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  #1  
Old 12-16-2002, 07:53 PM
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my car died...

Monday, a week ago, the temp. was very low, 10 degrees here in Chicago. My car started fine that morning and I let it warm up for about 3 min. Just when I put it to DRIVE, it died! I then put it to PARK, turn it off, then started again. This time it won't start. All the lights on the dash came on but didn't want to start anymore. The battery and alternator were good. My mechanic picked it up from my garage and fixed it and I had him change my spark plugs also. He said he changed some sensor. I didn't ask which one. All I cared about was, my car was back and running good for 5 days of long distance driving.

This morning it happened again, when I was about to go to work. Exactly this same thing like last week. It wasn't very cold today. What could this be? Do you guys know something about this problem? Please help. I already spent $300, last week on this. I appreciate any infos. I don't want to take my car to the dealer's if I can avoid it. Thanks.
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Old 12-16-2002, 07:56 PM
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Do the lights dim when you turn the key to 'start'? Do you hear any clicking, etc.? Have you tried to start the car in neutral rather than park? (keep your foot on the brake when you try this)
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Old 12-16-2002, 08:02 PM
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I didn't have my lights yet on at that time, and yes I heard clicking noise but I didn't want to keep trying before I was afraid I might ruin the starter. I didn't think about starting the car in neutral. I couldn't try it tonite, my mechanic just towed it back to his shop this afternoon.
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Old 12-16-2002, 08:07 PM
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If it just clicks and doesn't spin (with or without actually starting) it could be a battery, battery cable or the starter itself. If it didn't click it would be the ignition switch or inhibitor switch (otherwise known as a 'neutral start switch' to us yankees.)
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Old 12-16-2002, 08:17 PM
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Thanks Beav, I will call my mechanic tomorrow and find out what he did. I don't understand what "sensor" he said that he replaced last week, that cost him $150. Do you have any idea what he's talking about?
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Old 12-16-2002, 08:35 PM
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It's hard to say from this distance. *squinting* He may have replaced the inhibitor, or maybe something totally unrelated. BTW, the inhibitor is a switch that won't allow the car to start except in 'Park' or 'Neutral'. Many times they wear out and won't allow a car to start in Park but sometimes the car will still start in neutral.

In your case, where you hear clicking, I'd suspect a battery terminal is loose/corroded or a bad starter.
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Old 12-16-2002, 09:11 PM
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I heard it spinning strongly when I tried to start while on Park, but it just won't start all the way. BTW, where are the ignition and inhibitor switches located? so I can have them checked. Oh my, I wish I know more than just drive the car
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  #8  
Old 12-16-2002, 09:38 PM
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If the engine is spinning but not starting then we're in a completely different universe. Forget about the inhibitor and battery cables, etc. The ignition switch could still be bad, but so could a hundred other items, at this point. I wish I could be of more help, but once the engine actually spins it becomes a whole new ball game.

Good Luck! If you have more questions feel free to ask, I should be home for most of the day tomorrow, I've gotta have a test at the hospital and I'm supposed to be woozy for most of the day - can anyone tell the difference?
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  #9  
Old 12-16-2002, 10:16 PM
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Viv,

If you still have trouble, feel free to call me. I can come have a look..

749.1263

My area code is not 312. It's 8...

L
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  #10  
Old 12-17-2002, 05:22 PM
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Something's weird about my car. When the mechanic came here yesterday, it didn't start, so he had to pick it up and towed it to his shop. Today, he didn't do anything to it and he started it on PARK and NEUTRAL, and it started fine. He checked all the parts that he replaced the week before and they're working fine. When he checked the Neutral switch, it was loose. Could this be the reason? I asked him to replace that one as well. Probably it's worn out, like Beav said.

Hopefully, that's the only problem. I miss my baby. Lwin, I will call you if I still have trouble after this. Thanks.

Beav, are you still feeling wooooozzzzy? ...can't tell the difference
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  #11  
Old 12-17-2002, 08:02 PM
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Mine doesnt want to start when it sits in the cold. Sounds very similar to what you're experiencing. I thought I would be stranded at my gf's house on Thanksgiving. At first it wouldnt start - it would turn over just not start. So as I was turning the key I'd give it a little gas, revving the engine up until it was running. It took some doing but I got it going. But if I put it into gear, it would just stall out. So I ended up getting it started up again and it sat for 10 minutes in park while it warmed up. Ten minutes went by and everything was fine - went right into gear no problems.

The Subaru dude recommended checking a sensor, so he checked it out when I had the oil changed. The sensor is fine. He speculated cleaning the throttle body would take care of it. So we'll see...
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  #12  
Old 12-17-2002, 09:44 PM
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I had a similar experience one time a few weeks ago when it was very cold.

The car started fine in the garage, ran fine, and I backed it onto the driveway and shut it off. After two minutes, I decided to move it further, and it would not start. Cranked fine, but no start!

I thought the timing belt went.

So, I rolled it down the driveway a bit more and left it for a few hours while a did other things.

Then tried it again, and it started fine and has ever since! No rough idle or anything!!

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm ghosts !!!!!!!!!
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Old 12-18-2002, 04:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by vzSvx
Something's weird about my car. When the mechanic came here yesterday, it didn't start, so he had to pick it up and towed it to his shop. Today, he didn't do anything to it and he started it on PARK and NEUTRAL, and it started fine. He checked all the parts that he replaced the week before and they're working fine. When he checked the Neutral switch, it was loose. Could this be the reason? I asked him to replace that one as well. Probably it's worn out, like Beav said.

Hopefully, that's the only problem. I miss my baby. Lwin, I will call you if I still have trouble after this. Thanks.

Beav, are you still feeling wooooozzzzy? ...can't tell the difference
Your mechanic does not sound like he is too clued up on SVXs. Don't want to sound negative, Viv, but I am assuming with your car being '92, it is AWD. In which case, it is forbidden in the Owner's Manual to tow the car, it harms the transmission/differentials. Hope for your sake the shop was not too far away.

Neutral switch loose was possibly your problem all along, last week's $300 may have been un-necessary.

If you can, make more use of questioning the forum next time a problem arises, before you throw hard earned $$ at these guys. They do their best, but sometimes, they just actually do not know enough. Likely Lwin would problem solve it for you in 10 minutes, being familiar with what can go wrong.

Joe
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  #14  
Old 12-18-2002, 10:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by svxistentialist


Your mechanic does not sound like he is too clued up on SVXs. Don't want to sound negative, Viv, but I am assuming with your car being '92, it is AWD. In which case, it is forbidden in the Owner's Manual to tow the car, it harms the transmission/differentials. Hope for your sake the shop was not too far away.

Neutral switch loose was possibly your problem all along, last week's $300 may have been un-necessary.

If you can, make more use of questioning the forum next time a problem arises, before you throw hard earned $$ at these guys. They do their best, but sometimes, they just actually do not know enough. Likely Lwin would problem solve it for you in 10 minutes, being familiar with what can go wrong.

Joe
Thanks Joe for reminding me that I should have consulted the forum the first time it happened. But I thought it was just a simple thing. I lost Lwin's phone number, so I cannot call him right away. Anyway, I'm sorry I forgot to mention, my mechanic did pick up my car on a flatbed. He took care of my other cars before just fine but somehow the SVX is something a little complicated, particularly when he changed the spark plugs. He said, Subaru did not waste any space.

I still want to replace the Neutral switch though, but I can't find it anymore for some reason. I called everywhere, no luck. 1stsubaruparts.com gave me the part number and costs $94.00 but they don't have any in stock and cannot guarantee that they will be able to get some, because it's a 92 model.

I was told my car is running fine right now, but I haven't picked it up yet.
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"Striving for excellence motivates you. Striving for perfection is demoralizing.".

Last edited by vzSvx; 12-18-2002 at 10:35 PM.
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  #15  
Old 12-19-2002, 05:35 AM
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Before you buy an inhibitor switch please re-read my post(s). Once you indicated that the engine was spinning but not starting I replied that the switch was no longer an issue. The switch only prevents the engine from spinning when in any gear position other than park or neutral. It has absolutley no bearing on whether or not it actually starts. Sorry for the confusion, it's just the way the information played out.
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