3 Signs Your Mitsubishi Needs Maintenance

Burning Plastic

A burning plastic smell usually means damaged wiring. Your Mitsubishi contains a huge amount of wiring that carries electricity to every system that requires it. All wiring must be protected against water, dirt, and heat, so it’s covered in tough plastic insulation. As time passes, wiring can weaken due to age and potentially break.

Broken wiring prevents electricity from reaching any system beyond the break, but electricity will continue to flow into the wire. This causes the broken wiring to overheat and burn the protective insulation. The smell of burning insulation is distinctive and also poisonous. If you smell burning insulation, contact us ASAP so we can find and replace the damaged wiring.

Damaged Starter Solenoid

The starter cranks your engine, which begins the combustion process that brings your engine to life. The starter is powered by an electrical charge sent from the battery to the starter solenoid when you push the start button. When the starter solenoid receives the charge, it activates the starter. In time, this solenoid can wear out or become damaged.

A failed solenoid prevents the starter from initiating the crank, and your engine won’t start. Unlike a dead battery, jump-starting has no effect, as electricity can’t bypass the solenoid. One of the ways you can identify a starter problem is by the absence of the slight click you hear when the starter activates. Our technicians will replace the damaged solenoid to fix this issue.

Worn Alternator

The alternator’s job is to produce electricity for your vehicle’s systems. It does this by spinning at high speed and producing magnetic energy, which is converted to AC and finally DC. Its second job is to maintain the battery at full charge. Alternators are very robust, with an average lifespan of eight years. As they begin to wear out, however, they slow down and produce less electricity.

The drop in power supply is gradual, but irreversible, and eventually the alternator can’t supply enough power for all the systems that require it. When this point is reached, your Mitsubishi’s computer will shift the available power from system to system according to demand. This will cause issues like systems stopping then restarting, and various other glitches. We’ll test your alternator and replace it if it’s damaged.

If your Mitsubishi isn’t delivering its normal top performance, contact our service department today at Wallace Mitsubishi-Kingsport in Kingsport, TN.

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