Help Annoying Problem

[steelroe]

I have a TIP GR in for repair. Has a new starter fitted.
This one is well strange.
Some times the car will start other times nothing.
I thought I had traced the fault to the inhibitor switch connector on top of the gearbox (this is what prevents your car from starting in gear.) however problem has raised its head again.
Annoying thing is everytime I get the car it will start fine. tried it around 100 times yesterday and all good, owner comes to collect this mornin and problem is back.
Anyway I was wondering if someone with a TIP FTO could do me a quick favour.
For some reason when I remove the small solenoid wire on the starter with the ignition on, the fuel pump starts. I cannot see why this is happening , makes no sense looking at the wiring diagram.
Could someone please just unplug the wire with the ignition on and see if their fuel pump starts. You will hear it easily. THIS ONLY RELATES TO TIPTRONIC MODELS
This would really help me

I am only hoping it is not a problem where the harness passes through the firewall, as per Mitsubishi recall.

[Gerry]

Hi Rory,

I had something similar to this a while back, with me it turned out that the gear lever cable going to the inhibitor switch mechanism was not adajusted correctly.
This caused the car to start intermittently while it was in park.
I then tried to start it in neutral and it did start always in neutral, therefore i knew mine issue was inhibitor related.

Next time you get this issue just see if it starts in neutral, if it does then chances are it is inhibitor adjustment related.

If it doesnt start in neutral then ya know that is starter or wiring related problem.

[colm_mcm]

I wonder if pressing the brake pedal makes a difference?
There must be some reason it only happens to the owner.

[steelroe]

I have been through everything. Inhibitor switch is working good. Have checked it everytime the fault appears
It will not start in neutral or park when fault is there.

the fault does appear sometimes when I have it. For example yesterday i replaced the connector on top of the gearbox due to exposed wires . started it almost 100 times and all was fine. Parked it outside the house and tried to start this morning and no go.

If i remove the solenoid wire, turn on the ignition the fuel pump starts up. then if i leave on the ignition and put the solenoid wire back on the pump stops.
If I run a wire directly from the battery and touch it off the solenoid, car starts every time without fail.
So starter is good, unless there is a intermittent fault in the solenoid.
Possibly a gammy inhibitor switch but is meters out fine everytime.

[Kace]

This may not be Tiptronic related - I have had a similar issue with a Manual GPX for years now. Because it happens so infrequently I have never spent significant time trying to diagnose. In my case, I thought that it was perhaps something to do with the ignition wiring or even my immobiliser.

To ensure that I am never stuck I have a wire running directly from the solenoid up to the battery - if it ever won't start, I open up, touch the wire off the battery and hey presto it starts 100%

Let me know if you get to the bottom of it.

[steelroe]

Turns out it was a dodgy solenoid on a recon starter.
Put my own starter in and all good now.