Turn key, doesn't start

[JaySVX]

On my 92 LS-L i turn the key, and it clicks. i turn it off, and on, click, off, on, click, off, on, start. Then it runs fine. If it weren't happening like that, i'd think it was the starter, the battery, or the connection, but when it starts, it starts right up with no hesitation. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, how did yo ufix it? Thanks.

[longassname]

It's probably the starter. They go out like that...makes you go running around trying other fixes but no it's the starter. Don't get one from an auto parts store. Either get one from the suby dealer or get a used one off of an almost new suby.

Originally Posted by JaySVX

On my 92 LS-L i turn the key, and it clicks. i turn it off, and on, click, off, on, click, off, on, start. Then it runs fine. If it weren't happening like that, i'd think it was the starter, the battery, or the connection, but when it starts, it starts right up with no hesitation. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, how did yo ufix it? Thanks.

[Manarius]

1. Clean up the connections between the starter and battery (make sure the battery is good).

If that doesn't fix it:

1. Try to replace the starter solenoid contacts. This is likely the cause of your trouble. If you can't replace those, you'll probably have to replace the whole starter.

2. If those don't work - it might be the ignition switch or igniter, but those are rather unlikely. The solenoid contacts most often cause that clicking sound you described.

[wannarace928]

My car has done this exact same thing for a long time (since I bought it). I replaced the starter once when my car quit starting altogether (left me in a post office parking lot, but even though the starter is buried in there, it still is not that hard to replace, I replaced it in the parking lot), but the starter I replaced it with was a used one, and it still does the exact same thing, the car will start 90% of the time correctly, then once in a while it does that turn the key and click thing.

[Trevor]

This same problem has been thrashed out many times and the ignition switch has been the culprit. The evidence is on record so do a search.

Whatever you do, don't replace the starter without properly diagnosing the exact problem.

[longassname]

I'm not sure that is exactly correct. I believe some people used a relay to send more current to the solenoid than the ignition key does to solve the problem but it doesn't necessarily follow that the ignition key is the problem.

Often times a great deal of the problem is the contact on the solenoid isn't very good. When you're stuck in a parking lot it never hurts to give that spade connection a jiggle and try to get it on real tight. Even better, remove the plastic and adjust the spade to actually fit on tightly.

None the less these starters do weird things when they start going bad. If you see your clock dim out when you turn the key and the car doesn't start that's not your ignition switch. That's basically a short through the starter and it sucks so much life out of the electrical system you'll register a voltage drop accross all other contact points even if they are relatively good.

If your clock doesn't dim start looking at your ignition switch.

Originally Posted by Trevor

This same problem has been thrashed out many times and the ignition switch has been the culprit. The evidence is on record so do a search.

Whatever you do, don't replace the starter without properly diagnosing the exact problem.

[TomsSVX]

well... lets put it this way...

I had this problem with my 6mt for some time... I knew exactly what was causing the issue but never got around to fixing it... Finally I replaced my neutral saftey switch wires with 14AWG wires instead of the 22-24 gauge I had in there... problem has since been non-existant. SO this goes to show it is lack of good current to the starter... Trevor said it right... when its doing this its most likely the ignition switch on the way out

Tom

[Ricochet]

Start with the cheapest fix first, wire brush all your connections and pour coca-cola on them

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by longassname

I'm not sure that is exactly correct. I believe some people used a relay to send more current to the solenoid than the ignition key does to solve the problem but it doesn't necessarily follow that the ignition key is the problem.

Often times a great deal of the problem is the contact on the solenoid isn't very good. When you're stuck in a parking lot it never hurts to give that spade connection a jiggle and try to get it on real tight. Even better, remove the plastic and adjust the spade to actually fit on tightly.

None the less these starters do weird things when they start going bad. If you see your clock dim out when you turn the key and the car doesn't start that's not your ignition switch. That's basically a short through the starter and it sucks so much life out of the electrical system you'll register a voltage drop accross all other contact points even if they are relatively good.

If your clock doesn't dim start looking at your ignition switch.

Nothing weird is involved only logic and electrical facts. This has all well and truly been gone over and sorted, as is fully recorded, including all aspects the senseless fitting of a slave relay. I am not about to go through it all again.

[longassname]

It's weird that the solenoid design is such that it fails to a short instead of an open. I would have expected them to design the mechanics to fail to an open.

Anyway, fine, say that it's fully sorted and it's the ignition switch but I know for sure it is at least not allways the ignition switch. I had this problem in one of my cars and looked at that wonderful thread back then. I had an ignition switch that tested out not great and taking that thread into account I replaced it with a NEW one instead of taking my testing any further. It didn't fix the problem. I replaced the starter and it fixed the problem.

I'm guessing you and some others have had a bad ignition switch. There are probably even people out there that have had a bad inhibitor switch. I've had a bad starter.

I'm not exactly baffled by electricity, thanks.

Originally Posted by Trevor

Nothing weird is involved only logic and electrical facts. This has all well and truly been gone over and sorted, as is fully recorded, including all aspects the senseless fitting of a slave relay. I am not about to go through it all again.

[Manarius]

I would vote that failing contacts is far more common than the neutral or ignition switch problem. If you can hammer on the starter and make it work, it's probably the solenoid contacts. I see contacts go a lot more often than I do ignition switches. Maybe the SVX is weird like that, but in most other Subaru's, it's the solenoid contacts causing the starting problem, not the ignition switch.

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by longassname

It's weird that the solenoid design is such that it fails to a short instead of an open. I would have expected them to design the mechanics to fail to an open.

I'm not exactly baffled by electricity, thanks.

I am extremely interested but baffled by this report on solenoid failure as it strangely indicates that when the solenoid fails it does so in the closed position. This would have rather interesting results. Please amplify and confirm.

[longassname]

I haven't opened up a solenoid to see the mechanics of it but instead of simply not being able to cause the contact for the starter circuit it draws more and more current from the switching circuit. When you turn the key and it doesn't start it draws so much current from the switching circuit the clock in the dash will dim to blank despite having a fulling charged battery.

Originally Posted by Trevor

I am extremely interested but baffled by this report on solenoid failure as it strangely indicates that when the solenoid fails it does so in the closed position. This would have rather interesting results. Please amplify and confirm.

[JaySVX]

Thanks for all the input. I wasn't guessing i'd get such feedback so fast, but here it is. I was planning on going over the whole thing iwth a wire brush to make sure all the connections are good and clean, as i've had that happen before. Not sure where neutral safety switch is, i'm guessing under the shifter... but lack of having an auto before, i'm not sure. Part that makes me thing some sort of switch is going is that hwen it turns over, it turns over with full power, no hesitation, nothing of that sort. If the starter motor was going, i would think it would taper off in power, crank slower and slower as it died, but that's not the case.

[b3lha]

Have a look at this thread regarding the ignition switch:
http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27339


The solenoid engages the cog of the starter motor to the flywheel. As is engages, the contacts close and the starter motor turns on. If the contacts are bad then the starter cog will click into position, but the starter motor doesn't turn on.

When I had problems on my Legacy I managed to bypass the contacts by putting a screwdriver across the terminals on the back of the solenoid . I'm not sure whether the SVX starter is accessible enough to do that. It sparks a bit so don't use your best screwdriver. Actually, I wouldn't recommend trying this unless you are really stuck.