How To Fix Shitty Electrical System?

[InfiniteGSX]

I've only had these issues with DSM's. Don't remember it soo much on a 1g but I haven't owned a 1g in at least 2 years. But I know for a fact that the 2g always does it. No matter what battery you have. I have ran AGM Batteries, now Currently running Dual Batteries but nooooo. The tail lights and whatever takes such a drain from the system. Hit the brakes, turn on lights, signals, whatever.... everything dims.

How can I get this to stop? I understand were running a lot of bulbs back there, I'm running 1 extra in each tail light for the brakes/signals so my entire tail light works completely. But seriously.... No car does this. I can pull up any of the other cars next to mine, with the key off and play with things and no dimming in anything.

Willing to bet this is one reason why My alternators keep dying, they aren't made to hold most of the weight.

Could (just throwing this out there) it have something to do with the thin wires going to the tail lights?


Another thing I just thought about. I can crank my amp up all the way, which is wired directly to the stock amp power wires, and pound the system really loud with 0 dim or flicker of the power. Its mainly just the lights. Headlights, Tail Lights, Signals.

 

[Ambitions]

Well I'm not expert with electrical issues, but normally when things dim its from something drawing too much power, I would check to make sure your system is wired correctly. My other cars battery died because my amp wasn't grounded right.

 

[Sebba]

I've only had these issues with DSM's. Don't remember it soo much on a 1g but I haven't owned a 1g in at least 2 years. But I know for a fact that the 2g always does it. No matter what battery you have. I have ran AGM Batteries, now Currently running Dual Batteries but nooooo. The tail lights and whatever takes such a drain from the system. Hit the brakes, turn on lights, signals, whatever.... everything dims.

How can I get this to stop? I understand were running a lot of bulbs back there, I'm running 1 extra in each tail light for the brakes/signals so my entire tail light works completely. But seriously.... No car does this. I can pull up any of the other cars next to mine, with the key off and play with things and no dimming in anything.

Willing to bet this is one reason why My alternators keep dying, they aren't made to hold most of the weight.

Could (just throwing this out there) it have something to do with the thin wires going to the tail lights?

Another thing I just thought about. I can crank my amp up all the way, which is wired directly to the stock amp power wires, and pound the system really loud with 0 dim or flicker of the power. Its mainly just the lights. Headlights, Tail Lights, Signals.

Almost all of what you stated is a result of poor grounds.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

Well I'm not expert with electrical issues, but normally when things dim its from something drawing too much power, I would check to make sure your system is wired correctly. My other cars battery died because my amp wasn't grounded right.

Almost all of what you stated is a result of poor grounds.

Its stock. Mitsubishi Wired it! . Everything is grounded and wired exactly how it came from the factory. ....
... Well except for I wired up the 3rd bulb on the tail light pig tail to illuminate all 3. But that was just adding one wire to the plug that only had 2 which was made for 3. And taping it directly to the 3rd wire on the actual tail light harness. It was doing the same thing before and has done it on every other 2g I've come in contact with.

As for Battery ground. The Battery ground is 1ft long and you could beat someone to death with it, It requires muscles to bend and is a true 2/O Cable and it is directly to the chassis. Any other harness ground is stock.

 

[2slow4now]

It's an old car with alot of crud and rust that builds up over time. You must have a bad ground somewhere in the lighting system. On the rear of the trunk under the plastic there is a ground with a small screw for the lights. You may want to check that. You may also need to run a new ground to it as well to help out.

 

[Fehrion_sit]

go through the factory steps of diagnosis. battery test, alt test, and then start looking for ground issues. get a chilton or FSM andstart cleaning grounds. it'll help one way or another.

 

[Sebba]

Its stock. Mitsubishi Wired it! . Everything is grounded and wired exactly how it came from the factory. ....
... Well except for I wired up the 3rd bulb on the tail light pig tail to illuminate all 3. But that was just adding one wire to the plug that only had 2 which was made for 3. And taping it directly to the 3rd wire on the actual tail light harness. It was doing the same thing before and has done it on every other 2g I've come in contact with.

As for Battery ground. The Battery ground is 1ft long and you could beat someone to death with it, It requires muscles to bend and is a true 2/O Cable and it is directly to the chassis. Any other harness ground is stock.

Just because it's factory doesn't mean it's not shitty.

 

[Ambitions]

Just because it's factory doesn't mean it's not shitty.

I agree, wires don't last forever.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

It's an old car with alot of crud and rust that builds up over time. You must have a bad ground somewhere in the lighting system. On the rear of the trunk under the plastic there is a ground with a small screw for the lights. You may want to check that. You may also need to run a new ground to it as well to help out.

Its bs. I have soo many other old cars around here and non do it. Just the 2g DSM's I've come in contact with. Where exactly is this ground. Or maybe I should just say #### it and wire up my own grounds to very short wires directly to the frame for each tail light harness.

Alternator, tho new, cannot be the issue. Cause it has nothing to do with this specific thing. Alternator runs the car with the batteries as backup. Kinda like a Cap on a high powered sound system. But when the car is off, old cars. I have a 95 Ford Escort here and with the car shut off, it doesn't do it, esp with it on it doesn't.

I'm getting irritated with wires, esp since I just slit a finger open last night.

 

[LandoAWD]

Alternator, tho new, cannot be the issue. Cause it has nothing to do with this specific thing.

Can you explain that?

What's your voltage at idle, cruise, acc on, acc off, etc?

 

[NeMiZiS]

I would beef up all the ground wires.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

Can you explain that?

What's your voltage at idle, cruise, acc on, acc off, etc?

I'm not discussing Idle. I'm talking Period. So how does an alternator affect anything when its not even on? I don't want to mask the problem with a bad ass alternator which will be dead in a few months because its doing too much work to maintain the power drain somewhere else.

I would beef up all the ground wires.

I'm thinking about doing all of that. Esp now that I know for a fact that Mitsubishi is Voltage Switched and not Ground Switched. Should be easy. I remember that there was somewhat of a beafy brake wire going to the driver side rear seat plastic panel and then somewhere it got turned into the little shit of a wire it is at the tail lights.

 

[inspire]

When it comes to wiring issues sometime a new start is the best way to go. When connectors start getting corrosion or are exposed to the open elements it can affect the metals in the wiring system and cause a world of heartache trying to find the source and repairing the issues. You could even buy a used one that looks good under inspection.

 

[SlickPyro]

I wish Mitsubishi sold the plugs like VW does. I would make my own harnesses. Every VW connector has a part number on it and you can go order them with wiring and make your own. I think if Mitsu did sell them they would sell like hot cakes cause everyone on here or vendors would be building engine and body harnesses. But in your case you may be able to find bulb sockets and make your own.

 

[riopgtmn]

How do you fix the DSM's HORRIBLE electrical system?

Rebuild it completely using all mil-spec hardware.

Mil-Spec Wiring... // 2G DSM

Thats all.

 

[Alphashadow]

I agree, wires don't last forever.

I agree with this statement. My car developed a intermittent non starting issue. Had all the sensors replaced, all devices checked out in optimal condition. After a month of fighting and several shops assisting me, it was found to be corroded wires to the fuel pump. It had a corroded connection that was failing inconsistently. Once the Mitsubishi dealership repaired those wires I did not have any more temperamental starting issues.

As much as I truly and attached to my 2G, I also am very accutely aware that Mitsubishi is known for electrical issues. Hence a great deal of activity in this blessed forum has something to do with electrical issues.

Otherwise we would all be looking into a thrid mortgage on our house to pay for the elcetrical repairs for our beloved 4 wheel ladies.

 

[fwddsmtsi]

could it be the wire sizing being too small now that you have more power wanting to go to the tail lights or your ground wire you used is too small for it to return?

 

[M4s73r]

I feel your pain man. Im in the process right now of building all new harnesses in my car and doing a big 3 upgrade. I added a 300w mono amp and 7" touch screen 255 pump, and everything dims like shit now. Wiring went to shit. Not surprising in a 15 year old car i guess.