no start...need help

[bgambino]

96 OB wagon 2.5 automatic

 

hit my remote starter this morning and went out to the car and it was not running . Have had remote starter for 4 months and been working flawlessly

Soo I thought maybe it was this...but then I'm thinking maybe it's something else

turn key and all lights come on bright...just nothing when turning to start

Remote starter does same...all dash lights come on...it attempts to start (no discernable noise except maybe a relay click.....does this three times like it should...then disables itself)

 

I moved shift lever back and forth..tried starting in nuetral and park again...and still the same

What about the nuetral safety switch?

Could it just fail overnight? Where is it? Can I disable/bypass it to see if this is the culprit??

I don;t want to tow it to the starter guy if it's not his problem --I will call him just to ask about his unit and if this could happen

 

any other thoughts?

thanks guys

[lmdew]

Go under the hood and check the battery terminals. If they are loose or have corrosion all over them, clean them.

 

Follow the red wire back to the starter, make sure the terminal is tight there.

 

Give the starter a good wack with a rubber mallet or wood handle. Some times the contacts stick.

 

Have someone try to start it and listen for the starter to click.

 

If you have a meter, you can check voltage at the battery and then the starter.

 

If there is no voltage getting to the starter nothing will happen.

[bgambino]

Go under the hood and check the battery terminals. If they are loose or have corrosion all over them, clean them.

 

Follow the red wire back to the starter, make sure the terminal is tight there.

 

Give the starter a good wack with a rubber mallet or wood handle. Some times the contacts stick.

 

Have someone try to start it and listen for the starter to click.

 

If you have a meter, you can check voltage at the battery and then the starter.

 

If there is no voltage getting to the starter nothing will happen.

 

Thanks...while I will check that...I am doubtful this is it (altho a bum starter could certainly be it). I am meticulous with cleanliness and maintenance.

 

BTW...how do you hot wire the starter from the battery? If the nuetral S switch was bad...would this work?

[johnceggleston]

BTW...how do you hot wire the starter from the battery? If the nuetral S switch was bad...would this work?

 

there are 2 wires that go to the starter plus the ground that goes to one of the mounting bolts. the smaller of the two wires comes from the ignition switch and other mysterious parts. it is the one that activates the solenoid which completes the circuit for the larger wire pulling major juice directly from the battery.

 

with the key in the run position, jump a wire from the battery to the starter small wire terminal. that should kick in the solenoid and get the starter to turn. it may be sparky. probably best to fit the starter end with a spade fitting and attach it to the starter and do the sparky thing at the battery, lots easier to reach. or better yet attach 2 wires one to each device and do the sparky thing at a distance.

 

please be careful not to have any important body parts near the belts, pulleys or other hurtful stuff.

 

i actually installed a relay which does this very thing since i had a problem almost every time i tried to start my 97 obw. easy, cheap (12$) fix if it starts the car.

 

good luck.

[bgambino]

there are 2 wires that go to the starter plus the ground that goes to one of the mounting bolts. the smaller of the two wires comes from the ignition switch and other mysterious parts. it is the one that activates the solenoid which completes the circuit for the larger wire pulling major juice directly from the battery.

 

with the key in the run position, jump a wire from the battery to the starter small wire terminal. that should kick in the solenoid and get the starter to turn. it may be sparky. probably best to fit the starter end with a spade fitting and attach it to the starter and do the sparky thing at the battery, lots easier to reach. or better yet attach 2 wires one to each device and do the sparky thing at a distance.

 

please be careful not to have any important body parts near the belts, pulleys or other hurtful stuff.

 

i actually installed a relay which does this very thing since i had a problem almost every time i tried to start my 97 obw. easy, cheap (12$) fix if it starts the car.

 

good luck.

 

thanks John

so use what? something like a single 10-12 ga. wire and jump the small terminal..after unplugging it?

Curious....if that is ok to do...why is the other wire so huge?

 

Ok,,,,if I get nothing...maybe its a dead starter...or...maybe the remote starter has everything locked down (fuse maybe)?

I have to call the guy this morning and pick his brain

 

I am still very curious about the NS switch...wouldn't this do exactly what is happening to me?

[mdjdc]

You are correct in thinking that the neutral safety switch can be causing this problem. Check the starter and then you mey have to do the switch. If you need a new one, I have a used one that you can have for cheap.

 

By the way, you can follow the hot lead from the battery to the starter and use a screw driver to jump that lug to the small spade connection for the starter to engage. Much easier than running extra wires. Use a screw driver with an insulated handle though and be sure the ignition is in the run position.

 

My feeling is, that if you are getting no response from the starter at all, then you probably have a problem with the switch. Not an uncommon problem.

[bgambino]

You are correct in thinking that the neutral safety switch can be causing this problem. Check the starter and then you mey have to do the switch. If you need a new one, I have a used one that you can have for cheap.

 

By the way, you can follow the hot lead from the battery to the starter and use a screw driver to jump that lug to the small spade connection for the starter to engage. Much easier than running extra wires. Use a screw driver with an insulated handle though and be sure the ignition is in the run position.

 

My feeling is, that if you are getting no response from the starter at all, then you probably have a problem with the switch. Not an uncommon problem.

 

great thanks

So...where is the NSS? What does it look like...?

And how can I be sure it is the problem? a way to test it or bypass it to test if it is it

I am at work and will not work on the car till later today---so I am trying to get a plan in place

I love this board....!

[MilesFox]

jump a wire from the battery to the small terminal at the back of the starter. this will activate the starter directly. if it turns, then your problem is with the remote start or the neutral safety, or somewhere in between. if the starter does not go, then you may have a bad starter or a bad cable

[johnceggleston]

Curious....if that is ok to do...why is the other wire so huge?

 

 

the small wire is in effect activating a relay which activates the starter. the big wire is moving 12 volts and lots of amps, enough to push a car, the small wire is delivering 12 volts and minimal amps.

 

there is no need for all those amps to be routed thru the ignition system and the dash and running the big wire straight from the battery to the starter reduces the chances of losing any volts / amps in route. but no juice is flowing thru the large wire until the small one is energized and activates the solenoid.

 

if you have a circuit tester /test light, you can use it to see if the small wire is in fact receiving electricity when you turn the key to start. pull the small wire off of the starter terminal, clip the ground of the test light to a good ground and attach the probe to the small wire connector. turn the key and see if it lights up.

[mdjdc]

The switch is on the passenger side of the tranny. Look where the shifter cable goes and you will see a big black plastic box of sorts. That is the switch. I'm not sure what wires impede the starter. Someone eles will have to jump in on that one. I know one guy that had his lock up due to corrosion and he could see the fingers of the switch bent. He replaced it and all was fine.

[bgambino]

ok here's what I found

Pulled the small wire off the starter

No voltage in the wire with key on..but test light lights up when turning key to start

Left wire off and ran a wire from the spade terminal of starter to the positive side of battery,,,when I touched battery with wire, it would spark (no sound from starter)

As soon as I would release the wire from the poitive terminal, I would hear a faint click from the starter

 

sounds like a dead starter?

[mdjdc]

sounds like a dead starter

[Mike104]

Could also be the contacts in the solenoid?

 

Look here:

 

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20784&highlight=solenoid

[Cougar]

Yep. Most likely bad solenoid contacts alright.

[bgambino]

Yep. Most likely bad solenoid contacts alright.

cleaned the contacts and plunger and back in business> I'm going to get the parts to rebuild it

thanks all