Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

So, this has begun happening after a few dozen successful drives every day for a couple weeks. New battery. Turn the key and the dash lights come on, but no click from the starter's solenoid. Tiny clicks from behind the dash as normal. Cycle the key a half dozen to perhaps 20 times and then the starter engages as normal and off we go. Never happens when the truck is stone cold. Only when its been driven and is warm.

Any suggestions? On my Vanagon this is classic ignition switch - a $12 part we all keep a spare of in the glovebox. I'm going to pull the starter off today and see if I find corroded connections, etc but thought I'd check in case there is a common Mitsu issue to look at.

So I am at the starter now and there is a wire disconnected but I'm not sure if that is supposed to be the case since the vehicle runs, starts and charges as normal. The two wires that are connected are the large guage power wire to the solenoid, and a small guage black wire with a black connector that fits on a male spade also on the solenoid. There is another small guage wire with a white connector that is soldered onto the rearward (of the vehicle) end of the solenoid and it is not connected and there is no obvious place to connect it. Anyone have any ideas? There is an empty looking space next to where the black connector fits but no male spade there. For me to see if it is a broken off spade there I will have to remove the starter and blow an hour's time, so hoping someone can tell me if this white connector is something not needed. Thanks.

If the small wire to the back of the solenoid has dirt and corrosion, then it can get a starting problem when warm. I have seen this happen. I would get some contact cleaner, and clean the contact (wire side), and then maybe get a little sandpaper and slip into the connector and give it a little more cleaning with the paper. Do the same to the connector on the starter. Then get some electronic grease, and shove some into the wire side connector and stick them back together. This SHOULD solve it.

It sounds like a type of aftermarket starter. I think the extra soldered connection is probably for giving the starter some type of additional ground point.