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I hate DSMs! Electrical Problems. [Merged 2-9]

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NJGSX96

20+ Year Contributor
745
1
Dec 11, 2001
YMB, New_Jersey
Well the other day I went out and bought a new alternator and battery for my 1G. Of course the bolt for the alternator was in backwards and couldn't come out without removing the turbo/manifold/O2/exhaust, but thanks to my friend Phil and his Sawzall, that was a minor issue. Anyway, when I went to the parts store, they had a 75AMP and 65AMP. The 75AMP is for automatics, but was identical to the 65AMP, which was for manuals, so I went with the 75AMPer. Why not, right? Get it installed, everything plugged in, clean up the battery connections, install the new battery, fire it up, all good. This was Monday. Tonight after work I go back to the car and figure I'll add some goodies I got for my b-day while the car is down. About an hour later I have installed my nice new cockpit adjustable hallman MBC and I swap out my plug wires for the NGK wires I had on before since my Magnecors bit the dust... again. That is it. I do nothing else. Plug up the laptop, start the car, fire up TMO, log battery. 5 seconds into starting the car I hear a high pitched occillating whine and with it the lights are dimming and brightning. TMO battery log looks like I am logging O2 dipping to 11v and rising to 14.5v over and over. Finally steadies at 13.9v and the whine becomes constant, whih is coming from the alternator. I let it idle for 10 minutes. All looks good. I got out for a little test drive and as soon as I get to the bottom of my hill the log shows 12v and i can see the lights dim! Every time I come to a stop it dips to 11v and the dash lights for battery, coolant come on, then go off. I get back home as quick as I can, and park it. At this point the lights are all dim and the log shows 11.6v.

Is this for real? Is my alternator already f#cked up? In all my years of driving I have NEVER had to replace an alternator. is this common for them to die or come bad out of the box? Is the 75AMP not compatible with my car? Where the f#ck do I start to check now or is it just the alternator?
 
I BELIEVE that standard operating range at idle is between 13.0 and 14.0v...

Crap... can't find the Hayne's manual....
 
No worries, I have mine in the garage, Ill just check it tomorrow before I get to work. Thanks for the quick responses. Think of anything else let me know, I will post tomorrow with more info on the matter.
 
Alternator it is... Grounding out which is the weird part to me, do all alternator do that on Mitsubishi's when they go bad, luckily i had a fuse box close by that I installed where the battery location used to be if not it makes me wonder how badly the cables would have fried...OMG
 
Hey guys, this problem has been bothering me for some time and I still have not been able to figure it out. What happens is when I turn on the car (or even turn the key to the "on" position), the dome lights, floor lights, blower for the heater, and the stereo do not work. Now I know that this sounds like a simple fuse problem and it used to be just that (I have replaced that fuse numerous times), but every time I check the fuse now it is just fine.

Here is where things get interesting...after I start driving the car for a while (like 5 mins or so), the lights, blower, and stereo come back on and start working again. However, right when I turn the car off, they go out again. While I am driving the car for the first 5 mins, the battery light and the e-brake light come on, but then go away after those few mins.

I would really like to get this fixed because I have DSMLink and it keeps resetting my ECU every time this happens so I am continually losing my tune!!!! This is so frustrating so any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your help guys!
 
Check your battery connection, one of them could be just loose enough to break circuit and then reconnect the circuit. Also, check the three fuses that is attached to the battery main feed to the vehicle.

Some thoughts to look at.. - Good luck - DSM
 
Check your battery connection, one of them could be just loose enough to break circuit and then reconnect the circuit.

The battery cables are all tightly secured on there. The only thing I noticed is that the positive terminal is slightly larger than the negative terminal while the battery cables I have are both the same size. What this means is that maybe 1/4 in. of the positive battery cable is not connected to the terminal. Would this really cause a problem? I attached a pic of it...sorry for the poor quality.

Also, check the three fuses that is attached to the battery main feed to the vehicle.

Where are these fuses located? I have checked the #11 fuse that is associated with the floor lights and overhead lights and it is fine.

Thanks for the help everything is appreciated!
 

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I have are both the same size
That is one small disadvantage in using aftermarket connectors of the same size where the positive post being larger. If you could find those termination lugs designed for the different size of battery posts, it would be better - not saying that is the whole problem.

BUT, on the pict, I do see some areas of concern with these aftermarket lugs - is the wire going into these lugs themselves.

I can see a good problem with the positive wiring (in which this is where those three fuses that I mentioned would be at..) is that the wire itself either isn't in fully in the lug, or you got too much insulation stripped and bare wiring is exposed. Plus, the white insulated wire has corrosion spelled all over it with me seeing the reddish color. THAT one needs to be all cut off to clean copper and reinserted. Myself, I would cut and restrip that wire to where the wire insulation is flush with the lug and the wire itself is fully inserted in that hole and double making sure that the allen set screws that locks down these wires are super,super tight...

..and I would do this with the negative side as well... ALSO, make sure your negative cabling on the other end is super, super tight as well. For in actuality, current flows from negative to positive.

Good luck with these tips. - DSM
 
Well I fixed the problem. DSM1G90 nailed it on the head. The white insulator while was all kinds of colors (red, purple, blue). I trimmed that wire down until there was fresh copper and everything is working great now! Thanks for all the help!
 
Ok so here's the story.... I have a 99 gst... I just replaced batt and alternator thinkin that that could b the problem.. didn't help here's the issue... any voltage fluct my radio dies my lights dim I mean I turn any thing on my wipers my blinkers I strp on my breaks. Recently I drove bout 50 miles to my moms and 5 miles befor I get there I'm goin 70mph @ 3000ish rpms I step on my breaks and i dropped from 3200rpms to 200 rpms and back up....... what could be the prob? I bought a new ground wire kit hope it does somethin but thnks ill keep y'all posted.... jeff oh yea I forgot too when the batt was new and fully charged I had no problems at all
 
That's the thing no... everything looks good still. So I opted ti change alt and batt....I'm going to put in my ground wires today if the weather is good....
 
I may be able to help indirectly.

Edit your first post, click on the "Go Advanced" button, and edit the title of this thread. "Help ..." is not very descriptive. If you mention electrical problems, you'll attract folks who know about electrical problems.
 
I may be able to help indirectly.

Edit your first post, click on the "Go Advanced" button, and edit the title of this thread. "Help ..." is not very descriptive. If you mention electrical problems, you'll attract folks who know about electrical problems.


Thnks
 
alright so i replaced me ground wires my alternator and batt yexturday...i go to turn on the car and the shuts off .... i go to uunplug the battt for a minute and plug it back in i get lightd on...but go to start the car everything shuts off again no power.....
 
alright so i replaced me ground wires my alternator and batt yexturday...i go to turn on the car and the shuts off .... i go to uunplug the battt for a minute and plug it back in i get lightd on...but go to start the car everything shuts off again no power.....

also if i jump start the car it will turn on... but once i step on my breaks it will drop rpms and almost die if i'm stopped completely and step on my breaks it dies .....
 
I'm actually having a similar problem but my radio works fine and my climate control doesn't work and my cenvertable top switch doesn't work anymore either I know this is an old thread but does anyone have any insight on this problem. this is my first 2g spyder and ive never worked on one to speak of I did have a 1g talon tsi but its not even close to this dam thing... HELP PLEASE thanks!!!
 
I'm actually having a similar problem but my radio works fine and my climate control doesn't work and my cenvertable top switch doesn't work anymore either I know this is an old thread but does anyone have any insight on this problem. this is my first 2g spyder and ive never worked on one to speak of I did have a 1g talon tsi but its not even close to this dam thing... HELP PLEASE thanks!!!

After 14 pages and 8 years, I'm hard pressed to guess what a similar problem is anymore.

What have you checked so far?
 
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