2003 New Verada has some major electrical / fuel issues

[dozer1982]

Hi All.

Vehicle details
2003 Verada AWD Automatic with around 200,000 k's
Modifications
K@N Filter
HID Headlights

I'm hoping that the combined knowledge of the members in here can help me with an issue on our new family car.

I have searched this forum for answers to my issues and have not come across anything so apologise if this has been discussed in the past..

This is my first mitsubishi so am hoping the experience will get better soon .

So, issue number 1.

The digital fuel gage has been playing up "day after we brought it home". The average fuel consumption reading has been jumping from the lowest point [8.5] ltr per hundred to over [132] ltr per hundred!

Something else which has been very strange is actual fuel usage, the car seems to randomly guzzle fuel regardless of driving style or speed. doing the same route twice can show at least double the consumption the second time compared to the first.

I should also note that the car seems to smell very rich, when the sunroof is open you can smell a very distinct fuel smell from the car!


Issue Number 2.

This car is my mrs daily drive "bought her the car as i thought the Awd would be safer for her"... The other afternoon when she was driving home the car stalled with all power dropping off completely, couldn't even put the indicators on...

When she managed to crawl the car to the side of the road narrowly avoiding an accident she put the car into park and turned the key to find the car started up without any issues..

As soon as i got home i checked the terminals on the battery to find that the positive terminal was "slightly" loose but not loose enough in my opinion to cause this kind of problem with the car.



Anyway, i hope i have included enough information for someone to shed some light on what may be hapening with this thing.

Fingers crossed its an easy fix...

Thanks

[Spetz]

Are you checking the instant fuel usage or the average fuel usage?
If instant, it's normal to get such a disparity in figures.
If the car is running rich (how many km does a tank last, how many liters to fill?) then from what I understand the oxygen sensor is generally the first place to look at.
I have a 2003 Verada in the ACT but FWD and get close to 600km from 60 odd liters. I drive reasonably sedately though.

Can't comment on your second issue

[Victa Twin]

Oxygen sensor usually trims the mixture rather than majorly causing something like this. This type of thing seems more like a coolant temperature sensor to me. Some books specify multiple resistances for the CTS depending on engine temp for fault diagnosis with a multimeter. If you can find what the resistances are, then one can buy a very cheap resistor at say a midrange temperature resistance, from Jaycar etc and plug it in for diagnosis purposes. If it is the CTS then the car should run fine. If not, then it probably isn't the CTS. If the CTS goes open circuit then the injection system can sense very cold conditions and enrich for -40deg C (or something) causing this sort of grief. Just an idea.

BTW a crook CTS can foul the plugs very badly so maybe pulling a plug to inspect it might be required. I say this because the resistor method may not make the car run better if the plugs are badly fouled. It may indeed be the CTS but if you do put a resistor in it may still run crappy because of the fouled plugs.