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 STM Tuned

Coolant, Battery and oil light? Help please!

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.

OverBoostinGST

15+ Year Contributor
273
2
May 15, 2005
Roselle, Illinois
Well I Think my oil pressure light is bogus, I accidently left the oil dipstick in my friends driveway and went for a drive, then the oil light came on. And there was oil all over the transmission and hood(not by where the dipstick was at all, weird right?). I didnt boost it or anything. Found my dipstick, Gave it an oil change and a new pcv valve problem solved. Then I was drivng today to the mall and I was using my rear defroster and all of sudden my battery light came on and the rear defroster doesnt work anymore. I checked the ac and it still works, the only thing that doesnt work is the rear defroster. My coolant light also came on at the same time, no overheating or anything and the oil,coolant and battery light dim really low and become bright again.) I think my coolant light, battery light and my oil light are broken/ or bogus. I mean I just put in this battery a week ago, I checked the termanals of the battery and there all good, I also checked my oil gauge wires buy the oil filter and nothing the oil light only comes on when I drive longer than 20 minutes and when im driving and hit bumps it dims and goes back on, What can this be? Do you guys think my gauges are just broken?
 
OverBoostinGST said:
Well I Think my oil pressure light is bogus, I accidently left the oil dipstick in my friends driveway and went for a drive, then the oil light came on. And there was oil all over the transmission and hood(not by where the dipstick was at all, weird right?). I didnt boost it or anything. Found my dipstick, Gave it an oil change and a new pcv valve problem solved. Then I was drivng today to the mall and I was using my rear defroster and all of sudden my battery light came on and the rear defroster doesnt work anymore. I checked the ac and it still works, the only thing that doesnt work is the rear defroster. My coolant light also came on at the same time, no overheating or anything and the oil,coolant and battery light dim really low and become bright again.) I think my coolant light, battery light and my oil light are broken/ or bogus. I mean I just put in this battery a week ago, I checked the termanals of the battery and there all good, I also checked my oil gauge wires buy the oil filter and nothing the oil light only comes on when I drive longer than 20 minutes and when im driving and hit bumps it dims and goes back on, What can this be? Do you guys think my gauges are just broken?

check for power to the rear defroster. if no power there, check fuses. lemme know if you get that far.

check the level of your coolant, could be low.

as for the battery, have the alternator tested at a local parts store.
 
You would not believe the funny assortment of lights you will get when there is insufficient power. Normally the ABS light comes on when this happens, but I would still swing by AutoZone and have them check your charging system. It is possible that you got a bum battery.
 
spyderturbo007 is right -- DSMs like to throw an odd assortment of lights at you when the alternator is on the fritz. Check the alternator belt and make sure it's nice and tight, check all fuses (obviously), and if you have time, check for play in the crank pulley.

First, though, I would stop by O'Reilly or Autozone and have them test the charging system for you as spyderturbo007 suggested (alternator and battery) ;)
 
femmeDSM said:
spyderturbo007 is right -- DSMs like to throw an odd assortment of lights at you when the alternator is on the fritz. Check the alternator belt and make sure it's nice and tight, check all fuses (obviously), and if you have time, check for play in the crank pulley.

First, though, I would stop by O'Reilly or Autozone and have them test the charging system for you as spyderturbo007 suggested (alternator and battery) ;)

Im going to go do that. Thanks
 
This is what ended up happing later that day........

Ok so my car through a battery light today and a coolant light, its not overheating or anything like that at all. I just got this battery two weeks ago, I left my lights on for 10 minutes NOT EVEN then I shut them off. Then I go and I picked my cusin up from the train station and headed over to blockbuster to rent movies, after that I started up my car and headed home and it studdered and stalled out completely, so I call my dad and he jumped my car and it started up but it studders and putt putts all the time, Im accelerating and it only drives when I take my foot off the pedal. Im gunning it and its going not even 3 mph if that. This is pissing me off so much, Can you guys please help me out?
 
Up until that last post I was gonna say to check the grounds. If you don't have a good ground, it could be an issue. But with what you mentioned last, it sounds like a bit more serious.
If you threw a charge on that battery right now, would it still sputter and spit? If not, then it just happened because the charge was low and the battery didn't have enough juice to keep it running. It was brand new so that's probably why you got as far as you did. As per above, get the alternator fixed.
If a charge on the battery does absolutely nothing, then a more thorough investigation should be done. Starting with the usual CEL codes(if any) and a little more info like: What prompted the battery change initially? What was happening prior? Aside from the dipstick, what other items were recently serviced on the car? etc...
 
95talon_in_ma said:
Up until that last post I was gonna say to check the grounds. If you don't have a good ground, it could be an issue. But with what you mentioned last, it sounds like a bit more serious.
If you threw a charge on that battery right now, would it still sputter and spit? If not, then it just happened because the charge was low and the battery didn't have enough juice to keep it running. It was brand new so that's probably why you got as far as you did. As per above, get the alternator fixed.
If a charge on the battery does absolutely nothing, then a more thorough investigation should be done. Starting with the usual CEL codes(if any) and a little more info like: What prompted the battery change initially? What was happening prior? Aside from the dipstick, what other items were recently serviced on the car? etc...

Do you think it could be the starter? I mean when we jump it the car still sputters and spits like you said, thats what happened yesterday to me when we first started it after it died. My dad was driving behind me and I was literally going 5 mph all the way home with the car bucking and kicking gasping to go, and the weird thing was that I take my foot off the pedal and THEN it would accelerate, not when I was gunning it to go. The reason we changed the battery is because it was old, and I was getting flickering lights before it died completely. I dont think the alternator is new, I mean the guy I bought the car from kept up with really good maintence. But the alternator looks old indeed. What else should I check out im going to pull my car in the garage and take off the alternator.
 
The only thing a starter would do is drain the battery more than it should when you start it if it was bad.
Just to clarify, When I asked if you charged the car, I meant with a battery charger. Jumping a car does absolutely nothing to charge the battery. A jump is only a temporary jolt for a dead battery, yf you have a bad alternator, the battery will still be dead.
You can either take the alternator to A-zone, they should be able to run it and see if it's good an their machine. (On or off the car).
Personally I'd go to sears and for $40 get a electrical tester. It will tell you if the battery is charged and if the alternator is charging. (You'll have to read the manual for the right settings, but it's easy).
It won't tell you if the batttery is good, only a load tester can do that. But since you just bought it, it should be good anyway.

But most notably, you mentioned you replaced you battery becasue of flickering lights. That can be caused by a bad alternator also. Sounds like you replaced the battery without getting it checked. It was probably the alternator right along.

good luck!:thumb:
 
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