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2G My "new to me" 1997 GST! Could I get some questions answered?

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Echosyp

Proven Member
130
47
Oct 31, 2019
Clanton, Alabama
So I just got back home, drove up 5 1/2 hours today and picked up my 1997 GST, original paint, interior near perfect, ugly silver spray painted rims, all lights on inside worked, body in perfect condition, other than paint faded in some spots. Said it had a shitty carbon fiber hood when he got it so he got a deep hunter green hood and put on it, he also said the front bumper was hacked to crap and back, so he got the same hunter green front bumper and put it on the car THEN spray painted the bumper black, so I have to clean the headlights and buff the bumper, because you can tell where the pain ran in a few places. Also the window tint looks like someone done it in an alley way for $2, i could barely see out the passenger window it was so bad, so I'm ripping all the window tint off tomorrow.

Other than that tho, the car looks amazing and ran great on the way home with only 2 issues.

Car has installed

  • Evo 3 Turbo
  • Mishimoto Intercooler
  • Greddy Type S BOV
  • Forced Performance DSM Race Manifold
  • Brian Crower Stage 2 Cams
  • Megan Racing Cat-Back System
  • HBC Manual Boost Controller
  • AEM Boost Gauge
  • AEM Air/Fuel Gauge
  • KYB AGX Struts
  • Eibach Springs
  • Goodridge Brake Lines

BELOW IS WHERE THINGS GET WEIRD!

The MAP sensor has a rubber hose on it and goes down to a T but isnt connected to anything, what should I do with that?

Also the Greddy Type S BOV has no hose hooked up to the top nipple or bottom nipple

The AEM boost guage reads 18 at idle and 24 - 26 revved up, the guy told me the boost gauge wasn't hooked up it was just sitting in the car but when I pulled the gauge out the wire was just disconnected in the back of it, so I just hooked it up and he acted like he had no idea it was hooked up before. But he said the gauge was hooked up wrong if it was reading 18 idle and 24-26 revved up, What are your thoughts about this?

He also told me the HBC controller was turned all the way down to 6 lbs, but it's not turned all the way down it's about half way because I can still turn it both directions, so he lied yet again and had no idea what he was talking about, he claimed on the FB post he had it tuned day before yesterday and it was pushing 347whp at 18 lbs.

He also said the passenger side window motor was burned out, but it isnt, just the window lock was turned on.

But he said car wasn't stolen and gave me the title so yea.

Anyone mind helping me hook this car up right? It made the 5 1/2 hour drive home just fine with 2 issues, so I'm at least happy it'll drive that far with minimum issues, it's going to be my daily driver back and forth to work, but I only live 6 minutes away from work.

PROBLEMS I'VE FOUND SO FAR!

Check Engine light is on, he said when he cleared it the car ran like crap until the check engine light came back on. SRS light is on, BRAKE light is on, he said it has new brakes, but it also has the Goodridge brake lines on it, that could be it.

Also, looks like an O2 sensor between throttle body and the BOV, has a red and brown wire coming out of it, but the wires aren't hooked up to anything.

Wife said it was blowing black smoke out of the exhaust pipe whenever I shifted gears or whenever I stomped on the gas, her windshield and white bumper of her expedition is now blackish.

Slave cylinder is leaking and the clutch stays on the floor most of the time, but he gave me a slave cylinder to put on, I'm gonna do that tomorrow.

Also, not sure how common this is, since I've never owned a turbo car. EVERYTHING under the hood was extremely hot, like even the hood itself was scorching, but the temp of the car stayed normal temp the whole 5 1/2 hours drive home, and I pushed it up to 95+ a few times.

Also found an OBD II adapter under the driver seat, sent him a picture asking him what was it and he said he had no idea. It has no markings on it to tell me what brand, but has a 2 amp fuse on the side with old school phone charger port on one side, with a V shield looking port under it, on top it has a toggle switch, then the other side it has what looks like an HDMI port and then a round metal port with a pin inside the port.
 
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Start with doing all the scheduled maintenance especially pay attention to the timing belt. If you don't know when when something was last done, do it and record when. Go to this link for the maintenance, first 2 sticky threads at the top https://www.dsmtuners.com/forum/maintenance-repairs.10/. Address & fix all the things you're wondering about as you do the maintenance. A lot of things will sort them selves out while you're doing the maintenance. Make & fill out a car profile so members can easier help with specifics down the road.
 
I had that exact problem with my AEM boost gauge as well. After dicking around with AEM support for a few weeks they finally replaced the sensor and fixed the issue, but I had problems with my AEM wideband also and swore off AEM in future cars.
 
You have many issues to deal with. You’ll have to deal with them one at a time, and perhaps we can help you prioritize, once we get more info from you.

We can appreciate that you are overwhelmed with the number of items you found wrong with this car, but your best results with answers here will come from asking one at a time.

With the O2 and MAP disconnected, chances are very high that your car is running in open loop, which is to say that the ecu (controlling computer) is using preset values for the fuel mixture. These presets are what it uses in a cold start up, so you are most likely running very rich. The black smoke is further proof of that.

Once you verify that the timing belt and basic maintenance have been done, you should get the wiring and vacuum lines reconnected so that it will, once again, use the sensors to deliver the correct fuel mixture. Continuing to run it too rich will wash the oil out of the cylinders and ruin your piston rings.

Welcome to the forum and DSM life!
 
Definitely need some pics to help with most things, but a few things I know are that for one the BOV needs to have a hose connected from the top nipple to the intake manifold like in the following diagrams..

https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/taboo-speed-shop-vacuum-diagram-and-removal-for-1g-and-2g.198327/

Second would be that the boost gauge is most definitely not hooked up correctly and would not read those numbers. Again, check the above link for the correct hookups for the boost gauge.

Third would be that what you are calling the o2 sensor is on the intake side and based on location is probably a temp sensor. Seems that whomever had the car before definitely did some tuning on it. That’s also what I would guess is under the seat that you said looks like an OBD connector. It was most likely used to tune the cars ECU and may still be.

ABOVE ALL else though.. definitely follow the earlier suggestions and get the maintenance in order first. Brakes for sure!
 
+1 what Mello said. Pictures would help with your questions.
I had that exact problem with my AEM boost gauge as well. After dicking around with AEM support for a few weeks they finally replaced the sensor and fixed the issue, but I had problems with my AEM wideband also and swore off AEM in future cars.

Well see, i"m not even sure if the gauge is correct or not, with how much bull he told me that I found out to not be true, would it hurt anything if I turned the HBC boost controller all the way down and just see if the boost gauge moves any?
 
Sounds like the sensors for Speed Density where installed ( MAP & Intake air temp) but the car is still running on a MAF. Which is fine.

Sounds like this guy really just didnt know what was going on.

Ive found that more often than not, people dont like to answer with " I dont know" when asked a question that they dont have the answer to. An amazing phenomenon.
 
Here is some under the hood pics, the map sensor's hose comes down to a T and both of them are unhooked, then as someone else said I'm guessing that's a temp sensor with the red / brown wires that are unhooked.
 

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Here’s the vacuum diagram. I’d try to get the vacuum lines situated first and also do a boost leak test besides all the other maintenance and tbelt inspection

https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/taboo-speed-shop-vacuum-diagram-and-removal-for-1g-and-2g.198327/

Maybe the PO bought the charge pipe w the sensor on it or was planning on running speed density. You can ignore the iat sensor for now. Highly doubt it has ecmlink.

I followed that diagram and went outside to check, the hose that's coming off the intake that goes to the factory by pass vavlue, that hose is running down under the battery and connected to something there, so would it be ok to just T into that line and run a hose over to the BOV?

He also claimed it had a 6 bolt motor put in it, said that's why it has 2 throttle cables but one of them is unhooked just sitting ontop of the motor, the other one goes across top side of motor and comes back around and plugged into the back of the motor.
 
When you pull the console out to check the parking brake switch, make sure the air bag (gray) box is bolted to the floor near the back of the console area. If this box is missing, it would illuminate the SRS light. The second cause of an SRS light would be if the air bags were installed, but not plugged in, or, the air bag covers are there, but the air bags have been removed.
 
The charcoal canister is under the battery. Pic would be nice

Here is where the vacuum hose is going to under the battery http://prntscr.com/prvx95

Also I posted a pic of a connector coming out of the fuse box under the hood that wasn't plugged up, was stuck under the battery.
 

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The second throttle cable disconnected is probably for the cruise control since it looks like some of it is missing near the strut tower.

Please replace those spark plug wires ASAP! Those look like a fire waiting to happen!

That vacuum line is not supposed to go to that connection. Definitely follow the diagram man and hook everything up right. Should not have to T anything except the Boost Gauge and Boost controller.

Oh and all the heat under the hood could be coming from that exhaust manifold that is not coated or the coat has come off and could even be an exhaust leak if it is really that black at the block to header connection.
 
The second throttle cable disconnected is probably for the cruise control since it looks like some of it is missing near the strut tower.

Please replace those spark plug wires ASAP! Those look like a fire waiting to happen!

That vacuum line is not supposed to go to that connection. Definitely follow the diagram man and hook everything up right. Should not have to T anything except the Boost Gauge and Boost controller.

Oh and all the heat under the hood could be coming from that exhaust manifold that is not coated or the coat has come off and could even be an exhaust leak if it is really that black at the block to header connection.

That black at the block is spray paint, ok so I'll unhook that vacuum line and plug it into the BOV and see what happens, not sure what that is under the battery that it's hooked up to.
 
That black at the block is spray paint, ok so I'll unhook that vacuum line and plug it into the BOV and see what happens, not sure what that is under the battery that it's hooked up to.

It part of the egr system/evap system. Maybe the canister. There are many many threads on here for it. Definitely follow the vacuum diagram. Look up the egr removal thread and it is really good about what everything is and where it goes.
 
There a thread here going over the harness but I can’t find it. Pretty sure that’s the charcoal canister under the battery

So this hose I'm pointing at goes to the bov? And shouldn't be going to the charcoal canister?
 

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Don't T into the bov line.

Looks like someone gave you a head start on a SD conversion. The IAT in the throttle elbow and 3 bar MAP probably just need wired in.

The map sensor looks to be wired in, just unsure why the vacuum hose on it has a T with 2 other hoses coming off, and where they should be plugged to, also the IAT does need to be wired in, just not sure where.

Also what is this spiraled hose on the front of the engine? Got oil on it so think the oil leak might be around there somewhere.
 

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