Troubleshooting a Mitsubishi That Won’t Start

A Mitsubishi that won’t start can be a frustrating experience. There could be several reasons a Mitsubishi vehicle isn’t starting, including a dead battery, faulty alternator, clogged fuel filter, or a malfunctioning starter. To troubleshoot the issue, it’s essential to diagnose the root cause and address it accordingly. In this article, we will explore common reasons why a Mitsubishi won’t start and provide some tips to help resolve the issue.

Even though modern cars’ growing complexity makes tracking down a no-start problem challenging, a few common issues often prevent Mitsubishi from starting.

Symptoms

• Mitsubishi Cranks but Won’t Start.
• Car Won’t Crank At All
• No Crank, No Start
• START and Park Light Flash
• You Hear Click, Click, Click
• The engine starts for about two seconds, then cuts off.

Why won’t my Mitsubishi start?

A weak car battery is the most common problem preventing you from starting your Mitsubishi vehicle. The battery may be the problem even if the dash light or headlights turn on.

If the engine clicks but won’t start, use a jump starter to start the engine. If the battery is dead or weak, the car won’t turn on or over. Besides a dead or weak battery, a Mitsubishi may not start due to:

• no fuel
• bad fuel pump
• dead key fob battery (smart key)
• blown fuses
• starter
• loose battery cables
• bad ECU
• no compression
• a broken timing belt
• blown head gasket

Let’s look at several problems that will prevent you from starting your Mitsubishi vehicle. No start condition can affect any Mitsubishi model, including Galant, Eclipse, Montero, Mirage, Outlander, Lancer, etc.

Battery

If your Mitbusihi will not start but clicks, the problem most likely involves a weak battery that cannot turn the starter motor.

As a result, electrical consumers may work properly, such as with lights, but the car will not start while turning the key. The starter motor will turn very slowly or crank, depending on the battery charge level. If your Mitsubishi won’t start but clicks, check the battery.

There are several possible causes of a situation like this. The battery itself may be failing and not able to hold a charge. Depending on the outside climate and running conditions, they last between two and five years.

Another cause is a bad alternator that doesn’t generate enough electricity to charge the battery.

The most likely scenario is that you accidentally left something like a stereo or lights on overnight, draining the battery. Furthermore, a parasitic current draw may drain your car battery when parked. Parasitic draws occur when one of the electrical systems in the car malfunctions and drains the battery when the car is turned off.

A common problem that shows the same symptoms as a dead battery, such as no crank and no start, is a bad starter or starter solenoid, which we will discuss below. If the battery is dead or drained, you can charge it through a home power outlet with a 12 Volt Battery Trickle Charger, jump-start the vehicle, and keep it on idle for at least thirty minutes.

If the battery cannot maintain a charge, it may be necessary to be replaced. Follow this guide on how to change a Mitsubishi battery.

Security System

A problem preventing you from starting your Mitsubishi is that the vehicle does not recognize the key.

This problem is common in Mitsubishi vehicles, such as the newer Eclipse and Outlander smart keys.

The batteries in the key fob may die, preventing the car from recognizing the key. You can still start the vehicle by inserting the key in the key slot or pressing START with the key’s tip. Replace the key fob battery as soon as possible.

Mitsubishi vehicles with metal keys have an integrated transponder chip recognized by the car when the key is inserted in the ignition. These keys rarely fail. If one of these keys goes bad, the ignition switch will still turn on, and you might even be able to crank up the engine. However, you won’t be able to start the car.

Starter

As obvious as it may seem, a defective starter motor will not crank and start the engine. Depending on the failure, either the starter motor cannot rotate, or a high-pitched sound will be heard when turning the key. A starter motor is an electromechanical component that can fail in several ways.

Electrical motors can stop working due to extensive mechanical wear: a mechanism that secures the starter motor to the flywheel can also fail. Sometimes, hammering a moderate hit to the starter motor can make it work again. However, replacing the starter is the only reliable solution.

Spark plugs or Ignition coils

If there is an ignition-related issue, such as dirty spark plugs or faulty coils, the engine probably won’t start sometimes.

This usually happens on humid or moist mornings or when it is freezing. Even though there is a strong cranking action when turning the key, the engine will not start. Even if it does, it might still cut out or splutter for several minutes.

It is easy to check for sparks using an inline spark plug test light. Several additional symptoms are characteristic of ignition issues. One is a strong smell of unburnt fuel from the exhaust while cranking. Pressing the accelerator pedal helps turn on the engine as well. In most cases, the engine will run fine after it warms up and reaches operating temperature.

If your Mitsubishi starts but has several misfire fault codes, the spark plugs may be worn out. Follow this guide to learn how to change Mitsubishi Spark Plugs and Ignition Coils.

Sensors

While modern engines use many sensors to achieve optimum efficiency, only several can cause starting issues. One is the crankshaft sensor, which tells the ECU the components monitor the engine speed. If the crank sensor is bad, the ECU won’t know when to inject and trigger the fuel.

As a result, the engine won’t start despite cranking strong when turning the key. The main difference between this and ignition-related issues is the absence of an unburnt fuel smell from the exhaust. Also, a crankshaft position sensor code will be stored in the vehicle’s DTC memory.

Another common problem is a defective Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor. The engine may crank with the bad MAF sensor but may not start in rare cases. In some cases, the engine starts and dies after a few seconds. While these symptoms may be due to a bad ECU or key not being recognized, they can also be due to a bad MAF sensor.

To identify if the MAF sensor is flawed, read the fault codes with an OBD-II scanner. Another quick test you can perform is to unplug the MAF sensor harness and start the engine. If the MAF is bad, the engine will start but run rough. If the MAF sensor is bad, follow this guide on how to change the Mitsubishi MAF Sensor.

Ignition Switch

Despite the simplicity and overall reliability, an ignition switch is a crucial component that can cause several issues. In some scenarios, nothing happens when turning the key, and the dashboard will remain black. But unlike with a dead battery, things like the stereo or interior illumination will work as they should.

It is also possible that everything seems fine, but there is no car reaction when turning the key. Inside any ignition switch itself, there is a rotating arm that bridges different electrical circuits. In addition to this task, ignition switches in modern cars have an incorporated anti-theft device. Like any other component, ignition switches can suffer from failures ranging from mechanical wear and breakdowns to corrosion-related issues.

Fuel Pump

Inside every fuel tank, an electrical pump transfers the gasoline toward the engine. Like other components with moving parts, it can stop working as time passes. The weather happens because of mechanical wear or electrical breakdown; it will prevent sufficient fuel flow. The result will be an engine that cranks strong but won’t start.

Although these symptoms are similar to those of a faulty crankshaft sensor, there are several differences. For one, no codes will be stored in the vehicle’s DTC memory. Also, applying a small amount of starter spray to the intake manifold will briefly start the engine.

Fuses and Relays

Ultimately, it is important to know that a blown fuse or a faulty relay can disable a corresponding component. When something stops working without warning signs, checking fuses and relays should be the first step. Depending on the failure, this can result in symptoms identical to those described in this article.

Loose Battery Terminals

Troubleshooting a Mitsubishi engine that won’t run can be tricky if you just replaced the battery. A poor battery connection or high resistance in battery cables will be able to light up the dash and the exterior lights but will not enable the engine to start. For the car’s engine to start, a high current draw is required to turn over the engine, which is impossible if one of the battery terminals is loose or corroded.

Check the battery connections if you have a “No Crank” situation. Yes, even if you have installed a new battery. Battery connections that are loose, dirty, or corroded will not allow the high current to pass through the connections.

Most Mitsubishi issues (not all), including no-start conditions, can be diagnosed with a multi-system OBD-II scanner. Unlike generic OBD-II scanners that can only read check engine codes, a multi-system Mitsubishi OBD-II scanner will read fault codes in all modules, including the ignition fuel pump, security, transmission, or any other module with a problem.

One good example of a multi-system scanner is the YOUCANIC Full Systems Scanner. This scanner can read and clear fault codes from all the systems in your Mitsubishi. It can also perform bi-directional tests, maintenance and repair resets, etc.

For more help, see our article on choosing a good scanner to diagnose Mitsubishi Outlander, Eclipse, Mirage, Lancer, Montero, Galant, etc. We hope you find the Troubleshooting a Mitsubishi That Won’t Start guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Mitsubishi.

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