P0335 on Mitsubishi: How to Diagnose & Fix

The 1995-1999 Eclipse GS-T and GSX use the 7-bolt 4G63 turbo engine, which is notoriously prone to 'crank walk' — excessive axial movement of the crankshaft caused by thrust bearing failure. The crankshaft literally moves fore-and-aft inside the block, eventually destroying the crank position sensor backplate and ruining the crank, block, and bearings. Root causes include factory-misadjusted clutch hydraulics leaving residual pressure on the thrust bearing, 7-bolt oil squirter design that bleeds pressure from main bearing feeds, and a metallurgically weaker crank than the earlier 6-bolt motor. Crankwalk was most prevalent in engines built in 1995, and most affected units failed at low mileage before the first timing belt service. There is no recall, and full repair requires a complete engine teardown with crank and bearing replacement.

The 1996-1999 second-generation Eclipse turbo (GS-T/GSX) uses the 7-bolt 4G63T, which is notorious for "crankwalk": the crankshaft thrust bearing wears out and allows the crank to move excessively fore-aft (lateral end-play). Marginal oiling to the thrust surface, dirt contamination, and heavy-duty clutch pressure loads accelerate the wear. As the crank walks it destroys the crankshaft position/timing signal and eventually the crankshaft itself. It is one of the most feared failures in the DSM community and is largely non-repairable without pulling the engine. The earlier 1990-1994 1G and 1995 6-bolt engines are far less prone; Mitsubishi revised the thrust bearing design (culminating in a 4-piece self-aligning thrust bearing by 1999) to mitigate it, but 1996-early-1997 cars remain high-risk.

The 6G72's crank/cam timing signal on early 1990s trucks is generated inside the distributor, and later trucks use a discrete crankshaft position sensor at the front of the engine behind the crank pulley/timing covers. As these sensors and their pickups age they fail intermittently, producing a classic 'cranks but won't start' condition or sudden stalling while driving that often clears after the engine cools. Owners repeatedly report that aftermarket sensors do not resolve the problem and that only a genuine Mitsubishi (OEM) sensor restores reliable operation; the crank sprocket tone/reluctor ring can also strip or be damaged.

The crankshaft position sensor on the 2.4L (4G64) Galant fails with age and heat, sometimes intermittently. Because the ECU uses this signal to fire spark and injection, a failing sensor typically produces a hard-start, an engine that cranks but will not start (often after the engine warms up), or sudden stalling while driving, frequently with the check-engine light on. The sensor is a three-pin Hall-effect unit mounted to the front of the engine reading a trigger plate.