1997 Mitsubishi Montero wont start! need help asap!

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okay, i just recently bought a mitsubishi montero LS 1996-7, i bought it super cheap, not expecting more then it running, it has 300,000 miles on it, so im not expecting much for my first car, it ran fine out of the dealer ship, no idea what they did to get it to work to be honest, but it ran fine for several days even over a week, then came the snow storms of Jan 2017, first cold day, it would not start, it would crank and after a few minutes itd finally get going, and i could drive it and park it, and itd run just fine, so i figured it was just the engine not liking cold weather… a few days later its even colder, and it is even harder to turn over, finally the snow hit, i tried to turn it over and suddenly nothing, nothing at all, light would turn on when i turned the key, i could even turn on the head lamps (and no they arent flickering or anything) almost no signs that its a battery issue, yet here i was trying to figure out why it is that the car will not start, finally a few weeks later its warming up here in the northwest, and i go to start the car hoping that its just a cold problem, still not a thing…

so i go and check the fuses and sure enough a fuse to the generator? is blown, im guessing the generator is the fuse to the alternator since the old manuals to the montero dont have a “alternator” fuse, but only a generator fuse, so today i went out, bought a brand new battery (it needed it none the less) and a new fuse, i go into the cab, the lights are all shining super bright, it feels good, i turn the key over and…

nothing… not a thing, i hear a click like the sound you hear when you turn a car over, but other then that silence, i can hear the semi static of the old car stereo coming through the speakers, the lights are all on, everything seems to be powered, and since its a new battery i doubt its that… so im really confused here as to what it could be… im at loss of ideas at this point… and really really need help, a car at this point is the main thing thats stopping me from getting a job, i need a car, yet i have no idea at this point what could be the problem… the key turns fine, i can press the gas or brakes, nothing changes, no idle sounds, nothing just a click, and the sound of the electronics coming to life…

please help!

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I sounds like what you’ve got at this point is a classic “no crank” problem. This is probably the most common complain we get here, so you are not alone. Simple things to try first

  • Clean battery posts and connectors with a battery tool, make sure connections to battery are tight
  • Load test battery

After that, the fastest way to a solution is to make some voltage measurements right at the starter motor while someone turns the key to “start”. Do you have enough expertise to do that?

If not, other things that could cause a no crank

  • faulty starter motor or connections to it
  • faulty safety switch (either at clutch or automatic transmission)
  • faulty under-dash starter relay (very unlikely to be the cause, but a just in case)
  • faulty ignition switch
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If it was a failed neutral switch or clutch switch, the poster would not hear the click. The fact that the alternator fuse was blown makes me think the starter was going bad and drawing too much current. I think it is a bad starter.

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For the most part, I concur, but I’ve had a failing intermittent clutch safety switch on my Corolla whose result was the “click” symptom

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I hate these “need asap” deals. You need help ASAP, you tow or go to a shop, and pay for it. Otherwise you go to an online discussion site and wait, maybe someone can help eventually.

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ASAP probably means OP has 1 car. If u have backup car than its not so dire. Too bad OP bought a super cheap car which usually means they have no money to fix it.

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