occasional no start

[alpop]

1999 Legacy L 30th ann. 2.2

 

Intermittent no crank, click under hood, if try enough times will always eventually fire up.

 

I pulled the starter and took the solenoid apart, contacts looked excellent with little wear, makes sense with label that says rebuilt starter. I thought it was this grungy electrical connector to the solenoid so replaced that but still does it.

 

Then I thought the battery wasn't holding charge well (12.6 after running then 12.3-.4 the next morning)since it only seemed to do it the first start of the day, but then it did it after running for 30 minutes the other day.

 

If it is not firing and I jiggle the key in the ignition while it is in start position, it has no effect -so probably not ignition contacts.

 

Voltage of battery and voltage of hot terminal at starter are identical.

 

ideas?

[montana tom]

Have your helper turn the key and you identify the location of what is clicking.  All cables +- are tight, at bat and starter ?  Did you just take the cover plate off the solenoid, or did you take apart and inspect the incoming and outgoing connections ? I have found one of the 14 mm nuts loose on the starter side that caused an intermittent no start.  Check your voltage on the working side of the starter.

Edited May 24, 2015 by montana tom

[Fairtax4me]

Junkyard, find an OE Subaru starter.

Put new contacts in it.

[mikec03]

I've replaced 4 starters on 90's subarus, so that's my go to fix whenever the starter misses even once.  The advanced auto ones have worked for me.

 

However if a rebuilt starter doesn't work, on the 90's subaru there has been a problem with sufficient power to the starter solenoid. The fix has been to install a solenoid and run a power line from the battery through the solenoid to the starter solenoid.  At one time, a guy on the internet was selling a kit to do that but a person can find the solenoid at advanced auto and diy.  I only had to do that on one of my subarus.

Edited May 26, 2015 by mikec03

[alpop]

All connections are clean and tight.

 

I did take the solenoid apart completely so I could get a look at the contacts which looked pretty new, still lots of material left.

 

I don't understand the following statement, please elaborate - guess I don't understand how the solenoid and starter work together-

 

 

"The fix has been to install a solenoid and run a power line from the battery through the solenoid to the starter solenoid"

[mikec03]

 

The fix has been to install a solenoid and run a power line from the battery through the solenoid to the starter solenoid" 

It is a little confusing.  You buy a new solenoid which you mount on the back of the engine compartment.  Then you take the wire off the starter solenoid and use it to energise the new solenoid.  Then you run a wire from the positive post of the battery, with a 30 amp fuse, to the contacts on new solenoid and then from there to the starter solenoid.  

 

Now the power to the starter solenoid is much higher, although the operation is unchanged.  The logic behind this is that, somewhere in the existing wiring, there has developed additional resistance, which has reduced the amps [power] to the starter solenoid.  

 

Change your starter before worrying about it.  It's only $80.

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[Fairtax4me]

Relay.

A whole solenoid is extreme overkill when a 30 amp relay will work fine.

 

If the solenoid on the starter is engaging (clicking) then it isn't a problem of power getting to the solenoid. The problem is inside the solenoid, or in the starter motor. I've dealt with plenty of rebuilt starters that do exactly this, and it's usually due to a problem inside the starter motor. Either damaged connection between the solenoid and the motor, or damaged windings in the motor.

 

It might look all nice and pretty in the box, but that rebuilt starter got slammed all around and dropped plenty of times on its way to and from the rebuilder in (insert name of developing industrial country) to your local parts store.

Then there's always the question of the quality of replacement parts used by the rebuilder... If they did anything more than slap a coat of cheap silver paint on the outside.

[1 Lucky Texan]

if it clicks - gotta go with fairtax above.

 

if not, maybe some neutral safety or clutch pedal switch?

 

(is this an auto trans?)

[mikec03]

 

It might look all nice and pretty in the box, but that rebuilt starter got slammed all around and dropped

You may be right, but all I can say is that I have purchased 4 from advanced auto and had no problems with them.  Last summer, my son's 97 with 205 k miles, had a few times where the engine didn't turn over when trying to start.  Then after 1 or 50 min, he could get it to turn over and start.  Typical starter failure mode.  So we replaced the starter, and no problem throught the wisconsin winter and 15K miles later.

Edited May 26, 2015 by mikec03

[lstevens76]

I'll help make this more understandable.

 

Every manufacturer/rebuilder has a "tolerance" point for failure, there are always going to be some.  This could be .5% or even up to 20% depending on the company.

 

This means you just ended up as part of that tolerance for failure rate.  

 

The manufacturer figures if only say 3% are returned with problems then they don't have an issue because they are still making money.

 

This number can easily go up to 20% or even as high as 50% if those failures are occurring after 6 months regardless of warranty.  The reasoning on this is based on the number of failures vrs returns on warranty.  

 

Even if a manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty but is only seeing a return rate of 3% after 6 months then they don't care if the failure rate is >50% in reality as long as they keep selling them.

 

Then you have a lot of people who can't find receipts after 6 months, don't purchase at a store that has an order history, etc...  so they can't warranty and just buy another one combined with those people who bought the car after it the part was changed or don't care about the warranty and just buy a replacement (possibly different brand).

 

The point I'm making is that you are going to get failures on every product.  If your one of that small amount that keeps receipts, etc... go get it warrantied and get a working one.  

[wtdash]

And to offer some different advice.....cam sensor.  See if any of this THREAD is familiar.

Edited May 30, 2015 by wtdash