Need some quick answers....

[suban00b]

Got some starting issues with my 95 Subie. It sometimes has some starting issues. The other night I came home from work. A little bit later, maybe 20 minutes or so my wife went to go out and get food and it wouldnt start. I went out to check it out and prolly messed around for a good 15 minutes trying to get it to start to no avail. Went back out maybe hour and a half, two hours later and it started right up. Next morning started no problem. After work i left to go get a mothers day gift. Got to the place no problem. Was in there maybe 10/15 minutes. When I came out it wouldn't start again. Had a friend come by and get me and went back hour and a half later and it started. Today I went out there not in the early morning but around noon time and it wouldn't start again. You guys think I need a new alternator? Is one I can get at autozone worth it? I kinda need to get this issue fixed by monday. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[suban00b]

Another observation I have made is it seems to not wanna start when it is warm/hot. Everytime it hasn't started it was run for a bit and the temp was where it should be. Usually after a drive home from work or to the store I went to yesterday. This afternoon it was directly in the sun and didn't start. After I typed my first post I went out to see if it would start and it did. It too a good 2 seconds before it started the first time but it has also been sitting in the shade now for a while so it wasn't as hot. Could this be the issue?

 

[EVOthis]

first check the obvious.......spark, fuel and air.......ive ran across situations were it could be a couple of things.........fuel pump, cam sensor, ignitor, crank sensor,even a loose wire.....etc.......when it doesnt start does it crank at all? how many miles on the car? what kind of engine?

[suban00b]

its got a little over 200k miles on it. not sure what engine, guess which ever comes with a 95 legacy. I don't know squat about cars so have no idea on how to check the obvious. I know that when it is running that it runs fine. The battery is fine and I know that the starter is getting power. I dont know the status of the spark plugs but I plan on changing them soon. When it doesnt start it doesnt do a thing. I can hear things happening under the hood. Fuel pump maybe? the dashboard lights come on, everything electrical works but the car doesnt do a thing..... hope this helps. Will try and provide what i can if ya ask. Remember I got no clue what im doing.

 

[EVOthis]

so the car doesnt crank at all?....do you hear a click or anything when you turn key?......

[suban00b]

yes. i do hear something clicking/turning on. not sure what it is though

[EVOthis]

usually when it clicks and doesnt start or crank you could have a dead spot in the starter...keep in mind that im trying to help you on solely what you post here so i could very well be wrong......

[suban00b]

I hear ya man. I am trying to give you everything I know. I would like to get this fixed so I can get to work and back on monday without the fear of getting stranded. Hell I have been stuck home all day cuz I dont wanna get stranded. Me being a car idiot I assumed it was the starter myself. Is there anything else you would wanna know that I can give you an answer to to maybe help out some more in the diagnosis?

 

 

 

I appreciate the help man. I truly do.

[EVOthis]

well has the car ever stalled when you were driving? or is it just a no start condition when you come out in the morning to go to work?

[four-fleet-feet]

If your car's died on you WHILE MOVING and would not restart until it has cooled down: First time I had to deal with this (on a 76 Buick) it was vapor lock. Car would stop dead on me without warning and would not start up again until it had cooled off, then it started up without any problem. I don't know if Subies get that, so I doubt that's what this is. I do know the fix was to increase the cooling on one of the lines with some fins (or the cheap version: aluminum foil). Don't ask me how it was done; I can't remember. Maybe someone else old enough and without a brain hiccup might remember.

 

Here's something to think about. Do you have a habit of coasting into your parking spot, or do you use the gas to get in? When you start up, do you give your gas pedal a tap before turning the key, or do you just keep your foot on the brake?

 

If it's not the starter (and the battery sounds fine if you're clicking, it's not dead yet), I wonder if your fuel filter's clogged and you're not getting gas. Or your pump might be marginal. Just before my 91 Chevy truck died and would not resurrect in a grocery lot, she had a tendency to not start up the first or second time I cranked when I left the store. She'd always crank right up leaving the house, which puzzled me. I thought it was the ignition switch, the starter, the battery, or the alternator, until the day the pump died and HAD to be replaced. No more problems after it was. Of course, that's why all the other things always tested out in perfect order... :-\

 

Before we go all out with suggestions, here's one even a car-challenged person can do: get under the hood and check the following. Are your belts okay? Are your fluids all full? Any funny smells or spots underneath that weren't there before this problem started? Anything inside not working (defroster not clearing the glass, a swamp in the passenger footwell, no interior lights, no radio, that sort of thing)? The craziest thing going wrong might click in someone's head and help them come up with a likely suspect.

 

One last thing: does this happen more often on a less-than-half tank? Never on a full one? That was the final clue that led me to the fuel pump.

[suban00b]

Damn dude....you said a lot of crap man! Geez.

 

It has never happend while I was driving and it doesn't stall out.

 

Sometimes gas, sometime coast. Foot on break.

 

 

If it was the fuel filter why would it only happen sometimes? It has actually happened a couple times in the past but they were spread out more. The past few days it has been happening more and more frequently.

 

Belts ok, fluids full, no smells or spots, defrost fine and no swamp either, lights, radio action! They both work. Everything is fine. I did forget to mention before that my CEL is on but I know its the knock sensor I just haven't fixed it yet. It came on but the car has done this a couple times before the CEL came on. It also has been on for a while before the car started to do this more frequently. Could that be it? I didn't think so at first.

 

Don't really know the gas levels cuz I never thought to look when it happens. I do notice that when the engine is normal temp it does it and when it sits for like an hour it will work.

 

Thanks.

[Suzam]

By your description, if it just "clicks" and the starter doesn't spin then you might need new starter contacts. You can do a seach and find pictures and a description of how to replace them. Or if you don't want to tackle them, get a rebuilt starter which is easy to install yourself.

[Olnick]

By your description, if it just "clicks" and the starter doesn't spin then you might need new starter contacts.

 

+1 to what Suzam said.

[Guest jclay]

Start with the obvious, with the CEL on, there could be codes other then the knock sensor... if the car will start for you, drive it to an auto parts store that can scan the car's computer for you (someone please chime in if this car has the OBD2)

 

You can call ahead to the parts stores and find one that can before you leave the house...maybe have someone follow you? Getting stranded is never fun, but if you have to be stranded, in front of the parts store isn't a bad place to be. The scan will tell you what codes are being read, the staff can offer suggestions, or you can bring your findings back to thiis board...there is a ton of good knowledge and helpful people here.

 

Good luck!

[Blue Whale]

I had an intermittent starter problem like this with my '95 Legacy automatic three or four years ago. I disassembled the starter, checked and cleaned its contacts, and put it back in. Big improvement--for a while. Then, the trouble returned. The starter would always work if I kept flippimg the key on and off for a long enough time, but that wasn 'ta good long-term solution. In the end, I put in a rebuilt starter; that took care of it permanently.

 

It's fine to check everything that might keep a car from starting; you might actually find and fix a problem. However, if the starter doesn't turn, it isn't because of poor spark or restricted fuel flow.

[four-fleet-feet]

First off, I second the 'get your codes read.' You know about the knock sensor; you need to see if there's a new code. Can't find a shop (like AutoZone) with free checks? I've heard Aamco is doing free OBD checks for a limited time, not just tranny checks. You might give them a call and see if they're still doing them. Just make sure you write down all the codes, and not just listen to them tell you what they mean - there are several things to look at under each code.

 

Knock sensors are pretty easy to do, do a search on this site and you'll get pix and detailed instructions.

 

As far as the problem goes, now we know it isn't a belt or fluid issue for sure. You'd have seen that. I'd test the starter at this point, and check the contacts as previously mentioned. Starter good? Get the system tested, one piece at a time, until you find the culprit. If you can get your hands on a manual, and a tester, you can do some of it yourself.

 

I'd also recommend checking out all your battery cables, clamps, and bolts. If one's cracked inside the cable, that would account for the hot=no-start, cold=start bit as well, since a hot cable can stretch enough to cause an intermittent break. Once it cooled it would be short enough to connect across the break (I'm talking hairline crack here). If you've ever gone over a rough road and had trouble immediately after, that's a possibility. If so, the problem will eventually get bad enough to not start at all. But this is a longshot because you said you've never stalled.

 

I'd rule out the fuel system now, as well, since you stated you've never gone dead on the road while driving, and your starts haven't needed extra pumping of the gas pedal - it sounds like that doesn't make a difference. (Bad pumps can give you trouble coasting into parking spots unless you stay on the gas until you are practically parked - personal experience here.) I also presume no rough idle, since you didn't mention one. However, if you haven't changed the fuel filter lately (your manual will tell you the mileage it's recommended at), you might consider doing it as an item with whatever spring maintenance you do. We're all filling up less often, sometimes with cheaper gas.

 

Whatever you do, don't ignore that CEL! Just because it WAS the knock sensor last time doesn't mean that's all it is NOW.

 

Let us know what you find out.

[aircraft engineer]

it was a problem in my caravan a few years ago - they replaced the contacts inside the solenoid. Click but no turn

 

Then there was the "other" problem with a Tempo - the starter turned but wouldn't engage. The bendix unit had come apart inside and wouldn't move forward enough

 

No turn - contacts. Turns but won't turn engine - bendix (starter drive)

 

Contrary to what some say - an autozone or the like starter is good enough

[dbarber]

I had a similar problem with my '95 Legacy wagon a few years ago. It would start and run fine from a cold start. If I shut off a hot engine, then it would restart fine. If it was just slightly warm, it wouldn't start until it had cooled completely.

Occasionally, it would throw a code, mostly not. I went and got the code read, and it was Crankshaft Position Indicator. The part was around $15, and it took all of 3 minutes to install.

Get your codes read! It MAY be something simple like mine.

 

 

Donn

[suban00b]

Well as I found out yesterday there is no real set time when it will fail to start. Hot or Cold it doesn't start. i am gonna try to get the starter replaced today.

 

[Olnick]

Take your starter out and check the contacts as mentioned by Suzam in post #12. It's a heckuva lot cheaper than replacing the entire starter.

[dncnstuart]

I had a similar problem. Turn the ignition, and it would either click once, or nothing. SOmetimes I'd turn that key for several minutes before it would start. Had the starter rebuilt, didn't help. Turned out to be the ignition switch itself. Replaced that, no probs since.