Car won't start

I got home from work 4 hours ago. Went to start the car and it works fine in the accessory and on position, but it will not start. Doesn't make any noise at all (aside from seatbelt chime). No clicking or anything like a dead battery would. Battery is about a year old and I put a jump starter pack on it and it read 12.6V. I tried starting it with the pack and it wouldnt start either. Fluids look fine.

starter?

How can I test that? Wasn't aware they just up and die. I had no symptoms of starting issues leading up to this. Edited May 14, 2019 by computersoc

Sometimes there's a clicking noise when you try to crank it. Usually if you're sure the battery and alternator are good, it's going to be something with the starter.

I didnt get a clicking noise. I had that last year when the original battery was dying.

 

I also tried hitting the gas pedal as I turned the key. Had luck with that on my old car from last decade. No luck today with this car.

Take a hammer or a heavy wrench and hit the starter body a few times. Obviously not hard enough to dent it, but firmly. Don't short the wires. Sometimes as a starter dies it gets a dead spot in the winding. Tapping it may move the shaft just enough for it to go.

What's the location of the starter? Do I need ramps?

One of the great things about subaru, its easily accessible. Dont even have to get under the car.

 

Under the hood, on the drivers side of the airbox, look down and you'll see it. Its right under the big black ground wire. Its a big electric motor sticking off the back of the engine.

 

Just tap it a few times with a hammer or a heavy wrench and then try it. If you can, do it with someone holding the key in the start position.

 

I assume your car is an automatic trans, so you cant bump start it.

Edited May 15, 2019 by poconoracing
added pic

That was an old Honda trick I learned in the past! A couple of wacks and it would go, but there was fair amount of warning of it was failing. Hit it near the solenoid (where the wires are). Also use a multimeter and check voltage on the starters positive wire (with the ground on the chassis) while the car is in start position.

12.6V without the motor running is a charged battery.

 

Before you go out and bang on the starter. I would check to see if the starter solenoid control wire if it got loose and check and test the starter and ignition starter relay/fuse first.

Edited May 15, 2019 by amusa

Car started just fine this morning, I did not touch a thing. What is going on?

take starter out, test it using an o-scope and amp clam and look for the dead spot in the armature

Most auto parts stores can test your starter as well.

There's a recall on this for some cars. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCLRPT-19V297-5727.PDF

There's a recall on this for some cars. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCLRPT-19V297-5727.PDF

That recall is for switches which were replaced for whatever reason. Not the factory switch.

 

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There's a recall on this for some cars. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCLRPT-19V297-5727.PDF

 

 

The way that reads is if the part was already replaced? I also dont have a key ring, so it's always just been a single key.

If it's not even clicking, it could be the solenoid on the starter that's going bad on you. I couldn't tell you if that's something that's available separately, though, or if it'd just be easier to replace the starter wholesale.

 

It also looks like there's an inhibitor switch somewhere on or around the shift lever that only allows the key switch to power the starter solenoid if you're in park or neutral. If it ever doesn't crank again, you could try jiggling the shifter or going from park to drive and back just to see if that could be the issue. Seems a little more likely to me that this would be the issue rather than the starter solenoid, and it should be easy to test if you know where the switch is. If you're in park and turn the key, and you see 12V on one side and not on the other, that would point to a bad switch, otherwise your issue is downstream.

Auto or manual?

 

Neutral safety switch, starter solenoid, starter relay are things I'd look for and at.

Most auto parts stores can test your starter as well.

 

 

most of them throw it on a power source and spin it, chances of them landing on a dead armature contact is fairly slim... that is why you need the oscilloscope and amp clamp...

 

 

Here is how you do it

 

 

Love me some SMA, watched that video last week.

with no clicking from the solenoid I'd say that's your issue, either its worn out or has a bad connection, or isn't receiving the signal from the ignition switch. every time I've had starters fail in the past there was a slow degradation of start up speed, and by the end they would engage and just barely get the engine going. even after the starter on my Xterra got too weak to start the car it would still give a nice a positive click when you attempted to start it.... could always be a starter connection, making sure all contacts are tight and clean is where i'd start.

It was some starter relay that had to be rewired and cleaned.

Opening this up again because I'm having similar issues. So far i've replaced my battery (9/3/19) and my starter with a used but healthy starter (9/22/19).

 

 

Here's the deal - if I put my key in the ignition, wait a second or two to let the ceremonies finish, then try starting it I will either A. hear a "click" or B. my engine cranks once or twice then cuts off.

 

 

Now, if I put my key in the ignition quickly and turn the key quickly without letting any ceremonies finish, I get about 10 engine cranks and then cuts off. This is a repeatable phenomenon.

 

 

Brand new battery, healthy starter, ~12.5 volts off, 14+ volts running, and I cleaned/tightened all connections at battery, starter solenoid, and battery ground. No one I know has any ideas.. can anybody take any guesses? EDIT: Forgot to add, push starting did not work after 4 tries.

Edited September 23, 2019 by linksusmaximus

linksus that almost sounds like an immobilizer issue, but I’m not sure if the stock immobilizer just cuts fuel or if it also cuts starter engagement. Have you tried a different key? I suspect you need a scan tool to see what the ECU is missing when trying to start the car.

 

This issue might be worthy of its own thread. Please report back what the issue was when you solve it.

Have you tried a different key?

 

 

This was also suggested and something i've yet to try.. Another major variable in my problem is that sometimes it starts. After i replaced the starter yesterday, it started. Then i turned the car off to test repeatability and it didn't start. So, i waited a few minutes.. then I put the key in and turned it quickly and it started. So i drove it home (it was stranded at work all weekend). It worked all day Sunday and i drove it to work today, no problems. This makes it incredibly difficult to pinpoint the fix.. EDIT: Hmm unless the battery in my key fob is dying..?

 

 

Additional info:

- Leading up to this I'd get a loud grinding/screech after the ignition turned over. Led me to believe starter issues..

- I sometimes lose the power to auto-open/auto-close my driver side window. Other times it works fine.

- Backup camera flickers on/off sometimes while moving in reverse each time I give it gas.

Edited September 23, 2019 by linksusmaximus