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Quick story about how I could have died yesterday

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alex99gst

alex99gst

20+ Year Contributor
1,340
24
Feb 10, 2003
Nashville, Tennessee
I was cruising down the interstate with a buddy of mine. I was following him and we were only going 70 mph. Out of nowhere the revs start to fall and then the rear end locks up. I slid to a complete stop in the center lane of the interstate and started to freak out. I had to sit in my car for an agonizing 2 minutes watching 18-wheelers slam on the brakes and slide all around me. There were so many close calls where I was sure that I was going to hit. I After I got out of the car, it took the police another 5 minutes to get there and get control of things. One car that swerved out of the way spun around and got hit by an SUV. Another car swerved into the left lane and then cut across all the lanes, went into a ditch, though a fence, and onto another road.

Nobody was injured and somehow my car came out without a scratch WTF, just a broken rear end. Good news is that nobody was hurt and my brand new 2.4L build didn't explode like I had originally thought.
 
Holy crap, dude.

I've always dreaded having something like that happen in front me of while I'm driving.

I'm glad you are okay.
 
Wow, consider yourself very lucky man. What's going to happen with the other cars that swerved/ got into an accident because they tried to avoid you?
 
I had my hazards on so they said that I wasn't at fault. One girl admitted that she was talking on the phone and not paying attention and the other guy was just really pissed. They said to report your claims with your own insurance.

The only crazy thing is that my parents didn't renew my insurance on my car since I was in the process of doing the 2.4L swap and so I was driving without insurance :nono: My car wasn't running often enough for me to insure it and I usually just test drove it around the street.
 
From what I could understand they just said that everyone was at fault for their own vehicles. I talked to the officers and they were telling everyone to report their claims with their insurance companies. Nobody got my information except the police.
 
On the transmission or transfer case? We had to tow it on a flatbed and they said they couldn't do anything about the differential but drag it up. The front wheels turned, but the back wheels skidded on the pavement and wouldn't budge. The guy let me get in the car when he tried to shake it off the flatbed and it miraculously rolled right off. :confused:
 
alex99gst said:
I was cruising down the interstate with a buddy of mine. I was following him and we were only going 70 mph. Out of nowhere the revs start to fall and then the rear end locks up. I slid to a complete stop in the center lane of the interstate and started to freak out. I had to sit in my car for an agonizing 2 minutes watching 18-wheelers slam on the brakes and slide all around me. There were so many close calls where I was sure that I was going to hit. I After I got out of the car, it took the police another 5 minutes to get there and get control of things. One car that swerved out of the way spun around and got hit by an SUV. Another car swerved into the left lane and then cut across all the lanes, went into a ditch, though a fence, and onto another road.

Nobody was injured and somehow my car came out without a scratch WTF, just a broken rear end. Good news is that nobody was hurt and my brand new 2.4L build didn't explode like I had originally thought.
Click to expand...


And all that because people cant control thier cars at 70mph:toobad:.. they need to learn how to drive.. but as long as its sooo easy to get a liscence in the US..that wont change anytime soon:beatentodeath:

Glad you are ok.:thumb:
 
alex99gst said:
The only crazy thing is that my parents didn't renew my insurance on my car since I was in the process of doing the 2.4L swap and so I was driving without insurance :nono: My car wasn't running often enough for me to insure it and I usually just test drove it around the street.
Click to expand...

Oddly crazy thing,I've had insurange on my non running 92 for a year and a half while its sat the whole time,haha.

That is really lucky man and I'm glad you and the car weren't destroyed in a flaming heap of metal...I try to avoid interstates as much as possible cause people simply don't pay enough attention.
 
Wow, that sounds like divine intervention to me. Then I noticed you had 777 tech posts. :D

When I had my 1st Talon I did not know anything about the T-case recall. When I got my second one, I noticed that I was getting alot of smoke from under the car. I put it on the lift and noticed that their gear oil around the T-case. I read online and found out about the T-case lock-up. So I took apart the T-case and checked the bearings. Everything looked good and I slapped it together but the problem didn't go away. I found that the yoke was leaking, not the T-case. I took the yoke off the driveshaft and I noticed the dust cover would leak when I put WD-40 into the cup of the yoke. I cleaned up, checked the condition of the needle bearings, lubed it up and put a JB-Weld type material on it that I got from the Avionics guys. I slapped it all together, removed all the oil from the undercarriage and checked on it a week later. Every time I'm under the car I wipe my finger over the same spot to see if it's still wet. It's been about 4 years and still has not leaked.
 
laserspeeddemon said:
Wow, that sounds like divine intervention to me. Then I noticed you had 777 tech posts. :D
Click to expand...

No joke man, I'm really thankful to be alive right now.

I guess I'll be pulling the transfer case over the break to see whats up. I guess I assumed that it was the rear end, but it makes sense now that it could be the transfer case since I was eventually able to roll it off the flatbed. Lets say it is the T-case and I grab another. I've heard of this recall but never looked into it. What exactly is the recall for?
 
I actually just did some research and found out what the recall was for. Once I find out exactly what the problem is, I may call some local mitsu dealerships and see if they would be willing to replace the T-case. Doubtful, but worth a try.
 
Willing?

No there is no "willing." The recall is a federal mandated regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), there is no wiggle room there, UNLESS the recall was peformed by a previous owner. In that case, they can say have "No Thank you" and screw you over backwards with cheese grater and no lube.

Also the must replace all subsequent damage in your case that means pretty much the ENTIRE drivetrain maybe even the transmission.

Make / Models : Model/Build Years:
MITSUBISHI / ECLIPSE 1990-1998
Recall Number: 98V069001
Summary:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. LOCKUP OF THE TRANSFER CASE CAN OCCUR DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION.
Consequence:
THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR ADEQUACY OF THE TRANSFER CASE OIL VOLUME, TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AND OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION OF THE TRANSFER CASE MECHANISM. IF OIL VOLUME IS INSUFFICIENT, THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF OIL WILL BE ADDED. IF THERE IS TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AFFECTED COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED. IF THE TRANSFER CASE SHOWS OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION, THE TRANSFER CASE WILL BE REPLACED.
Notes:
OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN APRIL 20, 1998. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI AT 1-800-222-0037. ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Click to expand...

Go to the NHTSA Recall Datbase Website. Do the search. When selecting component, it is listed under "POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION." Be sure to check the next the the statement

"Select this check box if you would like to see a full summary output on the search result page. Otherwise, the summary for each case will be available as a link."

When the results pop up, click on "Print Version" at the top. Print it out and take it with you to Mitsubishi.
 
Thanks bro. I wont be able to do this until I get out for christmas break. It says the dealers have to inspect the car, but I can't tow it down there. Do you think I should just bring the transfer case, police report, and recall info and tell them I want a new transfer case? I really hope my tranny isn't messed up too, but there's no real way to check that without being able to drive it/take it apart.
 
Wow, I almost died the other day too, cept I was at work. I'm on a sewer crew. We were digging around utilities (underground wires) with a 345C Cat with a large bucket (bout a yard). So so far we are screwed cause we are doing litle rig work. Its like bringing out a S.W.A.T. team for a guy that stole a donut. After hand digging al day we now have 4 wires exposed, so we go to work with the big rig. Slowly. After getting 10 foot of 3-4 wires completely exposed, we start working on the last one. This last one happens to be a 1 1/2 inch underground power line. I'm hand digging next to it and about 5 ft away is the tracko's bucket. He accidentally comes down and basically chops right through the wire, causing what sounded like a shotgun going off next to me, throwing off a huge flash of light. Scared the #### out of me. Luckily it blew the switch on the electric pole and nobody got hurt, but it was something where nobody really said anything for 2 solid minutes and just looked at each other.

Get the recall done. You got so soo lucky. But, I'd rather be lucky than good anyday.
 
rampridersrider said:
Wow, I almost died the other day too, cept I was at work. I'm on a sewer crew. We were digging around utilities (underground wires) with a 345C Cat with a large bucket (bout a yard). So so far we are screwed cause we are doing litle rig work. Its like bringing out a S.W.A.T. team for a guy that stole a donut. After hand digging al day we now have 4 wires exposed, so we go to work with the big rig. Slowly. After getting 10 foot of 3-4 wires completely exposed, we start working on the last one. This last one happens to be a 1 1/2 inch underground power line. I'm hand digging next to it and about 5 ft away is the tracko's bucket. He accidentally comes down and basically chops right through the wire, causing what sounded like a shotgun going off next to me, throwing off a huge flash of light. Scared the #### out of me. Luckily it blew the switch on the electric pole and nobody got hurt, but it was something where nobody really said anything for 2 solid minutes and just looked at each other.

Get the recall done. You got so soo lucky. But, I'd rather be lucky than good anyday.
Click to expand...

I've had 4160v wiring at work blow like that. It's quite a bang.

At least it wasn't the 115kv side..
 
Well, as it turns out, every dealership was a bi*** about the transfer case and said they only had to perform the recall once even though I reminded them that the NHTSA issued a lifetime warrantied recall for it. When I called Mitusibishi themselves they still gave me the same crap. I didn't want to deal with the hassle of letting them fix it, so I picked one up off here for $90 shipped :cool:.

I decided that I would inspect my old transfer case now that I'm getting the new one. I went to drain the oil and as soon as I turned it over, small chunks fell out ROFL. Took it apart even more and found some nasty stuff.

I hope to have the new case on with redline shockproof and the new air/oil cooler setup on this month and see if I can make this car live again. Thanks for you help guys.

I couldn't get a great picture, but you can see how messed up the rollers are.



PLEASE have this recall done if you haven't yet. This almost killed me and I'm lucky to be alive!
 

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