Hi all!

Like so many others my European 2001 GDI (4G93 Engine) went bad in the idle, erratic/uneven when cold until engine was like that even when warm and then loosed all power. Yada, yada, yada.

So I went to Google and spent quite some time coming up with possible solutions, almost all says "clean throttle body".

Away it went (how to here, from this manual):

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%c3%a4llhus,%20placering.jpg)


And sure thing, it was coated in carbon:

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%c3%a4llhus,%20sot.jpg)


Also put the vacuum cleaner to good use in the "inlet manifold", before:

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Insug,%20sotigt.jpg)


After:

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Insug,%20dammsuget.jpg)


Cleaned the throttle body up and put it back in the car, but still as bad as before.


So what to do next? Found these step-by-step instructions and started from the top. Removed and cleaned the "idle control valve" on top of the throttle body:

Had some problems removing the block connector, the springs need to be moved as per the arrows. Any body have an easy way of doing this?

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%c3%a4llsensor,%20kontakt.jpg)


Sensor removed and cleaned:

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%c3%a4llsensor,%20ovansida.jpg)

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%c3%a4llsensor,%20undersida.jpg)



When setting the idle, by turning this sensor, which way is which? I've tried both extremes and dead center but there are other issues with the car at the moment.

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%c3%a4llsensor,%20placering.jpg)


When I turn the ignition on, the butterfly in the throttle body will move giving ticking sounds, that stops and the engine problem light starts flasing. When turning ignition off the electric engine on the throttle body will "whine" as if trying to move beyound it's limits until the relay cut's the power.

Video of this, picture is dashboard and sound is from the throttle body area.


Is my sensor shot?
Should I put it in 180° the other way and "pre-wind" the spring in the sensor? I'll try that today.
I guess the electric engine is OK since it moves the butterfly (but the faulty? sensor don't give the correct feedback).


The next item in the instructions is the oxygen sensor. Would that be what the manual refers to as the "air volume meter"?

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Luftsensor,%20placering.jpg)


Before I had time to Google this issue my dad (which used to know cars until they got all electrical) opened the electronics box for this sensor:

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Luftsensor,%20insidan.jpg)


It's not just the tabs, there are also glue on the lid. Don't do this. All components look ok, nothing burnt or exploded (I've seen the inside of shot electronics quite a few times).


How-ever, inside the box there is a shield over the electronics (to help avoid static destroying the electronics) and that shield has some residue-build up on the inside. Also an issue? Did burning electronics give the residue?

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Luftsensor,%20avlagring.jpg)


Would appreciate all the help I can get here. If I solve this issue I promise to use my photos and create a guide to help others. I've done guides previously and this sort of thing is what the Internet is about, IMHO.

With best regards,
/Tobbe in Sweden

Nobody who knows?

More questions;

Do all Carismas have the ODBII-port or just US ones? If my do, what reader do I get?

Does anybody but ecu-testing.com sell reconditioned throttle bodies? They have not replied to my e-mail yet.

i would try www.bba-reman.com or possibly ebay
and about obd-11....http://www.bba-reman.com/forums/Topic64152-1-1.aspx?Highlight=carisma

also to set the sensor you need a multimeter.

Thanks, I got a reply from ECU Testing a short while after complaining that they did not answer. Lurking here or just coincidence? :) Anyway, ECU Testing are a lot cheaper then BBA so I'll choose that route.




OK, so no use of OBDII then. I'll tow the car to the closest Mitsubishi garage in stead, if I need the codes.




Any more info on how to do this? A multimeter I can handle, as long as I don't need an oscilloscope...

Thanks for your time!

Today I took out the sensor on the Throttle body and started taking measurements with a multimeter. At first the sensor seemed to be in the wrong position but appeared to "fall in place" as I tinkered.

All looked fine in the readings, but after a while the sensors got really heavy to turn. Like something was blocking it's movement inside. I tapped on it and moved it around and then it went good again for a while. Then it seemed blocked again and so forth. Sounded like something was rattling around inside.

I went to my local Mitsu work shop to by a new one but almost fell down when I was given the price of the sensor. $300/€210!!! Yikes!

Since the sensor obviously was shot I thought it could be worth the time to see if I could fix it (given that a new one was rather, uhm, expensive). So out came the Dremel and I started working myself through the epoxi resin used to seal the sensor at the factory.

It became appearant that a part of the plastic wheel in the middle had come loose, it is a kind of limiter to make sure the sensor does not move to far..

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%c3%a4llsensor,%20trasig.jpg)


Sadly I cut to deep with the Dremel and cut one of the circuits in the lid.

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%C3%A4llsensor,%20banor.jpg)


I managed to glue the wheel back together, drop it on the floor, spend 30 minutes looking for the parts, glue it again and this time reinforce it with a thin piece of plywood (not pictured).

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%C3%A4llsensor,%20limmad.jpg)


After some shaky moves with an soldering iron I also managed to build a new circuit, then I put it all together with some electricians tape.

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%C3%A4llsensor,%20lagad.jpg)


After this the throttle body seems to behave as expected and the engine error light will not come on. But the engine will still not start. I guess the next step is to remove the rest of the intake manifold and clean that up.


Does anybody know if the sensor is available for less money someplace else? I'll start hunting for used ones tomorrow.

The product number at the Mitsu shop was 07702 but it's stamped with 270530.

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%C3%A4llsensor,%20m%C3%A4rkning.jpg)

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%C3%A4llsensor,%20ovansida.jpg)

(IMG:http://tnt.happymtb.org/misc/GDI-problem/Spj%C3%A4llsensor,%20undersida.jpg)

does the car actually start?
i would check the throttle response, take air inlet pipe off throttle body, turn ignition on and have someone press the accelerator pedal while you look to see if the throttle plate opens and closes.
if no movement then try altering the sensor with ignition on. i would also firstly try to reset the ecu by disconnecting battery for 5 to 10 mins and try to start the car.

After fixing the sensor the car starts but dies right away if the throttle is touched. It runs kinda normal on idle though.

The battery has been disconnected for longer periods of time to no avail. I'll take things apart and look for obvious errors next...

Thanks for the pictures man, now i know where to look for cleaning the throttle body (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) sorry for ur problem;
Why dont u try to connect the car to a diagnostic interface to see which error code it gives out? (at least u will know where to look)
They sell some interfaces on the net, but they're pretty expensive (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)