Mitsubishi 380 Overheating Mystery: Fix or Find Mechanic?

I had a similar issue with my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. The coolant level warning came up, and the car started overheating during longer drives. Took it to my mechanic last month, turned out the water pump was failing and there was a small crack in one of the radiator hoses. These leaks were causing the coolant loss. It was actually quite serious because continuous overheating can damage the engine. The mechanic showed me how the coolant was leaking from the pump seal and the deteriorated hose. They had to replace both parts and do a complete coolant system flush. I'd strongly recommend getting it checked soon. Low coolant doesn't fix itself, and there's always an underlying cause, could be anything from a simple hose leak to a head gasket issue. In my case, catching it early prevented more extensive damage.

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience! That sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with right now. Can I ask how much you ended up paying for the repairs? Also, has everything been running smoothly since then? I'm trying to get an idea of costs and whether I should expect any follow-up issues. Thanks!

Hey there! Happy to give you an update. After getting the repairs done, my Lancer has been running like a charm, no more overheating issues or warning lights. The whole thing, including fixing the coolant level problem, came to €52.50, which honestly wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The coolant level is now perfect and staying that way, it's such a relief not seeing that warning light anymore! My mechanic did a thorough job checking everything, and I've done several long drives since then without any problems. The engine's running at normal temperature, and I haven't had to add any coolant since the repair. I'd say it was definitely worth getting it sorted quickly. From my experience, these things usually don't get better on their own, and catching it early probably saved me from bigger problems down the road. Hope this helps give you an idea of what you might be looking at cost-wise!

Thanks so much for all the info! I actually went ahead and took your advice, got my Mitsubishi checked out yesterday. You were right about catching it early! Turned out I had a similar issue, a leaky radiator hose and a worn-out water pump. The mechanic I found was really decent, showed me exactly what was wrong and explained everything clearly. Cost me around €580 all up, bit more than yours but they had to replace a few extra bits. But honestly, I'm just relieved it's sorted now. Took it for a test drive today and what a difference! No more warning lights, temperature gauge staying exactly where it should be. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, helped me get over my hesitation about mechanics and get this sorted before it turned into something bigger. Looks like I've found a trustworthy mechanic too, so that's a bonus! Thanks again for the help!