Yep, today i go out to the car after i drove it to the store. Put the key in and tried to start it and nothing. I heard the relay click, but no starter. This has happened before and i took it to mitsu and they replaced the crankshaft position sensor. So i hold the key in the start position for approx 10 sec. After 10 seconds of nothing it turns over and vroom starts up fine. SES light on, get back to the house, read the code and its P0335 / Crankshaft Position Sensor A which has already been replaced like 6k mile ago! now what is the probability of two bad crankshaft sensors in 6k miles The first one replaced at 35xxx and this one at 41xxx. My personal opinion is its the starter relay sticking. but i heard one relay click when i turned the key. I need to search the service manual and find out how many relays are associated with starting the engine. any help/comments would be much appreciated since mitsu cant diagnose and repair this. I could take it back and get another crankshaft position sensor which im pretty sure isnt bad. Thanks! -- Jeremy

 

A bad crankshaft position sensor would still allow you to crank the engine but not start it.

Could be something electrical like no power going to the starter when the key is turned.
Or loose ground, blown fuse,
Or could be just a bad starter.

My suggestion is take it back to mitsu since you still have the 335 code which they presumably fixed.
.

 

I had my "fuseable link" which goes to the starter, make my car QUIT after an autox run. I had the fuse hard-linked to the starter 50K miles ago,and NO problemo. Check the fuse near, or on the starter. (I didn't fix it, so I don't know where it is, but I know its NEAR or on the starter.)

 

Did you hear a relay inside the car click or was the click form under the hood? If you had a bad starter I don't think it would throw a crankshaft position sensor code.

 

I cant really reproduce the problem, it happens once every 50 starts, maybe. The relay sounds like its inside the cabin. It might be the accessory relay turning off (like the radio/gauges/cig lighter/etc...). I wish it was a constant problem so i could fix it, it probably wont happend again for weeks. Another symptom here, when i held the key in start, it sounded like a pump running (i assume fuel). Is there a fuel pressure requirement to start the engine? The pump kept running and then the starter kicked, or it may be a bad starter. I dunno. Thanks! -- Jeremy

 

You know thats a stupid idea, fuel pressure requirement. i looked at the service manual and it is just the starter switch to the starter relay to the starter. Here are the service manual recomendations:

STARTING SYSTEM
ENGINE ELECTRICAL 16-22
DIAGNOSIS M1162000700226
TROUBLESHOOTING HINTS
The starter motor does not operate at all.
• Check the starter (coil).
• Check for poor connection at the battery terminals and
starter.
• Check starter relay.
• Check the clutch pedal position switch.
The starter motor doesn't stop
• Check the starter (magnetic switch).

Im know the connections are good, resistance and visual inspection. Clutch pedal position switch maybe, but i tried to cycle it and it had no effect. I did start pulling relays out and putting back in and it cured the problem, and even slamming the hood sometimes fixes it. I can rule out the starter too because its not every time, there is a plunger in the starter that may stick,so ill not rule it out yet. Any more ideas about the P0335? Maybe the starter signal and the crankshaft not turning triggered it because the ecu thought the engine was turning? Hmm... any idea? -- Jeremy

 

Did you ever figure out the problem

 

What was the culprit?

 

if you turn the key to start the motor and the starter doesn’t engage, the ecu expects the engine to be turning. As you hold the key in the start position it will ultimately throw the code because it thinks the crankshaft position sensor has failed, but the real reason is the starter isn’t turning the engine.

if you get this code as a result of your starter not working just clear the code and address the starter issue.

 

Many people including me have had to replace the ignition switch. But, usually it takes about 100K miles to wear out the ignition switch.

 

i had this problem in my evo 8 and it was a loose connection at the starter (the one wire). a simple wiggle would allow the car to start right up. only happened once in awhile. enough to be annoying, but not enough to actually fix it.