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The past few days, our car has been acting up, only at night/when the headlights are on (even though it has DRLs, the problems only happen with the headlights on) The headlights dim slightly back and forth, the brake warning, ABS, pass. air bag on/off, and pass. seatbelt lights randomly turn on and off, the overhead lights get unusually bright (when the door is open, of course) and the engine stutters, as if it’s under heavy load….is this a common thing for Mits. cars close to/over 200k miles? (we’re at 197-198 something) The car has had electrical issues in the past (notably, the SRS light has not turned off in months) but this worries me quite a bit….Is this a major problem, and if so, how can we fix it? Any help is appreciated!
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I would start by having the battery and alternator tested. Most parts stores can do it while it’s still in the car.
Quick update: I took the car to 2 local auto parts stores (one of which had a full shop and wanted to charge for extensive diagnosis- which we can’t afford to do yet) and they couldn’t find anything unusual with the battery, although they mentioned the alternator could be over-charging the battery and causing the whole system to freak out a bit. I would start poking around and checking what I can- namely any exposed/shorting wires (seeing as I have to replace the A/C expansion valve anyway) but we have since moved from a house with a big driveway to an apartment with a cramped, full lot :/
Troubleshooting a charging system is pretty easy. all you need is a multi-meter (DVOM) an this video:
Take off the driver’s kick panel and underneath it there is a clump of joint connectors. They are where the dash and rear body harnesses connect to the front end and engine harnesses. The connectors get wet on older Mitsubishis, especially if lots of snow is tracked in or they are left to sit in wet conditions for a months/years, and the pins of all those white connectors will have green corrosion all in them. I’ve seen almost every problem you’re describing stem from an issue there. I’ve never seen it affect the engine performance though and it may be a separate issue.
The other more universal thing is the battery ground cable which goes from battery negative to the body and then over to the engine/trans assy and connects all 3 together. Any problem there may cause any and all of your problems, regardless of what kind of car it is.
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