Starter problem fix?

[STinger]

I had a recent problem with my Impreza where it would not start. I had just driven a good distance (several hundred km). There was no solenoid click, which was weird. Eventually the car started just fine. This later happened a few days later, and did not resolve itself until I decided to try the old trick of tapping on the starter with a hammer which would normally be for a Bendix drive starter, not the one in the Impreza. But it started right up.

 

I suspected that perhaps the plunger in the starter is seizing up, so the pinion gear is not moving at all and not making the usual clicking noises. The Impreza starter itself seems to be different from the Legacy starter in that the plunger design is different, and that the start switch contacts (source of starter problems on the Legacy) are not directly accessible by just removing the plunger. Just tapping the case may have unstuck the plunger.

 

The plunger pushes down upon a spring-loaded button at the bottom of the solenoid, which I presume is the actual starter switch itself. I took the plunger out, cleaned and greased it. I haven't had enough starts to determine if the problem is gone. The plunger seemed to move well enough, but there was certainly some residual gunk I needed to remove.

 

I was wondering if others had experienced this problem, thoughts on the diagnosis or fix, and also whether you've had issues with the switch on the Imprezas.

 

Thanks,

 

Martin

[lmdew]

Make sure all of the cables and ground point are clean and free of corrosion. Poor contact can cause these conditions. Good Luck