TampaBay DSM

[AnthrAxNSB]

A few months ago I was going to take my car to work, but the battery was dead. I took another vehicle to work, and when I got home, I checked the battery (I do not recall the reading - it was very low, though). I charged the battery and installed it in the car the next day before work. It was fine for a couple of days, but then the symptoms returned. I charged the battery again. It was fine for a couple of days, but died while I was working later that week, and I had to jump the battery to get home. I purchased a new battery (the old battery was three years old and still under warranty), but the problem persisted. I did not have time to diagnose the problem, so I simply disconnected the battery whenever I anticipated the car sitting for more than three hours. Whenever I forgot to disconnect the battery, it would die.

About a month ago, I forgot to disconnect the battery, but nothing happened. I thought it was luck, but the battery has not died since. However, recently I have been getting a CEL. The CEL is always blinking. It usually starts off dim, getting brighter the longer I drive. Sometimes it is on when I start the car, but usually it comes on as the car warms up. Apparently I have a misfire, though I do not notice a misfire while driving (usually). When I check the ECU for stored codes, the voltmeter just swings without pause until I remove the probes. So, if a code has been thrown, I cannot pull it.

I do not know if the charging/electrical draw issue is related to the dim-bright blinking CEL, but I thought I should post it since the CEL came on when the charging issue ended.

Is there a reason I cannot pull the code? Any ideas about the dim-bright CEL? Is this certainly a misfire?

[EDIT: The car is a 1993 Mitsubishi Eclipse 2.0 n/t.]
_________________
-'92 Eagle Talon TSI awd
-'93 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS
-'87 Chevy Sprint Turbo
-'85 Honda Elite 150cc
-'90 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'93 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'90 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd (auto): SOLD

"I can quote any MC, but why should I?" - Saul

[fastfour]

I couldn't follow that, all i got out of it was that your battery keeps dying.

Get your alternator checked out first.

If your alternator is good and your battery is dying you have a short somewhere.

Im not following why you can't get your logger working. I can't say ive ever seen a Mitsubishi check engine light blink either.

[AnthrAxNSB]

My old battery died three times before I replaced it.

There seemed to be a parasitic draw on my new battery as it would die if I let it sit over night. I never discovered the cause, but the symptom disappeared. I have not had that problem for a little over one month. I don't know why.

However, I developed a different (though perhaps related) problem soon after the charging issue disappeared.

I now have a blinking/flashing CEL. Apparently this is caused by a misfire (the fact that it is blinking), but when I try to pull the code (with an analog voltmeter, not a data logger), the needle swings at a steady pace non-stop; that is, there aren't any slow swings, pause, quick swings...nothing like that. Just swing, swing, swing, etc. - all of them quick and no pauses. In other words, there appears to be no stored code(s).

I have spare ignition parts (power transistor, coil, wires, plugs) that I will swap (since I am a bit in the dark about the cause), but I do not know if I actually have a misfire, since the engine doesn't seem to misfire. Outside of the blinking CEL, I would never suspect anything was wrong with the car.

P.S. I am getting 14.36 volts at idle.
_________________
-'92 Eagle Talon TSI awd
-'93 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS
-'87 Chevy Sprint Turbo
-'85 Honda Elite 150cc
-'90 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'93 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'90 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd (auto): SOLD

"I can quote any MC, but why should I?" - Saul

[AnthrAxNSB]

I replaced the power transistor - nothing; coil pack - nothing; and plug wires - nothing.

What could be causing this blinking CEL (an apparent misfire), but not noticeably affect how the engine runs. Why no code when I try to pull it?
_________________
-'92 Eagle Talon TSI awd
-'93 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS
-'87 Chevy Sprint Turbo
-'85 Honda Elite 150cc
-'90 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'93 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'90 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd (auto): SOLD

"I can quote any MC, but why should I?" - Saul

[AnthrAxNSB]

I just replaced the plugs to no avail. The old plugs were 1.5 years old and looked fine. I am not really surprised that replacing them did not solve the problem...I was just hoping.
_________________
-'92 Eagle Talon TSI awd
-'93 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS
-'87 Chevy Sprint Turbo
-'85 Honda Elite 150cc
-'90 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'93 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'90 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd (auto): SOLD

"I can quote any MC, but why should I?" - Saul

[AnthrAxNSB]

And, I have now replaced the fuel filter. It had not been replaced since May of '06, and I have had a new filter sitting in my closet since 2008. It needed to be done, regardless of its relation to the problem. It did not fix the problem.

I replaced the o2 sensor while I was at it. That did not fix the problem either.

What the sh*t?

Perhaps I should try another ECU, as I am out of ideas. Ever since I purchased my scooter (a little over one year ago), this car has sat for between three and seven days at a time. There have only been two stretches during which I have driven the car daily - a month during the winter, and the last month. Otherwise, I only drove it when it was raining or to downtown St. Petersburg (about twice a week for a few months). The point being, the car has recently sat for much longer stretches than at any other point of my ownership (since September, 2000). It was a daily driver until 2008. I have put only 5000 miles on it in the last 13 months. Perhaps the ECU didn't take the inactivity well. I don't have any other ideas.

Anybody in the Tampa Bay area have a 1g 2.0 n/t ECU I can borrow?
_________________
-'92 Eagle Talon TSI awd
-'93 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS
-'87 Chevy Sprint Turbo
-'85 Honda Elite 150cc
-'90 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'93 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'90 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd (auto): SOLD

"I can quote any MC, but why should I?" - Saul

[fastfour]

ecu, mas, vac leak, ect...

pull the ecu and see if the caps are leaking
_________________
Frank
98GSX --> Rippin All 4
99GST --> *SOLD*
90GSX --> *SOLD*
99ZX6R --> *Sold Sniff Sniff*
2010 Lexus ES350 Fully Loaded

[AnthrAxNSB]

I installed another ECU and the CEL is gone.

Also, on my drive to pick up the ECU, the car was noticeably misfiring. So, the CEL was legitimate.

I discovered the caps were leaking on the original ECU when I pulled it. I was actually surprised. I just assumed I would never have the problem since the car was a daily driver. Perhaps limited use over the last year took its toll.
_________________
-'92 Eagle Talon TSI awd
-'93 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS
-'87 Chevy Sprint Turbo
-'85 Honda Elite 150cc
-'90 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'93 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd: SOLD
-'90 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T: SOLD
-'91 Eagle Talon TSI fwd (auto): SOLD

"I can quote any MC, but why should I?" - Saul

[fastfour]

its the heat down here too. those caps are like a few bucks and easy to do yourself.
_________________
Frank
98GSX --> Rippin All 4
99GST --> *SOLD*
90GSX --> *SOLD*
99ZX6R --> *Sold Sniff Sniff*
2010 Lexus ES350 Fully Loaded