Ok, this roo is really starting to get on my nerves...no start--fixed!....Broke again

[subynut]

Ok, just finished doing a headgasket overhaul. Put new gaskets on, cleaned things up some, re-route the grounds for the ECU to a better point, put oil in, and water/cleaner in cooling system. Hit the starter....same thing, no start! I gots fuel, spark, air, and no codes. WHAT GIVES????!?? Batt's a little weak, charging overnight to see if that makes any difference. Any other ideas I might have missed?

:banghead:

I'm tired of driving Dad's outback, it's got too much horsepower! I want to drive my Suby!

 

help???

[Humble Nuto 53]

ignition/cam timing is always the first thing that comes to mind if youve got spark and fuel.

 

center of three lines, then, one cam up and one cam down.

 

then check to see if your disty is at #1 when flywheel is at tdc, then pull plug #1 and see if you get compression stroke when the disty is at #1.

[hooziewhatsit]

from the FSM, if you don't have long enough fingers to check for the compression stroke on cyl. 1,

 

take off the passenger side t-belt cover (if it isn't off already)

 

Line up 0* TDC on the flywheel while the dot on the cam points to 315* (North-West) It will either point NW, or SE, you don't want it to point SE.

 

Now adjust the disty so that it's pointing at the #1 sparkplug wire.

 

That should get it close enough in time that it will start.

 

good luck

[NorthWet]

Most frequent mistake is not turning the crankshaft one complete rotation between installing the driver's side belt (the one with the distributor) and the passenger's side belt. The second most common seems to be using timing/TDC markings instead of the 3 adjacent lines.

 

from the FSM, if you don't have long enough fingers to check for the compression stroke on cyl. 1,

 

take off the passenger side t-belt cover (if it isn't off already)

 

Line up 0* TDC on the flywheel...

Note: This will not work if the passenger side belt is not installed correctly.

[MilesFox]

http://www.economysuperstar.com/milesfox/subaru/service/timingbelt.htm

[subynut]

Sorry for the late reply, bad weather and crazy days at work.:-\

Anyways, I just checked the cams and they are 180 out, the ditsy is pointing straight back with the pass side cam at 315 and the flywheel at the tdc mark. I havn't done a compression check since the headgasket replacement. That will be next on the list. Any other ideas? My batt I think is shot from all this deep cycle discharging and recharging. It ain't holden a charge very well anymore. I dont' know what happend, but Suby has just given up and won't start to save the life of me.

[Syonyk]

Your horn works, right?

 

I know you said you've got fuel & spark, but more than once I've had a Subaru not start after some electrical work, and it was because the horn/ECU fuse was blown. I don't know *why* the fuse isn't labeled with ECU, but it seems to be important for the car starting.

 

-=Russ=-

[subynut]

Nope, horn has died I'm not sure when it went, but it's dead now. Fuse is good. But my relay for the air horn compressor is not kicking on. Time to dig into that one.

I'm gonna check my wiring for the ECU. I don't understand why, there's fuel in the throttle body, and I've got spark. What have I missed?

[MorganM]

Air, Fuel, Spark, Timing

 

 

Timing Double check it... tripple check it... quadruple check it.... at the cams, at the dizzy, fire order from cap to plugs... it's one of the biggest PITAs on these engins.

[subynut]

Ok, I rechecked my timing and it's correct. Wriring is fine. She is trying, she's almost there, but not quite enough to run on her own.

I still have no horn, but the fuse is good. I didn't tie into that circuit for the always on line for the ecu. There's power where there's supposed to be power, when I connect the green connectors, the fuel pump runs, the injector clicks, the other solenoids click. What is wrong with this thing?

I tried putting my ecu in my brother's car and I got no spark. I also tried putting his ecu in my car and got the same thing: no spark. But I think that's because his is an 87 that originally had an auto. While mine came from a 88 manual. Guess they're different.

I'm this | | close to putting the werber back on just to see if the trouble is engine related or fuel system related.

[subynut]

She runs! Looks like it was a flaky battery. I put a new one in and she fired up with a little help. Odd, when I checked the timing, it was right on 20 degrees! She is running smoother than before, so my guess is those gaskets were on the verge of going anyway.

I did have my brother pick up a used ECU for me and I know that works in there. So, now I have a backup ECU, fuel pump, ditsy, and throttle body. I should be all set incase of fuel injection trouble.

So, after replacing the head gaskets, fuel pump, ECU, and now battery my Suby is running again!:banana:Next on the list: finish the oil changes, finish the cooling system flush, and do somthing about a cold air intake. After all that, I should be good to go for a while.

Thanks for all your help, guys!

[subynut]

Well, that lasted real long! I made it a whole wopping mile and she died again! Now, I have no spark. I don't get it! Here's what happend:

I started down the driveway, stopped, looked both ways started to move, then she bogged real bad, then took off like normal. Went for 2nd gear and bogged again. If I use more than about 1/8th throttle she was fine till I got above about 3000rpms, then no more bog. Turned around and headed back home and she then started bogging really bad then just quit. Ended up pushing the car home (I was only about 2 houses away). Put the timing light on and found no more spark. I let her sit overnight thinking somthing got too warm. I tried starting her again the next day and I still have no spark. The ECU only had the air control valve code stored. What happened?

My next plan of attack is to try putting the ignitor/coil assembly in my brother's 87 wagon and see if that makes a difference.

[ShawnW]

That sounds like the coil to me.

[Steveman09]

Could be Coil or Ignition Module located under the coil.

[Cougar]

Instead of guessing what is wrong I would start checking for voltage getting to the ignition system. The fuse may be be good but you need to verify where voltage is getting to. A simple test light probe should work fine to locate the trouble spot.

[subynut]

Yup, coil. My accel finally gave up. I did check for voltage at the coil and ignition module and I had power there. My brother put the ignition module/coil assembly in his roo and it wouln't start with those. So, I then had him put my old stock coil on there and then it ran. He reinstalled the old coil and ignition module into my car again and she fired right up. I had to work on my sister's roo tonight, so I didn't get a chance to go for a test drive. Will do that tomarrow after work. Thanks guys!

[Cougar]

It sounds like there is a whole lot of roo work going on around there. Glad you got it running and hopefully that will be it for problems for some time now.

[subynut]

Yup. Hopefully Suby will be ok so I can work on the rest of the roos. I just put a new thermoswitch in Barry, however, his clutch fan only runs at about 1800 rpm (Hehe..electric fan time) and his A/C has given out. Let's see....Bub is getting about 200 miles out of a tank even tho his driver is a light foot. ThunderWagon, my brother's roo, doesn't like wet weather, bog city (I'm begining to wonder if it's his coil, he's acting the same as Suby was just before she died.) Ummm.....BillyBob has a squeek reletive to viehicle speed and has a bog when cold. Vanacreampuff just lost the driver's side power window system, dad jurry rigged it so the window is at least closed. While the truck just sits there laughing at the rest of them cause he rarely ever breaks! Yup, I've got plenty to do.

[subynut]

Well, Suby's good to go. Hopefully I won't have any troubles for a while. Did an oil change on BillyBob and in the process, I found his mystery oil leak: Looks like possibly a cam seal has let go. It's dripping on the lower radiator hose and all over the driver's side suspension. Oh what mess! Oh twell, Dad want's to have that done by a pro, so, I'll stick with the other 3 roos. Ah the joys of watching over the family roos!