My car is running "pig rich"

[SHADES TREGO 88]

As the title says my car is running pig rich and I know this may be due to many problems but this is the major problem. I will turn my electronics on before I start the car and the boost gauge, instead of jumping to 0 as normal will max out and fly all the way past 14 (yes I am still on a stock gauge) and whenever the car has problems the gauge will leap and jump all over the place sputter and die due to too much fuel. Now based on my research it could be many things. 1.) The ECU which I am having rebuilt soon 2.) Bad MAF (I don't know where I could get a replacement or how if they are very car specific) or 3.) A bad MAP sensor (which once again, I don't know where to find one or how specific they are per car, I.e. would a 3000GT SL one work in my 1993 VR-4 or does the year make a difference?) Thank you for help guys!

[stealthee]

For the MAF you can really use any MAF from any 3s or 2g turbo DSM or any Mitsubishi that uses that style MAF.

As for MAP sensor, I could be wrong, but I don't think there was a MAP sensor put in the 3s until 96.

It sounds like you have an ECU problem. You also could be experiencing a boost leak with the way the stock gauge is acting.

[mjannusch]

If the factory boost gauge is doing crazy things with the engine not even running, I'd say the most likely problem is a bad ECU. There shouldn't be any airflow for the MAF to try to register. It could* be a bad MAF, but I would suspect the ECU before the MAF. Pull the ECU out of the car, open it up and look closely at the capacitors and circuit board looking for any areas where the traces look damaged, something is eating through the green coating, or the capacitors look "bulged out".

[SHADES TREGO 88]

Ok thanks for the help. I have a 1998 3000GT SL donor car would the MAF work on that one? I'll make sure to check for a boost leak is there any methods that work for looking for one?

[mjannusch]

Check ECU first.