MitsubishiDiamante19983.5L/mitsubishi/diamante/1998/3-5l/

1998 Mitsubishi Diamante — 3.5L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1998 Diamante 3.5L.

Engine 3.5LTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1998 Mitsubishi Diamante 3.5L pairs its namesake 3.5-liter engine with a four-speed automatic transmission, requiring 4.5 quarts of 10W-30 or 5W-30 API oil and posting EPA ratings of 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. Within the model’s 1992–2004 production span, this year accounts for 27 total owner complaints and a single recall, landing between the 2002 peak of 133 complaints and the 2004 low of 3. That placement indicates moderate exposure to the visibility concerns that dominate its specific complaint profile.

Model year20042003200220012000199919981997

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque65-80 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/23/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 24 · 490 CCA battery, OE oil filter MZ690072. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 24 · 490 CCAOEM · verified
Tire size4WD:P225-75R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filterMZ690072
Engine air filterMZ690197
Fuel filterMR312723
Spark plugMD361067
Front wiper bladesAW345922 alt 8250A098
Serpentine beltMN187017 alt MN187016
ThermostatMD350415

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 23 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume101 cu ft
Cargo volume14 cu ft
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

No 1998 road test on record; the results below are same-engine tests from nearby model years, each shown under its own year.

8.1–8.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.10 sec — 1997 LS Sedan
231 lb-ftTorque (as tested)
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1997LS Sedan 3.5L V68.10 sec16.10 sec210 hpFWD
1997LS Sedan 3.5L V68.30 sec16.20 sec210 hpFWD
1997LS Sedan 3.5L V68.40 sec16.70 sec210 hpFWD
2000LS Sedan 3.5L V68.20 sec16.20 sec205 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 · DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 65-80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3 · DOT 4
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil10W-30 · API · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt
Power Steering FluidUse Mitsubishi PS fluid

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or StudsTighten in 2
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts134 ft-lbs
Cylinder Head Steps3 steps in sequence: Final torque; 80 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts54 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts16 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts21 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs10 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts65-80 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub145-188 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)100 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance.50-.70 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance9000-13,000 ohms
Spark Plug Gap0.039-0.0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque15.0-21.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing5, Not adjustable degrees

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.44-1.52 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type56
Oil Capacity5.10-5.70 oz
Standard BCI Group Number24
Standard BCI Cranking Performance490 cca

Service checks

Engine Compression171-127 PSI. 14 maximum variation PSI.
Engine Compression127-171 psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket65 ft-lbs / 36-43 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle65-80 ft-lbs / 40 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.039 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.0019 in / 0.0024 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.945 in / 0.409 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To0.945 in / 0.409 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.88 in / 0.33 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect)
Every 60,000 miBalance Shaft Drive Belt (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (replace)
Every 100,000 miTiming Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1998 Mitsubishi Diamante logged 27 federal complaints and a single recall, with its most frequent issue by far being visibility (14 complaints), though the data does not specify the root cause of this problem. Across this generation, complaints trended downward from an early high of 49 in 1992 to a low of 12 in 1995, before beginning a sharp upward trajectory that peaked at 133 complaints and 4 recalls in 2002. The 1998 model sits at a relatively calm point in this arc, decreasing slightly from 34 complaints in 1997 and remaining well below the problematic surge seen in 2000 (51) and beyond. While its 27 complaints and 1 recall make it statistically safer than the later, trouble-plagued years, it still carries a substantial 51 technical service bulletins. Consequently, 1998 is a reasonable year to buy if you are considering this generation, as it largely avoids the escalating severity of the 2000-2002 models, provided you can verify the resolution of its specific visibility and speed control concerns.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
51
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
27
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 27 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Visibility14
Vehicle Speed Control3
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3
Electrical System2
Visibility/Wiper1
Engine & Engine Cooling,Visibility,Unknown Or Other1
Seat Belts1
Steering,Structure,Tires,Equipment1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

04V428000Equipment:Other:LabelsReported 01/09/2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE… Remedy: MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 51 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
TSB-22-54-0032022-04-07Exterior LightingThis Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between…
TT2532019-11-26EquipmentThis is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TSB-19-00-0082019-07-30EquipmentThis is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes…
TT2372018-02-26EquipmentThis is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT2182015-08-28Engine And Engine CoolingThis is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Diamante. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1998 Diamante 3.5L take?

4.5 qt of ABOVE 0 degreesF 10W-30 SL API, BELOW 100 degreesF 5W-30 SL API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1998 Diamante have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 3.5L get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 23 highway / 18 combined mpg.