1998 MITSUBISHI MONTERO light

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High Pitched Whine Distance too great Align starter or check
During Cranking between starter that correct starter
Before Engine pinion and flywheel and flywheel are being
Fires but Engine used
Fires and Cranks
Normally









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High Pitched Distance too small between
Whine After Engine starter pinion and flywheel
Fires With Key Flywheel runout contributes
released. Engine to the intermittent nature
Fires and Cranks
Normally









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TUNE-UP TROUBLE SHOOTING - GAS ENGINE VEHICLES
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 SPARK PLUG TROUBLE SHOOTING CHARTS









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CONDITION POSSIBLE CAUSE CORRECTION








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Normal Spark Light Tan or Gray deposits No Action
Plug Condition
Electrode not burned or No Action
fouled
Gap tolerance not changed No Action









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Cold Fouling or Overrich air/fuel mixture Adjust air/fuel
Carbon Deposits mixture, see ENGINE
PERFORMANCE section
Faulty choke Replace choke
assembly, see ENGINE
PERFORMANCE section
Clogged air filter Clean and/or replace
air filter
Incorrect idle speed or Reset idle speed and/
dirty carburetor or clean carburetor
Faulty ignition wires Replace ignition
wiring
Prolonged operation Shut engine off
at idle during long idle
Sticking valves or worn Check valve train
valve guide seals









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Wet Fouling Worn rings and pistons Install new rings and
or Oil Deposits pistons

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

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

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

as the "peak" time, referring to the fact that current flow is allowed
to "peak" (to open the injector).
Once the injector pintle is open, the amp flow is
considerably reduced for the rest of the pulse duration to protect the
injector from overheating. This is okay because very little amperage
is needed to hold the injector open, typically in the area of one amp
or less. Some manufacturers refer to this as the "hold" time, meaning
that just enough current is allowed through the circuit to "hold" the
already-open injector open.
There are a couple methods of reducing the current. The most
common trims back the available voltage for the circuit, similar to
turning down a light at home with a dimmer.
The other method involves repeatedly cycling the circuit ON-
OFF. It does this so fast that the magnetic field never collapses and
the pintle stays open, but the current is still significantly reduced.
See the right side of Fig. 1 for an illustration.
The advantage to the current controlled driver circuit is the
short time period from when the driver transistor goes ON to when the
injector actually opens. This is a function of the speed with which
current flow reaches its peak due to the low circuit resistance. Also,
the injector closes faster when the driver turns OFF because of the
lower holding current.
NOTE: Never apply battery voltage directly across a low resistance
injector. This will cause injector damage from solenoid coil
overheating.
THE TWO WAYS INJECTOR CIRCUITS ARE WIRED
Like other circuits, injector circuits can be wired in one of
two fundamental directions. The first method is to steadily power the
injectors and have the computer driver switch the ground side of the
circuit. Conversely, the injectors can be steadily grounded while the
driver switches the power side of the circuit.
There is no performance benefit to either method. Voltage
controlled and current controlled drivers have been successfully
implemented both ways.
However, 95% percent of the systems are wired so the driver
controls the ground side of the circuit. Only a handful of systems use
the drivers on the power side of the circuit. Some examples of the
latter are the 1970's Cadillac EFI system, early Jeep 4.0 EFI (Renix
system), and Chrysler 1984-87 TBI.
INTERPRETING INJECTOR WAVEFORMS
INTERPRETING A VOLTAGE CONTROLLED PATTERN
NOTE: Voltage controlled drivers are also known as "Saturated
Switch" drivers. They typically require injector circuits
with a total leg resistance of 12 ohms or more.
NOTE: This example is based on a constant power/switched ground
circuit.
* See Fig. 2 for pattern that the following text describes.
Point "A" is where system voltage is supplied to the
injector. A good hot run voltage is usually 13.5 or more volts. This
point, commonly known as open circuit voltage, is critical because the
injector will not get sufficient current saturation if there is a
voltage shortfall. To obtain a good look at this precise point, you

will need to shift your Lab Scope to five volts per division.
You will find that some systems have slight voltage
fluctuations here. This can occur if the injector feed wire is also
used to power up other cycling components, like the ignition coil(s).
Slight voltage fluctuations are normal and are no reason for concern.
Major voltage fluctuations are a different story, however. Major
voltage shifts on the injector feed line will create injector
performance problems. Look for excessive resistance problems in the
feed circuit if you see big shifts and repair as necessary.
Note that circuits with external injector resistors will not
be any different because the resistor does not affect open circuit
voltage.
Point "B" is where the driver completes the circuit to
ground. This point of the waveform should be a clean square point
straight down with no rounded edges. It is during this period that
current saturation of the injector windings is taking place and the
driver is heavily stressed. Weak drivers will distort this vertical
line.
Point "C" represents the voltage drop across the injector
windings. Point "C" should come very close to the ground reference
point, but not quite touch. This is because the driver has a small
amount of inherent resistance. Any significant offset from ground is
an indication of a resistance problem on the ground circuit that needs
repaired. You might miss this fault if you do not use the negative
battery post for your Lab Scope hook-up, so it is HIGHLY recommended
that you use the battery as your hook-up.
The points between "B" and "D" represent the time in
milliseconds that the injector is being energized or held open. This
line at Point "C" should remain flat. Any distortion or upward bend
indicates a ground problem, short problem, or a weak driver. Alert
readers will catch that this is exactly opposite of the current
controlled type drivers (explained in the next section), because they
bend upwards at this point.
How come the difference? Because of the total circuit
resistance. Voltage controlled driver circuits have a high resistance
of 12+ ohms that slows the building of the magnetic field in the
injector. Hence, no counter voltage is built up and the line remains
flat.
On the other hand, the current controlled driver circuit has
low resistance which allows for a rapid magnetic field build-up. This
causes a slight inductive rise (created by the effects of counter
voltage) and hence, the upward bend. You should not see that here with
voltage controlled circuits.
Point "D" represents the electrical condition of the injector
windings. The height of this voltage spike (inductive kick) is
proportional to the number of windings and the current flow through
them. The more current flow and greater number of windings, the more
potential for a greater inductive kick. The opposite is also true. The
less current flow or fewer windings means less inductive kick.
Typically you should see a minimum 35 volts at the top of Point "D".
If you do see approximately 35 volts, it is because a zener
diode is used with the driver to clamp the voltage. Make sure the
beginning top of the spike is squared off, indicating the zener dumped
the remainder of the spike. If it is not squared, that indicates the
spike is not strong enough to make the zener fully dump, meaning the
injector has a weak winding.
If a zener diode is not used in the computer, the spike from
a good injector will be 60 or more volts.
Point "E" brings us to a very interesting section. As you
can see, the voltage dissipates back to supply value after the peak of
the inductive kick. Notice the slight hump? This is actually the
mechanical injector pintle closing. Recall that moving an iron core
through a magnetic field will create a voltage surge. The pintle is

the iron core here.
This pintle hump at Point "E" should occur near the end of
the downward slope, and not afterwards. If it does occur after the
slope has ended and the voltage has stabilized, it is because the
pintle is slightly sticking because of a faulty injector
If you see more than one hump it is because of a distorted
pintle or seat. This faulty condition is known as "pintle float".
It is important to realize that it takes a good digital
storage oscilloscope or analog lab scope to see this pintle hump
clearly. Unfortunately, it cannot always be seen.
Fig. 2: Identifying Voltage Controlled Type Injector Pattern
INTERPRETING A CURRENT CONTROLLED PATTERN
NOTE: Current controlled drivers are also known as "Peak and Hold"

drivers. They typically require injector circuits
with a total leg resistance with less than 12 ohm.
NOTE: This example is based on a constant power/switched ground
circuit.
* See Fig. 3 for pattern that the following text describes.
Point "A" is where system voltage is supplied to the
injector. A good hot run voltage is usually 13.5 or more volts. This
point, commonly known as open circuit voltage, is critical because the
injector will not get sufficient current saturation if there is a
voltage shortfall. To obtain a good look at this precise point, you
will need to shift your Lab Scope to five volts per division.
You will find that some systems have slight voltage
fluctuations here. This could occur if the injector feed wire is also
used to power up other cycling components, like the ignition coil(s).
Slight voltage fluctuations are normal and are no reason for concern.
Major voltage fluctuations are a different story, however. Major
voltage shifts on the injector feed line will create injector
performance problems. Look for excessive resistance problems in the
feed circuit if you see big shifts and repair as necessary.
Point "B" is where the driver completes the circuit to
ground. This point of the waveform should be a clean square point
straight down with no rounded edges. It is during this period that
current saturation of the injector windings is taking place and the
driver is heavily stressed. Weak drivers will distort this vertical
line.
Point "C" represents the voltage drop across the injector
windings. Point "C" should come very close to the ground reference
point, but not quite touch. This is because the driver has a small
amount of inherent resistance. Any significant offset from ground is
an indication of a resistance problem on the ground circuit that needs
repaired. You might miss this fault if you do not use the negative
battery post for your Lab Scope hook-up, so it is HIGHLY recommended
that you use the battery as your hook-up.
Right after Point "C", something interesting happens. Notice
the trace starts a normal upward bend. This slight inductive rise is
created by the effects of counter voltage and is normal. This is
because the low circuit resistance allowed a fast build-up of the
magnetic field, which in turn created the counter voltage.
Point "D" is the start of the current limiting, also known as
the "Hold" time. Before this point, the driver had allowed the current
to free-flow ("Peak") just to get the injector pintle open. By the
time point "D" occurs, the injector pintle has already opened and the
computer has just significantly throttled the current back. It does
this by only allowing a few volts through to maintain the minimum
current required to keep the pintle open.
The height of the voltage spike seen at the top of Point "D"
represents the electrical condition of the injector windings. The
height of this voltage spike (inductive kick) is proportional to the
number of windings and the current flow through them. The more current
flow and greater number of windings, the more potential for a greater
inductive kick. The opposite is also true. The less current flow or
fewer windings means less inductive kick. Typically you should see a
minimum 35 volts.
If you see approximately 35 volts, it is because a zener
diode is used with the driver to clamp the voltage. Make sure the
beginning top of the spike is squared off, indicating the zener dumped
the remainder of the spike. If it is not squared, that indicates the
spike is not strong enough to make the zener fully dump, meaning there
is a problem with a weak injector winding.
If a zener diode is not used in the computer, the spike from