Can the kill switch on a 2000 montero sport be bypassed by shorting across both starter solenoid terminals when the key is on? Have tried everything else.

starter motor ?
does starter solenoid fire up the starter motor ?
could be a faulty starter motor or solenoid or a cable has come off the starter motor solenoid.

If you are bypassing the solenoid when you "bump" it, the solenoid probably needs replacing.
If you are shorting to the small terminal and activating the solenoid, then the solenoid is OK and either the ignition switch or the wiring connecting the switch to the solenoid are faulty.

You just go to the link I attached I'm sure you will get the solution of your problem MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT SERVICE REPAIR MANUAL 1999 2000 2001 2002 DOWNLOAD

Check that the wire from the starter switch that is connected to a terminal on the starter to energise the starter solenoid is in the correct place and is not shorting across to the battery wire on the starter.

Locate the starter wires coming from your ignition key switch. Short these out and see if the starter turns. If it does, you need a new key switch, or you can connect a press button to those two wires and by-pass the key for starting. I assume you used the screw driver across the big terminal on the starter and the terminal on the solenoid, or else the bendix would not have kicked in. If you shorted the two big terminals on the starter and the bendix did for some reason kick in, you should have a look at the solenoid first before looking at the starter switch.

If in factt the battery is truly good and you are unable to get to go by placing a screw driver across the solenoid I'd have to say the solenoid and starter are both failed.

Looks like you'll need to replace.

Tom

Could be the starter solenoid. Locate the starter in your car, and have someone turn the key for you while you take a hammer or screwdriver and lightly tap on the solenoid on the side of the starter. If that doesn't work, take the screwdriver and lay it across the 2 terminals on the solenoid at the same time with someone turning the key. But I must emphasize, BE CAREFUL, as the screwdriver could be welded to the terminals in a split second. You won't get shocked or anything like that, but there is alot of juice there.

There is NO kill switch on the 2000 Elantra... HOWEVER, there is a thing called the Key Fob (keyless remote entry system). There is, however, a system in place called the 'starter kill' circuit and it is activated when the burglar alarm goes off.... it's called the burglar alarm relay and it is activated to prevent the engine starter system from being used. There are three ways to get the engine started in such a circumstance... 1. use the key fob to 'disarm' the system... 2. put the key in the ignition and turn it to the 'RUN" position and wait until the alarm stops (horn stops beeping and the parking lights stop flashing), then the engine will start.... 3. pull the starter relay from the UnderHood junction box and bypass the starter circuit (key in ignition and in the 'RUN' position), jumper the starter solenoid circuit to energize the solenoid to start cranking the engine -- it should start then.

Check the condition of the power and ground cables, Bypass the cables with a set of jumper cables, connect the NEG post to the engine with the black cable, and POS to the Starter Solenoid with the red cable. then try it if it starts the cables are bad or poorly connected.

check the battery voltage in stand by and cranking, try jump starting the truck. if the truck will start with a jump the battery could be bad.
If the starter solenoid is separate from the starter then it is possible the solenoid is bad.

Hope this is of some help.
Ed

Do all the warning lights in the instrument cluster come on when you turn the key? If Yes, then you need to check the neutral safety switch on the side the transmission[Automatic in your Montero?], as these are a known failure part for higher mile Monteros. You lose power to the starter solenoid as a result of the switch contacts going bad. Have someone put a test light on the solenoid wire at the starter motor, while you or a friend carefully tries to start the engine. If the circuit is working correctly, you'd see the test light turn on brightly. I'm betting you'll see no light, since I suspect the switch isn't letting power through.