Intermittent starter problem, sometimes turns, sometimes not. changed battery, tested bad, starter worked twice, stopped turning. changed starter, still wont turn.

Mitsubishi Grandis , year not old, no engine size told or VIN.
2003 to 2011 made, sure.
starter failing for any reasons is a simple thing, (unlike bad engines 50 ways to fail)
Battery must be good, load tested, did you know batteries can even be intermittent a hard fact of life, good ,back,weak or intermittent or simple not charged up.
or 10x more often battery lugs loose ,or rusty or BOTH>?>???>
jumper cables ,jump start any dead starter car>?????????
ok Jumps fail so we do what? now.
Your car has an automatic transmission. but some are 5speed manual transmission,s for sure. so I answer 2 times blind, sure
A/Tbox
the PRNDL switch bad for PARK cranking, we shift them all to N
to neutral and crank if this works PRNDL ,P switch is bad
car #2
if M/T tranny, the clutch switch bad kills the starter dead.
no sound means starter motor is dead , the tests are simple
one can have a car battery load tested for free in most shops and vast stores here in USA,did I say FREE, I did.
learn to use jumper cable
learn to start in N
if clutch pedal car, learn to short the 2 clutch pedal top switch wires and the starter motor goes BACK to working again or

if all tests fail we hot wire a starter motor, ask
and if that fails a new starter is replaced. (battery NEG lug pulled first)

Starters tend to fail intermittently. Yes, if it started after a "whack", I woul suggest replacing your starter. Make sure all connections are tight and of course clean terminals and cables.

replace the solenoid,but,if you are worried about being stranded,while you are there,replace the starter and on all connections,use electrical grease,to keep corrosion away,always use lock washers so nothing gets loose too.

Not a fuse when a fuse is bad there is no intermittent function at all most likely a bad relay either starter or ignition unfortunately relays cannot be tested you just have to replace them and see if it fixes the problem relays are located in fuse boxes. If replacing the relays doesn't work then the starter solenoid is bad. Be sure to check all battery wires for tightness or corrosion, mainly the ground (black wire) there should be a ground to the body from the battery and the engine block good luck hope this helps

Probably when the dealer is testing it is fine because the problem is intermittent. There may be a dead spot in the starter so when it hits that spot it acts up but other times its not on that spot its fine. Replace your starter and you will probably get rid of the problem.

check all your connections to your alternator,starter and your battery But you you are hearing the starter "click" but not engage..try tapping on the starter with a hammer if it is easy to get to..this some and sometimes does work..but your starter solenoid can be bad..the starter can be bad..igntion module a number of possibilities..goto your local parts store or public library and purchase a repair manual or check one out at the library

I can think of 2 possibles,it could be a bad battery cable or an intermitent short in the starter solenoid, check or have the battery cables and there connections on both ends first not only are they a cheaper fix but the problem you describe sounds like a current flow issue.Test them with or have them tested with an ohmmeter they should show o ohms resistance,and while not attributed to the problem I do not reccomend using Bosch spark plugs of any variety,the best plugs for any Japanese vehicle are NGK's,this comes from my personal experience with them and other techs that I have worked with.

could be ignition relays, starter solenoid...

along with the relay issue they some models have a very tight route for wiring from the battery to the main harness components check very carefully for any tight spots the wires may be severed also check the frame ground from the - battery terminal wire and connection itself. last suggestion do you get lights and accesories when this happens or is everything dead if you do it could be a bad connection to the starter and have nothing to do with the alternator or battery

first off, when it wont start check the voltage from the battery cable where it connects to the starter, if you have 12.5 volts there that will take battery cable corrosion out of the equation, then check to see if you have ground at the starter, which it sounds like you do not. it sounds like your ignition switch but hard to say from discription, make sure your battery cables are all tight, if you have all of this and its good i would say its the ignition switch which you can look up how to test in a chiltons or haynes manual from the auto parts store, if all of that stuff is good you can take the starter off and have it tested for free at autozone or any autoparts store, but usually the starter goes out really quick or just quits all together, if your not hearing a click noise when you turn it then your solinoid isnt engaging and means you dont have ground to it due to a short or bad ignition switch, that about covers the whole starting system, fuse isnt bad since it works sometimes. good luck hope that this helps you send me a message if you need more indepth help =)

Erik
U.S.Army