Subject: Electrical system
Question: I have a 1996 Mitsubishi Mirage LS (1.8L). The first problem that I have when I got this car brand new, was that the tail and interior lights stop working. I send the car for repair and they fixed the problem changing the light switch. Two years later I had the same problem but this time I don't know what they did to fix the problem. When I moved my car about a year ago to Washington, DC, I had the same problem again. This time I went to a Mitsubishi dealer and they fixed the problem doing a bypass on the system, according to what they told me. I'm having problems again with the lights and now the radio, the interior light, the clock, the brake lights, and some of the indicator lights are not working. Do you have any idea of what is the problem and how can I fix it?
Answer:

David,
First off, it sounds like that Mitsubishi dealership may have made things worse when they bypassed parts of your electrical system. Those mechanics probably couldn't find exactly what was causing the problem, so they simply made a little jump connection from one fuse terminal to another. This will temporarily fix your problem, but can have ill effects; as you are seeing now. All electrical components on your car meant to work on a 12 volt/ DC system (your car battery). When fuses, fusible links, relays, and sometimes entire fuse boxes go bad, they start draining too much power from the battery. Hence, your light and indicators start to fade and eventually go out.

Before you take it back to another mechanic, have your battery load tested. You can get this service performed for free at many places; AutoZone, Sears, Pep Boys, etc… If your battery is new, there may be a chance something is shorting it out, leading to your lights dimming or completely going out. If your dashboard or engine fuse box is bad, it can cause several fuses to blow, which can leave you in the dark; literally. The switch you replaced the first time this happened may also still be a problem. Have that checked too if you can remember which switch it was.


I can only guess what initially caused your problem. I'm guessing either your fuse box went bad, causing your switch to fail; possibly shorting out sections of it due to moisture. Unfortunately, the only ones that could really diagnose your problem thoroughly would be your Mitsubishi dealership. I would recommend NOT going back to that dealership that “bypassed” those connections for you, but maybe find another dealership in a neighboring town. That may not an option for you depending on where you live. Mitsubishi dealerships are not a prevalent as Ford or GM dealerships.

Good luck!