'06 Outback 2.5 Weird No Start

[yblocker]

I have noticed with these cars that they are very consistent with how many times they crank befroe they fire when cold.  If however, for whatever reason you release the key just a bit too soon- just as it's ABOUT to fire and it doesn't start, then it will take a bit of cranking to get it to start on the 2nd try.  By "a bit of cranking", I mean like 3-4 seconds or so then it will fire right up.  This behavior seems pretty consistent.  This human error induced hard start happens to me maybe 2 or 3 times a year.

 

Today I did this, but the car was then very hard to start.  I would crank for 5 seconds or so then it would suddenly stop cranking as if some resistance was encountered- like the timing belt folding in on itself or the starter is jamming or something. I would release the key, then re-engage the starter and it would crank and stop again.  I went through this routine 5 or 6 times, then on one cranking session it sputtered a bit- then I tried again and it started, idled smoothly and quietly like usual- the only noise being the injectors popping.  I drove home without any trouble.

 

130,000 miles, original starter, 10,000 miles on a new belt, rollers and water pump.  I re-used my old tensioner (with a new bearing/roller) because the one I got in the kit was made in China and I didn't like the look of it.  The original Subaru one was nice and stiff like it's supposed to be with no sign odf oil weeping from the damper.

 

It's the sudden stopping of cranking that bothers me the most.  Any ideas on this?

Edited April 3, 2018 by yblocker

[1 Lucky Texan]

if it never did this before the work you outlined, double check battery and any other electrical connections that may have been disturbed.

 

how old is the battery?

 

will it behave this way warm or cold? One thing with cold engines, a failed start can leave a lot of unburned fuel in the cylinder as the ECU is using engine temp. reading to 'choke' the a:f mixture with xtra fuel, then, it does it again on any subsequent start.  THis can be severe under some instances - I read of a guy with a Ford pick up that would start the car on cold mornings, drive thru a gate and turn the engine off, go to close the gate, come back and the car was so flooded, he had to hold the gas pedal to the floor. In fuel injected cars, holding the accelerator pedal on the floor while cranking signals the ECU to withhold fuel - it's the 'clear flood' procedure. I guess you could try that is the symptoms seem worse when cold. If they seem worse when hot, I dunno, maybe a weak battery....?

[Bushwick]

Check starter connections and battery terminal connectors for corrosion, looseness, etc. Check the main grounds too. A sign that a main ground might might be bad is an excessively hot 12v+ starter cable, or conversely a 12v+ cable that's hardened and is no longer pliable, which typically means it was overheated a bunch of times, which weak grounds can cause.

 

A simple trick to test how weak the main ground might be, is use jumper cables. Jump both ends ( + and -) of the cables to safe engine grounding spots that won't short anything or fall into the belt when cranking/running. Then, jump opposite end to a solid body spot (preferably bare metal like say the top bolt on the strut tower) and jump other end directly to the battery NEGATIVE (nothing goes to positive). Have someone crank it. If it cranks over strong all of a sudden, inspect the factory grounds. Might need to wiggle the clamps when someone is cranking as older clamps can be unreliable at times if barely making contact.

[idosubaru]

it's probably a starter or starter powering issue:   starter contacts, battery, or wiring

 

check fuel pressure

[yblocker]

I'll check connections; battery is 1 year old.

Fuel presuure sounds like a possibility too, though power to 5k rpm seems normal.

[GeneralDisorder]

Cables, connections, starter motor brushes, wrong starter gear reduction, etc. Sounds like it has good compression and the starter isn't applying sufficient force. 

 

GD

[yblocker]

Cranks pretty strongly when it does crank over.  The sudden stopping make me think the end of the armature is cocking in the bushing.  Not sure if these are supported by bearings or bushings.  I might just pull the starter and have a look.

[yblocker]

Happened again today.  Finally did start.

I put my generic OBDII scanner on it and get a 0335 crankshaft position sensor fault.  I cleared the code, and it starts but hard to trust it now.....

[1 Lucky Texan]

older models from the 90s have had crank sensors fail with temp.

 

that is not an expensive part to replace, but , you may have a bad connection to it or a bad ground so, triple check that first. Even look in the connector to it for a pushed-back pin.

 

I even read of a guy that cleaned debris off his sensor and cured misfires....?

[yblocker]

I bought a new sensor one to keep in the car, and I'll check all connections as suggested.  I do use this car in the boonies, and a no start could be "inconvenient".