Hi,

just recently bought an fto with the tiptronic box, the problem is that when i go to start it all the lights come on and nothing, but as i have noticed when i take the hand brake off and it is in park it starts, so could this be because the park bit on the box is jolting the starter to start? will i need a new one?


thanks.

NO, it would not, The starter is not engaged in teh flywheel at all unless starting. When attempting to start , do yu here the relay in the fuse box inside the car clicking? Can juss be a fluke, ive seen many galants 92-95 have similar issue , which alot are the ignition switch. Do yu have a power slide roof? Does it work intermitten at times? Especially when its having funny start issues?

it can also in sum rarer cases be the ETACS which is in back of the inside fuse box

Need to check the sunroof, it does slide back but so far, living in scotland it rains most days.

i can hear a few clicks from under the dash when it doesnt start, also i moved the wires about near the engine whilst trying to trace the starter wire and it has started no problems since, but if it doesnt clear the problem, you think that i will need an ignition switch?

Noticed that you are from chang mai? r u thai or farang?

I love the country but as yet never managed to visit chang mai.

Well i am Lanna Thai frum my mother and Bororo Indian (brasilian native indian) frum my dad. I was born and grow up my life in Lanna/Chiang Mai.

Now i have seen FTO and Galants do this , many would think the ignition switch but i am sorta skeptical. I have my older brothers 1994 Mitsubishi Galant GSR , he started complaining about having issues starting his car. Yes most times he would hear the click frum the inside fuse panel. So we have a bunch parts cars , most of them run. He also had an intermitten problem with his sunroof.

Anyway, so i put in an ignition switch frum a starting and running model i had. Started first time and then not. So i put another one in, would not do anything. So i was cmon wuts going on. Yu turn the key on and radio and turn to run and al the lights etc comes on , but try to crank and nothing. So i removed the 2 small screws that hold the ignition switch into the back of the ignition locking barrel, and i turned it counter clockwise like a hair , i held it there and then cycled the key and it started. . I held it in that position and turned it off. I then tried again and it started. So then i decided to put the ignition switch screws back , and no start.

So thus then , wut i did was barely slotted open the screw holes on the ignition switch so i can turn a small adjustment. I slotted it a little put it in , put the screws , and slightly turned the switch to the position it started in , like a HAIR , not much, and then tightened the screws there , and its been starting ever since. He had the same irratic starting issues like yu. I think in this cause , maybe not yurs , after age the slide thru barrel and rotating section that comes thru the steering wheel lock barrel to turn the ignition switch , develops a little slack/play after years and do not turn the switch all the way at times foward enough to kick over the starter when yu try to start. Sum times yes and other no , and sum days not at all LoL.

Yu can attempt this test , or , check yur battery to engine and body grounds. Most likely yu will be having a 6A12 V6 , The starter will be located lower frunt of the engine. Sum FTO in yur year with 6A12 and Galant with 6G73 and 6A12 V6 sumtime had small oil leak, frum the cam cover , and over time the oil drips into teh starter and starter solenoid and causes the starter to not work at all in worst cases or work intermittenly.

Make sure yur battery cables and where they attach too arent heavily corroded.

Cheers, the sunroof and windows work fine in that state, the wires as far as i can tell are fine, if it doesnt start i let it bounce slightly in the park position when i release the hand brake and the car starts, i will take the starter off at the weekend and check that and clean it.

so its an automatic , yu bounce it with the handbrake engaged , and then it usually starts? Confusing , i do not get the logic in that. most to think , bouncing would move a loose ground strap , or jolt sumthing possibly loose. As i asked , do yu kno if yur frunt cam cover is leaking oil?

HI,

took the starter off, oil all over the wires, cleaned it up and sealed the connections, still the same, but now it will start but still on occasion i have to take off handbrake and rock the car in park to make it start.

also how do you get the automatic gear knob off?

Thats a really odd thing , i mean on an automatic, when yu rock it , does it immediatly work? I asked yu that and yu never answered, yu may have a bad shift range sensor, when yu rock the car its making the shifter cable tug a little , not sure. Yur starter may juss be bad. They do not like oil in them. No matter if yu "clean" the terminals, oil seeps into the starter solenoi and starter iteself and gets in and on the brushes and contacts.

yeah when you rock it it immediatly works.

today so far i havent had to do that, fingers crossed.

All i can say is that it makes no sence at all to meeh. The onlee thing as i mentioned it can be doing is causing a slight jarring action to the started when yu rock it, as the car kicks at the transmission park lock , the same as when it is not starting lightly tapping the starter. Like i say , it juss very well be the starter acting up with all that has built up in it over time. Ive seen this on 6A1 engines and also 6G7 V6 this intermitten starter issue due to oil in the starter frum leaking cam covers. I kno yud like sum magic solution , but yu ndun give much to go on and yur mostly likely hoping it will cure itself. Its most likely the starter , ive exhausted all ideas and thoughts , so im finished.