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Thread: Starter cranking in run position

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  1. #1



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    Starter cranking in run position

    I am doing some much needed work on an 86 Mits. MM and during thsi adventure the truck's starter has began to crank over while key is in the RUN position and stops cranking in the START positon. Accessories work and everything else seems ok.
    So far I have replaced the following items.
    Installed Fuel Pump - Carter.
    Installed Fuel Regulator - Holley.
    Installed 3 terminal oil safety switch.
    Installed Distributor - '86 to a '87
    Installed another ignition switch in steering column.
    Installed Alternator - 50amp to a 87-89 Starion/Conquest 100 amp. (changed the rear 2 wire plug to fit updated alt)
    Installed Exhaust Manifold - cracked '86 to a good '87.
    Installed Starter & Solenoid - bad '86 to a working '87.
    Hooked up driving lights to relay.
    Removed un-needed Ballast Resistor on a 3.0 Ohm Flame Thrower coil.
    Replaced old past installed accessories & wiring and installed new relays, engine bay fuse block.


    Now everything worked fine that was replaced above, but the truck is now cranking the starter over while in the run position. I tried another ignition harness in the steering column an it still cranks over in RUN and stops cranking in START positon. There is no burning fuses, lights are all working, starter sounds great when cranking and voltage gauge shows a normal drop while it spins. I have not moved any wires out of their normal position in ignition or in engine bay. Getting 12 volts to coil and starter, but not while in the START position. I have now bypassed the oil safety switch until problem is corrected, Ohm readings on the coil are in specs.
    I need to re-check the new alternators wire color code on the plugin behind alternator and make sure they are not reversed somehow, but it seems fine right now. I am just tracing my steps to see what possibly could of got crossed up.
    If you have had this happen, go ahead and chime in and let me know what you did to correct it.
    I may run some test leads from ignition switch to coil (hotwire) and starter and see if this corrects the problem, if it does then there is a wire fouled up wire somewhere. If it doesn't, I'm still at step one again. The ignition switch works in accessory, but soon as it clicks over to run, it eguages starter.

    This is a diagram below that best represents my wiring, though my smog is removed and the diagram also shows extra items that are not installed on my truck.
    I have a 5 speed as well.

    wiring.jpg

  2. #2

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    Check your black / yellow wire out of the IGN switch. That'll tell you if it's a bad switch or a harness issue. I've never heard of anything causing this but a bad IGN switch or harness/connector. Seems like power is jumping between 2 wires at that point. If voltage readings at the switch are normal you know there's something further down the line. Too bad you don't have an auto. You could try seeing what it does in other gears. The diagram doesn't even show a clutch switch in line just a solid jumper in place of the inhibitor. I think there's a spot in the harness where 2 wires are touching and stripped and when power is supplied it engages the starter. Could always cut and run a new wire from IGN switch to starter.. Seems these trucks aren't exempt from the typical Mitsubishi wiring problems. That's the biggest problem I run into at work with mitsu's.

  3. #3



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    Yep, I think I will have to do that what you said. I use to have the third wire to starter years ago, but bought a starter years ago and was told I didn't need the "R" extra terminal. SO I taped it up and forgot about it in the tape wrap. Funny thing , the weather up here is colder then Calif and it has caused havoc with starting the truck in cold weather. Burned up about 4 starters and the recent alternator and truck just acted weird on starts where it had a hard time first thing in morning, but use during the day and it was fine. It would flood if I couldn't catch it just right on AM starts. I noticed on the coil wiring in the diagram there is a black wire suppose to go to coil, but can't locate it. Goes to the carb control box thingy and I bet its a ground wire. I think I have a crossed wire like you said or it's a ground wire not connected. I have been checking frame for stray voltage when at rest, but as you know, these wiring problems are very hard to capture if it only rears it's head during a load. Your right about these trucks wiring too, I have heard rumors about the wiring and mine has just began to cause headaches. That's one of the reasons I parked truck in garage and going through it with a fine comb. I should be getting my shortblock sent to me soon as well. Person to call me today or tonight I hope.
    I have 275K+ on my shortblock, and 50k on everything else, surprised it hasn't blown the rings out making changes to head and not rings.
    Anyway, I got to run some wires like you said, I may replace that starter I put in and buy one that has the R & S terminals to correct the inhibitor wire jumper on manual trany. Not sure I like the diode mod as much as the correctly wired starter.
    I'll update this thread as I go through levels of frustration, lol

  4. #4

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    Mine just reered a crazy electrical problem trying to add a/c. No matter how hard I try I can't get the control unit to make good contact. I even took all the pins out and individually put them on the control unit pins and got nothing but a/c won't work unless I press on the control unit connector. Could be a bad unit but I'm going to replace the connector first. Turns out the radio uses the same plug which is good since mitsu discontinued this harness. If that STILL doesn't fix it I've gota buy a new control unit which surprisingly is in stock at the warehouse at about $95 my cost.

  5. #5



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    Yikes, racking the cost up to have a cool breeze in your face, lol. You'll tackle it I'm sure. I noticed you kinda got screwed on those parts also that you were looking for on the diesel. I don't feel like the Lone Ranger anymore lol. Commitment is such a hard thing to live up to nowadays. (smerk).
    I did some test on my electrical and test say its in switch somewhere. I am getting a great 1/2 inch arc from the run position (finally) with coil wire laid on valve cover, so coil is working good now.
    I also had a weird thought when I opened solenoid to clean it inside and out. When reinstalling is it possible I turned it 180?. Not sure if it would make any dif if I did or not. I think I have a jumper wire somewhere that is making contact from starter to the run position on ignition. *&^% truck.
    Got an inlaw BDay tonight and back to Electricity 101 after I get back.

  6. #6

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    Yeah if you don't like electricity you shouldn't own a mitsubishi. Not just a d50 but a mitsubishi in general lol. Being here in the Southeast and being by the ocean, swamps and rivers a/c is a must. Period. Trucks here need a/c more than heat. People from Az, Nm and Ca come here and theyre like "Yeah I can take heat" then after being outside for 10 minutes and instantly being drenched in sweat on a 80 degree day they say it's miserable here compared to where they live lol I intend to sell the truck when the diesel is up and running but it'll sell better with a/c and p/s.

  7. #7



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    Hey Recian, thanks for that advise about the black w/yellow stripe wire. The diagram confused me by showing a black w/red stripe wire connected to the starter instead of Black & yellow like you mentioned. It also shows that inhibitor and jumper for the manual and auto trany that took a bit to figure out.
    Anyway, I followed the wire you mentioned from the switch to engine bay. Found it bundled with the black red stripe wire which was attached to the starter instead of the yellow striped. I reversed them and attached the diode to the Black/red stripe wire to get 12 volts to coil at all times and it fired right up. All the stuff I installed and repaired shown above worked great, minus the oil switch which I changed mind about and will go with an inertia push button reset switch instead. Most likely the older ford switch that was installed on them.
    The truck ran rough, but it did prior to the fixes and it was expected. I am hoping to get a response about a shortblock soon or whatever, but I'm going to do a quick compression test on this one right now and see if timing belt jumped also. Belt has got more slack in it then when installed, so I can bet it has stretched and jumped.
    anyways thanks for that info, got my problem solved.

  8. #8

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    Glad its fixed. Now ill be outside trying to get my a/c fixed here soon. It's probably the last weekend it'll be nice weather. 75 with no humidity.

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