Mitsubishi Repair: d.ormrod@xtra.co.nz, mitsubishi shogun, motor brushes

Question
Greetings from New Zealand

I have a 1994 Mitsubishi Shogun (Pajero) 3000 petrol LWB 4WD automatic with an odd fault. Always starts first time from cold. Take it for a short run (10 min or so) and it starts again. However, drive it for 30 min or more and about half the time it will not restart while still hot - no solenoid click or starter whirring, but electrics seem OK  – lights, horn  etc. Sometimes moving the shifter back and forth briskly through the gears fixes it – but most times you just need to leave it for 20 or 30 minutes then it starts fine. Took it to a garage and they said it was the starter motor brushes so changed them. Seemed OK for a while, but then started happening again – as I said it is intermittent – will be Ok for a few weeks then starts happening again for a few weeks. Perhaps something to do with the circuitry that stops you starting while not in park or neutral – or the solenoid? Would seem to be a heat sensitive fault. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Douglas


Answer
Greetings from Iowa, Hey Douglas: these are just ideas for you to check. How about have you ever had the car's computer coded to see if it might print out a problem. Say a sensor or something on that order. Than if after you move the shifter back and forth the car starts, sounds like a problem with that part of it. Still even the transmission and the such is controled by that darn computer in the car. Oh I was going to tell you to check the hook lock release handle, key interlock cable and the such. Which you could check that for sure, but got to thinking that Mitsubishi had another company build their computer for their cars back in the 90's. And that company did not build very good ones, with time there is a piece in the computer that will break down and leak into the computer. Now this problem show up in many different ways as to what part of the computer this piece starts to leak on. It could be your problem is really with the computer. Because you say after the car cools down it will then start again. So it could be your car's computer, because after it cooler, it resets its self and then lets the car start. You might try to unhook the neg. cable from the battery when this happens, wait 5 minutes and hook it back up. Because that should cause the computer to reset. Still you need to get that computer checked. If that is not the problem, please let me know and see what else I can come up with then. God bless: Linda