Evo won't start!!!... HELP!
 

So my Evo hasn't reliably started for about a year now. I'm pretty over it. I'll think I have it figured out, then it just won't start again.

Symptoms:

Car will run fine for random amount of time, 2 days to maybe 2 months. I will go outside to go someplace, hop in my Evo, and turn the key. The car will do 1 of 2 things. It will either start right up, no problem, and then just cough and die, or it will just turn over forever and never fire up. Either way, it will never fire again for a LONG time-- often weeks. I have tried removing the battery, resetting the ECU, changing the ECU (as in getting a whole new one), changing the main fuel relay, changing the fuel pump, ect. We've hooked up the MUT tool on it and when it used to say that the ECU and the Immobilizer key weren't speaking right-- their sync was off or something. When the MUT would read this, the little green key symbol was lit on the dash but didn't sound like the immobilizer was killing it. Now the key symbol is NOT there-- it just DOESN'T START! Works checked the plugs after the car wouldn't start for a while and they were DRY after we tried to fire it up. But the immobilizer kills ignition right?

Every now and then when its dead, I'll walk outside, say a prayer, and turn the key. RANDOMLY it will fire up and do it reliably again for, as I said, a COMPLETELY random amount of time until it leaves me stranded again!

Neither Works nor the dealership can figure it out. Has ANYONE had this issue? Its REALLY annoying. Right now I have a $30,000 pile of scrap metal sitting in my driveway that feigns usefulness before it leaves me in inopportune places at very inconvenient times. This is REALLY turning me off Mitsubishi that they have a very complex electric system but don't have the diagnostic tools to fix an inconvenience like this.

I'm so over it, please help!

I may even take some video later to see if that helps.

Maybe you should switch to a standalone EMS?

have you tried to give it a jump? any codes? Maybe your alternator is bad?

Immbolizer kills ignition and fuel. If you want i can help you flash the rom so the immobilizer is disabled :)

its obviously a intermittent problem , but does sound like the immolilizer is acting up

It could be..But also when I had a no start issue I stumbled across this thread about corrosion and did the fix referenced in it. It's worth a shot and takes a couple minutes to check. I hope you figure it out{thumbup}

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...ater+corrosion

Well that thread didn't have the best description but do a search for corrosion. It is behind the drivers side kick panel and check all the harness's behind it. Mine looked great but many have had green corrosion and electrical problems due to it.

^^ I have a whole sticky with numerous threads about the corrosion issue here

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=323902

May be related but im not sure how much water San Mateo sees in a year and typically you'll have issue with dash functions (Lights Staying on, Wipers going nuts, Relays clicking) long before a no start situation but its certainly possible

Sounds like an electrical problem. Have your alt and battery checked out and then all the main power cables from the alt to the battery and to the main fuse/relay box.

Try disabling the immobilizer first. If that doesn't work then check all main engine grounds. Its got to be something like that.

could be a broken wire for crank/cam signal. Id try the immobilizer removal flash first.

my buddy's evo was doing the samething. It wouldn't start randomly, it ended up being the wiring harness.

Its deffinatley something with your ECU it sounds like...but at the same time it sounds like a looose wire somewhere...because sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt....meaning its probably on your ignition somewhere

Did you try getting a new key yet? Maybe yours isn't transmitting the code right?

Could it be in the fuel pump or fuel pump relay?