlocking the front hubs, needs some investigation there but not for a couple of weeks unfortunately.
My to do list:
Still reading about the different ways to lift it.
Thinking about the transfer case mod.
Need to change the timing belt, don't know how old the current one is, but it looks okay.
The centre diff lock LED still flashes.
Horn button still doesn't work.
Put more on the to-do list.
Ian.
glad to hear you're still around!
good to hear your io is still going, the bent cross member appears to be a common one, once you get mud up inside it and not wash it clean it can weaken it but the angle iron sounds like a good fix.
Which 4x4 club have you joined? are they any good? are you still brisbane based?
Bent cross member
It looked more like it was clobbered around the drain hole area, the metal was indented at the drain hole. I suppose the drain hole makes it a weak spot. The cross bar itself did not appear to have any rust in it, but who knows if it was rusting from the inside out.
I tried Northcoast 4x4 at Yandina, purely because they were the closest 4x4 club to my home, and after I went on a few runs and camps with them I joined the club.
Are they any good? They seem like a good bunch of people, most of their vehicles are large, lifted, etc. (well compared with my iO), but they are happy for me to come along on most of the runs. They hosted the Qld 4x4 Corroboree at Imbil on the long weekend (5,6,& 7 October) so most of the runs I have been on with them was for that. It came down to if my iO could make it okay, the run was classed as medium, if I had some trouble but still made it the run was classed as difficult. Basically I had the most stock 4wd in the club.
Seeing a V8 powered Nissan Patrol with diff locks front and rear, huge tyres, lifted, crawl up a loose rocky track with no hesitation or slip at all, looks great. This was the same hill I did the cross member on, a Suzuki Jimny made it after several attempts, he did have a 2" lift and 31" mud tyres, and didn't mind putting the pedal to the metal to help it up as well.
Ian.
No locking hubs
the iO keeps unlocking the front hubs
Stock the iO does not have "lockable front hubs" and I doubt that they can be fitted without a major front suspension redesign.
There is a vacuum operated free wheel mechanism that attaches to the left side of the diff housing that achieves the same purpose as free wheel hubs and I believe the vacuum control system can be problematic, although in my case it has always "failed engaged", so locked rather than unlocked.
No locking hubs
Well I did actually mean the vacuum free mechanics, just didn't know what to call them at the time.
Up to this point I have only ever had the problem of it not un-engaging the front wheels, and usually when I try to go from 4wd to 2wd, this was happening while I was in 4wd and while I was driving (there would of been some stops while waiting for the vehicle ahead to clear an obstacle, but the motor was never turned off).
I will be investigating on the weekend after this one coming, unless the boss has different ideas.
Ian.
Are you getting flashing front wheel lights?
Do the green "front wheel" lights on the display flash when it happens? If the lights are going off and the drive dropping out I would suspect the transfercase switch and/or the related wiring - there is a switch that controls the two vacuum solenoids - if that switch remains closed and the actuator drops out for any reason, the lights should flash.
freewheeling clutch - stuck!
Hello i have an Au IO 4g94 2.0 manual 4dr h77. I have recently done rear main seal...and associated works now back on road having issues with locked/stiff/seized freewheeling clucth actator (the bit that ataches to the actuator. Had som issues over time with flashing lights but the system functioned so i never bothered with it...im no hard cor off roader but i do go bush a bit and like the beach.
If this thread is still active i would appreciate abit of input...
The car drives ok and seems quiet and such...ust when coming down from 80 k or higher i get a incfreasing wirting sound that increases to a gently increasing rubbing sound. not to loud yet, is on the drive line side as it is indiffernt to motor rpm and is relative to wheel speed. have pulled of the road as not wanting to do potentially do more damage till i understand its cause.
have removed actuator and found the pin the actuator moves is stuck pretty hard (in) position - as in the vacume actuator would be activly pulling the pin out, but it is pretty solid.
i am going to lube it abit and work it but anticipate i may have a freewheeling clutch issue...
any thoughts would be appreciated.
am from moreton bay, outer north, southeast queensland.
outer north SEQ
Hi Dan!
Fellow Moreton Bay SEQ IO owner here! But 2.0L auto 4g94 IO! I can point you in the direction of a super reputable pajero specialist mechanic at Lawnton if you want him to have a look and diagnose, does all the hard bits for me and a few of the big pajero forum guys. Would like to hear the noise you describe in person, can't say I've had anything similair but maybe my stupid loud exhaust covers it. Best of luck mate!
Having the free-wheel clutch stuck is not really an problem ...
In theory, there will be a slight increase in fuel consumption due to the increased drag and also increased wear on the front drive-train components, but that is only in theory - on this design, the free-wheel clutch disconnects the left axle shaft from the differential and the right axle shaft remains connected, so any time the vehicle is moving the right wheel turns the axle and all the gears in the differential continue to rotate with it.
Hundreds of thousands of part time 4WDs have been built with no free wheel option, many of those with free wheel options always have the front hubs locked and then there are those which are always in 4WD, and, European versions of the iO are AWD, the equivalent of having it always in 4H, which locks the freewheel engaged.
Yes... i have done a bit more
Yes... i have done a bit more of a competant review of my problem. I was reacting to a symptom (grinding noise)...have rresolved i had a partial vaccume leak. I suspect i have had just enough vaccume to activate the free wheeling clutch actuator...i think that in the throws of removing and refitting the gearbox and sump for said seal fitment i must have fractured the plastic vain/nipple on the back of the actuator causing the leak that was apparently not enough to cause an issue untill coming down from speed either vibration made the loss great enough that the actuator started to release the free wheeling clutch...and so trying to engauge at high ish speed...enter said wirring/light grinding sound (likly the spline on the freewheeling clutch bouncing - fluid gear oil was abit soiled but ok and a bit low. Have refilled the gear oil reservoir and repaired the actuator it all works again, well as well as it did before this moment. the freewheeling clutch mechanism is a bit stiff, likly from lack of use (my io sat idle for a few years in a sales yard wharehouse - allot of seals have just aged and have needed refreshing.
In review i guess i hate new and exciting sounds after doing works the grinding/wirrring met my WTF threshold while in a test drive mode after re-assembly.
Now i will hunt through the archive to finally sort the vacume plumbing and solenid set up - all componets do work, with possible exception of a wiring failure/breakage in the system somewhere, also have considered i may have pconnected the solenoids in the wrong order.
Syndicate
Welcome Ian
If you need help with the 4WD stuff just holler - it's fairly simple - once you figure it out - start by replacing the vacuum hoses and then verify that all the switches are working - the details are in the manual which you already have.