Hi.

Need some advice.

Car has new strong battery and turns over quickly, also used jumpers with no change. No fuel at rail and fires briefly on fuel tipped down brake booster hose.

Doesn't have a spare key so can't rule out faulty key chip, but that seems unlikely as it fires.

Also security light goes out when ignition is turned on so wouldn't that [along with the firing] mean the immobiliser is not the issue?

My son hosed the car down a few weeks ago and it wouldn't start, but started an hour or so later. Thats not the case this time. It was washed on the weekend and driven since then and the weather is warm/hot.

I have pulled the relevant dash panels to check the immobiliser aerial connection, but can't see the plug connection around the steering column area that is mentioned on TJ's here as often being suspect. This model doesn't have the BEM so no plugs to check there.

So can it still be the immobiliser when the security light goes off and the car fires with introduced fuel?

Or would I definitely be looking at a possible problem with the pump/filter/relay which I haven't turned my attention to yet. Seems pointless until I can rule out the immobiliser.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

For starters a TF does not have a security light, are you sure you dont have a TH??

WIll need to know as they operate totally different systems.

First things first, forget the tipping of fuel etc, check for an actual injector pulse, if you have pulse then immob is fine. Next check when the pump is running flow and pressure. Remember that when you turn on the ignition the pump only runs a few seconds, if the engine is not started immediately then the pump stops again

Check all connections in the driver footwell near the junction box, I took my dash out and my TH refused to start because one of the main dash harnesses wasn't connected.

It's definitely TF, sold April 1998 and identified as such in service handbook. Security light is on radio next to the cd input. How do I check the pulse? Do I need NOID lights for that? I'll check the footwell connections, but this just happened spontaneously without any work being done on vehicle to upset anything. Post script. I don't hear any pump noise when ignition is switched on. Is that significant? Thanks for your help.

That light is only for the radio, has nothing to do with the cars security

You have the immob located behind the ashtray, is a black box mounted vertically.

Yo will need an noid light to test for pulse, this is always the first place to start

Ah, Ok. Which injector model NOID light do I need and any ideas where I could get it. Would Mitsubishi sell them? I did a search and I see you mentioned Repco in an earlier post. I'll try them as there is one close by. Also I don't hear anything from the pump when I switch on the ignition. Is that significant? Thanks again.

Couldn't get NOID light locally so would have to order in. In the meantime I read online you can use a multimeter and it will flicker on and off when injectors are pulsing. Picked up 10.67 volts at injector not cranking which dropped to 8.59 approx when cranking, but I didn't see any signs of flickering. Read also that you can use a 12 volt test light so might try that next.

Stupid question, but have you got the gear in neutral or park? It won't start in any other position. If you do have it in park, try moving through the gears back and forth a couple of times with the car off, it could be a faulty gear sensor causing it to think it is in gear and thus not allowing it to start.

Burfadel, you're a freaking genius!!! I had moved the gearshift, but only from park to neutral and back again a couple of times. When I read your post this morning I went out and gave the shift a repeated vigorous back and forth up and down the gate. Car fired up beautifully first try. Thanks so much for your thoughtfulness in asking the 'stupid question' that wasn't stupid at all! Can't believe it was that easy. Thank you again so much!

No worries! Hopefully it has 'fixed' it, but you may need to look into doing something more if it happens again.

Actually it has happened again. First of all was cutting out at stops yesterday and last night did the completely dead thing again. This morning started. Unfortunately I did the gearbox rowing exercise first so can't be sure it isn't anything else. I will drop that gearbox sensor off and give it a clean.

Actually it has happened again. First of all was cutting out at stops yesterday and last night did the completely dead thing again. This morning started. Unfortunately I did the gearbox rowing exercise first so can't be sure it isn't anything else. I will drop that gearbox sensor off and give it a clean.

When it refuses to start, try moving the gear selector gently up or down from the "N" position while holding the key in the START position. If it suddenly fires up, you can be sure it's the inhibitor switch on top of the gearbox - might just need adjusting, or if that doesn't help, replace it with one from the wreckers.

That's a great tip, thanks!