Scotty, thank you for everything, watch your videos almost everyday!
I purchased a 2017 Lancer ES last year with 18k miles used for 10k that I use for deliveries.
I’ve reached 100k miles (I’d guesstimate 1/3rd are highway miles) since buying the car and I’ve tried to stick as close to the maintenance schedule as possible. Oil changed every 3-5k, transmission fluid changed every 35k and I never flush after hearing your advice regarding CVT transmissions in past videos. Air filters are replaced regularly and kept clean. I’m planning to replace struts, rotors, brakes, tires, new spark plugs and coolant, power steering fluid, and any other preventative maintenance possible.
My biggest concern is the reliability of the CVT transmission as you’ve mentioned previously Mitsubishi has had horrendous trannys. So far I have yet to purchase a scan tool and run tests to check it’s condition. It seems to be working fine and smoothly but now after watching your videos I’m PARANOID AS HELL.
any tips to make the car last as long as possible? I really like the car despite it’s reputation.
Don't drive like a maniac. Drive at a normal speed and don't floor it or else the belt will snap off which will cause it to fail.
Or you could sell it and try to get some money out of it if you're worried.
This Mitsubishi actually has a Nissan/Jatco CVT transmission.
Reliability varies depending on the exact model, it ranges from the horrendous JF015E (the same as used on LADA models) to the reasonable JF011E.
Sell your car at the first sign of trouble (like humming or an occasional stutter - make sure you let the person who buys it know what they’re getting themselves into). These transmissions can, and often do, fail before 125k miles (200k km).
You can destroy any CVT transmission quite easily, and there isn’t really any guaranteed way to make them last.
Generally you want to avoid any situations when the belt slips on the cones - this typically occurs when racing, off-roading, and when slowly creeping in traffic jams.
when it comes to these Jatco units in particular, I’d recommend changing the fluid even more frequently - they have a lot of issues with bearings getting worn out and clogging of the oil pump linear pressure solenoid/valve (both occur because of dirty CVT fluid)
If this transmission does suddenly break down (a lot of them end up having electrical issues with the shifting mechanism), many technicians already have mastered repairing them.
(it’s important to use the improved belt design, use the improved and larger solenoid and replace all internal bearings to avoid having to perform additional repairs later.)
Although, if possible, I’d just recommend you sell it at around 125k miles. it would’ve been a completely different story if it would be a conventional automatic.
