by pedroleswift on Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:00 am
I have some personal knowledge of the original post on this. There was no damage to the airbox, it seems most likely the filter just distorted under engine load and sand bypassed it, leaving a large quantity of sand in the box itself. Unfortunately, no snorkel. The vehicle had just almost done a successful Simpson Desert crossing but failed at the finish. Mature aged experienced 4w driver, no silly buggers on the dunes, just a straighforward trip in a small convoy, and the other vehicles (not Tritons) all made it without any issues.
The engine is ruined due to sand ingress, and the car had to be recovered from Birdsville to Melbourne. To add insult to the injury of a nightmare trip, Mitsibushi won't honour the warranty, claiming interference, but only their people had ever touched the air filter and box. This vehicle has only done 8 000 km, mostly on the bitumen.
Owner has had to buy a replacement car to get to work and has had an undriveable Triton carcass in his driveway for months while he takes Mitsubishi to court to see whether a new car warranty is actually worth anything at all. First hearing later this month.
Last edited by
pedroleswift on Wed Feb 05, 2014 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.