Ok so every time I drive my car for to long then shut it off it will not turn on. I turn the key, all accessories turn on with no dimming, radio will turn on. when I turn the key nothing happens. Sometimes you can hear the fuel pump humm when it activates but thats it. I have had someone jump start me in the past and that worked just fine. at least till the next time I drive for more then 15+ minutes. The time never really is the same.

I just replaced the starter today because I tried the starter solenoid tapping trick and that worked. So I went to checker and got a new solednoid. It didn't fit, mine was three bolt the ones they had in stock were two bolt ones. so I just got a whole new starter.

Well I fired up the eclipse which hadn't been started yet that day and the same thing happens. I'm late for work so I have my g/f jump me with her car. It starts up right away, I get to work, turn it off thinking maybe it just needed to charge up again. So to test it I turn it back on, it turns on then stutters for a second then goes off. I turn the key again and I'm in the same spot.

I'm thinking that I will have them test the starter tomorrow and also the battery and get new ground and positive cables and just re run the whole thing in a few days. (don't have the money at the moment, my roommate skipped out on rent now I have to pay his share which will take up two paychecks.) But I wanted to know if you guys have any other suggestions?

I had a issue a long while back and had to replace the ECU, various wiring harnesses and the alternator to get it back on its feet. so those have been ruled out.

The Car:
97 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS - mt pretty much stock aside from the intake and exhaust.

So here's what's replaced or tested

New ECU - tested no problems
New Alternator - tested no problems
New Starter - not tested yet, will take to checker in the morning
Battery - ok last time I had it tested a month ago
Amp Wiring harness removed - thought that could be a source of draining.
New Main Engine wiring harness
New Alternator Wiring Harness
New Starter Wiring Harness
Checked Fuse box - no burnt or bad fuses they all check out to be good. They are all in securely.

any help would be seriously appreciated.

When this happens with some regularity, usually after driving the car and shutting it off hot, it's been traced back to the ignition switch.

thats happened to me before also. Mine did it only when it was hot outside tho. Dino explained a work-around bu just wiring an external switch somewhere out of the way in the cabin. Juat take some reg

-ular wire and make your own circuit on the battery. I eventualy got so fed up with it I just made the wires hidden and wired in the switch on the dash, so if it happens again, i just flip the switch.

will try that, gonna search for his post again, saw it at first but I think I saw that someone was getting the engine to crank over. I have a fake power mirror switch (was going to wire it in eventually) so I think I'll hide the button in there....

i would try the ignition switch it is pretty common, i have had mine go out before!

just curious what type of switch should I use? found a few but they are all diff. 1.5amp 3amp 20amp 25amp switches.

ok, got it wired in, just wondering if there is any interest in my posting pictures of it installed and where exactly to wire it in and how its run through into the cabin and the button etc???

On a side note I wanted to mention that now I can no longer turn the key and get it to start, things turn on but it doesn't engage the starter. Even if I let it cool down for about 4-8 hours. Could it be that whatever this mystery failure in the ignition system of our cars has finally died on me?

The push button works every time so far, I am going to give it till next week before I'm sure and then solder in the lines for the push button. I wanted to make sure it all worked before I actually permanently wired in the button.

Feel free to do a quick Wiki writeup.

alrighty I'll do that then.

So, the push button start has been working just great for the last week...until today. Go to turn the key and it doesn't turn over like normal and so I'm like thats fine. I hit the push button start to try it and nothing, it does the EXACT same thing. I got a jump start and took it home and caught the bus back to work, and now I'm just wondering what the hell.... just as I started putting the thought of selling it behind me. I think this might be the last straw and its time to move on.

Could be a failing starter.

did you ever do the rewire on the power and ground cables like you said you were going to? I've had similar issues with several cars and it usually turned out to be bad cables.

Originally posted by DarkOne
Could be a failing starter.

yes it was, took it in and they said it was dead, which didn't make me particularly happy since its only a few months old.

Originally posted by RoninEclipse2G
did you ever do the rewire on the power and ground cables like you said you were going to? I've had similar issues with several cars and it usually turned out to be bad cables.

They are now, but I'm almost thinking maybe I should go look for a ground cable kit or something because sometimes I get a slight zap when I touch the door either leaving or entering the car. Haven't gotten it since the new starter and rewire though ....

Put the eclipse up on craigslist and I have it listed there till friday, if it sells it goes, otherwise it gets a little bit longer while I replace other things wrong with it so I can get more money.

Originally posted by corivus
sometimes I get a slight zap when I touch the door either leaving or entering the car. Haven't gotten it since the new starter and rewire though ....

It's most likely just static electricity. Cars build up tons of it, I get a good zap every time I get out of the wife's car when I'm wearing a specific pair of shoes.

Originally posted by corivus
Put the eclipse up on craigslist and I have it listed there till friday, if it sells it goes, otherwise it gets a little bit longer while I replace other things wrong with it so I can get more money.

Wuss.

and it used to happen when I left my house, which is all tile or wood paneling (no carpets in my house) which I thought was weird after it happened quite a few times.

I need a bigger vehicle to fit more stuff in on the weekends since I do animal adoptions on Saturdays and I regularly have a juggling act going on with carriers/dogs/paperwork/boxes. I did get a couple of offers but they were trades for.... Smaller cars, why the hell do I want a smaller car if I need more space!! I already play tetris with my eclipse as it is fitting everything in there.

The jury is out so I'll know if its going to be sold by sat. Otherwise I'm going to the junkyard and pillaging a GS I found for a parts donor and repairing or upgrading some misc. broken stuff on my eclipse.