Pls HELP! The brain box of my freind's Mitsubishi space wagon GDI is damaged and the car can not start and his mechanic is suggesting buying a new engine bc no brain box seems to work with the car. Please, how can this car be fixed without resorting to buying of a new engine? Four (4) different brain box has been tried but no one worked

Hi, I understand what you are going through. What happened to the first brain box? Was the vehicle scanned? Was the car flooded? I am asking because they hardly go bad. History could help with diagnosis. Most recent cars have immobilizer dat shut off ignition or the fuel injectors. All you need may be to have the car keys programmed. What year is the space wagon? You don't need another engine. No guess work with cars.

If the vehicle has a transponder key, the vehicle will never start until the immobilizer system (part of brain box) in the car is programmed and recognises your key as a valid key.
Way forward now. Give the history, as in events that preceded the whole no-start issue. I am suspecting either a key issue or a sensor.

surefx: If the vehicle has a transponder key, the vehicle will never start until the immobilizer system (part of brain box) in the car is programmed and recognises your key as a valid key.
Way forward now. Give the history, as in events that preceded the whole no-start issue. I am suspecting either a key issue or a sensor.

surefx: Hi, I understand what you are going through. What happened to the first brain box? Was the vehicle scanned? Was the car flooded? I am asking because they hardly go bad. History could help with diagnosis. Most recent cars have immobilizer dat shut off ignition or the fuel injectors. All you need may be to have the car keys programmed. What year is the space wagon? You don't need another engine. No guess work with cars.

You really seem to understand the issue by ur reply and i hope we will get a real solution to this. The car was actually sent to him by his brother abroad but car never started and was actually towed to where it was parked for over 3 months now and two different mechanics have said that the brain box is bad but all the brain box they tried never worked and now another mechanic is suggesting buying of another engine as the only solution.

You haven't given much history concerning the car.

Was the vehicle in good condition when his brother sent it?
Was the car tampered with while in transit to Nigeria?
Are you using the original key?
Have any modifications been made?
What year is the vehicle?

Have you run a diagnostic scan on the car? (THIS STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT. NOT RUNNING A DIAGNOSTIC SCAN IS LIKE DRIVING WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED! CHANCE OF MISHAP OR DAMAGE IS 99.999999% ).

I need answers to all those questions if I am to really help you out.

A diagnosis should be the first point of call.

I don't believe what those mechanics are saying. They do a lot of guess work.

The vehicle in question is a diesel engine and there are a lot of factors that can cause it. My first question is; does the engine crank when turn on the key if yes, does it make any attempt to start

issues such as;

Faulty glow plugs, faulty fuel pump, blown fuse, faulty sensor, can cause these issues. so do a diagnosis first.

@ obinna 222, I think GDI was Mitsubishi's slogan or short for Gasoline Direct Injection. Please correct me if I am wrong.