Multiple problems with my gf's car.....

[TuffGuy]

Originally posted by: MetalMat
I think it was flooded from the whole Katrina thing in New Orleans.

Can you add this to your first post before we get some more idiots coming in here just to bash Mitsus? Thanks. :beer:

 

[hoorah]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: hoorah

Originally posted by: MetalMat
My GF drives a 2001 Mitsubishi Gallant and it is having some problems right now. I was wondering if any car experts on ATOT could help me out on this one.

1. Car has a hard time starting up, and sometimes will not and have to wait 5 minutes. I am thinking it is either the battery of the starter. The starter seems to barely turn and the car turns over slowly.

Sounds to me like a fuel pressure problem. Usually, when the fuel pressure regular or the fuel return line seals leak, it drains the fuel pressure back to the tank on startup, causing long crank times. The reason it may take awhile is that you have to rebuild pressure in the system. When the car is cold, check the fuel pressure at the fuel rail with a pressure gage (or have a mechanic do it). If the starter is turning over slow, it may be the battery, but if that were so, theres no reason it would start later. It is not the starter, and probably not the battery.

2. Steering wheel shakes alot while driving, especially at high speeds.

Shakes side to side or up down? If up/down, its most likely a wheel balancing/bent rim problem. Get tires balanced or swap tires from front to back and see if the problem moves. If side to side, its a suspension problem, usually ball joints or tie rods. It MAY be an upper motor mount, but that wouldn't shake the steering wheel, it would shake the whole car.

Ok, now a lesson for you and everyone else. ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS DO NOT CAUSE VIBRATION!! Seriously, I don't know where people get this from.

3. There is some sort of crazy electrical problem. The front left headlight always goes dim, even when replacing the light bulb. When she turns her car off and back on, the odometer always resets, and your have to always turn the cd player on and put the factory code in.

Sounds like you have a short in your main power cable to the accessories. That would explain the dim low beam (voltage drop) and the odometer and radio resetting. If the main power wire is shorting, then when the car is off, the voltage to the car is too low to maintain settings.

4. The cigarette lighter and inside light does not work.

Fuses

5. Recently the cd player started to refuse working, when you turn it on it just says "off" on the display and turns itself back off.

Don't know off the top of my head, but if I were in your shoes, I'd fix my power wire short circuits, fuses, and charge the battery, and see where that gets me.

You'll want to get the shorted wire fixed fairly soon, that will be draining your battery. Hmm, now that I think about it, if the voltage in the whole system is low, your fuel pump might be operating slower than usual, causing hard cold starts. Hmm....

Fix the wire first, then re-check symptoms.

What engine does it have in it? I'm fairly familiar with the mitsu 3.0L V6 that I work on in my eclipse GT.

I will bring the battery to Autozone to get it checked out this afternoon, and will also check all the fuses. This car sucks

For the love of God, do not take this person's advice.

Sheesh, fuel pressure causing the engine to turn over slowly... I just don't know where to start with that... :roll:

ZV

I never said that the fuel pressure was causing the starter to turn over slowly. I said it would cause long crank times before it would catch. For a system that is unpressurized, would this not be the case, that it would have to crank for awhile to build pressure?

Why don't you start by reading, thats a place you can start.

 

[MetalMat]

Update: I checked the battery and it was indeed bad, so I changed it out and that solves one of the problems.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: MetalMat
Update: I checked the battery and it was indeed bad, so I changed it out and that solves one of the problems.

So the light still dims, lighter doesn't work, CD doesn't work?

 

[MetalMat]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: MetalMat
Update: I checked the battery and it was indeed bad, so I changed it out and that solves one of the problems.

So the light still dims, lighter doesn't work, CD doesn't work?

Yes, trip odometer works again though.