Triton Diesel Crisis: Black Smoke & Power Loss Mystery

Hey there! I had some experience with a similar issue on my '07 Mitsubishi L200 (pretty close to your Triton). Got medium experience with diesels, mostly through dealing with my own issues. Had exactly those symptoms, black smoke, power loss, and that annoying whistle. Turned out my DPF was completely clogged. Took it to my regular workshop, they diagnosed it and did a thorough cleaning plus replacement of some worn components. Set me back about 1,325€ but solved the problem completely. Before I share more details, what's your mileage and maintenance history like? Also, do you get any specific error codes? This could help narrow things down, as these symptoms can sometimes point to other issues on different Mitsubishi models (like on the Pajero).

Hey, thanks for the detailed response! My Triton's at 51083 KM and just had its service last month. The symptoms you described match mine exactly. Haven't pulled the error codes yet, but planning to get that done tomorrow. That's really helpful to know about the DPF, I was worried it might be something more serious with the turbo. Definitely sounds worth checking out. Did you notice any warning signs before it got completely clogged?

Hey again! Thanks for asking about the warning signs. Yeah, with my L200, I actually did notice some early signs before it got really bad. Initially, there was a slight decrease in performance and a bit more smoke than usual, but I kind of ignored it (big mistake!). The whistling and serious power loss came later. Looking at your mileage (51083 KM), it's actually quite similar to when my issues started (I was around 54000 KM). Even though you just had a service, DPF issues can develop pretty quickly, especially if you do a lot of short trips or city driving. That's actually what caused mine to clog up, lots of short trips not giving the DPF enough time to complete its regeneration cycles. Before you head to the mechanic tomorrow for the codes, here's a tip from my experience: try taking it for a good 20-minute highway run at higher RPMs. Sometimes this can help initiate a regeneration cycle. If you notice any improvement, that's another sign pointing towards DPF issues. Let me know what the codes show up tomorrow. If it turns out to be the same as what I had, I can share more details about the repair process and maybe save you some headaches!

Thanks so much for all this info! That's exactly what I needed to know. Really interesting that your issues started around the same mileage, makes me feel better about the whole situation. Actually, now that you mention it, I've been doing tons of short trips lately because of my new job in the city. Never thought that could be causing problems with the DPF. I'll definitely try that highway run you suggested before heading to the mechanic tomorrow. Makes total sense about the regeneration cycle, can't believe I didn't think of that before. I'll shoot you a message tomorrow after I get those codes read. Super grateful for all your help and experience with this, it's really helped calm my nerves about what could be wrong. Fingers crossed it's just the DPF and not something more serious!