The Top DSM Community on the Web

For 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, and Galant VR-4 Owners. Log in to remove most ads.

Please Support JNZ Tuning
Please Support Fuel Injector Clinic

1G Signs of a bad ECU capacitor

This site may earn a commission from merchant
affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

oren hughbanks

Proven Member
266
27
Aug 4, 2014
prescott valley, Arizona
Ok so I go out to start my talon after after work and it Dosent start up like she normally does. Just seemed to miss fire right away. Then the idle is complete crap. Sputtering all over the place just down right horrible. My AFR was a tiny bit lean but not bad. It's super sluggish to rev, sputtering and farting everywhere. Fuel pressure is normal I checked that on the Gage. I know I have a leaky capacitor, could this be it finally dead? It's been slowly getting a miss fire over the last few weeks at idle. I'm going to check my timing right now

I've noticed louder than normal lifter tick, slowly turned Into a noticeable lifter knock only at 3k rpms, 3400 it goes away. I'm going to check all my lifters too, could a impacted lifter cause this too? What makes me think this could be it too is on the way home it wasn't pulling any vacuum at all, hardly half what it normally does, and wasn't building any boost. Was just fine when I parked it in the morning. Pretty weird
 
Power module (transistor) is usually the culprit in this case, but a ECU that needs rebuilt is more of an important matter.

Thus, get the caps in the ECU replaced first, then see if it's the power transistor flacking out on you.

When lifters don't quiet down even at idle, you're due for a full lifter install-one is crapping out on you. Why it's good in the morn is that the oil is thicker when cold allowing increased pressure in the lifter to quiet it down.. But, get oil thin when hot and that pressure decreases....and a tired lifter can't hold the pressure.

Bet, you need a head overhaul with new guides and lifters along with everything else.
 
Last edited:
Yeah I popped out the ecu last night and sure enough it's Leakey. Jiggled it a few times, put in the ecu now it won't even start.
I bought the cylinder head off craigslist and it looked like it had be rebuilt it still had the assembly lubricant on the cams but I didn't see if it had the first or second gen lifters. Im sure it's not entirely impossible that the shop just 're used the old lifters. I looked up on vfaq how to replace them is that really the easiest way? Prying up on the rocker arm?
 
I could see the puddle of goop underneath it whatever that stuff is, so I'm hoping that's it. I have another ecu I got from our local salvage yard from another 1g tsi 91. And it has different capacitors in it. I think it's repaired before, I installed it and it's not any good my talon won't start at all.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Circled the questionable area's, picture is hard to really see, but leaking caps normally blow at the top where the x in the aluminum , just kinda looks like normal wear on your board, if you see this below then they are gone! If you can solder, they are easily replaced!

is.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Now is the perfect time to send it out to someone, and get link or what ever tuning solution you like. If it's not already eeprom, get it upgraded so you can use an emulator or what not.
 
This is the ecu I got from the salvage yard. Look at this! How do u do this? Is this for real? Did they use a bic lighter for a soldering iron??
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0753.jpg
    IMAG0753.jpg
    483.4 KB · Views: 236
Update! Got my ecu back on Friday. New caps look good actually lucked out the repair guy actually had the right ones, and only charged 25 bucks for the fix. Came home all jazzed, go to start it up, and no start. Not even at all and I knew something felt off. So checked my timing, everything was a mile off. So I pulled off all the goods to get the timing cover and bam! Tensioner pulley was about to fall off!!!! Da fuq???

So did the timing again. Somehow, by the grace of the DSM GODS, didn't have any valve contact. So got it all buttoned up. Rolled out of the shop, and started. Took a few clunks, couple pops, a puff and toot and we have ignition! Spit put a huge cloud of smoke! So I let it idle for a few watching closely, then once it settled down, took it up the road and back and Damn she runs good! Problem solved and it idles like a dream purrs Luke a kitten problem solved![DOUBLEPOST=1412477756][/DOUBLEPOST]Here's the new caps
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Yeah that's Atleast 3 or four times I've been smiled upon by the dsm gods. Literally I went start it and it sputtered a few times and I was like ugh no way is it still not starting. No !!!! I could see my wife inside the window rolling her eyes. So have it a few more cranks and it sputtered to life and smoked out the road . That's almost bad scary as the first time I startef it after my rebuild
 
Support Vendors who Support the DSM Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Innovation Products Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications MyMitsubishiStore.com RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Latest posts

Build Thread Updates

Vendor Updates

Latest Classifieds

Back
Top