RA Concern List!
 

So I just bought my new RA 2011 and these are the concerns that I have (1000K).

1. SST transmission life. I can hear the transmission is forcing too much. Would it last? How many 50K RA are out there with no problems.
2. Brake disk are already scratched (not smooth), worst on the rear.
3. Tail pipe already has burned oil tips. too much gas vs. combustion
4. Idle revolution unsteadiness (Cold start)

I test/drove 4 used RA before buying this one and all had the same problems.

Are they any recalls for 2,3,and 4?

Or what did you do to make it better?

IMO:
1- Wait and see
2- Change Disc and Pad?
3- Get a tune (btw, burned tip = black or .. superduper burn titaniu m :D)
4- Deal with it...

initial d2K- These are some serious concerns. Stop launching.

With all these concerns, you still bought the car?

Are you talking to yourself when u wrote "Stop launching"?

1. There are Borg Warner twin clutch transmissions with over 100k miles on them, and the original clutch packs, as they have been on the market from the old TT's for a long time, over here and even longer in Europe. Just like any part that sees wear, it's all about maintenance and abuse (and yes, modding = abuse). There are many GTIs and Jetta GLIs with well over 100k miles now as well, and every single one of those had gear whine from the start and much harsher shifting (when doing a 2->1 downshift) than the TC-SST.

2. Foreign material can score your rotors. This is not an RA-specific thing that can happen.

3. Everything nowadays runs rich for safety. My 08 GTI with the FSI motor put copious amounts of soot from running rich onto the tail pipes -- at least it hoses off on the RA. As mentioned, get a tune if you really want or just live with it.

4. Ya, I don't disagree that the revs bounce a bit, not just from a cold start (happens in traffic). It's not crippling and not concerning to me.

The real issue is people, and not just you OP, buying a car with bleeding edge tech and expecting a hiccup free experience like buying a vanilla civic when you're buying a tech showcase car that basically guarantees potential idiosyncrasies. I've come from the world of Euro vehicles where everything is basically a crapbucket, it may have a nice interior and solid build quality, but the gremlins in the electronics and mechanicals will drive you nuts.

Other than the breaks, none of what u mentioned are "problems". Just the car. My car, friends cars all do the same.

The car will last u a long time. Just takle car of her and she will take care of you.

He doesn't need to sit here and coddle you through your own personal concerns with this car. His answers were reasonable. Lighten up or leave.

1). I know several people who race their Ralliarts and have well over 50K on the transmission. The original fears were unfounded.

2). I make a Big Brake Upgrade that fixes that problem. It allows for a much beefier rotor to prevent fade and premature wear.

3). These cars don't come pig-rich from the factory, if that is what you are insinuating. If you would like a FREE custom tune, check out the GST Basemap thread and buy a boost pill upgrade.

4). Welcome to Mitsubishi. You can try the custom Basemap, to see if that helps. You can also have Urethane inserts installed in your front motor mount to help with the transmission and motor rock in first gear. Other than that, this is normal.

Please spend some time reading through the sticky threads at the top of each 09+ ralliart subforums if you intend to stick around. You will find a wealth of good information there.

I do have to wounder though if you test drove 4 ralliarts, and all gave you the same 4 concerns... why didn't you ask your question before you purchased one?

Up to you how long it lasts. Not sure what "forcing too much" even means

Normal. If you do not like non-smooth rotors, just stop using your brakes.

Normal for a turbocharged car. Rag, soap and water works pretty well for this.

Normal for the 4B11. If you do not want this (do not want) I'd advise to just still idle the car like a semi-truck.

No recalls because it's all normal.

See above. I'd imagine if you test drove 4 RA's and they all exhibited the same things, you would conclude it's normal. That's just silly ol' me though.

Before I bought the car I test drove two 2008 RA and a beat up 2009. All had the similar problem listed above. I thought by buying a new one the problem was going to be solve, but not. These are some serious concerns.

It's all normal, which is why all the RA's you test drove exhibited the same things. Which I believe is the same thing I said above.

How are these serious concerns? Did you not read all the feedback that everyone gave you? These are not issues, this is just par for the course. Rotors and pads wear down on every car. In its stock form, the car runs rich. This is why you are seeing unburnt fuel on the exhaust tips. Of the too extremes, running rich is preferred. Almost all forced induction cars will have this. You can check the fuel relays to make sure you are running the proper ones and it may fix this issue if you are seeing it.

Your car is fine. Just wait for the absurd tranny noises later on in the RA's life. If you're worried now, you'll be panicking later!

It gotta reiterate what has already been stated;
If why where they not researched PRIOR to purchase??? Seems kinda silly to buy something you are "seriously concerned" may be broken/defective/whatever....
-End Coddle-

Hi, and welcome to the interesting world of RA ownership! :)

I was in exactly the same boat as you when I first got my vehicle. I went back to the dealer three times in the first month, worried about the turbocharger whine, the brakes, the cooling fans, etc. etc.

So yeah, I'm a closet stress-head about such stuff. Don't tell anyone. ;)

The thing is, this vehicle's engine/drivetrain is not your average "tuned up for sporty version" style. Mitsubishi took an engine, transmission and AWD system from their high-performance Evo model and built it into a Lancer. You know all this, but it's worth saying...

- The engine is a rough, noisy pig when idling cold, when driven cold, when driven off-boost, etc. Its reason for being is going wide-open-throttle - and that's where it shines.

- The transmission clanks, clunks, whizzes and whines. Its reason for being is to deliver shifts that take 0.4 seconds, while allowing the throttle to remain wide-open. Again, it's all about the hard driving. When you start flipping through the gears on a spirited drive, it's in its element.

- The AWD drivetrain also whines and clunks. It's there so you can use the above two awesome (but noisy) items at full-noise on wet roads without losing traction.... and it does its job well.


To your specific issues...


It's not forced. Remember, it's brand new. Let it wear in, be nice to it for a while. It'll loosen up, but will never be smooth like a torque converter auto - and it'll never be quiet.

To make it last a long time, change the SST fluid and filter after 10,000km (or insert whatever you can afford here - it's expensive) to remove the wear-in stuff.

Your pads and rotors are brand new, and will be wearing in together. They take whatever shape they take - they won't stay mirror-smooth. Brakes are disposable items - rotors and pads.

Also, be aware that rear brakes do very little work. They will take a long time to wear in compared to the front pads/rotors.

Heaps of black soot? Yep. The factory tune runs richer than 10.0:1 at wide-open-throttle. The soot is just telling you it's a normal safety-oriented tune for a turbo car, designed to make the engine last, and avoid warranty work.


Pops and rev wobbles when cold? Yes, normal. Someone explained to me it runs different timing when cold in order to heat up quicker. And the fuel won't atomise as evenly when cold (or something).

To make it last, don't thrash it when cold. Drive it lightly until engine, trans, diffs, tyres are warm - then drive it hard.



Finally, if you're stressed about it, rely on the warranty. You'll have a good warranty from new. Modding the car with reflashes, boost pills, etc. may not be for you.

If you modify the RA, you can unlock its hidden performance benefits. But if a denied warranty claim for a $10,000 SST replacement will destroy you financially (or psychologically), don't go down that road in the first place.


Now go enjoy the new car!

Rich