Cougar

You're welcome for the help. You may have some other trouble to check once you get the ignition going but probably not.

This is normal. Not a problem.

As DaveT hinted, are you sure the firing order is correct. 1-3-4-2, I think and the rotor goes CCW.

If the ECU doesn't sense the ignition system is working then it shuts down the fuel delivery system. It's a safety feature. The ignition must work first before you can really see if there is any trouble with the fuel system.

It appears that power is getting to the fuel pump ok since you could hear it briefly. The problem you should work on now is finding what is causing the lack of power to the ignition system.

With only 5 volts getting to the coil I think you have found where the problem is coming from at least. I wouldn't bother replacing parts until you fix the voltage problem first. You may be replacing them needlessly. Did you measure the voltage at fuse #5 to see what the voltage is there? If it is low there also check the fusible links for a loose connection. If they are good then see if the ignition relay is ok. The problem is most likely with it.

The test equipment I have used in the past using a Hall Effect device have been very accurate. Certainly more than enough to do what you are looking to do. I wouldn't discount the value of having a voltmeter to monitor the charging system with. I prefer it over a current meter as it can tell you a little more on how the charging system is working. As long as the voltage stays in the prefered range you should be safe. When the battery died on you last time you can bet that the meter wasn't showing 14 volts at that time. If I did use a current meter I would install one that uses a shunt in the circuit so the meter then only passes a very small fraction of the total current through it.

Follow Gloyale's advice. Check to see if the rotor is spinning in the disty. If that is ok then check to see if voltage is getting to the plus side of the coil. Also see if the horn works since it is on a critical ignition power circuit. If the horn doesn't work check fuse #5.

The large output wire on the alternator should go to the power panel under the hood and tie to a fuse. Then it should tie to the battery. This is the charging wire for the battery.

If I was doing this to my car I would get a new head. Why put on something used at this point when the head is off and getting something used could be a potential problem later on. Change the belt now because labor costs later on will cost you more. You aren't saving any money by leaving it on for another 30k miles. Same with the pump. It is a good idea to replace it while you are in there and have 100k miles on the old one. These things can be summed up by the wise old saying, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later".

I recommend you check the voltages of the CTS for the ECU and the MAF sensor to verify they are where they should be at normal operating temperature and engine speed. You should check the O2 sensor also using a scope to see how it is functioning.

If this was my car I would have a new head installed. I'm not sure what the total cost would be but it may be a something over $1,000 dollars to have a new one installed. Check your area for places that specialize in Subaru repairs and get a quote from them. They may be able to save you a little cash over a dealer shop but get a quote from them also just to see at least. You should also get the timing belts changed out if they haven't been changed yet if you do this repair. A new water pump may be good to do also. This repair will be costly but hopefully you will not need another major repair for some time after this one. Another more costly alternative, but may be a savings in the long run if you want to keep the car for another 5 years at least, is to replace the whole engine with a replacement from a place like CCR engines. This will give you a three year warranty on a engine that is basically new. If the car is in great shape besides the engine trouble it may be a good way to go.

Going by the start date on this thread I would give it a rest.

If the smoke problem isn't cured still then replace the PCV valve.

One thing I have found to work well to look for spark getting to the plugs is using one of the pocket size testers that checks for AC on household power lines. They don't make a physical contact with the copper wire, they just need to be close to it in order to work. They will show a response when it is within a foot of a ignition wire. They cost about $20 dollars and are available at hardware stores. Starter fluid is still the best trick I think.

You can do that but I don't recommend it. If the fuse blows for some reason it will disable all the windows until the fuse is replaced. The breaker will just reset itself automatically after it has tripped, even if the problem is still there. I doubt there is a problem with the breaker so I think you should leave it in place. If there is a problem with it get another replacement breaker.

Good pictures. Those connections are showing signs of a weak connection. I would replace the relay with a new one. I would try to repair the connection that has the two white wires going it also. Repairing these may not fix your current trouble but they will cause trouble later on.

As some others mentioned I tend to think the trouble is with the fuel delivery system. If changing the fuel filter doesn't correct the trouble then check the fuel pressure and see if that is ok. You may have a weak fuel pump and is a fairly common problem. My car would die on me at times and jerk a little going up hills. Replacing the pump fixed the problem. Later on another problem occured within the ECU and I had to replace a transistor in it. The transistor was in the circuit for the fuel pump. This failure caused the pump to not run at all. The ECU controlled the ground side of the pump circuit.

The lights are used in the field circuit for the alternator besides their normal function. So when the alternator has a problem those lights will light up also. It also gives a way of testing the warning circuits when the engine isn't running and the ignition is on.

Make sure power is getting to the coil with the key in the RUN position.

The answer to your question about the ignition relay and fuel pump relay is they are seperate relays. Each supplies power to those areas though the fuel pump relay circuit may go through the ignition relay also, I'm not sure. As far as using starter fluid to see what is happening, to me it is the easiest thing to try first. If you don't get any reaction from the engine using it then there is most likely a ignition problem. You don't need two people to check the results either. You can decide what you want to do on that but I would be using the fluid as a first check. To check for ignition trouble I recommend you first check some key points on the ignition that has 12 volt power running to it. Then check those points when the trouble happens using a meter or test light.

My info shows the fuel pump relay under the dash, near the door jamb, on the driver's side. The problem could be the relay. You should be able to hear the pump by sitting in the car and listening for the pump to turn on briefly when turning the key to the RUN position. The pump is in the tank. If the tech can't locate the trouble I would carry a can starter fluid in the car and when the trouble occurs again spray a small amount of the fluid into the intake and see if that helps get the engine running. This is a good method to see if the fuel and ignition systems are working. If the starter isn't working when the trouble occurs then you need to check other things for trouble. I am assuming the starter is ok and doing its' job.

I just got word from Howard that his clock also is now working ok after I worked on it.

The dimmer box is solid state controlled and without a print for it I would be just guessing as to what happened. It appears though that backfeeding the output for the lights with power is a no-no. Had this been a simple rheostat type design your idea should have been ok to do Nipper.

The ECU provides the ground internally for the circuit. Check the voltage at the ECU pin and if it is more than .5 volts the problem is inside the ECU.