3000GT/Stealth International Message Center - View Single Post - ECS/Tour-Sport mode.

Joel_CA · 01-05-2007, 07:03 PM

My 92VR4 had problems with both the strut caps AND the ECS ECU capacitors. The Tour/Sport light on the dash of my car would sometimes flash at a steady frequency one minute, then flicker on and off randomly another minute. If you turn the key on while parked in a quiet area such as inside the garage, you can actually hear the ECS actuators going crazy as the Tour/Sport light flickered.
If a properly working ECS ECU detects electrical problem in the ECS struts (such as an open wire), it will flash the Tour/Sport mode at a steady frequency and set the struts in a default Sport mode. Keep in mind that some strut cap wires break inside the wire jacket so that the wire can still look okay from the outside, but be intermittently open & disconnected on the inside. This can produce an intermittant but steady flashing of the Tour/Sport light. It is best to do a continuity test while moving the wires back and forth to eliminate any intermittent problems in the wiring. With my car, fixing the open wires in the ESC strut caps fixed the steadily flashing Tour/Sport light, but the intermittant flickering of the lights didn't stop.
Upon opening my ECS ECU, i noticed that a few of the capacitors were leaking. They are the SAME BRAND AND VALUE Rubicons that are in the MFI ECU. I 1st replaced the 3 visibly leaking capacitors and recheck the ECS operation without luck- same intermittant flashing. I then replaced the remaining 2 capacitors (total of 5) and haven't had a problem with the ECS ever since.

Picture showing the 1st 3 capacitors replaced

Contrary to what the above link says, the ECS wiring breaks due to the constant back and forth bending of the wires as the steering is turned from left to right. The strut shaft rotates with the entire strut as it is steered in different directions. With the strut cap harness being held in a fixed position, over time, the tiny SOLID WIRES (what was Mitsu thinking?) in the ECS strut cap will break due to the constant back and forth flexing. They always break in the same area where most of the back and forth twisting takes place- right near the strut connector.

J

01-05-2007, 07:03 PM	#16 (permalink)
Joel_CA Mitsubishi Junkie Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: NorCal / Sac Drives: 2 Pearly Whites Trader Rating: (1)	Re: ECS/Tour-Sport mode. My 92VR4 had problems with both the strut caps AND the ECS ECU capacitors. The Tour/Sport light on the dash of my car would sometimes flash at a steady frequency one minute, then flicker on and off randomly another minute. If you turn the key on while parked in a quiet area such as inside the garage, you can actually hear the ECS actuators going crazy as the Tour/Sport light flickered. If a properly working ECS ECU detects electrical problem in the ECS struts (such as an open wire), it will flash the Tour/Sport mode at a steady frequency and set the struts in a default Sport mode. Keep in mind that some strut cap wires break inside the wire jacket so that the wire can still look okay from the outside, but be intermittently open & disconnected on the inside. This can produce an intermittant but steady flashing of the Tour/Sport light. It is best to do a continuity test while moving the wires back and forth to eliminate any intermittent problems in the wiring. With my car, fixing the open wires in the ESC strut caps fixed the steadily flashing Tour/Sport light, but the intermittant flickering of the lights didn't stop. Upon opening my ECS ECU, i noticed that a few of the capacitors were leaking. They are the SAME BRAND AND VALUE Rubicons that are in the MFI ECU. I 1st replaced the 3 visibly leaking capacitors and recheck the ECS operation without luck- same intermittant flashing. I then replaced the remaining 2 capacitors (total of 5) and haven't had a problem with the ECS ever since. Picture showing the 1st 3 capacitors replaced Contrary to what the above link says, the ECS wiring breaks due to the constant back and forth bending of the wires as the steering is turned from left to right. The strut shaft rotates with the entire strut as it is steered in different directions. With the strut cap harness being held in a fixed position, over time, the tiny SOLID WIRES (what was Mitsu thinking?) in the ECS strut cap will break due to the constant back and forth flexing. They always break in the same area where most of the back and forth twisting takes place- right near the strut connector. J __________________ 1992 3000GT VR4 (tastefully modified) & 1996 STEALTH RT/TT #47 (restoration work in progress) Last edited by Joel_CA : 01-05-2007 at 10:24 PM.