Cyber Scriber's guide to your first service after compliance

[cyber_scriber]

OK, your car has finished going through compliance and you've picked it up. Now you wonder:

“When was the last time my car was serviced?”

“I paid big bucks for compliance so I wonder what they changed or serviced, aside from removing useful features such as the auto window up?”

“What should I change now?”

See below and wonder no more.

I might preface this by saying that this servicing guide is for a manual Galant / Legnum. Auto owners will need to search on flushing and changing your auto transmission fluid and fitting a transmission cooler (that's pretty much it, actually). Further, the servicing guide is designed for an anally retentive owner who loves their car and wants to make sure it’s in tip top shape before giving it a caning. Backyard bodgies, poor uni students and "dun worry bro, the only thing you need to change is more boost" fully sik karnts etc might avoid doing everything suggested. However, with most things mechanical, look after it and it will look after you.

As usual, the below is certainly not exhaustive or entirely correct, so feel free to hit me up with your comments and I’ll amend the original post.

1. What things are changed or done during compliance?
(a) Very basic owner's manual is supplied. The manual is a hack of a USDM manual with some seatbelt, child restraint system and other add ons. A great deal of the info in the manual doesn't relate to our cars at all.
(b) Tyre placard affixed to driver side B pillar.
(c) Engine placard affixed to under side of bonnet.
(d) Unleaded placard affixed to fuel flap.
(e) Child restraint anchorages fitted.
(f) Oxygen sensor test conducted.
(g) Emission Test conducted.
(h) Evaporative loss test conducted.
(i) Sound level test conducted.
(j) Fuel and air filter replaced.
(k) New tyres fitted.
(l) Driver side window modified.
(m) Drivers side mirror replaced if it does not contain E4/E2 markings.
Disconnect Inboard Stop Position Lamp.
(o) Wiper blades replaced.
(p) Carbon canister replaced.
(q) Front and rear brake pads and park brake shoes replaced if not roadworthy and or OEM.
(r) Brake fluid flushed and replaced.
(s) Fit Number Plate Spacers.

2. What things are not changed during compliance?
All oils remain in the vehicle and you should change them once you receive the car. This includes changing engine, diff and transmission oil.

3. What should I change in my first service after compliance?
(a) full engine oil flush before changing engine oil. Preferred oil is Amsoil 0w30 or 5w30. Alternatives are any fully synthetic oil of similar weight, such as Gulf Western Sougi M5000, Nulon Synthetic or Motul Turbo light. You will need 4.5 litres;
(b) engine oil filter because compliance filters are usually crap and have known to blow off. Use Amsoil (EA020) or Ryco Z411 or Z142A (Z142A is bigger and preferred for reducing lifter noise);
(c) air filter (K&N, Ralliart or HKS panel filter NOT a pod);
(d) gearbox fluid. Use GL4 only for the gearbox. You will need about 2.7 litres of something like Castrol Syntrans VMX 75w85 GL4 or Amsoil MTG, NOT Amsoil AGR;
(e) spark plugs (platinum or Iridium such as NGK BKR7EIX or BKR6EIX - the former for high boost of 12psi or more, the latter for stock or a bit more than stock boost. Gap them between 0.7 to 0.8mm - they should be pre-gapped to 0.8mm but check. You can use cheaper copper plugs but this is not recommended as the rear plugs are a pain to replace and you don't want to have to replace the rear copper plugs every 10,000klms;
(f) full brake fluid flush and bleed – this was apparently done during compliance but experience tells us that compliance shops generally use the cheapest crap;
(g) coolant flush and refill. Preferred is Amsoil Antifreeze and Engine Coolant (ANT). Alternatives are any 50% glycerol with demineralised water mix (the high glycerol / glycerine % increases boiling point, substantially reducing the likelihood of boiling your coolant out of your radiator);
(h) rear diff fluid - you will need 0.5 litres of something GL5 hypoid gear oil of around 80w90 weight, such as Amsoil SVG 75w90;
(i) transfer case fluid - uses same fluid as rear diff so you will need 0.62 litres of 80w90 GL5;
(j) LSD fluid (for Series 2 cars with no AYC) - use same fluid as rear diff;
(k) power steering fluid - recommended is Mitsubishi ATF SPIII or Amsoil ATF SPIII;
(l) battery (greater than 520CCA) and get new battery terminals – Jap batteries and terminals are under spec);
(m) 02 sensor - Mitsubishi part number is MD189008;
ignition leads - original thread for ICE ignition leads is http://ozvr4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2854. Those with ADD, call Michael at ICE Ignition direct on (03) 9532 6000, let him know you're from OZVR4, and he'll look after you.
(o) if you have AYC, have it serviced and the fluid replaced. Recommended is ATF SPIII, SVG 75W90; and
(p) replacement of belts and cooling hoses as necessary.

Further, if your car has done around 100,000klms, also replace:
(a) Thermostat (MD175746 or MD337408).
(b) Timing Belt.
(c) Cambelt Hydraulic Tensioner.
(d) Cambelt idler and tensioner pulleys.
(e) Water pump (MD 302010 or MD180580).
(f) PCV valve.
(g) PCV valve gasket x 1 (MD179909).
(h) Spark plug donuts / gaskets x 6. The donuts are just round gaskets that fit into the rocker cover to stop the oil from leaking into the spark plug hole. You know they are leaking when you put your spark plug socket in and it comes out covered in oil. Replacement Mitsubishi part number is MD178940. CAPS internal reference is 01111 "Gasket rocket cover spark plug hole".
(i) Rocker cover gasket x 2 (MD174560).
(j) Rocker cover washer seal (MD327253).
(k) Crankshaft oil seal - cambelt side (MD168055).
(l) Rear main engine seal (MD359158).
(m) Front camshaft oil seal (MD153103 or MD372536).
Rear camshaft oil seal (MD180402 or MD133317).

Things to get checked:
(a) Full Electrical & Charging system check
(b) Strip and Clean F and R Brakes
(c) Inspect Disks, Pads/Lines
(d) Full electronic Datalog
(e) Ancillary Belts
(f) Cooling system pressure test
(g) Fuel lines and connections
(h) Check Suspension and bushes, grease
(i) Check axles, gaitors
(j) Check and top up Power Steer
(k) Boost leak test
(l) Hand brake adjust
(m) Pedal free play adjust
Full PDI
(o) Clean crancase breater system

Have I missed anything or gotten anything wrong?

 

[dimi_108]

Great write up, Bruce. Good on you, man.
I've actually learnt a a few new things from your write up.

This thread should also be added to Trev's Impotorting a VR-4 Guide!

 

[cyber_scriber]

No problems Dimi.

A lot of the information above is fragmented in many different posts and is very difficult to find when all you need to know is what should be changed and what specs are to be adhered to.

I thought it would be useful to aggregate it all in a single post and add some of my own research. This would then serve as a reference guide for newbies (and some oldies!).

Watch this space for my next write up, which is a big one.

 

[pu-11-me]

Very impressive Bruce. Well done.

Note - This is what EVERYONE should do when importing ANYTHING

 

[MooIsTaken]

Wow, awesome write up. This will make it a lot easier.

Thanks HEAPS!

 

[ygoslo]

I'm pretty sure I take the prize for laziest member on here. Here's ygoslo's guide to doing the first service after compliance.

1) Buy new oil

2) Empty old oil from car. Don't bother doing the filter, it looks like it was changed at compliance and I can't be bothered checking what type it is to buy a new one

3) Put new oil in car

4) Drive away

 

[cyber_scriber]

Updated with details on where and how to get ICE ignition leads.

 

[SiliconAngel]

Another great writeup Bruce I've only skimmed over it quickly 'cause I don't have much time today, but a couple of things I noticed:

1) The 'owner's manual' supplied by the compliance workshop is actually a hack of a JDM manual with some seatbelt, child restraint system and other addons. A great deal of the info in it doesn't relate to our cars at all

2) MT fluid is for the transmission only, not the clutch. About the only thing approaching fluid in the clutch is grease on the input shaft and thrust bearing.

3) Amsoil coolant is super expensive, so I'd also add any 50% glycerol with demineralised water mix (the high glycerol / glycerine % increases boiling point, substantially reducing the likelihood of boiling your coolant out of your rad)

I'll give this a thorough read soon

 

[Tom]

/Vote for Sticky or How To

 

[Mortz]

Yeah definitely put into the guides section, very helpful. Much easier then sifting through threads to find what needs to be changed. Well done mate

 

[SiliconAngel]

Read through it, here's my suggestions:

3. What should I change in my first service after compliance?
(a) engine oil flush before changing engine oil. Preferred oil is Amsoil 0w30 or 5w30. Alternatives are any fully synthetic oil of similar weight, such as Gulf Western Sougi M5000, Nulon Synthetic or Motul Turbo light. You will need 4.5 litres

Recommend adding something in here about doing a full flush as there's no way to tell what quality the previous oil was in

(b) engine oil filter because compliance filters are usually crap and have known to have blown off. Use Amsoil (EA020) or generic Z411 or Z142A (Z142A is bigger and preferred for reducing lifter noise)

Compliance filters MAY be crap, but they may be one of the Ryco ones. Either way, if you're changing your oil you should be changing your filter anyway.

(c) air filter (K&N, Ralliart or HKS panel filter NOT a pod)

There's a part number for the paper one which should be included here. There's actually quite a number of good reasons for sticking to an OEM style paper filter.

(d) gearbox and clutch fluid. Use GL4 only for the gearbox. You will need about 2.7 litres of something like Castrol VMX 75w85 GL4 or Amsoil MTG, NOT Amsoil AGR;

As above, take out 'and clutch'.

(e) spark plugs (platinum or Iridium such as NGK BKR7EIX or BKR6EIX - the former for high boost, the latter for stock or a bit more than stock boost);

You CAN use cheaper standard plugs, but iridium plugs are recommended due to their 100,000km service life because replacing the rear three plugs is such a painful enterprise...

(g) coolant flush and refill. Preferred is Amsoil Antifreeze and Engine Coolant (ANT);

See comment above

(h) diff fluid - you will need 0.5 litres of something GL5, such as Amsoil SVG 75w90;
(i) transfer case fluid - you will need 0.62 litres of 80w90 GL5;

FRONT diff and transfer case are exactly the same thing in terms of lubricant, so no need to differentiate. Recommended fluid is GL5 Hypoid Gear oil, and yes the best of those is SVG75W90

(j) LSD fluid;

Only for those with Series 2 Type V cars. Uncertain what lubricant should be used, although its probably 75-80W90 GL5 as well.

(k) power steering fluid;

Recommend Mitsubishi ATF SPIII or Amsoil ATF SPIII. Can't remember quantity but should be included.

(l) battery (get greater than 500CCA) and battery terminals – Jap batteries and terminals are under spec);

One of the service notes for the official service manual recommends a battery that's 520CCA capacity. I posted details a looong time ago...

(m) 02 sensor;

I notice your list of items the compliance workshop is meant to test includes the O2 sensor, yet we KNOW some people have had dead ones...

(o) drain and refill xfr box;

Is this a reference to the transfer case again?

(p) drain and refill rear axle; and

Do you mean rear diff? That's either the AYC diff or the LSD, either way you don't need this one.

(q) if you have AYC, have it serviced and the fluid replaced.

ATF SPIII, SVG 75W90. Might be an idea to link to the service guide for this? In fact, might be useful for the various guides relating to each area covered.

I would also say replacement of belts and cooling hoses is recommended in routine servicing.

 

[bradc]

I just modified the first post to say rear diff for section h.

BTW, Type V's only have open diff's, as such you use the same oil in the rear diff in one of those as you do for a car with AYC. I have been recommended some castrol gl5 oil which also works in LSD's for my rear diff and transfer case and it seems to be working fine.

 

[cyber_scriber]

Thanks Trevor and Brad.

I knew you would both have useful and specific feedback.

I'm currently on holidays and will update the original post on my return late this week. I'm currently reading these posts on my Crackberry!

 

[Guest]

http://ozvr4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2523&highlight=manual+gearbox

It's been covered before but now different stuff to put in. For example, on the older thread the oil type for transmission is using 75w90 GL4. And now 75w90 GL5. =(

 

[bradc]

It still needs to be GL4 for the gearbox

 

[VR-04-TT]

Awesome write up Bruce.

If anyone wants it in short form here it is:

Change everything!!

 

[king_panther]

Yes, I more importantly now want to know what WASN'T done to my car during compliance.

It's not good to get an invoice for over $2000 simply stating 'Compliance' on the work completed.

 

[qball]

Compliance for mine was $3500 inc tyres $2000ish sounds great

 

[cyber_scriber]

Updated to reflect Trevor's input.

 

[SiliconAngel]

Oops, I'm a moron - that should be USDM manual, not JDM... I knew what I meant, my fingers just typed the wrong thing! >.<