Just picked one up. Would love to learn a bit more about the platform and meet a few folks (in normal world)
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Just picked one up. Would love to learn a bit more about the platform and meet a few folks (in normal world)
I was nine years ago. Fun car and I find the exterior styling has aged pretty well over the years as they were were the 2nd automaker after Audi with the big grille look that's so common today. The interior however.....
Agree on the low rent interior. The Recaro seats were good and having smart door handles on all 4 doors was nice but everything else was a let down.
ACD pump is an issue with these cars as they located them inside the rear bumper exposed to the elements where they can corrode easily. OEM brakes are pricey and I wasn’t able to find any decent aftermarket brakes that were cheaper while offering similar performance (dusting, fit and finish, bite, etc).
Handling was awesome, way better than my STi, but there were some compromises like small trunk, and no folding rear seat. The lack of low end power (even with a COBB tune) was annoying for daily driving.
If you’re modding, the 4B11 engine is much stronger than the EJ25, but the weak spot on the Mitsus is the transmission, especially the dual clutch. The clutch slip on the DCT in normal mode is unbelievably bad. Sport mode is a bit better. You need to use super sport for decent performance but I was always concerned with the long term effects of using that mode for extended periods.
I got rid of mine after warranty expired as I didn’t want to pay for ACD pumps out of pocket or potential issues with the DCT. ACD warranty work was sloppy as mechanics aren’t body shop technicians and the bumper took some abuse (scratches, broken clips, misshaped fender liners, grease everywhere).
What did you end up replacing it with?Quote:
Originally Posted by richardchan2002
I was able to find a stock example with 2yr/40km warranty on AYC pump. I didn’t find any with it functional but you can tell when it’s working and it’s eerie.
Agree on interior and rattles, seats are awesome. Exterior aged well. In short it reminds me of young days lol.
I was researching yesterday and brakes/clutch are insanely expensive.
Couple of questions:
1. Did you find the manual transmission to grind often? Mine struggles going in reverse.
2. Who is the best in town to work on these?
I had the dual clutch so I can’t comment on the manual transmission. I only used the dealership because of warranty. If it wasn’t for warranty, I likely would have looked elsewhere to save a few bucks. If you’re looking for transmission work you might want to look at a transmission specialist. My experience with dealerships is that they typically just replace transmissions rather than open them up to fix them so it usually costs more.
I ended up replacing my Evo X with a Focus ST then STi and then CLA45. All were turbo-4 cylinders but power delivery was very different. I wouldn’t have expected it but the Ford is actually the one I miss most. The STi was the worst of the bunch - the least enjoyable to drive and least reliable (never modded but motor blew at 20,000km and was covered under warranty).
Always loved evos and always wanted one, but I’ve grown out of driving a car with that type of interior.
Keep in mind of the maintenance requirements of the car: t-case, tranny, rear diff, which often take very specialized liquids. If your transmission grinds, there are transmission fluid “cocktails” that you can mix that will help. I would invest some money to insure all of these have been done. EvoM forums are great.
The manual transmission itself is very stout, however its notchy when stock and pre-2011 examples have horrible diff pins, which can cause catastrophic damage.
Preventative care for the ACD pump. Some people box it, some people cover with silicone or grease, but without that it will fail, just a matter of time.
Once your maintenance is up to date, get the car tuned by Airboy, this will be the best money you spend.
Congrats on the X. I purchased one unexpectedly a few years ago pre-owned with only 350 km’s while on a weekend getaway to Vancouver, and ended up driving it off the showroom floor that weekend back to Calgary.
I heard of all the pump failure issues, some believed to be from corrosion and others due to the cold, so went as far as to rent a heated garage within walking distance to the c-train station for when I worked downtown.
Ended up selling the car after only 1750 km because in spite of our best efforts, I got the dreaded 161F fault code in the summer, soon followed by 161E failure when we pulled onto Barlow Trail from the dealership.
We had a tuned STi owned since brand new at the same time and I agree overall I liked this vehicle more. Interior was more dated though. Mine was only exterior modded and a white GSR. No grinding noted during my time of ownership but the vehicle was practically brand new.
All fluids change is first on the list. I think the rare grind will go away with the cocktail. I’ve got 2-3 years of warranty with AYC pump so will likely relocate to trunk near the end of the warranty if it doesn’t fail again.
Never been to Airboy before, maybe I’ll give him a call tomorrow to see what he recommends for low key power improvements.
Decent summary there, STI was extremely disappointing. I haven’t drove Focus ST or RS but the closest “feel” car that I liked was Fiesta ST.Quote:
Originally Posted by richardchan2002
Had one for a bit, but reading all the AYC pump complaints made me not even want to deal with it. Sure they cover under "warranty" but even if you have an aftermarket cat-back they would void it apparently, kinda ridiculous considering the 2 things would never affect eachother.
My sister had an Evo X.
She killed the rear diff, and AYC pump (multiple times) once in Calgary, once in California.
AYC is just a piece of shit design!
EVO x wasn't too bad to drive, just felt like a civic inside (other than Recaro's)
had one for about 25-30k
i kinda wish i had read up a bit more on the car at the time but i was too smitten after the 2nd test drive
end of the day, it pulled hard and handled like a beast. after reading up on all the maintenance required going forward, i opted to get into something less complex lol
to be fair, the only real issues i had were the key fob not being recognized by the cars computer, usually on really cold winter days. i drove that thing as hard as you can from the first day i got it and it handled everything i threw at it. drove it in two winters and felt so confident on the road, it was simply amazing. in bad weather, the car excelled, the awd system was amazing.
for the money, i dont think there was a car that handled and drove that well going 9/10ths for the price, 5speed or dct.
I opted for a Subaru because it seemed to have less high dollar repair requirements, and they are still a good buy if the motor has only been replaced once, lol
Ive daily driven my evo x in Calgary for 4 years now. Such an amazing car and it can handle an ass kicking.
My only gripe with this car.
Your AYC pump will eventually break for two reasons
#1 its in a stupid spot
#2 the pump itself is weak. The oem fluid turns to jello and burns out pump. I replaced with redline but on cold days I wouldn't risk it
If you EVER see the tarmac/gravel/snow flashing that is your pump trying to push fluid and is on its way out.
I did a relocation kit to prevent the corrosion but I would still get flashing sometimes in cold weather. Best bet pull the fuse on super cold snaps. That or spend 3k every two years ( i had 2 break back to back under warranty)
Outside of a control arm and basic maintenance i've never had a issue. Just make sure to stay on top of it as it will turn into a ticking time bomb.
Jesus.. 10 years into my Ralliart and never had a pump failure, believe they are are the same as the Evo.
I don't believe the Ralliart had S-AYC. That was strictly and EVO thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by colsankey
Right, I bothered to google it, Ralliarts have an ACD pump for the AWD, but its 2 less solenoids. Still a bit of a problem item for some people in the cold. I guess I just got lucky with it.
yeah im not sure if they fixed it on newer models but I know the first gen are terrible. Im part of a evo group in alberta and every cold snap tons of people post about them breaking. The worst part is when they do break its one of the only reasons to own the car. Such a gamechanger when accelerating through corners.Quote:
Originally Posted by colsankey