Need electrical help!!!
 

So I figured a car as new as a 2006 Evo MR would be fine for a bit, but I'm having electrical issues.

A few time, went to turn the lights on, and the switch did nothing, but after turning back off, it worked fine. Today when I just got home, I tried to turn the lights off and they stayed on. No matter what I do, they stay on all the time. Even if I turn the car off and then on again. Are these really so cheap the multi-function switch has failed already? Is there something else it could be?

Also, my SRS light has been on. I ran a scan with my Genisis at work and it pulls no codes. I run a clear on all codes and the light shuts off. Then it's back on minutes later. Again, no codes. The only thing I did was bolt a race harness to the seat, could bumping a wire for the seat belt sensor trigger the SRS to disable?


Any help would be great!

-Mike

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Your clock spring usually controls all of that. Usually when you have a SRS light is on a main thing to look at is the clock spring.
Does your horn work? That could be another way to see if its the clock spring.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Horn works fine. The clock spring effects the headlights also?

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

On your EVO the MFS doesn't rotate with the steering wheel does it? If the MFS is fixed in place on the steering column the clockspring will have nothing to do with it.

The left and right side MFS on many Mitsu cars is still a Chrysler part. That particular MFS has been known to overheat and melt the socket just enough to shove the wiring harness out of contact on pretty much any model of Chrysler from 1999 to 2005. Chrysler allegedly fixed the problem in 2005 but that doesn't mean that there weren't still 'bad' parts in the system when your car was built.

An '06 should still be under warranty unless it's an early build model.

A new MFS is about $40. It's a PITA to change out though.

Also, since it's used car, did you get a carfax on it? From time to time a truckload of flood/hurricane damaged cars turn up here. The main hassle with those cars is that electrical problems will start to show up about 12-18 months after the initial water damage. All kinds of weird stuff can occur like MFS problems and airbag/clockspring problems.

Sometimes the 'rebuilders' will strip the airbag modules out (they go for $300-500 on the aftermarket) and jumper a cheater plug in to fake out the SRS lights. It's illegal but it still happens.

But if you did ANY messing around with the seats, yes DO check the wiring harness underneath. And beware that you really should disconnect the battery before messing with the SRS so that you don't get an accidential airbag 'discharge'.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

MFS?

The car us to be Chris Deutch's, he was the original owner.

As far as with the SRS, all I did was pull the one bolt from the right side of the seat buckle and put it through the harness. I only removed one washer. Normally that wouldn't cause any problem, but maybe I bumped something when I pulled the center console.


According to MSN.com, these came with a 60month, 60k warranty. Was it shorter than that?
http://www.automotive.com/2006/12/mi...nty/index.html

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Check for moisture damage on the 6 plugs behind the drivers kick pannel. I found a bunch of damage in mine today, causing srs light and other issues.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

I'd go find Chris and tell him to fix it!

Seriously though, switches and things sometimes just go bad, even if it was made by a robot (it could have been a friday and the robot was tired).

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

If there's a warrantee on it still, then just bring it in.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

I'm going to call the dealer on Monday and find out about the warranty.

What kinds of "damage" did you find on yours?

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

MFS=multi function switch

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

No TSB, not Recalls, no info what so ever in Identifix or Mitchell search. My lights work normally now. I did find that the seat belt indicator was unclipped under the seat, but that just disables the reminder light.

There was minimal moisture behind the kick panel, however after blowing it off and rechecking, there were still no codes, and the light is still on.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Are you checking just the air bag codes ? On my snap on scanner you can clear all codes in ithe engine scan but only get air bag codes in the air bag spot on the scanner.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Did you actually unplug the plugs and look inside the connectors? That's where I found my problems. :(

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

My car looks almost identical to the pics posted here:

http://forums.evolutionm.net/evo-gen...zy-help-3.html

http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/32...600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/35...600x600Q85.jpg

It's a fuking DSM after all.....heh

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Water and baking soda mixture to clean the terminals.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

if someone has an evo and hasnt sealed up the area where the water comes from, its a pretty good idea :)

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

a coule of good-great contact cleaner and protectors are:

Stabilant 22a

The current incarnations of Cramolin Red and Blue can be had from:

http://www.caig.com/

Look for PreserveIT and DeOxIT.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Do the headlights wire through there? The Multi-function switch works as I can still use my fox and high beams, and the headlight indicator turns on, but the headlights don't work at all.

I didn't think to pull the plugs, I will do that next. I'm contacting the dealer tomorrow to find out about the warranty.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

My Warranty through the dealer is still good, so I am going to try cleaning up the plugs and replacing the headlight bulbs and if that doesn't work, I'm dropping it at the dealers on Wed. Let them sort it out.

-Mike

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

LMK if you find corrosion inside those plugs. Check the wires on the back side of the front-most plugs, one of mine was completely eroded/broken off.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Update.

The headlight issue is solved. The headlights blew two fuses. Bother were suppose to be 20a fuses but there were 10am ones there. Replaced and fixed.

When I went out to my car to try to look at the wiring, it was a no start. All of the gauge lights were on without the key being in it.

The issues all seem to be from the same place, the same wiring harness as Scheides listed above. The actual connectors weren't that bad, however when you pop out the male ends that are held to the frame with a bracket, the wires were extremely corroded. They were shorting out and turning on and off different things. After removing them from the bracket and shaking them around, we managed to get the car to start. I wasn't going to risk driving it so I called for a tow.

After speaking with the General Manager at Metro Mitsubishi, he arranged a rental car (since they were out of loaners as I had been told by the service writer earlier until at least Thursday), and they will be looking at my car over the next day or two. I figure rather than do it myself, they could re-wire the engine harness under warranty.


Also good news, Scheides has his car back up and running after a couple hours of hardwiring his car pas the corrosion.

-Mike

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Yup, glorified DSM. Except DSM's don't normally have electrical issues like this. Oh well, at least it doesn't start on fire. I'd offer help, but you guys got in nailed anyways.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

A+ for Metro Mitsu!!!!!

Talked to the service writer at 8:30am. My car was done shortly after Noon. I picked it up about an hour ago and it runs great. Nothing seems to be changed. Clutch safety switch still disconnected. Only 1 total mile including loading it up, unloading for the flat bed, driving it in over night and the test drive. Good to see they respect the owners property.

They rewired the whole harness, then re-routed it so that if water does drip again, it doesn't drain onto the harness. They then sealed up the hole with undercoating to stop future leaks.

And all under warranty.


I'm quite happy :)

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Wow.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Wow, that's pretty damn fast for a harness removal/installation!

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

hm, 2 points for the dealership.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

It may have something to do with that I went from talking to a service writer during the day about a minor problem. To talking to the General Manager that night when nothing else was around. I have to assume that helped push it along.

But still, I'm very happy with their speed and quality of work. Highly recommend Metro!

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Great to hear! Thats about the only positive feedback I've heard about Metro in years.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Did they actually replace the harness, or just splice them together like I did? Go look, report back.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

They cleaned up the wires, spliced them and used a new electrical plug as it was pretty rotted out.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Wow, that is impressive, especially for Metro.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Ahh, that's why it was so fast. I was under the impression they replaced the whole harness.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Well it apparently wasn't fixed well enough... It did the same thing again this morning. Dash lights on, no start. Out of the blue! It was fine last night. It took a few more cranks, but no lights.

Everytime it has happened badly was after it stat over night in my garage. I was out driving in the bad snow last night. I've got to think it's related to the snow melting over night that causes the problem.

It' 12pm right now, I'm late for work, and the tow won't be here till 1:15pm. The good news is they will have a loaner car waiting for me this time. No relying on rides.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Did they *actually* rewire it last time? I bet they just cleaned the connections and called it good?

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

Run to AEI Electronics in Golden Valley and get some of that Caig Labs contact cleaner & preservative I mentioned in #17. Spray the hell out of your suspect connectors with the cleaner first then the preserver.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

I'm starting to doubt that they did. But given that it's -14degrees out, I don't feel like tearing into it right now. I'll let them fix it and go pick up my loaner car.

-Mike

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

That's the thing, its not just the connectors. It's where the wires go into the plug, and the plug itself that get super corroded and break.

Re: Need electrical help!!!
 

They had hardwired a few last time, and repaired the others.

They dumped water all over the car and couldn't get anything to leak into the area. They aren't sure where it was getting in (my car was pretty snow packed that night). They hardwired the whole harness. Soddered (sp?) and heat wrapped. Pretty well done. It shouldn't be an issue even if more water gets in.

I got to drive a 2008 Galant around for two days. It wasn't all bad. Happy to have it back again. They made my car a priority again. Happy with the work :)