I'm having some problems with my 2000 TJ Advance 3.5L auto (with only 40000km on it).

Occasionally, it'll stall immediately after starting. Turning the ignition off, then trying again will typically result in it stalling again....sometimes upto 6 times before it'll start and keep running.

Normally, when starting it, the revs go up to about 2000rpm or so, then drop to normal idle speed. However, when it's playing up, the revs go to about 2000rpm, then drop immediately to zero.

It definitely appears to be an electrical problem, and not a fuel problem, as the tacho loses signal and/or power as soon as it stalls, while the revs are still dropping

We had similar problems about 12 months ago, and it got worse, until it refused to start at all. As it was still under warrenty at the time, Mitsubishi replaced the ECU, and the problem disappeared for months.

One other thing to note....it doesn't idle as smoothly as it used to, but seems to have a somewhat "lumpy" idle that rocks the car a little.

Any ideas what might be causing the stalling? I'm thinking maybe TPS or ICS....and would appreciate more info on testing each of these to see if they are the cause of the problem.

Cheers,
Martin.

idle control solinoid, its the one on the TB controlling the butterfly. got a mates you can test on ur car? it sounds a little suspect to me

idle control solinoid, its the one on the TB controlling the butterfly. got a mates you can test on ur car? it sounds a little suspect to me
The problem with swapping it out with another one is that sometimes the car starts fine for days....then suddenly it'll stall every time I try to start it.

Is there any way to test the ICS?

BTW, one thing I forgot to mention in my original post: the ECU isn't reporting any error codes at all.

Cheers,
Martin.

I have had similar problems, other people have suggested it could be the crank angle sensor which can cause starting issues like this. I have not bothered looking into it seriously as yet as its such an intermittent problem, it could be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

I have had similar problems, other people have suggested it could be the crank angle sensor which can cause starting issues like this.
But wouldn't a crank angle sensor problem be evident when it's running too?

I'm only having problems starting the car some times.

Cheers,
Martin.

But wouldn't a crank angle sensor problem be evident when it's running too?

I'm only having problems starting the car some times.

Cheers,
Martin.
Honestly, I dont really know what a crank angle sensor does, it was only suggested to me as a possible cause of the problem as I think someone else with similar problems had theirs replaced and it fixed the trouble. :confused:

Honestly, I dont really know what a crank angle sensor does, it was only suggested to me as a possible cause of the problem as I think someone else with similar problems had theirs replaced and it fixed the trouble. :confused:
The crank angle sensor tells the ECU where the engine is in it's cycle....so if there were problems with it, then I'd expect to see issues with the engine in normal operation too.

However.....intermittent electronic problems can make themselves known in many strange ways.....

Also, the Magna ECU does have a fault code to indicate a problem with the crank angle sensor (code 22), but my ECU isn't showing any codes at all.

Cheers,
Martin

interesting.. hmmm.. you should be able to check resistances between the solinoid terminals but i have NO IDEA what the values should be. Some one will help you and check theres if your nice enough to them

Well, just for the record, MPOT, you have cursed me. I was having NOOOO trouble AT ALL regarding this problem anymore...NOW, the car has $HIT itself fully. Now it wont start, I have to ride my bike to work tonight and its scheduled to go to mitsubishi on Monday.

I have found a way to start it, that sometimes works, if you notice it fires for a second and pumping the accelerator like mad it will "catch" and start, but I do have to keep revving the life out of it until the check engine light goes out or it will stop again. Once its running its fine.

I was thinking casually that this may be fuel delivery related or have something to do with the throttle position sensor as it WILL NOT start unless I'm bangin the accelerator like a barn door in the wind. Got me stuffed. I hope its not the ECU as my car is out of warranty :tantrum:

*Sighs* :doubt:

Sounds like what recently happened to my TH. Does yours have TCL coz it was the TPS sensor that went and was causing the rough idle as the throttle body was being opened and closed at idle hence the hunting.

Mitz reckon its pretty rare though very expensive.

Does yours have TCL
TCL?

Cheers,
Martin.

TCL = Traction Control, which TJ Advance models don't have anyway afaik.

TCL = Traction Control, which TJ Advance models don't have anyway afaik.
Nope, my TJ Advance doesn't have TCL.

Cheers,
Martin.

Could it be the weather? My TP's doing that a lot in the last week. (Cranking, catching, then stalling.)

I plan to take it for a long run next weekend, to see what that does, if not the weekend after. (Being broke sucks!)

Could it be the weather? My TP's doing that a lot in the last week. (Cranking, catching, then stalling.)
I doubt it. My TJ tends to do it no matter what the weather is.

Cheers,
Martin.

Yeah not the weather, agreed :P

Well for the record, down here in Tassie, its nice and cold and wet. The bike ride did wonders for my temperament ....F@#*ing (temperament....F@#*ing) car :rant:

While investigating the problem, I have found that disconnecting the ISC (idle speed control motor) makes absolutely no difference to the idling of the car, which seems to indicate the ISC is doing nothing at all.

I'd appreciate it if someone else could try unplugging their ISC, and see if it affects the idling.

Cheers,
Martin.

Where is it??? can you possibly post a pic of it and I'll give it a shot, mind you, probably not much use if the car does'nt run eh?? :confused:

Man, what a stuffed weekend, no car, no grog, no aussie magna forums....whats the world comin to :nuts:

I know its a long shot but check the battery.My tj kept on stalling just after it fired up.It never sounded like it was flat but,once I replaced it no more problems.?

my mates tj was doing that and his mechanic told him to turn the key to acc and let it sit there so the fuel pump can pump for about 30 seconds then start it and it has worked for him.

I know its a long shot but check the battery.My tj kept on stalling just after it fired up.It never sounded like it was flat but,once I replaced it no more problems.?
I have just put a new battery in it a couple of months ago :D and I have tried resetting the ECU by disconnecting the battery twice as well :confused:

Hey,

Our 01 TJ Magna with just under 37,000km had that problem recentely (2wks ago). Did the ECU reset on yours? Cos thats what happened on ours and it wouldnt start up properly, our battery checker sed it was full..and we charged it and it worked for two days then the problem re-occured...so we ended up getting a new battery and all is fixed..

..so maybe this is a new 'common' problem on magnas :confused:

I know its a long shot but check the battery.My tj kept on stalling just after it fired up.It never sounded like it was flat but,once I replaced it no more problems.?
The battery is only about 6 months old, and it was doing the same about 12 months ago....when Mitsi eventually replaced the ECU.

I've also tried an ECU reset, but it hasn't made any difference.



my mates tj was doing that and his mechanic told him to turn the key to acc and let it sit there so the fuel pump can pump for about 30 seconds then start it and it has worked for him
Hmm...interesting idea....I'll definitely give that a try next time it happens.

Cheers,
Martin.

Where is it??? can you possibly post a pic of it and I'll give it a shot, mind you, probably not much use if the car does'nt run eh?? :confused:
Here's some pics of the ISC connector:

http://martybugs.net/temp/magna_isc.png
The ISC is located under the throttle body.

http://martybugs.net/temp/magna_isc2.png
A close-up of the ISC connector.

There's a retaining clip on the back of the connector that you need to depress to be able to pull the connector out.

As mentioned previously, I'd appreciate it if someone else could unplug the ISC, and see if it affects the idling of their car. I found it made no difference at all to the idling of the car....which seems to indicate it's doing nothing, and may need to be replaced....

Also, LoMGNA suggested turning the ignition on for ~30 secs to allow the fuel pump to operate before starting it. However, that made no difference, and I still reckon it's an electrical problem, not a fuel problem.

Cheers,
Martin.

does your engine idle up when the a/c is turned on?
a simple test for the isc, At idle turn the a/c on or hit full lock on the steering with the isc connected and then again with it disconected. if ok it should idle slower with a/c on and isc disconnected than it does connected.

OK, well i just took my car into mitsubishi. Now get this, car starts first pop this morning, no trouble at all, the ECU was reset last night so I have no error codes stored if there were any in the first place and the problem is not repeating at the workshop...I swear I must have really annoyed the great creator somewhere in a past life....grrrrrr.

Anyway, the service advisor thinks it might be the immobiliser (personally I doubt it), but we will see if they can turn anything up.

In regards, the the erratic idle, I was reading my haynes tech book yesterday and it seems the exhaust gas recirculation system can cause an erratic idle through incorrect vacuum. As I understand it, this sytem was installed from TH models onwards (correct me if I am wrong) which might explain why TH models onwards seem to be suffering from this damn lumpy idle thing but earlier models are not?!?!
The most exciting thing I read though was that the TPS can specifically cause erratic idle if its not working properly. I am definitely going to check this out, but it says to "back probe" the terminals, but I have no idea how to "back probe". I am assuming i still need to keep the sensor connected in order to get the correct voltage readings whilst it is working. Can anybody help explain how I go about back probing a connected connection :confused: lol

I will try unplugging the ISC when I get my car back as well :P

Anyway, the service advisor thinks it might be the immobiliser (personally I doubt it), but we will see if they can turn anything up.
The mitsubishi service manual talks about that if I recall correctly. I don't remember the parcifics, but i would've thought the car wouldn't start at all. Then again, maybe it does, - if the immobiliser still has the fuel pump switched off? Would that explain it starting then stalling?

The mitsubishi service manual talks about that if I recall correctly. I don't remember the parcifics, but i would've thought the car wouldn't start at all. Then again, maybe it does, - if the immobiliser still has the fuel pump switched off? Would that explain it starting then stalling?
I doubt that this would be the immobiliser.

I've had some feedback from the service manager at a Mitsubishi dealership where a friend works, and he agrees with my diagnosis that it's probably the ISC, particularly as my car often suffers from a rough idle too.

Cheers,
Martin.

Ok, got some more news...

Mitsubishi claim its my battery :nuts: They did a battery test and basically it came back with a cranking voltage of 9.8 volts and CCA of only 120 :shock: . I explained that the battery was only new and they stated that I should go back to the supplier who was RACT. Little did they mention that their test also stated that the car was only charging the car at 12.67 volts which their tester deemed too low and printed "charging system needs repair" on the bottom of the docket. Now, if this was the case, would'nt you think they would "repair" the problem instead of letting me go to RACT and make a dick of myself, ooooh noooo, that would be wayyyy too simple. Anyway, RACT tested the battery and stated that the battery was fine but was in need of a charge and I should consult a specialist Auto electrician, so I have done this and have the car booked in for wednesday...I have a feeling that I am at the start of a wild goose chase :neutral:

Anyway, the "reason" that the battery could cause the starting issues is that, they claim, there is not enough voltage to operate the ISC correctly which is causing the car to stall as it cannot hold sufficient RPM to run. Hmmmmmm, this sorta makes sense, but why would the car start sometimes and not others when the car has had absolutely no charging at all in between not starting and starting, does'nt sound logical to me :confused: Anyway, I will follow this to its natural conclusion and will return to mitsubishi if this fails to work.

hmm, theres been a couple of such similar events happening, and I know at least one which was a 2000 Vectra which had its battery replaced the weekend prior to this happening. It would not start unless you hold the key in START for 20secs before something kicked it in.

Apparently the person who installed the battery somehow managed to short something and busted the ECU. So a new ECU had to be fitted in....

Hopefully this isn't the case with you guys....

sounds very similar to mine, which the problem is apparently the immobiliser, so i decided to take it off the road for a while and get a whole new ecu/bem/immobiliser etc and convert it to manual... mine will run for a couple of secs then shut off, then will just crank if u try again, take key out, put key back in and try again and it will repeat the process

MarkH, i had the exact same problem about 2-3 yrs ago, just after i bought the car! The car would start and then die about a second later... it would start 2nd go each time with out fail! :cry: .... anyway, i had Mitsubishi check it out and they couldn't find a problem, and after checking on the old Fastmagna forums we determined that it was the battery and several ppl had seen this problem before.....

the culprit was always the battery, i changed the battery to an overated size (i think i went from factory recommended 380CCA/9 plates to a 420CCA/11 plate battery)...

anyway, i've had no problems since.... going on 3 years now... :D

Thanks Dingo, only problem is mine is rated at 520 CCA!! (should be able to roll a truck on its ar$e LOL....ok maybe slight exaggeration hehe lol ).

I will get my charging system seen to as there is no reason why the battery voltage should be that low...I hope :pray: this is a problem as its a bit of a worry not knowing if your car will start or not and being a damned auto, I cant roll start it either :mad:

Mpot, as for the ISC, I'm gonna wait till I get this other stuff fixed before I start mucking about with that...hopefully this weekend :) I also plan on testing the TPS and EGR system as well when time permits as I still have lumpy idle. But no one has explained to me how to "back proble", I still need to know how to do this as I dont want to go stuffing the tests up by hooking my multi meter up incorrectly. Help?? Anyone?!?! :redface:

yeah, i can't remember exactly what mine was, it could have been 520cca too... it was ages ago and i've lost the details :confused: .... mind yours, being 520, should be ok, but the battery may be faulty (it does happen, my old man bought a new one last year which lasted 2 months before dying!! needless to say he took it back and got a new one FOC).

Anyway, good luck with it!

If you un plug the ISC and turn your wheel and put the a/c on,in park it will probably stall the engine,well it should do.

Could it be the weather? My TP's doing that a lot in the last week. (Cranking, catching, then stalling.)

I plan to take it for a long run next weekend, to see what that does, if not the weekend after. (Being broke sucks!)


Hell Gav, you have a Magna, WOW I am speechless

As for the problem,
First of all the ISC does not open or close any butterfly, it is for lack of better way of explaining an electronic valve that increases or decreases the amount of air bypassed through the Throttle Body to adjust Idle.
A good simple test is to have the car idle warm then switch on the air con, the idle should either lift a little or stay even. Another good sign it is working is if the car is revving higher when started cold the chances are it is fine.

The most common cause for this sort of thing is a relay for the injectors or the TPS, (throttle Position Switch) If it were a dirty TB this would be a constant problem.

Crank angle sensors generally work or do not work full stop.

The ECU ignores the o2 sensor when cold so you can rule this out as well.

I will get my charging system seen to as there is no reason why the battery voltage should be that low...I hope :pray: this is a problem as its a bit of a worry not knowing if your car will start or not and being a damned auto, I cant roll start it either :mad:


Ok, got the car back back from the auto electricians. I've been dreading putting this post up as I feel like a complete twat. My issue was my installation of the head unit, I had wired it incorrectly which led to a constant 1/2 amp drain on the battery :redface: Anyway, problem fixed now. Hopefully, now that the battery will get back to full capacity, my starting issues will be solved...I hope. I swear I did'nt even want to go and pick the car up...stupid stupid stupid :headbange

Mpot, might be worth also checking this out on your car if you have installed a new head unit?!?! Mind you, I doubt this would be your problem as it would be hard to believe anybody could be this stupid also hehehe lol

Ok, got the car back back from the auto electricians. I've been dreading putting this post up as I feel like a complete twat. My issue was my installation of the head unit, I had wired it incorrectly which led to a constant 1/2 amp drain on the battery :redface: Anyway, problem fixed now. Hopefully, now that the battery will get back to full capacity, my starting issues will be solved...I hope. I swear I did'nt even want to go and pick the car up...stupid stupid stupid :headbange

Mpot, might be worth also checking this out on your car if you have installed a new head unit?!?! Mind you, I doubt this would be your problem as it would be hard to believe anybody could be this stupid also hehehe lol
haha, yeah it happens... it doesnt help that even the official workshop manual has the wires incorrectly labeled... i found this out when i was installing my stereo.... the pdf version of the manual said that my TH exec manual had certain colour wires for battery and acc. and i checked using my trusty multi meter and they were wrong!! :nuts:

mpot, might be worth also checking this out on your car if you have installed a new head unit?!?! Mind you, I doubt this would be your problem as it would be hard to believe anybody could be this stupid also hehehe lol
Nope, I've still got the factory head unit, and I haven't added any other electrical devices.

However, I'll definitely take a multimeter to my battery when I find some time, and verify the charging voltage is OK.

Cheers,
Martin.

Yes the battery thing could be the issue with irratic starts, Magnas need a full power hit on start up, but there is also the possiblilty that the throttle body has some junk in it. On top of the throttle body is a screw, try turning this one turn out and see if that helps also. Those two the battery and the idle screw fixes about 90% of idle problems

On top of the throttle body is a screw, try turning this one turn out and see if that helps also. Those two the battery and the idle screw fixes about 90% of idle problems
As i actually pointed out in another thread, my tech manual states that you need to attach a MUT-II diagnostic tool in order to set the idle speed (TH/KH onwards only). As family wagon has stated, he can adjust his idle speed using the screw but the computer re-adjusts the base idle back to where it was regardless of the screw position, I beleive this is because he is not using the MUT-II unit to actually "set" the idle where he wants it, so I doubt by adjusting the the screw by itself will help for very long?? :confused:

yesterday arvo i started to get this problem of the damn stubborn thing not starting....it'd kick over then die straight away...then it wouldnt even kick over...racq came out and he got under the car and gave the fuel tank a wack (after a few other things didnt work)....as he wacked it...i was trying to kick it over...it started first go and ran fine all night...went to leave my mates house at 4:30am...and it started again...got my mate to kick it over as i hit the tank and it started fine. RACQ thinks i may have a problem with the fuel pump...now im thinking it might possibly be my battery.

any ideas or updates on this problem (since the last post was 2004)

for the record i have a 01 TJ with 57 XXX km on the clock.

not happy at all

ive seen this problem a few times at work

i sugest getting battery load tested

if battery voltage drops below 9v while cranking replace battery

From what I've seen, it's either related to the battery voltage dropping too low, or the immobiliser kicking in.
The issues I've had seem to be immobiliser-related, as the engine stalls because the ECU/etc is being shutdown by the immobiliser as soon as it starts.

According to an ex-Mitsubishi mechanic, this was a fairly common problem, but I'm not sure if they ever found the cause...

I had the ECU replaced under warrenty a few years ago, because of this issue...and it was fine for a couple of years, but then the same problem came back intermittently.

Cheers,
Martin.

had my checked 2day, its the fuel pump relay thats causing me grief!!

Clean your PCV valve!

The crank pressure can't relieve and is stalling the engine.

The Haynes manual gives a write up on testing it - it's VERY easy. Clean it out and reinstall. Cars that do mostly city driving get the most sludge deposits in their PCV. I recommend cleaning them out every service.

Clean your PCV valve!

Ok...what does PCV stand for, please?? :shock:

Ok...what does PCV stand for, please?? :shock:Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It's the little black plastic elbow (with spring loaded insides) that is sticking out the driver's side of the front bank tappet cover. See pic.

Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It's the little black plastic elbow (with spring loaded insides) that is sticking out of the side of the front bank tappet cover next to the oil fill cap.

Thank you again. Will do "on morrow"! :)

<sigh>

After quite a few months of starting every time, the stall issues came back, with the Magna stalling ~2 seconds after starting.

My wife called the RAC out a few times, but each time they turned up, it would start first go!
After several attempts, we finally got an RAC tech out when the car was failing to start, and his diagnosis pointed towards a fuel issue.

The car is currently at the mechanic, so I'll see what he can find...

Cheers,
Martin.

did any body try checkin ur maf sensor if its leakin around there or its not functioning well?

my mates tj was doing that and his mechanic told him to turn the key to acc and let it sit there so the fuel pump can pump for about 30 seconds then start it and it has worked for him.
Actually, that will do absolutely nothing...as the fuel pump on the Magna is only running when the engine is on or cranking.


Clean your PCV valve!

The crank pressure can't relieve and is stalling the engine.
I don't believe a dirty PVC valve would stall the engine in this way.

I have not been able to stall the engine with the PVC valve fully open, fully closed, or removed (although it does idle roughly with the PVC removed from the hose).


had my checked 2day, its the fuel pump relay thats causing me grief!!

It's definitely not the fuel pump relay on my car that's causing me issues. I just spent a while doing some testing, and found that the ECU output which drives the fuel pump relay is going high when the engine stalls, thus turning off the relay.

The engine stalls as soon as this ECU output goes high, so I think the fuel pump relay turning off is just a side effect, and not the actual cause of the engine stalling.

The frustrating thing is that the car always starts fine every time whenever it's at a mechanic, so whenever we take it in, they can never try to find the cause of the problem.

It looks like it is ECU-related, possibly caused by the immobiliser.
An RAC serviceman once mentioned there was a known issue with the immobiliser causing similar issues with the TJ, but he didn't know any further details.

The Haynes manual for the TE-TJ shows the immobiliser ECU connecting to the engine ECU (page 12-19). Does anyone have any more details on how the immobiliser and engine ECU communicate?

Cheers,
Martin

Today I had an appointment with one of the "master technicians" at a Mitsubishi service centre to discuss the stalling issues with my TJ.

After explaining the symptoms, he suggested it was either the battery (low voltage causes the ECU to shutdown), or the immobiliser. The battery was fairly quickly discounted, due to some of the specific symptoms, and the fact that a new battery several months ago made no difference.

Apparently some Magna models suffer from issues with connectivity between the immobiliser control unit and the ECU, which can cause the ECU to shutdown immediately after starting. In some cases, this has been resolved by soldering connections directly to the immobiliser control unit and the ECU, rather than relying on the wiring loom connectors.

I figured it's worth checking the wiring loom connections to the ECU (located under the dash near the steering column).
The chassis electrical system wiring diagram (page 12-19 in the Haynes manual) shows a brown wire linking the immobiliser control unit to the ECU, so I removed the ECU connector which includes a brown wire (the ECU has three connectors - it's the connector on the far right), and re-inserted it.
Interestingly, the doors all locked as soon as I unplugged the connector...

Before removing and re-inserting the connector, the car was exhibiting it's normal stall behaviour, and would stall every time, approx 3 seconds after starting.
After re-inserting the connector, the car started normally!

I tried about 20 starts, and it started and kept running each time, so it looks like the problem has been resolved (for now).
I'll only be sure it is fixed if the car starts normally every time over the next couple of weeks, but it's looking very good so far.

Cheers,
Martin.

i think i posted this before

the wire that conects the remote ring to the ecu has been know to have a dicky conector..

un plug and plug back in the conector a few times normaly fixes the problem

un plug and plug back in the conector a few times normaly fixes the problem
grrr....why didn't I see your comments a few years ago when this first started happening....? ;-)

have had a similar thing happen to me 01 tj a while back(12 months or more), it ended up being something to do with the key reader around the ignition swicth. they checked & tightened the terminals and have had no prob. up until last week. its has to go back and be looked at. hopefully same prob.

just to let everyone know...my problem was a mystery...the new ( and ****ING expensive ) fuel pump relay switch did sweet **** all.

every time when i went to start the car id leave it in the " ON " position until all the engine lights went off...and if they all went off then it was fine to start it. If the engine light stayed on then it wouldnt start.....and if i did try and start it...it would give me grief for the next 10mins.

eventually though after a few weeks of doing that i didnt even need to wait. its been firing every time for about a month+ now.

mystery i tell ya.

eventually though after a few weeks of doing that i didnt even need to wait. its been firing every time for about a month+ now.
Intermittent problems are a real PITA to diagnose....

Cheers,
Martin.

My Tj just started doing this also, starts then stalls, can do about 5 times before it stays started. Other times it is ok.
Trouble started after not using the car for 4 weeks while overseas, problem happened as soon as I tried to start it, never happened before we went away.
Checked the battery voltage, its fine, and alternator charging good too, not usre about cranking voltage. I tried measuring with my budget digital multi meter but I don't think it reacts quick enough to get the reading when the car is cranking. so I am going to get a new battery and see if that fixes it. The car is a Sept 02 Tj s2, it has a mitsi battery which I suspect is the original.

hey man, just saw this thread. this happened to me a couple of weeks ago after disconnecting the battery. NRMA came and increased the idle a little bit. and from there on the computer re taught its self how 2 work.

Man went through all this with my old TF it was in shop around 6or7 times mitsu dealer eventually worked out it was the key barrel worn out apparently part of the barrel is the antenna for ecu/immobaliser or something cost me 90 bucks to have fixed no more probs, my mates TJ did exactly the same thing I told him to get it checked same deal fixed works as it should now, so man save all the hassle go and have it checked out, pretty cheap fix considering cost of ecu,sensors etc. hope it helps you out.

put in a 550cca rc100 battery this morning. no recurrence today since battery went in. Actually thought i was going to have to walk to the shop this morning, as it played up first thing.
if it reoccurs i will check the ignition, fingers crossed the new battery works.
Car is spinning over a bit quicker when starting, and the gearbox has nearly learnt how to change again, so nearly back on track.

my mates tj was doing that and his mechanic told him to turn the key to acc and let it sit there so the fuel pump can pump for about 30 seconds then start it and it has worked for him.

Hi all,
I just got a 2002 Wagon and it was exhibiting this problem. I tried the above suggestion and wanted to say It Works! :)
My RACV inspection said I had corroded terminals,even though they look OK. I thought it was a failing battery but I took it to an auto elec who told me about these immobiliser issues. He said to listen for the relay clicking off- you can hear it.
He said to try my spare key but that didn't do it either.
I don't need to wait 30 sec. Just about 5 or 6 until the "Anti Lock" light on the dash goes out.

When I get it serviced I will get them to check a few things mentioned on this forum like the ignition barrel.

Ive had this problem since i bought the car but yesterday the car just would not start ( usually takes 5 or 6 attempts) even after an hour of trying.

Towed it home (:redface: ) and fannied around thinking the fuel system was buggered, it wasnt, rang my mate from mitsu and this is what he told me:

Magnas have magnetically encoded keys which are individual for each car and are linked to the immobiliser, there is a separate ring at the front of the key barrel that reads these codes. the unit itself doesnt often fail, THE CONNECTOR however does. So i removed the panel ( 2 screws, 2 clips) from under the steering wheel, undid the 2 screws that held in a polystyrene piece under the key barrel. I then followed the 2 wires ( both black) fron the exterior of the key barrel to their connector, cut the connector out and hard wired the wires together ( checking i connected them in the same orientation as the connector held them).

Throughout all of this i had low hopes but it worked first time! A 5 CENT PIECE CAUSED ALL MY HASSLE!!!!!!:rant: anyway i would give this a try if you have any problems.

Car is a 2001 tj exec

Cheers and good luck Ross

I know its a long shot but check the battery.My tj kept on stalling just after it fired up.It never sounded like it was flat but,once I replaced it no more problems.?
Same prob on TH, new batt, no problems!

Our diamante did this for about 2 weeks then the battery just up and died ,was just fine after i replaced it

Had this problem with my 01 TJ adv. It is a connection issue under the dash as previously mentioned a few posts before me. Unplugged the immobiliser connection from the ECU (a little black box under the dash, the connection on the far right), plugged it back in and starts fine for now.
Hope this helps.

after reading this thread it seems I have to go and try some of these to fix this problem in my '00 TJ Advance..
I swear its weather related tho, sudden burst of wind in the right (wrong) direction and it doesnt want to start. And now theres cold-ish weather and sure enough it pulls the same stunt.

Anyhow its been to the mechanic for its normal service and rego check.. and its occuring more often (almost every start) since it went. so more diagnosing I guess :\
wish me luck!

EDIT:
so, now it doesnt fire at all. I was down the road from my mechanic so I gave him a tingle to come down and look it.
Seems now the fuel pump is not pumping and the injectors not injecting. Luckily the fuel pump may be still under warranty (was replaced last year) but for the injectors, possibly immoboliser?

Looks like I'll be driving my other car for now :(

If the pump is not going and not injecting then it the dreaded immobiliser issue.

1) weather related is likely to be the battery.
If it is borderline then start the car, but DO NOT press the brake pedal.


2) No fuel to the engine is the immobiliser telling the ECU to not fuel the system.
Definitely solder out the key sensor circuit connector.
Then look at the brown wire from the BEM to the ECU - Check that I am correct by looking at the relevant wiring diagram for your model in the workshop manual.

Gerry