Outlander Overheating Mystery: Help Needed!

I had a similar issue with my 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer last year. When my engine started running hot and the check engine light came on, I initially thought it was the thermostat too. Turned out there was damage to the wiring harness that connects to the cooling fan system. The mechanic found that some wires were frayed and others had their insulation worn through, causing intermittent electrical issues. This made the cooling fan malfunction, leading to the overheating. The harness damage was actually causing false readings to the ECU, triggering the check engine light. It was pretty serious since continuous overheating could've damaged the engine. Needed a complete rewiring of that section and replacement of some connector pins. The repair took two days because they had to carefully trace all the affected wires. If you're in a similar situation, make sure they thoroughly check the wiring, not just the thermostat. A proper diagnostic scan would help pinpoint if it's an electrical issue like mine was.

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience! That wiring harness issue sounds exactly like what happened to my Outlander a while back. I ended up getting it fixed at a local shop. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much you had to shell out for the repair? Also, has everything been running smoothly since then, or have you noticed any other electrical gremlins pop up?

Hey there! Glad I could help point you in the right direction. Yeah, after getting it sorted at the mechanic, it turned out my coolant thermostat was actually malfunctioning too, they fixed that along with the wiring harness damage. The total bill came to 110€ for the wiring repair, which honestly wasn't as bad as I was expecting given how fiddly electrical work can be. Since the repair, my Lancer's been running like a dream, no more overheating issues or warning lights. I haven't spotted any other electrical problems either, which is a huge relief. Sometimes these electrical gremlins can be connected, but looks like they caught everything in one go. It's definitely worth spending the money to get it done right rather than letting it cause more expensive problems down the road. Did your mechanic mention finding anything else while they were poking around in there? Just curious since our cars had such similar symptoms.

Thanks for the follow-up! Yeah, my experience at the mechanic was pretty straightforward. I took it to this shop downtown that specializes in Japanese cars. The mechanic did a thorough inspection and found both the wiring issue and a small coolant leak. The total came to around 150€, a bit more than yours because they had to replace a few extra components. Honestly, I'm just relieved it's all sorted now. My Outlander's been running perfectly for the past couple of weeks, no more overheating, no warning lights, nothing. The mechanic actually showed me the damaged wiring and explained everything, which I really appreciated. Makes me feel better about the whole thing knowing exactly what was wrong. Anyway, thanks again for all your help! It's good to know someone else went through the same thing and got it fixed without any major drama. I'll definitely keep an eye on the electrical system from now on, but fingers crossed we've both seen the last of these cooling system issues!