Car won't start after running recently

[nazgul]

Bear with me here. I'll include a bunch of details which are probably unrelated, but just in case they are...

The Problem
The problem is real simple. I start the car up, I drive somewhere. I turn it off. A few minutes later I try to start it again, nothing happens. Leave it there until next day and it works fine.

Definition of "nothing"?
All the idiot lights come on as normal. But when I turn the key to the final notch, nothing happens. Not even a click from the starter. It just sits there as though I hadn't done anything. Power is just fine. Power windows, windshield wipers, everybody is perfectly hunky dory, but the car makes no attempt to start at all.

What have I tried?
Pushing every button on the dash. Spraying compressed frozen air on anything in the engine that looked like a sensor. Unplugging and plugging in fuses. Jump starting. Nothing has worked other than waiting.

How long have I waited?
I know that it has worked after 7 hours, and it hasn't worked after 2.

Other items of possible interest.

• The battery and alternator have both been replaced in the past year.
• It seems to me that the shift is stickier than usual. It's also possible (but I suspect it's my imagination) that the steering is a bit stiff.
• The times I have started it up successfully after a failure, I haven't done anything special, just unlocked it, got in, put in the key, started the car.
• Somewhere either during, or just before, this all started, the Engine Check light went on. The car had been sitting for several hours in a very hot parking lot. The garage looked at it and found it was complaining about the Oxygen Sensor. I just called them to get the details on it. They say it's happened to me twice recently. The first time (a few months ago) they replaced it. This time it just cleared up by itself, so they didn't do anything.

When has it happened?
It has happened four times in the last 2-3 weeks (I don't drive it every day).

1. The first time I was driving in a very heavy rain. I stopped, went to a store, came out about 15 minutes later and the car wouldn't stop. Left it there, came back the next morning and it started fine.
   
2. I then drove it two miles to the local garage, turned it off, spoke to the garage man, went to turn it on, and it wouldn't start. At that point we were still thinking rain, so I left it there to dry out some. That evening (6 or 7 hours later) he tried it again and it worked fine. He brought it home (nice garage), I started it up from the driveway and put it in the garage and left it there.
   
3. A few days later I drove a few miles to an appointment (again in the rain). Met someone for 3-4 hours. Drove home. About an hour later I went to start the car and it wouldn't start.
   
4. The next time I took it out (a few days later), I made an effort not to turn it off at all (I was running quick errands). Brought it back home. Turned it off. Turned it on, all was well. Today (two days later) I took it out, drove two miles, turned it off to get gas (all that idling was not good for my mileage) and it wouldn't turn on after I filled it up. This time water was definitely not a factor. The car has been in the garage for over two weeks, and the weather has been sunny and clear for days.

Now for the probably unrelated part. Three or four years ago I had to leave the car outside for the winter. That spring, during a really, really heavy downpour, I was driving somewhere when all of a sudden the alarm system went off. The car was honking, the lights were flashing and (oddly) the left door open indicator was flashing as well. This is a very embarrassing way to drive! I made it home, and it didn't repeat. The garage found nothing wrong. It happened again a few weeks later, again, heavy rain. That time I took it to the garage so they could see it in action. Again, nothing. And as before, turning the car off and on made the problem go away. It happened again a few times over the next year or so, and the garage did try replacing some of the left door wiring, which may have had an impact. A bit more recently, I was having starting problems, and in rapid succession went through a new battery and two alternators before the problem was traced to the center console door lock, which had a short. I haven't seen the alarm problem since then, but that's why I initially thought this problem might also be rain related.

I need to get it out of the gas station parking lot by 10 tonight. Hopefully it will just start, otherwise I'll have to call for a tow. If someone has a quick bright idea, I'll take it to my local garage. Otherwise I'll probably take it to a local Subaru dealer, because the garageman is drawing a blank on this, and electrical problems really aren't his forte.

Thoughts?

[Manarius]

My guess is that the starter solenoid contacts are shot. Odds are you'll have to replace the entire starter.

[LetItSnow]

Originally Posted by nazgul

Definition of "nothing"?
All the idiot lights come on as normal. But when I turn the key to the final notch, nothing happens. Not even a click from the starter. It just sits there as though I hadn't done anything. Power is just fine. Power windows, windshield wipers, everybody is perfectly hunky dory, but the car makes no attempt to start at all.

Complete the definition of "nothing"... When you turn the key, what happens to the idiot lights and the clock?

[nazgul]

Clock comes on and works fine when I turn the key. I didn't write down what idiot lights were on since I assumed it was all of them. I'll check if I get a chance.

[tigersvx]

Originally Posted by Manarius

My guess is that the starter solenoid contacts are shot. Odds are you'll have to replace the entire starter.

It happened to my 92svx several times 3 years ago,light turn on ok,sometimes it starts,sometimes it wont....my problem was the tiny bridge wire (in or out of the fused box,dont remember),replaced that with a bigger one,or good one,,...it starts perfectly for the last 3 years,.....dont know if ur problem the same or not...try....this is a wired fuse,not an actual fuse,not look like one,without it,car wont start,it is in the fuse box in side the engine hood....hope it help'''(may be this wire is called starter solenoid)

[RojoRocket]

I had the same problem a year or so ago, but the car usually started if I just continued to turn the ignition ON/OFF until it decided to start(usually within the first 10-20 tries). Again, never so much as a click when failing to start. Meantime the shop replaced the starter and ignition switch. As the problem continued to plague me, I was told the safety interlock (combination of foot on brake and shifter in Park, sensed by the Inhibitor switch) might be failing, and to try starting the car in "N". Sometimes it would, and sometimes not. The shop finally tried bypassing the inhibitor, and though the car now ran the risk of starting in gear if not paying attention, it would start, every time, first try.

Maybe I haven't so much answered your question, as made some suggestions on how you can move toward solving the problem by trial and error. Best of luck!

Glenn

[LetItSnow]

Originally Posted by nazgul

Clock comes on and works fine when I turn the key. I didn't write down what idiot lights were on since I assumed it was all of them. I'll check if I get a chance.

Just makin' sure: The clock doesn't dim when you turn the key to START?

[Manarius]

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

Just makin' sure: The clock doesn't dim when you turn the key to START?

I just remember that when my old Legacy's starter crapped out, it just clicked at start. The clock dimmed and everything; the starter just wouldn't bump over.

[Suby Fan]

How in depth can you diagnose your own car? By the sound of it your security system could be malfunctioning causing the start disable to activate randomly... does your security system still work? You should try to start the car in neutral to see it if is possibly the NSS or neutral safety switch. do you know how to use a test light?

[nazgul]

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

Just makin' sure: The clock doesn't dim when you turn the key to START?

Ah, now I see where you're heading. It flickers when I turn the key, does it dim though.... I don't think so, but I'm going to have to check to make sure.

You're thinking if it dims, then the problem is in the starter, as opposed to before then?

[nazgul]

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

Just makin' sure: The clock doesn't dim when you turn the key to START?

Just drove down to the garage and tried it out. The clock does dim when I turn the key to start.

And it still doesn't start, so I'd say this has gone from being intermittent to permanent.

[nazgul]

Originally Posted by Suby Fan

How in depth can you diagnose your own car? By the sound of it your security system could be malfunctioning causing the start disable to activate randomly... does your security system still work? You should try to start the car in neutral to see it if is possibly the NSS or neutral safety switch. do you know how to use a test light?

Security system has been working fine, and turning it on and off doesn't change the behavior. I tried starting in neutral as well. I haven't tried the safety switch (need to look and see where that is on my model). If by test lights you mean interpreting the flashing diagnostics lights, I've read about it but haven't tried it. Will that tell me anything that the garage won't know by plugging it into their computer?

[Manarius]

Originally Posted by nazgul

Security system has been working fine, and turning it on and off doesn't change the behavior. I tried starting in neutral as well. I haven't tried the safety switch (need to look and see where that is on my model). If by test lights you mean interpreting the flashing diagnostics lights, I've read about it but haven't tried it. Will that tell me anything that the garage won't know by plugging it into their computer?

The garage won't know the starter is dead by plugging it into the computer. This won't throw a code.

I'd try tapping the starter itself with a hammer or screwdriver a few times while trying to start it. If the car turns over, you know it's something inside the starter itself. Probably the contacts.

[nazgul]

Originally Posted by Manarius

I'd try tapping the starter itself with a hammer or screwdriver a few times while trying to start it. If the car turns over, you know it's something inside the starter itself. Probably the contacts.

I called the garage this morning. After I'd reeled off the advice from the forum he said, "Actually, I already took a look at it. It's the starter. I tapped it with a hammer and it started right up."

So kudos to you, and kudos to Holton Street Garage in Woburn, MA!

[oab_au]

Originally Posted by nazgul

I called the garage this morning. After I'd reeled off the advice from the forum he said, "Actually, I already took a look at it. It's the starter. I tapped it with a hammer and it started right up."

So kudos to you, and kudos to Holton Street Garage in Woburn, MA!

It may be the starter or it may be a lack of current to the starter solenoid, caused by a faulty Ignition switch or Inhibitor switch on the transmission. When you hit it with a hammer, it shakes the solenoid so that the low current can move it.
More info can be read here.

http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...oid#post332532

Harvey.