I have a 2011 mitsubishi galant.that I recently bought. I knew the car would have issues, but this one really has me scratching my head. Ok, so when driving the car the speedometer doesnt work and it doesnt shift, when its time for it to shift the first time, the neutral light starts blinking, it also has srs light on. I assumed this was the VSS so bought a new one and it still has the same issue.So i began looking into the car closer and now realize the blinkers also dont work. If i turn the key off and then back on and hit the switch as soon as the key is turned on the indicator will flash for a couple of seconds and then stop flashiing, and the blinker switch becomes unresponsive altogether, the same thing happens with the flashers.

Also when the key is off nothing works except the horn, the electric locks are unresponsive, the keyless entry fob doesnt do anything, I havent found anything in the car that will do anything unless the key is on, except the horn. The horn blows with the key on or off. The keyless entry doesnt work either way, but the electirc locks and other things all start working when the key is on, I just got this car, so for all i know is everything disables it the key isnt on.. anyone clarify on any of these things mentioned? I just want to get it working properly. Thanks

 

I do not have an easy answer, but instead a list of how I would begin to look for a problem. All of these are extensions of the rule of thumb when it comes to debugging an electrical system fault, "It's probably not a computer problem!", which of course is not necessarily true at all. The rule of thumb is because we amateurs love to blame the computers on our cars for things we don't know how to solve. But, first things first:

Start with the fundamentals, asking "Do I have proper electrical power?":
1. Check your key fob battery. I do not know if you can just change it, or whether it loses its programming if you take it out, so be careful.
2. Check your car battery voltage. It should be at least 12 volts, preferably up in the 14 volt range. No car computer system in the world will work well of your battery is down to, say, 10 volts.
3. Check your basic grounds for the battery are good and that the positive connector is good.
4. Check all of your fuse panels for dead fuses. Look for corrosion while you are there.
5. Open your relay box and look at what you see. If it is full of mud or a mouse nest or is soaking wet, you are likely closer to your answer. If it is dry and pretty clean, well, that's a good thing.

Next, I suggest looking around for evidence of anything having disturbed your car--an accident, major work on the car, water in the cabin from a window leak, etc. This may lead you to something as simple as a loose connector that may have been overlooked when reassembling something.

There are lots of good videos on electrical diagnostics out there, too.

 

Ok, I'm sure you know where the interior fuse panel is. Well, on the BACK side of that, there is a black box (about the size of a woman's hand) plugged into it. You don't have to take any plastic trim off or anything to get to it. Just get up under all that from the floorboard looking up. With mine, it wasn't plugged in right. The side facing the driver must go in a socket-type fitting 1st, to hold it in tight probably, and then it needs to be plugged in to the back side of the fuse panel. If that don't clear up all of your issues (and I do mean all of them), then you will probably want to replace that box.