AYC light

[ciderisgr8]

I was pottering around town today in traffic, not pushing the car, when I noticed the AYC light come on ( the one in the bottom right of the dash) when I started the car and stay on. A short time later I stopped and on restarting the car the light went off ???? Then came on after a short while ??????????
I looked in the manual and AYC doesnt exist in it(mine any way)
To make matters worse I then took the car out after 1/2 hours rest and threw it round a few tight bends and nothing came up on the dash (except 1 AYC bar).
Now, does anyone now if I have a problem or is it the AYC just attention seeking ?? and should I get someone to look at before it gets worse(or look at it myself)???

[Brunty]

Hiya.

The AYC is a funny old unit - I'd guess your fluids are in need of change (plenty of write-ups in here).

If that doesn't sort it there is a replacement pressure switch available through RogerRally (occasionally on here more easily found through MLR) which retails at about £120. It is an uprated version and frequently resolves AYC issues.

This is where mine is and it exhibits the same characteristics as you describe.

The next stage (for me) is to adjust my uprated pressure switch as I believe it's performance will vary with pressure and temperature - just got to dial it in correctly.

If this hasn't solved your problems then you're probably looking at a replacement unit (seen suggested prices of between £800 - £2,000) - did you get the Red Zebra warranty from Aylesbury Mitsu?

Alternatively plenty of EVO owners have swapped in mechanical diffs - not sure if anyone has tried this on the VR4 yet.

Other members have reported tyre pressure/wear to cause AYC issues although I'm not sure this would trigger the warnign light, unless the fluids overheated.

Good luck.

[Spirit]

Get her down to AP Motors mate and Kev will check it out and sort a fluid change if required.

[ciderisgr8]

Funny old thing I have just been out around town and threw it through a few corners and.... no light.
It looks like something is amiss somewhere and I will be looking into it.
Thanks for the help.

[Spirit]

Still got to be worth a fluid change unless you know when it was last done, have you at least checked the fluid level ?

[Nick Mann]

The red light in the bottom right is the warning light - if that comes on the car thinks that there is a problem. If the red light is on then you will get no green bars. Nothing else to add over what has been said above!

[ciderisgr8]

Still got to be worth a fluid change unless you know when it was last done, have you at least checked the fluid level ?

It might seem a bit silly but where do i check it and where is it exactly ?????????????

[tig202]

Open your tailgate and look to the rear right of your boot area. You will see a removable panel. Behind this will be the AYC reservoir. This looks very similer to a power steering reservoir. Hopefully your fluid should be of a clean red appearance. If it is looking dull, dark ruby or smells burnt then replace

[ciderisgr8]

Have checked the fluid and all seems normal with the colour and the level so I'll have to look somewhere else.
Cheers

[BraindG]

You will find the light comes on some times, and not others..

I lived with the problem for a long time, and experienced a variety of different circumstances for when the light would be on, and off...

dont think that because it wasnt on during your latest blast theres no problem.. I may even come on first thing the next time you start the car..

first stop, the easy things first, then onto oils...

[Nick Mann]

Please do a search for AYC Fluid. There are three fluids. You have just checked the one that should show the least signs of wear. Do a bit of reading on the subject - I have written plenty of information on it and I'm not the only one!

The best thing to do first is to have all three fluids changed. Honest!!

[Fritzz]

Hi there!

When i was on a track day here in sweden last weekend, i did 2 laps on a course. After the laps i noticed the AYC red light just as you describe.

I turned the car off and then on again, it was gone, at least for 10minutes. Then the light was on again. So i drove home with the ayc light lit and i didn´t feel that the car behavied differently and it didn´t sound any different either.

So i parked it in my garage for 1 day and before i started the car again i took the cable off the battery for 10 sec. and then put it back on again to reset the ecu.

So i drove around for about 1 hour and the light didn´t lit, until i said to myself "good, its no problem with it". What happends, the light comes on.....

So i parked the car again because i dÃ*dn´t want to drive it when the light is on (could it damage the ayc driving with the light on?)

Anyway, i started reading here about it, and found out that the first things i should check were the tyre pressure and fluid level and fluid colour.

Said and done, i checked the tyre pressure first, and found out this:

Front: 2.8 bar each
Rear: 2.6 bar each.

Changed to 2.6 bar at all tyres.

Checked the fluid and it was light-red and a little above medium on the stick, so i think thats ok??

I drove around for about 30min. and did a couple of hard turns with 1-2bars lit to get the fluid warm.

The light didn´t lit and the ayc worked as it should. Do you guys think my tyre pressure change did the trick or should i go and have it looked up??

///
Fredrik

[bradc]

Fredrik, you were running the fronts at 41psi which is quite high, most people run theirs between 32 and 36 psi. That may have been affecting it as well. What size tyres do you have on it?

[Physician]

Ummm! Something wrong but I doubt it's the tyre pressures. I run mine at 3.0 bar (44 psi) on track without any issues.

You were running at 2.8 bar (40.6 psi) front and 2.6 bar (37.7 psi) rear which should be OK as it's balanced. If you had different pressures in front (or rear) then it can cause issues.

The Mitsubishi manual says 2.35 bar (34 psi) front and 2.2 bar (32 psi rear) for the saloon VR4 as standard ....... but on track increase this.

I think you need to check ALL AYC fluids and make sure correct fluid has been used.

[Spirit]

As Richard says I think it's more than a tyre pressure issue, that should have just caused your green lights to flash more often than normal. You have done the normal and re-set the ECU etc, so keep an eye on it and get the fluids checked/changed asap. The only time I have had the red light was when I had issues with a wheel speed sensor, and mine has done many track days with different tyre pressures.

[Nick Mann]

Checked the fluid and it was light-red and a little above medium on the stick, so i think thats ok??

As said above - there are three fluids for the AYC. Get all of them checked/changed, as the one you have checked is the one that does the least work.

[pezza]

Yup Cider ..

I got the AYC light coming on very infrequently... did fluid changes including diffs etc and problem did not come back .. still no sign (fingers crossed)

HOw long have you had the car now? When I spoke to that suzanne lady at adams she had said everything was freshly changed.. but I guess you would have done hundreds and thousands o miles since then?

[Fritzz]

Thanks again for all the help guys!!

BradC: The tyres are 225/40/18" and it was my tyre-retailer that recommended 2.8 front and 2.6 rear.

But i´m gonna check all of the fluids (i suppose searching a while in here helps me out where to check and change)
I will also go to my dad´s workshop and plug in an instrument to the ecu and check the "ayc light" error code. Hopefully it´s only a minor malfunction such as an connection problem with some cables or that the fluids just need to be changed/filled.

I´ll get back to you with an update of this.


//
Fredrik

[RogerRally]

The AYC warning light often comes on due to lack of presure in the pump motor( cos its worn out a bit), or using thin/ warm fluid from the boot reservoir.
Fitting our different lower setting switch will not cure traction control problems, but will stop the fault light coming up on the dash!.
Different tyre pressures can affect handling, but fitting different sized tyres front to back can cause heat build up in the center viscous diff. The abs sensor light can show if one wheel is turning at a different speed to the other, but these are only small diameter differences, not fault light causing problems.

[Porky T]

I seem to be having the same AYC light problem, found the reservoir in the boot, but what fluid should i put in as its looking old. You mention 3 places, where are these area's and exactly what fluids should be used.
Anyone know where i can buy an electronic workshop manual that will tell me all the correct fluids i need for the whole car ?? as well as other general spec