MajorCommonTransmission

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: Super Select 4WD light flashing, front axle will not engage (vacuum solenoids, hoses and front diff actuator)

Super Select 4WD light flashing, front axle will not engage (vacuum solenoids, hoses and front diff actuator) is a common transmission fault on the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport on the 1998–2008 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $150 to $1,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 15 documented faults on the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Years: 1998–2008
System: Transmission

This page covers the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Mitsubishi Pajero Sport faults15 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Differential yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The Challenger's Super Select 4WD engages the front axle with a vacuum-operated actuator on the front diff, switched by two vacuum solenoids in the engine bay and monitored by switches on the transfer case and diff. When a vacuum hose splits or pops off, a solenoid sticks from lack of use, or the actuator diaphragm leaks, the 4WD light keeps flashing and the front wheels never drive, or the axle will not disengage back to 2WD. It is rarely the transfer case itself, but a buyer who never tests it may find out on a wet boat ramp.

What you would notice

4WD indicator flashes and never goes solid after selecting 4H
Front wheels do not drive in 4WD (wheelspin at the rear only on gravel)
Car stays stuck in 4WD, with the light flashing when back in 2H
Hissing from the engine bay when shifting between 2H and 4H

How to check it

Where to look. Vacuum solenoids near the brake booster in the engine bay; actuator on the front differential; switches on the transfer case

On the test drive, while rolling slowly in a straight line, move the transfer shifter from 2H to 4H: the 4WD light should flash briefly and then go solid within a few seconds. Drive on in 4H, then back to 2H, and check the light goes out. Try 4HLc and 4LLc on gravel or grass only, never on dry seal. Open the bonnet and look at the small vacuum hoses running to the solenoids near the brake booster for splits, chew marks or loose ends. Ask when the 4WD was last used. If a workshop inspection is possible: have the front diff actuator and solenoids checked with a vacuum pump and the transfer case and diff switches tested.

Parts involved: Differential.

What it costs to put right

$150 to $1,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“When was the 4WD last used, and did the light go solid?”
“Have any 4WD solenoids, hoses or the front diff actuator been replaced?”
“Does it ever get stuck in 4WD?”

Now check the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

4x4community.co.za forum thread '4x4 light keeps flashing!!' (Super Select vacuum solenoids and hoses)
4x4community.co.za forum thread '4x4 vacuum system' (front diff actuator diaphragm test)
4x4community.co.za forum thread 'Pajero 4x4 dash lights test' (transfer case switches and solenoids)

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport buyer questions

Is super select 4wd light flashing, front axle will not engage (vacuum solenoids, hoses and front diff actuator) serious on a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport?

We rate it major and common on the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. The Challenger's Super Select 4WD engages the front axle with a vacuum-operated actuator on the front diff, switched by two vacuum solenoids in the engine bay and monitored by switches on the transfer case and diff. When a vacuum hose splits or pops off, a solenoid sticks from lack of use, or the actuator diaphragm leaks, the 4WD light keeps flashing and the front wheels never drive, or the axle will not disengage back to 2WD. It is rarely the transfer case itself, but a buyer who never tests it may find out on a wet boat ramp.

How much does it cost to fix on a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport?

$150 to $1,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Mitsubishi Pajero Sport years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1998–2008 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.