jeffball610

I'm sure some of the more knowledgable members know this one. If your brake lights (mains) and your turn signals aren't working, it's likely your hazard switch. My switch cracked when I tried to install the missing button. After the car sat for a while I couldn't figure out why those two items wouldn't work. The 3rd brake light works, but only when the hatch is closed. The contacts for the hatch electricals go through the hatch struts. Wild. After digging through the electrical diagrams, I noticed that the brakes go through the hazard switch. Inside the switch, there are 2 terminals that are "on" when the hazard switch is off allowing current to flow to the turn signals and the brake lights. When the switch is engaged, it bypasses that circuit and only the hazards flash. Since my switch is cracked, I just wedged something behind the switch so I have turn and brakes lights for now. I'll replace the switch later, but this will work for now. Most cars have their hazards cancel the turn signal for obvious reasons. Since the Starquest only has one bright light for turn and brake, the brake circuit is wired in with those two. Convoluted, but it works. I'm still blown away that the hatch carries current with 3 contacts when it's closed 😂

And it runs again. Must be a Christmas miracle. Or the fact that I hooked up the wire that actually goes to the fuel pump and now it works. I dug so far into this car all for a single ground cable. Then created other issues for myself when I tore it apart. But now I know it's right and I'm more knowledgeable about the whole thing. Now to make sure things work right before I tear it all out and put an LS into it 🙂

I feel silly. It was the main grounding strap the whole time. I tested that and it came back fine. I guess it was partially corroded and couldn't carry enough power to start the engine, but enough to have accessories on. A new ground strap fixed it. Now to figure out why it won't start. I'm digging into the fuel pump next. But at least this major (but silly) issue is resolved.

I just tested a theory. I disconnected the battery and turned the ignition key to drain any residual power. After reconnecting the battery, the battery light and headlights work. As soon as I turn the key to start, everything goes away as previously stated. I do hear a loud click that sounds like it is coming from the battery area. I swapped the starter relay, with no results.

This is beyond frustrating. I went through all of the connectors near the battery. I cleaned and put dielectric grease on every one. I installed new terminals on the main White power feed wires to redo what I already redid in hopes that something goes right. I reconnected everything and I got the battery light, power windows, clock, and the climate control all came on with a key turn. I checked voltages on the connectors before attempting to turn it to start. When I turned it to start, the same thing. All power goes out. I hear a click that I assume is the starter, but now might be a breaker of some kind. Of course the wiring system doesn't have anything like this, but that's the sound it makes. I'm at a complete loss. I'll be ordering a relay panel tonight, but I'd rather run the stock system for now to find any other potential issues. The only thing that is leading me any where at this point is that I see 10V on both sides of the coil with key on or off. I didn't see voltage on it at all until I turned the key, now it is there constantly, yet no other items in the dash have power. I have 13V at the battery and all other relay connections.

I'm assuming this is the 3 wire connector. W, WB, and B wires. That plug is fine. I did find it odd that a huge black wire (normally a ground) goes in, and a small one comes out to power the ECU Relay. I think my next course of action is just to replace every fusable link wire with something new. I feel like it's shorting out, but not "blowing".

A few updates. The factory service manual linked on this site conveniently is missing a few pages that pertain to the ETACS. I'm not 100% convinced that is my issue, but I did make some small progress. I pulled the ECU and the ECU relay, which Mitsubishi conveniently has a single screw holding it in. However, the get that one screw out, you need to pull the entire blower unit. I guess Mitsubishi recognized this and placed 2 small screws that allow the dash to pull away just enough to wrestle the blower out so you can get to the ECU relay 😕 Neither of those seemed to be my issue. I went back and prodded and probed every wire I could from the battery to the ignition switch again. I discovered that the fusable link for the ignition was only working intermittently. That would account for the odd voltage readings I was getting from the power wire at the igntion swtich. I can't find reliable data on what the resistance of that wire is or its amp rating. I just spliced in a heavy wire. After doing so, I got a good noise from under the steering column (what is that btw? maybe the fuel pump relay or something?) and the battery light lit up on the cluster. I turned the key and the starter clicked like the battery was dead. I turned the key again and got nothing. The battery light had gone out as well. I checked my bodge wire and it seemed fine. I wiggled some wires and tried the key again. I got the battery light and the click again. Then nothing after that. I removed my wire, moved things around, but I could not get the battery light again. This all leads me to believe that there is a short somewhere, but it doesn't seem obvious. At this point, I'm ready to just pull the whole system out and replace it with a modern relay panel. I'd still have to trace wires in the loom to see if there is a short, but modern fuses and wires are a better diagnostic tool than "fusable links". If anyone has some advice that hasn't already been suggested, I'm all ears. The car ran fine for the most part before this stopped everything. I want the car up and running to find any other issues while I prep the LS swap. This issue alone would prevent the car from running since it won't even trigger the starter. So either way, it needs to be sorted. I really wish this forum was more active or there was a better way to contact the "gurus" that can help with these things.

I'll triple check things. All of the fusable links seem fine. I have power going ot the starter, but obviously it won't engage by turning the key. I have pulled it and it works fine. All fuses in the panel seem fine. I've tested and swapped many of the relays. I'll give it another shot, but I don't know where to go after that. Even if the ECU was fried (it likely would have stopped running before I switched the key off) the engine should still turn over. At this point, I'm close to just ripping everything out. I'd rather not, as I'd like to have a running car to play with and to ensure it runs properly for the next owner (I plan to pull the stock engine/trans and LS/CD009 swap).

The car is finally in the garage, but it's still a giant mystery. I get no dash lights other than door ajar. I did notice that the windows always have power. Is that a thing? Typically power goes off after a period of time. Looking at ETACS, I think there's a timer that shuts off power. In any case, I don't see any voltage in the ignition switch when turning the key. I have pulled the switch itself and confirm voltage coming in, although it seems to be closer to 10v-11v rather than the 12+ at the battery and other probed locations. My initial feeling that it's somehow "immobilized" still seems probable considering the ETACS also functions as an anti-theft device. But I can't seem to figure out where to start. I've looked at the service manual, and the 88-89 manual listed definitely does not match its own diagrams for the ETACS, specifically the C34 plug with pin 15/16 being a ground or not, and pin 9 not existing, but also is for a door switch? It shouldn't be an issue, but I need to know what is actually accurate. In order to "reset" the alarm or disengage it, do I need to have the hood, hatch, and doors closed? I think the manual says to disarm, you just unlock the door with the key. It's not too clear. I feel dumb for not know what to do, but it's just not clear. I'm sure there are great people here to help, but I'm just not getting anywhere on this particular issue.

I haven't touched the car in months due to lack of motivation and moving twice. But now I'm in my permanent residence and I want this thing to run. Here's a refresher and "update". I took the car for a drive and pulled into the garage and turned the car off. I decided I didn't back in far enough and tried to start the car. It had zero power to anything. I popped the hood to see the battery positive terminal was touching the chassis. I pulled the battery (which was no ruined) and swapped in another. I have door lights and the door ajar light, but no other lights or power. Turning the key to any position does nothing. All fuses and fusable links appear to be working. I have probed the ignition switch and things seem to be in order. All grounds seem normal. I have tested the starter, and it is also good. What am I missing? Why would there be no power to anything? At this point I almost feel like it's an "immobilizer switch" or something weird like that. But even then I would have dash lights or something else. Where should I be looking? Failing any resolution, the car will be torn down for a complete rewire. The eventual plan is an LS swap and updated wiring. This would expedite that process, but previous lessons have taught me to have a running and driving car before doing any mods. The car ran fine for the short time I had it, minus some idle issues. PLEASE help!

This is still an unsolved issue. I pulled the starter just to make sure it works, and it's fine. Even though I'm not seeing voltage come out of the switch like I expected, I can still turn the key to get ACC power to the windows. There has to be something small I'm missing. I know in the DSM world, the MPI relay does a lot of things and without it (or if you try to modify around it) things just don't work. Is there a similar thing in Starquests? If you were to turn your key and no electrics turned on, what would be your troubleshotting process?

I checked the solenoid near the battery and swapped it with another in the panel. Nothing changed. I can try it again, but I don't think that's the issue. Going back to how this first came about, I went for a quick drive and I was backing into the garage. I shut the car off and decided I needed to back in more. The car didn't start and all power went out. I popped the hood and saw my battery shifted and the positive terminal was touching the chassis. No fuses were blown. There was no smoke. Everything seemed fine. Just no power.

I haven't worked on the car much due to weather and my other car taking up garage space. It is nice out today, so I thought I'd explore this more. I still have no clue what is wrong. As far as I can tell, the ignition switch should have constant 12v power from the WB wire. It does in fact have 12v, that is until you turn the key. I would think it should alyways have 12v and simply distribute it to the correct terminal to route power to the proper accessory. Am I wrong about this? I tried to simply put 12v to the starter solenoid, and I could hear the gear pop out, but only once. I do have 12v at the starter, but perhaps the starter is bad? That doesn't explain why nothing else is working, but it's a place to start. I seriously need some help with this. None of this makes sense. I've wired an entire car from scratch and I'm still confused on this one.

I'm running out of places to look. All of the fusable links next to the battery test fine. The wiring to the ignition switch seems fine, but I don't seem to get a signal out. I have traced the power wire to the ignition switch, but nothing seems to "flow" out. The service manual doesn't always make sense and some of the wire colors are different. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm assuming it has something to do with the ignition switch or something in that circuit. Headlights work, but the motors do not. The door lights are on as well as the door ajar light, but nothing else lights up in the dash. I haven't checked the MPI relay (I think we have one), but that has been an issue on DSMs in the past. It kind of controls everything. Many of the wire connector locations don't make sense in the manual and are not labled well. I'm lost. I shouldn't be, as I've wired an entire 4G63 swap with speed density and rewired an entire chassis. I'm not sure why this seems so foreign at the moment. 😕

After completing some work on the car, I took it out for a drive. Everything seemed to go fine until I backed into the garage. I saw some smoke from under the hood, but that is typical as the car continues to burn things off. I shut the car off and popped the hood. I noticed the positive battery terminal had touched the chassis, but there was no smoke, sparks, or even witness marks from it touching. I didn't think much of it until I went to start the car again to adjust its placement in the garage. Not only did the car not start or turn over, but all power was gone. I've checked the usual places like the fusable links (I hate those things) and there seems to be voltage and continuity there. I haven't checked under the dash or column yet, but all of the fuses in the fuse panel are good and working. I even replaced a few that were missing. I've looked at the service manual for areas of concern, but I'm not finding anything. I can't seem to find any place that would lead to a complete blackout of power with the key on. I do have power to the door lights and the dash only has a light for door adjar. No other lights, sounds, or indications with the key in any position. Also, the headlights are stuck in the up position. Is there a "typical" location that would cause this? The battery is good and several locations have 12v. I feel like I'm missing something obvious, but so far all of my checks have turned up negative.

I finally got around to working on this. I just made a simple 3D printed part to "shorten" the release cable so the given throw would release the mechanism. I made it 10mm long, but I'm sure it could be shorter to "fit" better. It seems to work, but I'll report back any issues. It's a two piece part so that it fits around the cable and slides onto the end of the cable. If someone was inclined to do so (or if there was enough interest) this could be made into a more permanent piece that fits or snaps together. This was just a test to see if the concept worked. It seems to work for now.

I've got mine installed and functioning. The headliner has room for improvement and the A pillars are not mounted. I'm looking for a solution to these two issues. I don't have a manual center console and need to unplug the connector so the warning lights stay off. All of the panels fit just a bit differently and need persuation to clip in. I think the most difficult part was just getting the auto belts out. The super long section under the door plate was a pain, but the clips in the headliner area sucked a lot. It takes patience to make this all work, and it won't fit perfectly even if you have perfect parts. Anyone wanting to tackle this needs to understand the challenges that come with it. I was thinking it was much more straightforward than it was. Mine functions well, but it won't win any beauty contests. At least I didn't have to make any permanent changes other than trimming the metal for the B pillar area.

I've had issues with my rear hatch not opening with the lever by the driver's seat. It opens fine when I crawl into the back and move the locking mechanism. I don't believe my key works at all, as it doesn't seem to turn in the barrell. I've made sure there were no obstructions like the rear carpet. I have adjusted the action rods, and then back again because they didn't need adjusting. I adjusted the locking mechinism up and down as well. I even adjusted the hinges. The hinges are a pain to adjust and I would recommend anyone doing this to also remove the struts when doing this to get proper alignment. With the struts in place, I could not provide enough force forward and tighten the hinges at the same time. I adjusted both the internal mounts as well as those on the glass. I did manage to get the hatch to line up better with the rear spoiler area, but it did not help with the opening lever. Is there something I'm missing? The lever does not seem to actuate the lock far enough. Is there another adjustment? Is there a common issue with these not opening?

Thank you so much for the info and pics. I ordered parts from Steve at StarQuest Parts. He forgot to include the upper belt clip on the door, but I think I have the rest. I didn't realize the upper trim and the body were different on each car. I will make that adjustment to the metal. My door cards have the cutout already there for the seat belt passthrough. It's quite a bit larger than the clip, so I'll just take my time just as you suggested. I think the biggest issue will be the A pillar trim. I'll see if I can make a mount or adjust things enough to make it presentable. The rear hatch seems to be that it's not aligning with the body. I just happened to notice this as I was leaving this morning looking at the back of the car. It has to be out at least a 1/4" and likely further. I'll see if I can adjust that and see what happens. I've ordered from MKS before and I'll put in an order for clips. I'm not trying to make a concourse car here, but having something comfortable to ride in without squeeks and rattles is always more desirable. If I make any discoveries or adjustments, I'll try to post them here. If someone has the ability to make a sticky of this install, that might be beneficial to others. Especially as the auto belts start to die, this might become more desirable or common to switch them out. Mine is purely for practical reasons with the elimination of the lower belt. And the auto belts suck anyway 🤪

I recently purchased some manual seat belts from Steve at StarquestParts.net and I'm looking for tips on this and some other minor install parts. I know I'm doing something wrong, but I can't seem to figure it out. Steve said he will get back to me with some pics on how to properly install these parts, but I assume some others would have some tips. The A-pillars don't quite fit right. There are some "nubs" on the manual pillars that don't seem to corrilate with anything else. The headliner is specific to the belts, but doesn't seem to be much of an issue. I'm keeping my auto belt headliner and the standard trim is holding it up. But the manual trim doesn't seem to fit at all. It's too long from what I can tell. Next up are the door cards and how the belt passes through. The card itself has a cutout already, but it's far too large for the trim. I know you have to account for the leather and padding, but it still seems too large. Is there a template or a guide on how it needs to be cut. Also, the belt retractor needs two additional screw holes. The door has square holes for what I assume are plastic threaded fittings, but where can I source the correct ones? One a similar note, some of the plastic rivets to hold the door card to the door itself need replacing. Do we have a good source for those as well? I'm also looking for the clips that attach the upper leather portion of the headliner near the hatch. Mine is missing two and I'd like to get the correct ones. The last thing for now (until I get further into things) is getting the rear hatch to open correctly. The lever doesn't activate the latch enough to open. I have to crawl into the car and manually move the lever arm. I've tried adjusting the rods, but it doesn't seem to help. Any advice, pics, resources, links, literally anything would be of great help. This is my first Starquest, so I'm still learning about all of the idiosyncrasies. I can post pics if something isn't clear. I might do a how-to for the driver's door once I get this figured out if it would help anyone else. (unless one already exists)

I've been running a Bill's 4G63 to Toyota R154 for over 20k miles in my Datsun 510. I beat the hell out of this thing with many autocross events and some road courses as well. Bill is a great guy and makes awesome stuff. He knows what he's doing. He's doing some Honda stuff now as well. He does make a T56 kit, but there are other options as well. A competitor is making a CD009 kit, but Bill says it won't work. I trust him.

I got everything welded up and installed this weekend. Seems to function normally. However, I still need to fix the idle and the throttle stop. The throttle sticks open just a bit causing high idle and obviously won't let the BOV do its woosh thing as easily. I did T into the brake booster line just to get the largest source possible as suggested. What is the facotry source below the throttle body for? It goes to the stock tube over the valve cover, almost as if it was meant for a BOV.

I've been searching through posts to try and find decent info. Being these forums are so old, it's tough to find things. I've decided to install an upper intercooler pipe and BOV to extend the life of my components until I get my engine swap further along. I found one thread which describes a BOV (I already knew that info), and another that describes where the stock vacuum lines go. However, I'm not finding info on how to hook up the vacuum port on the BOV. I know it needs to come after the throttle body plate, but which one is best? After I get that installed, I know I'll need to reset my idle (it sucks now anyway) and there was a decent thread on that.

I finally got some seats to get all of this moving forward. They're just cheap Amazon/eBay seats with a low seating position. I mounted them as low as possible and eliminated the seatbelt mechanism to get them back and low. I used one of those bolt holes to replace the frame rail seat rail mounting bracket. It's not as low as I'd like, but it's low enough to drive. With this position, I was able to take the ETACS out of the mounting case and slid it under the front of the seat. There's just enough room for that, so I don't need to get rid of the unit or relocate it. I'll try to take some pics when I remove the bracket to paint it. It's a huge pain to install due to the side mounting bolts and lack of space, but it fits and I fit 🙂

I still haven't pulled the car out of the garage due to vairous fluid leaks. The rebuild seems to be successful, but it does have an issue of foaming over after I shut down. I'm sure it just needs to be "bled", but the foaming is rediculous. As soon as this last oil leak is fixed, it's time for a road test to see what else is wrong. The front brakes drag (likely due to corrosion) and who knows what else needs to be fixed. The LS should be here this weekend, and I have a CD009 sitting patiently in the corner 🙂