Posted in the ATX forums but didn't seem like it was getting enough interest, and searched.

Recently (less than a month ago) had my tranny rebuilt and some head gaskets replaced, along with a new water pump. The shop screwed something up, because I began throwing belts. First the alternator, then the power steering. Took it back, and they found that a bolt for a lower bracket had "mysteriously" came loose, i.e. they didn't torque it right, if at all.

So fine, they fixed it eventually, worked fine for 3 weeks. Now I have a list of problems that just began.

1. The speedometer drops in speed (drops from 20 to 0, and 40 to 20, then just pops back up to the right speed. Normal driving conditions) when I accelerate while the engine is cool (illinois winter right now, very cold, this problem usually fades once the car has warmed up)

2. Trouble starting. You can hear the ignition over and over, but it refuses to start until you turn it off and try again. Sometimes it starts normally, sometimes it takes 15 tries.

3. Car refuses to shift. Gets completely stuck in 2nd gear. I've tried everything to get it out of 2nd while driving, but the one and only solution is turning the car completely off and turning it back on. If I try to redline it, it just goes to redline and bounces, making the car jerk and I'm sure wreaking havok on the tranny and engine. I haven't tried to repeat this method, although one time it happened by accident, didn't realize it was stuck until I tried to pass a car, hit redline and jerked like crazy.

I hope someone has a clue what may be wrong, because I have no clue and I don't trust the shop anymore, but don't have the resources to diagnose and repair the problem myself.

How old are your battery and alternator? I've had similar problems when theres low voltage issues. Replacing one or the other (or both) usually fixes this. Very common on batteries older than 3 years, or alternators over 120k miles.

Also, check the primary wire (the big fat one with a 10mm bolt) on the alternator. If they forgot to tighten the tensioner lock, they probably also only hand-tightened this bolt. This will cause electrical fluctuations and eventually cause the wire to melt.

If that doesn't work, might try replacing the input & output sensors on the tranny. They are easily changed out with hand tools and minimal time, and it's really all Mitsubishi will do when you take your tranny to them.

If you're still shredding belts, tighten the crankshaft pulley down with an impact wrench. Any tire shop will do this for you for free, just turn your wheels to the right and it's easy to get to.

Edit: The tranny stuck in second gear is called "Limp home mode" which you can search for. Generally it means something electrical is broken, so the transmission mechanically sets itself to 2nd gear so at least you don't need a tow to get it to the shop.

Turns out it was the speedo sensor, replaced it and the car seems to be running fine. Started a little rough, but it started on the first try... we'll see how it holds up, thanks for the replies.