lights MITSUBISHI MONTERO 1998 Owner's Guide
Page 1322 of 1501
3.5L, Engine Performance Circuits, Federal (3 of 3)
EXTERIOR LIGHTS
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Ground Distribution Circuit
HEADLIGHTS
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Instrument Cluster Circuit (3 of 3)
INTERIOR LIGHTS
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TROUBLE SHOOTING - BASIC PROCEDURES
1998 Mitsubishi Montero
GENERAL TROUBLE SHOOTING
* PLEASE READ THIS FIRST *
NOTE: This is GENERAL information. This article is not intended
to be specific to any unique situation or individual vehicle
configuration. The purpose of this Trouble Shooting
information is to provide a list of common causes to
problem symptoms. For model-specific Trouble Shooting,
refer to SUBJECT, DIAGNOSTIC, or TESTING articles available
in the section(s) you are accessing.
ACCESSORIES & ELECTRICAL
CHARGING SYSTEM TROUBLE SHOOTING
NOTE: This is GENERAL information. This article is not intended
to be specific to any unique situation or individual vehicle
configuration. The purpose of this Trouble Shooting
information is to provide a list of common causes to
problem symptoms. For model-specific Trouble Shooting,
refer to SUBJECT, DIAGNOSTIC, or TESTING articles available
in the section(s) you are accessing.
BASIC CHARGING SYSTEM TROUBLE SHOOTING CHART
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CONDITION POSSIBLE CAUSE CORRECTION \
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Vehicle Will Not Dead battery Check battery cells,
Start alternator belt
tension and alternator
output
Loose or corroded battery Check all charging
connections system connections
Ignition circuit or switch Check and replace as
malfunction necessary
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Alternator Light Loose or worn alternator Check alternator drive
Stays On With drive belt tension and
Engine Running condition, See Belt
Adjustment in TUNE-UP
article in the
TUNE-UP section
Loose alternator wiring Check all charging
connections system connections
Short in alternator light See Indicator Warning
wiring Lights in STANDARD
INSTRUMENTS in the
ACCESSORIES &
EQUIPMENT section
Defective alternator stator See Bench Tests in
or diodes ALTERNATOR article
Defective regulator See Regulator Check in
Page 1367 of 1501
ALTERNATOR article \
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Alternator Blown fuse See WIRING DIAGRAMS
Light Stays Off
With Ignition
Switch ON
Defective alternator See Testing in
ALTERNATOR article
Defective indicator light See Indicator Warning
bulb or socket Lights in STANDARD
INSTRUMENTS in the
ACCESSORIES &
EQUIPMENT section
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Alternator Short in alternator wiring See On-Vehicle Tests
Light Stays OFF in ALTERNATOR article
With Ignition
Switch ON
Defective rectifier bridge See Bench Tests in
ALTERNATOR article
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Lights or Fuses Defective alternator wiring See On-Vehicle Tests
Burn Out in ALTERNATOR article
Frequently
Defective regulator See Regulator Check in
ALTERNATOR article
Defective battery Check and replace as
necessary
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Ammeter Gauge Loose or worn drive belt Check alternator drive
Shows Discharge belt tension and
condition. See Belt
Adjustment in TUNE-UP
article in the
TUNE-UP section
Defective wiring Check all wires and
wire connections
Defective alternator or See Bench Tests and
regulator On-Vehicle Tests in
ALTERNATOR article
Defective ammeter, or See Testing in
improper ammeter wiring STANDARD INSTRUMENTS
connection in the ACCESSORIES &
EQUIPMENT section
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Noisy Loose drive pulley Tighten drive pulley
Alternator attaching nut
Loose mounting bolts Tighten all alternator
mounting bolts
Worn or dirty bearings See Bearing
Replacement
ALTERNATOR article
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Open solenoid pull-in See Testing in STARTER
wire article
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Starter Does Not Weak battery or dead Charge or replace
Operate and cell battery as necessary
Headlights Dim
Loose or corroded battery Check that battery
connections connections are clean
and tight
Internal ground in See Testing in STARTER
starter windings article
Grounded starter fields See Testing in STARTERS
Armature rubbing on pole See STARTER article
shoes
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Starter Turns Starter clutch slipping See STARTER article
but Engine
Does Not Rotate
Broken clutch housing See STARTER article
Pinion shaft rusted or See STARTER article
dry
Engine basic timing See Ignition Timing in
incorrect TUNE-UP article
Broken teeth on engine Replace flywheel and
flywheel check for starter pinion
gear damage
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Starter Will Not Faulty overrunning See STARTER article
Crank Engine clutch
Broken clutch housing See STARTER article
Broken flywheel teeth Replace flywheel and
check for starter pinion
gear damage
Armature shaft sheared See STARTER article
or reduction gear teeth
stripped
Weak battery Charge or replace
battery as necessary
Faulty solenoid See On-Vehicle Tests in
STARTER article
Poor grounds Check all ground
connections for
tight and clean
connections
Ignition switch faulty Adjust or replace
or misadjusted ignition switch as
necessary
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Starter Cranks Battery weak or Charge or replace
Engine Slowly defective battery as necessary
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Ignition switch faulty Adjust or replace
or misadjusted ignition switch
Open circuit between Check and repair wires
starter switch ignition and connections as
terminal on starter relay necessary
Starter relay or starter See Testing in STARTER
defective article
Open solenoid pull-in See Testing in STARTER
wire article
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Starter Does Not Weak battery or dead Charge or replace
Operate and cell battery as necessary
Headlights Dim
Loose or corroded battery Check that battery
connections connections are clean
and tight
Internal ground in See Testing in STARTER
starter windings article
Grounded starter fields See Testing in STARTERS
Armature rubbing on pole See STARTER article
shoes
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Starter Turns Starter clutch slipping See STARTER article
but Engine
Does Not Rotate
Broken clutch housing See STARTER article
Pinion shaft rusted or See STARTER article
dry
Engine basic timing See Ignition Timing in
incorrect TUNE-UP article
Broken teeth on engine Replace flywheel and
flywheel check for starter pinion
gear damage
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Starter Will Not Faulty overrunning See STARTER article
Crank Engine clutch
Broken clutch housing See STARTER article
Broken flywheel teeth Replace flywheel and
check for starter pinion
gear damage
Armature shaft sheared See STARTER article
or reduction gear teeth
stripped
Weak battery Charge or replace
battery as necessary
Faulty solenoid See On-Vehicle Tests in
STARTER article
Poor grounds Check all ground
Page 1429 of 1501
WAVEFORMS - INJECTOR PATTERN TUTORIAL
1998 Mitsubishi Montero
GENERAL INFORMATION
Waveforms - Injector Pattern Tutorial
* PLEASE READ THIS FIRST *
NOTE: This article is intended for general information purposes
only. This information may not apply to all makes and models.
PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE
Learning how to interpret injector drive patterns from a Lab
Scope can be like learning ignition patterns all over again. This
article exists to ease you into becoming a skilled injector pattern
interpreter.
You will learn:
* How a DVOM and noid light fall short of a lab scope.
* The two types of injector driver circuits, voltage controlled
& current controlled.
* The two ways injector circuits can be wired, constant
ground/switched power & constant power/switched ground.
* The two different pattern types you can use to diagnose with,
voltage & current.
* All the valuable details injector patterns can reveal.
SCOPE OF THIS ARTICLE
This is NOT a manufacturer specific article. All different
types of systems are covered here, regardless of the specific
year/make/model/engine.
The reason for such broad coverage is because there are only
a few basic ways to operate a solenoid-type injector. By understanding
the fundamental principles, you will understand all the major points
of injector patterns you encounter. Of course there are minor
differences in each specific system, but that is where a waveform
library helps out.
If this is confusing, consider a secondary ignition pattern.
Even though there are many different implementations, each still has
a primary voltage turn-on, firing line, spark line, etc.
If specific waveforms are available in On Demand for the
engine and vehicle you are working on, you will find them in the
Engine Performance section under the Engine Performance category.
IS A LAB SCOPE NECESSARY?
INTRODUCTION
You probably have several tools at your disposal to diagnose
injector circuits. But you might have questioned "Is a lab scope
necessary to do a thorough job, or will a set of noid lights and a
multifunction DVOM do just as well?"
In the following text, we are going to look at what noid
lights and DVOMs do best, do not do very well, and when they can
mislead you. As you might suspect, the lab scope, with its ability to
look inside an active circuit, comes to the rescue by answering for
the deficiencies of these other tools.
OVERVIEW OF NOID LIGHT
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The noid light is an excellent "quick and dirty" tool. It can
usually be hooked to a fuel injector harness fast and the flashing
light is easy to understand. It is a dependable way to identify a no-
pulse situation.
However, a noid light can be very deceptive in two cases:
* If the wrong one is used for the circuit being tested.
Beware: Just because a connector on a noid light fits the
harness does not mean it is the right one.
* If an injector driver is weak or a minor voltage drop is
present.
Use the Right Noid Light
In the following text we will look at what can happen if the
wrong noid light is used, why there are different types of noid lights
(besides differences with connectors), how to identify the types of
noid lights, and how to know the right type to use.
First, let's discuss what can happen if the incorrect type of
noid light is used. You might see:
* A dimly flashing light when it should be normal.
* A normal flashing light when it should be dim.
A noid light will flash dim if used on a lower voltage
circuit than it was designed for. A normally operating circuit would
appear underpowered, which could be misinterpreted as the cause of a
fuel starvation problem.
Here are the two circuit types that could cause this problem:
* Circuits with external injector resistors. Used predominately
on some Asian & European systems, they are used to reduce the
available voltage to an injector in order to limit the
current flow. This lower voltage can cause a dim flash on a
noid light designed for full voltage.
* Circuits with current controlled injector drivers (e.g. "Peak
and Hold"). Basically, this type of driver allows a quick
burst of voltage/current to flow and then throttles it back
significantly for the remainder of the pulse width duration.
If a noid light was designed for the other type of driver
(voltage controlled, e.g. "Saturated"), it will appear dim
because it is expecting full voltage/current to flow for the
entire duration of the pulse width.
Let's move to the other situation where a noid light flashes
normally when it should be dim. This could occur if a more sensitive
noid light is used on a higher voltage/amperage circuit that was
weakened enough to cause problems (but not outright broken). A circuit\
with an actual problem would thus appear normal.
Let's look at why. A noid light does not come close to
consuming as much amperage as an injector solenoid. If there is a
partial driver failure or a minor voltage drop in the injector
circuit, there can be adequate amperage to fully operate the noid
light BUT NOT ENOUGH TO OPERATE THE INJECTOR.
If this is not clear, picture a battery with a lot of
corrosion on the terminals. Say there is enough corrosion that the
starter motor will not operate; it only clicks. Now imagine turning on
the headlights (with the ignition in the RUN position). You find they
light normally and are fully bright. This is the same idea as noid
light: There is a problem, but enough amp flow exists to operate the
headlights ("noid light"), but not the starter motor ("injector").
How do you identify and avoid all these situations? By using
the correct type of noid light. This requires that you understanding
Page 1431 of 1501
the types of injector circuits that your noid lights are designed for.
There are three. They are:
* Systems with a voltage controlled injector driver. Another
way to say it: The noid light is designed for a circuit with
a "high" resistance injector (generally 12 ohms or above).
* Systems with a current controlled injector driver. Another
way to say it: The noid light is designed for a circuit with
a low resistance injector (generally less than 12 ohms)
without an external injector resistor.
* Systems with a voltage controlled injector driver and an
external injector resistor. Another way of saying it: The
noid light is designed for a circuit with a low resistance
injector (generally less than 12 ohms) and an external
injector resistor.
NOTE: Some noid lights can meet both the second and third
categories simultaneously.
If you are not sure which type of circuit your noid light is
designed for, plug it into a known good car and check out the results.
If it flashes normally during cranking, determine the circuit type by
finding out injector resistance and if an external injector resistor
is used. You now know enough to identify the type of injector circuit.
Label the noid light appropriately.
Next time you need to use a noid light for diagnosis,
determine what type of injector circuit you are dealing with and
select the appropriate noid light.
Of course, if you suspect a no-pulse condition you could plug
in any one whose connector fit without fear of misdiagnosis. This is
because it is unimportant if the flashing light is dim or bright. It
is only important that it flashes.
In any cases of doubt regarding the use of a noid light, a
lab scope will overcome all inherent weaknesses.
OVERVIEW OF DVOM
A DVOM is typically used to check injector resistance and
available voltage at the injector. Some techs also use it check
injector on-time either with a built-in feature or by using the
dwell/duty function.
There are situations where the DVOM performs these checks
dependably, and other situations where it can deceive you. It is
important to be aware of these strengths and weaknesses. We will cover
the topics above in the following text.
Checking Injector Resistance
If a short in an injector coil winding is constant, an
ohmmeter will accurately identify the lower resistance. The same is
true with an open winding. Unfortunately, an intermittent short is an
exception. A faulty injector with an intermittent short will show
"good" if the ohmmeter cannot force the short to occur during testing.
Alcohol in fuel typically causes an intermittent short,
happening only when the injector coil is hot and loaded by a current
high enough to jump the air gap between two bare windings or to break
down any oxides that may have formed between them.
When you measure resistance with an ohmmeter, you are only
applying a small current of a few milliamps. This is nowhere near
enough to load the coil sufficiently to detect most problems. As a
result, most resistance checks identify intermittently shorted
injectors as being normal.
There are two methods to get around this limitation. The
first is to purchase an tool that checks injector coil windings under