Mitsubishi Sedan Range

Changing the starter motor on this model is a bit tricky as the transverse engine locates the starter on the side of the engine, down low and sandwiched between the engine and firewall. You may need to remove some other brackets, wiring and plumbing to gain proper access, but the starter can be removed with the manifolds in place. It just takes some fiddling and patience.

Replacement is the opposite of removal (as they say in the best workshop manuals) but it’s critical to make sure the wiring goes back in the right order or you’ll fry the new starter. Taking a photo of the starter’s location and wiring before you start to pull it all apart is often a wise move as you can use the image for reference later on.

This is typically not a difficult job, but due to the cramped engine bay of this make and model, maybe it’s not a great first project for the home mechanic.

It definitely could be the transmission’s main pump. Without this pump working properly, it can’t create the pressure necessary to select gears via the valve-body or indeed, produce enough drive force to actually get the car to move.

But, you could also be looking at a broken valve body, faulty selector cable from the cabin to the transmission, a broken torque converter or a complete, catastrophic internal failure of the gearbox. Instead of guessing, take it to a transmission specialist who is very likely to have seen this very problem many times before.

This is definitely not the sort of information car makers publish. Instinct suggests the headliner should, indeed, fit through one of the door openings, as that’s how it would be fitted on the production line. Try a front door opening first with the front seat slid all the way back and the backrest laid right down.

The other option would be to politely ask a motor trimmer how they manage this job.