The Top Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 Resource

Join the best E39A 1991-1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 community and document your GVR4 journey.

  • Software Upgraded - Reset Your Password to Login
    In order to log in after the forum software change, you need to reset your password. If you don't have access to the email address you used to register your GVR4.org account, you won't be able to reset your password. In that case, follow the instructions here to regain access to the forum.

Hot no-start

alik

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 8, 2006
Messages
357
Location
Boston, MA
Still struggling with this issue.
When the car is cold, starts fine. When it gets to temp, it won't refire.
Sounds like it's struggling to turn over, but the battery is fine, sparkplugs are ok, no other visible issues apart from a very predictable fact that when the engine is hot, it absolutely refuses to refire. Turns over, but no cigar.

What say you?
 

highrpm666

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
Messages
124
Location
Morrison, Co
Start with the basics. Check for spark. Check fuel pressure. And do a compression test as well. Sounds like you have a component that's failing when heat soaked. Ptu.. coil pack.. I had an injector that wouldn't pulse when hot a while back. It stuck open causing a cylinder 3 misfire when started hot. Worked fine on a cold start. Lots of 20+ year old electrical parts don't like to work when heat soaked.
 

Illinoisinc

Active member
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
41
Location
Chicago, IL
Check the starter. I know this may sound funny but My old rx7 used to do that because of the heat it was getting so once it was hot there was no kicking that thing over. Had to literally push start it every time lol.
 

CutlassJim

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
1,698
Location
Manchester, NH
Quoting Illinoisinc:
Check the starter. I know this may sound funny but My old rx7 used to do that because of the heat it was getting so once it was hot there was no kicking that thing over. Had to literally push start it every time lol.



This is common on a lot of cars but I've never seen it on a 4G because the starter location is far away from any heat source. Still possibly worth checking out though.
 

Illinoisinc

Active member
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
41
Location
Chicago, IL
^ thanks for the confirmation cutlassjim
 

rgeier11

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 26, 2004
Messages
726
Location
Chicago Suburbs, IL
Do you have a way to see what the ECU sees? I agree on the coolant temp sensor would be my first test.
 

tektic

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
Messages
1,497
Location
ronkonkoma, ny
if the coolant temp sensor signal is absent the ecu figures the car to be operating temp. It could be stuck reading cold... but if it was the cts you would most likely have a hard time starting it cold not hot.
 

prove_it

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Messages
4,201
Location
Sioux Falls, SD
When you say it doesn't start, does it crank and sputter like it wants to start but won't, or does it just crank and no attempts to even try and run?
 

alik

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 8, 2006
Messages
357
Location
Boston, MA
Quoting prove_it:
When you say it doesn't start, does it crank and sputter like it wants to start but won't, or does it just crank and no attempts to even try and run?


It barely turns over like the engine is stuck or something, and it pretty much refuses to fire. If I could describe it, it is as if the battery is dead (yet mine is full of unicorn juice, freshly charged).
Turning the engine over by hand feels fine.
Disconnecting the battery produces the same result.

It feels like an electrical issue, and I'm getting ready to pull the starter this morning, but do you guys believe that it isn't?

Edit : since there's a possibility of it being the starter, I'm gonna yank it and bring it back to Autozone to have them replace it under warranty.
 
Last edited:

89Mirageman

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
2,502
Location
Stantonsburg, NC
I'd swap it out since its under warranty but it sounds like something else to me. If it starts fine when the engine is cold I don't know why it would drag later once the engine is warm. Maybe one of the accessories tries to seize when they get hot like the alternator or P/S pump? Really hard to diagnose from a distance.
 

MuffinMan7580

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2011
Messages
142
Location
Fort Bragg, NC
It may have nothing to do with it, but you could also double check your grounds. Hot surfaces tend to be poor conductors, especially if they're old and corrosion is present.
 

prove_it

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Messages
4,201
Location
Sioux Falls, SD
Knowing this, I'd say it's either the starter or the cables. Hot cables have more resistance. If they are worn and fraying it can cause these issues, but a starter is more likely.


Quoting alik:
Quoting prove_it:
When you say it doesn't start, does it crank and sputter like it wants to start but won't, or does it just crank and no attempts to even try and run?


It barely turns over like the engine is stuck or something, and it pretty much refuses to fire. If I could describe it, it is as if the battery is dead (yet mine is full of unicorn juice, freshly charged).
Turning the engine over by hand feels fine.
Disconnecting the battery produces the same result.

It feels like an electrical issue, and I'm getting ready to pull the starter this morning, but do you guys believe that it isn't?

Edit : since there's a possibility of it being the starter, I'm gonna yank it and bring it back to Autozone to have them replace it under warranty.

 

alik

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 8, 2006
Messages
357
Location
Boston, MA
Dude.
It WAS the starter.
Even though Autozone checked it 15 ways to Sunday, it was making some rattling sound. I took a replacement home along with the new one, installed the new one, and right now I'm sitting in the car, car is hot, and it refires without skipping a beat. f***ing A!
 

Whoodoo

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
927
Location
Binghamton, NY
Glad you got the problem solved. In case anyone searches for this in the future I thought I would share my hotmail start problem that had a different solution. Occasionally on a hot start It wouldn't fire up at all, sometimes it would start but run rough like it only had three cylinders, and sometimes it would be fine. I suspected the power transistor but swapping that had no affect. After a nice long 2 hour trip, my radio started to turn off, dash lights got funky... You know where this is going. Failed alternator - oh and it must have lunched my battery too because one cell wouldn't hold a charge. If someone is having similar issues I would get the alternator checked.
 
Support Vendors who Support the GVR-4 Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Recent Forum Posts

Top