PeterL

The retractable luggage compartment cover in my 91 Loyale wagon no longer retracts. Looks like the spring has broken or come loose inside. Any advice would be appreciated: 1. Can this be repaired? Has anyone ever taken one of these apart? 2. Where would I find a used replacement? Thanks, PeterL

Thanks to all your posts and some expert guidance from Skip (take a bow, please) my Soob is alive and well again. Yes, it was the starter solenoid. The "clack" on start confirmed that it was not the clutch switch. And of course the fuel system was innocent all along. I can't say enough about how helpful you all were. I think we can call this thread closed. Peter :-)

Thanks all for sharing your knowledge and ideas! Well, here what I have gathered so far. But first let me pass on a few facts a) my Soob is a 5 sp MT, so the clutch switch could indeed be the culprit. This morning, after about a 15 mile trip, I tried to restart after I shut of the engine: same problem, so it has nothing to do with the engine temperature. So, here are the current suspects (pun intended).... 1. The clutch switch. Is there a simple way to jumper this switch to essentially take it out of the starting circuit? Is there a simple test with a voltmeter to confirm that this is the problem? 2. The solenoid is not energizing. I can't tell from any clicks. I hear the fuel pump whirring followed by a click, but from the posts above it sounds like the click may be the pump shutting off by a timer in the ECU. Any suggestions to test this theory? 3. The solenoid is energizing, but the contacts that brings cranking current to the starter is bad. How do I check this If you have comments, please refer to suspect 1, 2 or 3 Also, thanks to you, I think the fuel system in my Soob has been falsely blamed by me! PeterL

Glen, If the battery contacts are bad/dirty, wouldn't the lights go dim when you turn the key to start (crank)? PeterL

General.. Lets explore the starter solenoid as the cause. What exactly happens when you turn the key to start? At what point is there a heavy current draw from the battery for starting (that would dim the headlights)? In my case, I'm not getting there... PeterL

Thanks for your comments. I'm pretty sure it's not the battery. Lights are bright with the engine off and remain bright when the key is turned to start (crank). Even though the engine does not turn over, the lights remain bright. Usually, if the battery is bad, the lights will dim noticably when you try to crank the engine. By the way, sometimes with no whirring sound or click, the car starts almost instantly! And usually after driving for a while, it starts right away. If it was the starter solenoid, it should have starting problems even when the engine is warm. Is there a sensor of some kind that senses fuel pressure at the injectors and will not allow the engine to crank unless the pressure reaches some minimum level? This is a single point fuel injected engine. Keep your suggestions coming and please tell me if my reasoning is faulty. PeterL

I'd appreciate some help with this problem: When I turn the ignition key to on (not start) I hear a whirring sound and then a click. If I try to turn the key to start, the whirring sound continues at a lower pitch but car will not crank. Is this a fuel pump problem? Or a fuel filter problem? Local Subaru dealers say that they don't know much about Loyales -- PeterL