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#1
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Turn key, doesn't start
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.
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*No SVX at the moment...* 1987 Winnebago Elandan 35' 2001 Yamaha Roadstar 1600 2004 Ford Excursion Eddie Bauer, 6.0litre Power Stroke Diesel - Daily Driver. Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, scotch in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming HOOOOYA !!!!! |
#2
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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.
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#3
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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.
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-Jason (8/23/07-Present) 1995 Subaru SVX LSi (197k) Polo Green (#1102) 03/95 Mods: DDM Tuning 4500k 35w Low Beam HID, 100w H3 Bulbs, Extra Ground Cables, 15 minute $12.96 mod, svxfiles designed transmission mount (), sporting a "new" tail light bar, silver BBS rims, custom power steering cooler (one that doesn't dump ATF constantly), new negative lead cable, no more third or fourth gear (1977-Present) 1977 Chevrolet Corvette (81k) Silver (12/01/2011-Present) 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 5MT (97k) I have a bad feeling about this. -Obi Wan Kenobi |
#4
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My car has done this exact same thing for a long time (since I bought it). I replaced the starter once when my car quit starting altogether (left me in a post office parking lot, but even though the starter is buried in there, it still is not that hard to replace, I replaced it in the parking lot), but the starter I replaced it with was a used one, and it still does the exact same thing, the car will start 90% of the time correctly, then once in a while it does that turn the key and click thing.
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#5
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This same problem has been thrashed out many times and the ignition switch has been the culprit. The evidence is on record so do a search.
Whatever you do, don't replace the starter without properly diagnosing the exact problem.
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Trevor, New Zealand. As a child, on cold mornings I gladly stood in cowpats to warm my bare feet, but I detest bull$hit! |
#6
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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. Quote:
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#7
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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 |
#8
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Start with the cheapest fix first, wire brush all your connections and pour coca-cola on them
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Brian |
#9
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Trevor, New Zealand. As a child, on cold mornings I gladly stood in cowpats to warm my bare feet, but I detest bull$hit! |
#10
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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. Quote:
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#11
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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.
__________________
-Jason (8/23/07-Present) 1995 Subaru SVX LSi (197k) Polo Green (#1102) 03/95 Mods: DDM Tuning 4500k 35w Low Beam HID, 100w H3 Bulbs, Extra Ground Cables, 15 minute $12.96 mod, svxfiles designed transmission mount (), sporting a "new" tail light bar, silver BBS rims, custom power steering cooler (one that doesn't dump ATF constantly), new negative lead cable, no more third or fourth gear (1977-Present) 1977 Chevrolet Corvette (81k) Silver (12/01/2011-Present) 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 5MT (97k) I have a bad feeling about this. -Obi Wan Kenobi |
#12
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Trevor, New Zealand. As a child, on cold mornings I gladly stood in cowpats to warm my bare feet, but I detest bull$hit! |
#13
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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.
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#14
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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.
__________________
*No SVX at the moment...* 1987 Winnebago Elandan 35' 2001 Yamaha Roadstar 1600 2004 Ford Excursion Eddie Bauer, 6.0litre Power Stroke Diesel - Daily Driver. Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, scotch in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming HOOOOYA !!!!! |
#15
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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.
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Subaru ECU and TCU Website 1992 Alcyone SVX Version L 1992 Alcyone SVX Version L 1994 Alcyone SVX S40-II 2004 Subaru Legacy 2.5 SE Sports Tourer 1996 Subaru Legacy 2.2 GX Wagon 1988 Subaru Justy J12 SL-II Last edited by b3lha; 06-25-2007 at 07:24 AM. |
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