Hello all, I have a Mitsubishi Outlander 2007 that won't start, turning the key results in a rapid clicking. Tried reseating all visible connectors and jump starting, and no change. Lights don't dim at all, and it still powers AC, radio everything.

Any ideas?

 

I also had a sudden realization on something if this has any bearing on his issue at all.

Cold starts are fine, the engine starts up properly, but after a 70km drive, i left it for 1.5 hours and came back, and the engine started turning pretty hard and long before starting. today, after an 80km drive, 30min after i tried starting and it wouldn't start.

EDIT: Also my battery is at 12.3V so don't think its drained at all

 

I had a toyota gt-4 with similar symptoms (clicking of the starter). The starter was bad and had it changed out. That may be your problem, try hitting the starter while someone turns the key and see if that gets it to start.

 

I agree, sounds like starter.

Don't tap too hard on the starter....if you break the internal magnets, it will never work again....just love taps.

 

Before measuring the Battery Voltage, did you remove the top charge? Turn the headlights on for 5 minutes and then measure the voltage. A sitting battery will refresh itself voltage wise, but not amperage wise (amps are what makes the starter actually engage), normally, the clicking of a starter is the stator extending and retracting rapidly due to insufficient amperage to actually turn the motor. A broken starter in my experience doesn't click but maybe tries to turn a bit and gives up, but then tries to catch again, in an intermittent fashion. A rapid click click click click is the stator popping out to catch the flywheel and when there is not enough juice to the starter it springs back, hence the click. Note: if you have HID's, they draw half the current as Halogen, so you many want to run some accessories with them to kill the top charge. If you can jump the car then it's most likely a battery issue and not the starter.

As far as your symptoms, I suspect the alternator is bad and not charging, that would explain why a long drive kills your starting amperage. The alternator is not fully charging the battery as it supplies power to the car. Thereby leaving a deficit. It can be just enough of a drain to still power the lights but take your cranking amps down. If you start getting weird symptoms next then it can be the alternator has a diode problem where it under charges and over charges. But these things just get old. Good luck