The story:

Took the car into a Mitsu dealer this arvo (not my usual dealer) and asked them for a quick check/diagnosis/opinion on the increasingly loud engine 'tick'.

Mechanic couldn't/wouldn't hazard a guess as to what it was, only thing he did was rule out the 'purge' solenoid as the culprit. The noise would be much worse and louder if this was the problem.

I suggested it might be leaking injector bottom seals, he agreed there were signs of fuel leaks around two of the front bank injectors, but he wouldn't commit to this being the cause.

He suggested I book the car in for a thorough check (surprise surprise!).

Drove home (only 10 minutes away), car running as sweet as ever.

Started it up again about 20 minutes later, and it took about 5 seconds on the starter to fire up, and then it idled at 1100 rpm instead of the usual 550 to 600. Strange I thought, never done that before, and it can't be the battery, fitted a brand new Optima Red Top 800 CCA a couple of days ago.

Drove off and it started running like a hairy goat, no guts, wouldn't rev, running rough as hell. Pretty obviously it was in limp home mode. Couldn't stop, finished my 10 minute errand and returned home, car running shite house the whole way.

Turned it off and let it sit for 5 minutes then connected up the OBD 2 scanner. The usual four error codes to do with dodgy O2 sensor readings, plus another harmless O2 sensor code.

But it was the sixth code that had me worried.

Code P0339 = Crankshaft Position Sensor Fault.

Or possibly Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Intermittent.

Faaaaark!

Let it sit for another 40 minutes then tried a test start to see if it was still in limp home mode.

Started straight away and idled at 550 again. Took it for a brief test run and was good as new again.

Plugged the OBD2 scanner back in, same six codes. Cleared the codes and they stayed cleared. But haven't yet tried a longer run to see which codes come back again, odds on the usual four O2 sensor codes will come back.

Anyone else had this code/problem?

Could it have been a once off, a glitch, and it won't happen again?

Or should I take it to a dealer pronto?

KJ.

id defiantly be getting it looked at straight away if it was me doesnt sound right matey

KJ might be worth shooting a PM off to Knotched. He had some weird stuff go down with his Exede after being installed for a short period, possibily your tuner has made the same wiring cock up??? I can't quite remember what happened with Richard's car but I recall it was running pretty hairy.

That was due a wrong pin being used for the Exede (barometric pressure pinout) and it manifested itself within 24 hours as the car couldn't correct the true pressure reading and the tune got worse and worse until limp mode. Turning it off didn't fix it and idle was always ok. A bit different I think.

That was due a wrong pin being used for the Exede (barometric pressure pinout) and it manifested itself within 24 hours as the car couldn't correct the true pressure reading and the tune got worse and worse until limp mode. Turning it off didn't fix it and idle was always ok. A bit different I think.

Oh well just a thought.

Will be interesting what Mitsi find with this, I know when I put my redtop batt in the engine reved its tits off when I first started it. I killed the key & when I restarted it was ok.

never mind.

You don't wannna hear what i have to say about it....

(yes...mine made the tik, then the same code and you know the rest...


.

Checked out the thread (6G75 all dead), doesn't seem to be anything in common with my problem.

I don't have a cold engine 'rattle' at all, I have a consistent ticking sound at all times and all temps. It's not really that loud, just enough to hear in the cabin when everything else is quiet and be annoying.

According to the Mitsu mech I saw yesterday some 380 motors make this ticking noise, some don't, no obvious rhyme or reason. But plenty make the noise.

I'm still putting my money on dodgy lower injector spacers as the cause of the ticking sound. They just don't seem to fit tight enough or snug enough, and there is a lot of looseness and 'play' in the fit of the injectors.

But if the engine goes into limp home mode again and/or that error code comes up again I'll be taking it into the dealer for a check.

KJ.

Just went for a bit of a drive, no probs, started & ran perfectly.

Checked the error codes when I got back, now only three of them, out of the four usual O2 sensor warnings. The scary P0339 code didn't return.

With any luck it was once off ECU glitch, but I'll keep a closer eye on the error codes in future - check every day or two instead of once a week.

KJ.

How much warranty left KJ?

How much warranty left KJ?

Over three years to go, 5/10 was reset when I bought it in Sept 08.

Heaps of stop start driving the last two days, no hint of any more problems, just checked for error codes and only the usual four harmless O2 sensor codes.

Looking like it was a once-off ECU glitch, here's hoping.

KJ.

Minor thread mine.

Someone else posted recently (can't remember who or in what thread) that a battery on the way out can throw a crank angle sensor error code.
So I'm guessing the once off code that I got and the associated limp home mode was entirely due to me fitting a new much stronger battery two days earlier.
Anyone else had a similar problem/scare after fitting a new battery?

KJ.

Minor thread mine.

Someone else posted recently (can't remember who or in what thread) that a battery on the way out can throw a crank angle sensor error code.
So I'm guessing the once off code that I got and the associated limp home mode was entirely due to me fitting a new much stronger battery two days earlier.
Anyone else had a similar problem/scare after fitting a new battery?

KJ.
When I put my Optima in & started the engine the revs just kept rising of their own accord with no accelerator input. I had to turn the key off as their seemed no end to the revs increase. Upon restarting it idled perfectly & hasn't missed a beat since.

After fitting my new battery the tickover on idle rose, and is still the same. So much so when I engage D it moves forward at a fair pace. Great for hill starts LOL

Just checked my error codes again, and another new scary one popped up.

Had the usual six harmless O2 sensor codes (all due to my relocated rear O2 sensors as a result of the extractors) - 0036, 0056, 0140, 0141, 0160, 0161.

But also had a new one - 0303.

= Cylinder 3 misfire.

Funny, the car has been running beautifully, smooth at all revs including idle, plenty of power etc, not the slightest hint of any misfire.

Cylinder 3 is the front bank centre cylinder, so pulled the spark plug out and checked it, looked perfectly OK. Compared it with the plug in cylinder #1, no diff.

Still signs of minor fuel leakage around cylinder #3 injector though, but it looks 'seated' as good as the ones either side. Maybe injector #3 is a bit dodgy, might explain the ticking noise, the minor fuel leak and the 0303 error code?

Anyone else had this error code?

And if so, what was the outcome?

KJ.

Update.

Cleared the codes, went down the carwash, round trip of approx 8k, checked codes again, only two showing now - 0140 & 0160.
Seems like the 0303 code was another ECU glitch?

I get the impression that the 380 ECU is very sensitive to any divergence from set parameters, and will throw an error code at the drop of a hat.

Just checked my error codes again, and another new scary one popped up.

Had the usual six harmless O2 sensor codes (all due to my relocated rear O2 sensors as a result of the extractors) - 0036, 0056, 0140, 0141, 0160, 0161.

But also had a new one - 0303.

= Cylinder 3 misfire.

Funny, the car has been running beautifully, smooth at all revs including idle, plenty of power etc, not the slightest hint of any misfire.

Cylinder 3 is the front bank centre cylinder, so pulled the spark plug out and checked it, looked perfectly OK. Compared it with the plug in cylinder #1, no diff.

Still signs of minor fuel leakage around cylinder #3 injector though, but it looks 'seated' as good as the ones either side. Maybe injector #3 is a bit dodgy, might explain the ticking noise, the minor fuel leak and the 0303 error code?

Anyone else had this error code?

And if so, what was the outcome?

KJ.

Update.

Cleared the codes, went down the carwash, round trip of approx 8k, checked codes again, only two showing now - 0140 & 0160.
Seems like the 0303 code was another ECU glitch?

I get the impression that the 380 ECU is very sensitive to any divergence from set parameters, and will throw an error code at the drop of a hat.

I had misfire codes when I first got the blower on but that was from too much water/methanol injection so unrelated to yours.

Where is the fuel stain on injector 3? Maybe it's sticking open or closed occasionally which might explain the fuel stain & also the misfire??

I had misfire codes when I first got the blower on but that was from too much water/methanol injection so unrelated to yours.

Where is the fuel stain on injector 3? Maybe it's sticking open or closed occasionally which might explain the fuel stain & also the misfire??

The stain is around the injector, not on it. In a roughly 2cm wide ring around the injector. Just a slight discolouration of the metal. Dry not wet, no smell of fuel. I'm guessing the manifold temperature would ensure that any small amounts of leaking fuel would evaporate almost instantly. I'll see if I can get a decent pic up tomorrow. Maybe the injector is sticking open a bit, but I've never felt or heard any misfire.

KJ.

I get no error codes whatsoever running on petrol since fitting my RPW extractors.....none, zip, zero....and that was on a melb-sydney-melb trip.



Can you please explain why did you relocate your O2 sensors ?

I get no error codes whatsoever running on petrol since fitting my RPW extractors.....none, zip, zero....and that was on a melb-sydney-melb trip.



Can you please explain why did you relocate your O2 sensors ?

The two rear sensors had to be relocated behind the under car cat on the originals, how did they do yours?

They gave me curved stainless steel extenders which fit almost in the same locations as the original O2 sensors....just without the precats.
I know its a completely different setup to the original kits.

They gave me curved stainless steel extenders which fit almost in the same locations as the original O2 sensors....just without the precats.
I know its a completely different setup to the original kits.

so are there 4 O2 mounts already welded into the extractors you have? On ours the rear two sensors being moved behind the cat is a fair distance & a curved extended one wouldnt be long enough to locate them behind the cat. Without the precats installed I can't see how you could mount them anywhere before the main cat as the CEL would pop straight up.

so are there 4 O2 mounts already welded into the extractors you have? On ours the rear two sensors being moved behind the cat is a fair distance & a curved extended one wouldnt be long enough to locate them behind the cat. Without the precats installed I can't see how you could mount them anywhere before the main cat as the CEL would pop straight up.


yep, four mounted entirely on the extractors.

And...no CEL due to the design... me thinks its fooling it somehow.

Yeah, Fooz & I had the same issues.

We went to a fair bit of mucking about (well at least I did!) to get the rear two O2 sensors fitted aft of the remaining 3rd cat, with 'extenders' that were meant to fool the sensors/ECU into thinking everything was within normal parameters, so as to prevent CELs.

Worked for a couple of months for both of us, but then the CELs started popping up. The same six I listed earlier, all O2 sensor related. Seems the sensors/ECU could be fooled for only so long before they learned that things weren't entirely kosher. This happened to me before I replaced the 'white brick' 3rd cat with a 200 CPI hi-flow cat, and the new cat made no difference to the CELs & errors codes.

Fooz & I have both now blocked off the CEL globe in the dash (Fooz did it first and posted up the DIY, thanks Fooz!), and I now regularly use a simple OBII scantool to check for new error codes. I think Fooz does as well.

So I reckon there is a chance that your lack of CELs might run out in the next month or so, and you'll have an annoying constant CEL showing.

KJ.

I've done nearly 8000k's since fitting the extractors without a CEL on petrol, if it threw up a CEL tomorrow then i would just shrug my shoulders and reset it every few months.

I do recall RPW insisting that the new style O2 sensor extenders with the bend in them were a lot more effective....I think that may be a clue guys.

I specifically made it a condition of my extractors order with RPW that the extenders worked and that CEL's did not occur.



Also....both you guys are running different piggyback ECU's...

Me I have the sprintex and the Impco LPG ecu...so many more possible variables.....

I've done nearly 8000k's since fitting the extractors without a CEL on petrol, if it threw up a CEL tomorrow then i would just shrug my shoulders and reset it every few months.

I do recall RPW insisting that the new style O2 sensor extenders with the bend in them were a lot more effective....I think that may be a clue guys.

I specifically made it a condition of my extractors order with RPW that the extenders worked and that CEL's did not occur.



Also....both you guys are running different piggyback ECU's...

Me I have the sprintex and the Impco LPG ecu...so many more possible variables.....

Once these O2 sensor CELs start coming up resetting lasts for about 10km before they come back again.

And I ran into CEL problems way before I fitted the piggy back ECU.

But with any luck you are right and the 'bent' extenders will do the trick for the life of the car.

You can thank Fooz & I for that, it was largely down to our experience & feedback to RPW that they looked into the CEL issues and came up with a solution.

KJ.

Yep...I read yours and fooz's comments about the CEL's and had no intention of buying the extractors from RPW due to that...in fact i was on the phone buying the quaife LSD and the guy at RPW mentioned them to me., and that he had it all sorted...guaranteed.

He was very insistent that they had it licked....and looks like he was true to his word.

They were missing from my kit, he eventually sent me a replacement set.

But of course it won't help you guys cause the sensor mounts are different as well on mine.

So yeah...I guess i have to thank you guys for doing the hard yards at the onset.

I'll see if i can pull my weight more in the future...LOL

The error codes are now getting really weird.

Checked them again this morning, and got a different bunch again.

My good friends 0140 & 0160 were still there, but the usual culprits of 0036, 0056, 0141 & 0161 were not to be seen. I expect they'll pop up in a day or two.

But that's not the weird bit.

Two more new codes and a slightly changed code came up.

0303 came up again, but this time as 'pending', and I had new codes 0300 and 0301.

0300 = random/multiple misfire.

0301 = cylinder 1 misfire.

Aha I thought, I swapped spark plugs #1 & #3 yesterday, now looking like the plug that was in #3 and is now in #1 is faulty.

So I cleared the codes, swapped the plugs from #1 and #5 (the two ends of the front bank), and went for a 20k run, half expecting to see a new code 0305 come up (cylinder 5 misfire).

But of course when I got back and scanned again, what did I get?

Nothing but my old mates 0140 & 0160!

And still no symptoms of any misfire other than these error codes.

Maybe, just maybe, the ECU doesn't like the new plugs I fitted a couple of months ago, heat range 6 instead of stock 5 and gap of 1.0 mm instead of stock 1.1 mm?

But if either or both of these differences are what's causing the misfire error codes, why only the front bank cylinders? I replaced all six plugs.

The plot thickens!

KJ.

If it was me KJ380, I would put everything back to stock, especially the plugs.

Rip off the after market ecu and then see what issues you actually have.

You shouldn't be ignoring some of those codes in my humble opinion unless you have a spare 6g75.

The p00140 and p00160 simply relate to your O2 sensor mods me thinks....

If it was me KJ380, I would put everything back to stock, especially the plugs.

Rip off the after market ecu and then see what issues you actually have.

You shouldn't be ignoring some of those codes in my humble opinion unless you have a spare 6g75.

The p00140 and p00160 simply relate to your O2 sensor mods me thinks....

Yep, 0140 & 0160 are harmless O2 sensor codes.

My dastardly plan is to check for error codes in a couple of days time, and if any more front bank cylinder misfire codes come up I'll swap out the new plugs for the old ones, run it for a couple more days and see what happens with the codes.

Another option is to stick with the new plugs but re-gap them to 1.1 mm. Anyone know an easy way to do this without risk of damage to the very thin platinum electrode?

But I reckon it's most likely all these misfire codes are furphys, as it runs smooth as silk at all revs and has as much power as ever, even feels like a bit more now with nice cold air around.

KJ.