Looking to buy this car but has these problems...?

Question

1994 mitsubishi diamante..The timing belt and pulleys were changed at about 100k miles. New alternator,starter,and Interstate Battery in the past couple months.The starting problem is definitely electrical. It is most definitely a no crank problem with a twist, sometimes the car will act as though it has completely discharged the battery while driving.When it doesn't start sometimes you can make it start by switching the key on and off.I think the problem is in the ignition circuitry.The ignition system isn't jus the key, there are 5 or 6 relays that could also be the problem.When it won't restart,it won't crank.You just turn the key and nothng happens.Smthng drains the battery while the car is running,at one time I saw a draw happening while it was hooked up to a meter,but then it was gone.One last thing,and this is weird.When the car is completely dead,you can hook up the battery charger like a normal charge and it will start immediately, no charge required

Answer 1

My advise is..dont buy it! Weird electrical problems are not often as simple as they may seem..trust me. And even if they were, the whole charging and discharging and all these electrical problems may cause several other components too get meesed up overtime...sometimes even the computer

Answer 2

Clean the Positive Battery terminal very thouroughly on the inside side...

You have discovered what I have fond to be the most common starting/chargin problem to do with chrysler products ...

They started having this issue in the mid 70's models and still do thru present..

while I do not know the exact technical term for this problem...
I have given it a name on my I call this black terminal/post corrosion...

it is a very hard dark gray to blackish coating that develops on the inner sides of post to terminal connections... it builds up over 2-3 months ...

when it gets bad enough it will only let juice from battery out to components but will not allow juice from alternator to flow back into the battery... hence often the battery slowly discharges over time sometimes...

when you can start it by cycling the key often there is sufficient charge to start the car but the black corrosion isn't letting it out freely by cycling the key you get a micro surge that actually over comes the resistance occassionally to start...

use a very good battery terminal cleaner (tapered cutter type) or a pocket knife to cut thru the corrosion and make the lead terminal contact areas shine like a new nickel...

guess what most of the time car will start like brand new...

keep the battery terminals clean and tight

Walt

Answer 3

i own a repair shop,and this probably isn't too bad of a deal on this car,the starting problem you mentioned is kind of weird though,id be looking for a loose or bad ground wire on it,that might explain the sudden start when you hooked a charger to it,you might have moved something,and also i have seen a battery post get loose inside of the battery before and cause all kinds of problems from doing this,and at times the battery will appear to be good,if you can get this car cheap enough i believe the problems it has are really minor,automotive electrical is simple i think the rest of the problems are probably coming from this problem also it might be worth buying,but just check it out,you might can get a real good car here for about nothing,good luck with it i hope this helps.

Answer 4

Shot in the dark here, but it sounds like either the starter solenoid, or the starter relay box is shorting out. Thats why the drain on the battery. And when you hook direct juice to the battery it goes straight to the solenoid and it starts.

Answer 5

You could check all the wires, large and small, including grounds, that hook on both sides of the battery. You could check this with a meter or maybe better, disassemble and clean.
I think the starts on the charger indicates the big wire is ok, but the small one going to the solenoid is dirty.

Answer 6

Dont buy it, unless they are giving it away. Electrical problems are nightmares. It can take hours just testing and probing for draws, power and grounds. Then testing switches and relays. Unless you know what you are doing and you can do it yourself, then by all means. Play away. But if you need proffesional help with the electronics, then you are talking about many many labor hours and the fees for the fix will outweigh what the car is worth.
so avoid this buy at all cost.......good luck

Answer 7

"Mitsubishi occupies a unique place in the history of corporate Japan's use of POW slave labor during World War II. This company built, owned and operated at least seventeen of the merchant "hellships" which transported prisoners to their assigned destinations; and this company profited from prisoner labor over a larger range of territory than any other. From the mountains of northern Honshu to the jungles of Thailand and the outer reaches of Manchuria, Mitsubishi made money from the use of Allied prisoners of war. "

If you want to support Mitsubishi, you deserve a shitty car.

Answer 8

try to find a different car u like and get that one if u dont got no other choices get 1994 mitsubishi diamante and deal with its problems

Answer 9

HAULT!!!! Do not buy this car, to many problems in its history. Please, I have been through this...I bought a car for 800 with problems I knew about. I continued to buy it...a year later I spent 3,000 on this car, was not worth it!!! It won't pass smog next year!!! Please...find a better car, I am sure you can!!

Answer 10

Buy a different car, you will spend tons of money trying to fix that bomb!