Cougar

Start with the simple things first. You should get the alternator and battery checked out. One or both items could be bad. You may have a battery drain from something else also, causing the discharge. Check for spark to the plugs and you could try spraying some starter fluid into the intake to see if it is a fuel issue.

If you think there is no power getting to the ECU check the fuses and the fuselinks by the coolant reservoir. You may just have a loose connection. I would use a test light or DVM to check with. Hopefully the ECU is ok.

The same exact thing happened to me in my '88 GL-10 one night. I had it towed to a shop and they replaced the fuel pump and things were fine for awhile. Later on I replaced a weak alternator and as soon as I started the engine with the new alternator the engine died. I traced the problem down to a problem in the ECU. The ECU provides a ground to the fuel pump to turn it on. Working on the ECU I found a bad driver transistor. I replaced it and the problem was fixed. I also worked on another ECU that a shop was trying to use to fix my problem. It turned out the same transistor was bad in it. I repaired it also and gave it back to them so they could have a test ECU on hand. I can't say for sure your car is wired the same as mine but expect it is very close if not the same and it's your ECU that is the culprit here. I have a service manual to compare wires with if you want and if you want to send me the ECU I will look at it for you.

Adding the fuse by the battery will give you protection but unless there is something wrong with your factory wiring you are not really gaining anything by doing this. You can prove this by checking the voltage drop between the output stud of the alternator and the positive battery post. You should have less than 0.1 volt of drop. Your wire may add an extra 0.1 volt to the 14.5 volt charge but this doesn't really help your charging system. After a battery is charged up it will draw less current and will float charge. The best thing you can do is have a good battery with tight and clean connections to it and the alternator.

Check the sticker on the inside of the drivers door. It may be on it.

3 or 4 inches! That's incredable. They must have put the bearings in dry.

I would look for loose connections around the distributor and coil areas first before replacing anything. There is a notice in the USRM section of the forum in the electrical system section that may help you. I would check everything before replacing the distributor though.

I think you are bypassing a fuse link in the charging circuit by doing this. If something shorts out in the alternator you may get a nice fire going. The 4ga. wire will provide a lot of amps for some time before it melts down.

If you know the NSS is bad I guess there is a logical reason why you don't just replace the NSS but you don't state why. Are you sure the ignition switch is not really the problem with this? I don't like doing modifications like this but that's me. To bypass the switch just tie each end of the NSS to another switch you want to add. When you close the new switch you will bypass the NSS. There is no reason to add a starter button unless there is a problem with the ignition switch wiring. Just start the engine like you normally would by turning the key.

Your welcome for the help. Keep us posted on the results Scott.

I agree with Caboobaroo about the voltage drop check. This is a fast way to check the connection between the alternator and the battery. To check the drop, measure the voltage between the alternators output terminal and the positive battery post (not the cable clamp). Have the headlights and the heater fan on high to give a good load to the system. The engine should be running around 2,000 rpm. You should not have more than around .1 volt of drop between the two points. You can also check the ground cable the same way.

With the amount of miles you have on the car Scott, the alternator could be just ready for replacement due to normal wear and tear. Subaru alternators have never been real strong in my opinion. If your alternator is original then I would suspect it may be ready to be replaced and any good shop could check this for you to see what kind of shape it's in. You may also be ready for a new battery. This should be checked at the same time. Thanks for the link notice.

I don't know of a way other than replacing the CAT but the mechanic may have a test procedure to test it. The store you bought the alternator from should be able to test it I would think.

If your battery is fairly old I would think about replacing it also with the new alternator. A bad battery can over work an alternator. I would at least have the battery condition checked and if it was less than top shape I would replace it. Make sure all the connections are clean and tight and also check the fuselinks connection to make sure it is not loose. Doing these things will help insure a long lasting charging system.

Scott, From the sounds of your post I would also check the air filter system and exhaust system for a blockage. This may explain your poor mileage. I would also check to make sure the valve timing is ok since you say it bucks on acceleration. It may be a tooth off. This would hurt the mileage also. Besides checking the alternator for your electrical problem, if things are ok there then I would check the ignition switch and its' related wiring for a loose connection. Using a screwdriver handle to tap on things may help bring the problem out.