Dairyboy

Thanks for the input. Was able to go out today as sun broke through the rain and clouds and try to start the car. Didn't run, but cannot see anything obviously loose. Thought that it tried to fire, but will add a little starting fluid tomorrow or gas on the filter and see if there is fire. It almost seemed like it was misfiring as it cranked over a few times. Plan to also check and make sure it is getting fuel to the filter and then fuel pressure to engine. Will also check the fuses and see if I can get it to run a few minutes, then observe what is happening. Will post as soon as I can define and describe what symptoms I find. Hope to get that info out tomorrow sometime.

Thanks for the insights. Have gotten the vehicle here on a trailer and will see if I can check things out and just see what is actually happening, then give more information. At least it will be what I see. Hopefully I can spend a little time on it this week.

Have a 2004 Forester 2.5LX with about 237,000 miles on it. Wouldn't run when a friend decided he didn't have time to bother with it and bought another one, giving this one to me. A friend looked at it and said that the crankshaft bearings were out--engine wobbles or vibrates like crazy when it tries to run. I have never pulled or taken apart a Subaru engine, though have pulled a number of engines on older (60-80s) Ford and GMC pickups. I don't feel it would be a big problem, but just wondering if I should try to fix the engine or find another one? If I have to replace the crank and bearings, would seem that wouldn't take much more $ to just get a good used one. Am concerned that the engine may have other problems with so much vibration. Appreciate any thoughts, suggestions!

Yes, an excellent description. Thank you. Car working very well.

Thanks everyone for ideas and thoughts. Went out this morning and checked power to connecter at fuel pump--was there when turned on and tried to start, then goes off (just as someone said it should, thanks for that). Put in gas and still nothing out fuel filter line, so pulled pump and put in new one, a couple seconds of cranking and gas pouring out line, hooked in filter, tightened things down, and it started instantly. I love how easy it is to change the pump. Thanks everyone for your help. While looking for a fuel pump at the salvage I found a nice one on a 1999 Forester, but had 6 wires at the fuel pump connector instead of 5. Does anyone know what the 6th connector does? If nothing critical, are the other 5 wires the same function as the 5 wires on the 1996 Legacy? And otherwise than the extra wire (and probably some extra feature not on the 1996) could that fuel pump just be installed and would it work fine? Just wondering for future reference. Since no 6th wire (bottom right) in the connector, just blank, then whatever the 6th wire is on the pump would not work. If not needed on the 1996 and other 5 wires are the same, then if the rest of the pump is the same, it seems that it might work. Just wondering! Is there a simple way to tell if timing belt has been changed or that I should change it soon? Bought the car about 10,000 miles ago probably, and has about 236 thousand miles on the car. Definitely feel more comfortable working on the car with all the advice and pointers I received here. Thanks again.

I thought the question was very practical and appreciated it. More than once in my life, I have found that even when someone "knew" they had plenty of gas, it wasn't so! Haven't taken out fuel pump yet, so cannot look in, though should be plenty. On way home from work tonight, I kept thinking about how or why the relay only stays on for a second or two before shutting off--even when the pump is disconnected at the pump plug right above tank. If it does this with the new pump, how would it work? Is the pressure "switch" somewhere else rather than in/on the fuel pump? Or is there some reason it must be connected to the pump to "cycle" or run properly? Anyway, was thinking of jumpering the relay connector to make the pump run and see if it pumps gas to the filter before I pull it. At this point there is no pressure in the fuel line since it is disconnected at the fuel filter. If no gas is pumped at this point, will add a gallon or two and see if any difference before I proceed to remove pump.

Have a fuel pump pressure tester ordered, but took off the fuel filter and no gas there, so tried to start and the pump cycled on and off--maybe a pressure switch saying pressure reached? Anyway, found another pump at salvage and will install next week. Glad these are simple to change and work on--if one knows where to look! Thanks for all the advice so far and will let everyone know how things go. Have a great weekend.

Thanks, and will see what I can do about checking the fuel pressure. Got the fuel filter this evening.

It didn't start, just tried to fire. Had just pulled plug wire and had spark there, so put a little fuel in intake and it sputtered, but has not run.

Don't know yet if fuel is making it to engine or injectors. Have checked to see that even in run--power goes to fuel pump for that instant before shutting off. Will be later in the week before I can do more. Easy way to check fuel at injectors? Reading some other threads makes me wonder if maybe the timing belt has broken--explains the sudden death! No check engine light was on either after dying. Check engine light goes out after cranking for a few seconds now. Thanks for suggestions.

Installed new relay, still the same. I suspect that everything is okay with relay and fuse. Hooking volt meter to wire shows that current gets to fuel pump and it works for just an instant when you turn on the key, then goes off. So I think there must be a pressure switch activating that shuts off current to the control circuit of relay and this shuts off current to fuel pump (as it should) explaining why I have no current there when testing. Still nothing starting, so must be in some other part of fuel supply system, probably electrical since the car died "instantly" while driving. Has spark at a spark plug. The schematic shows fuse 16 as the fuel pump circuit, though not sure if that is on this year. It is good since current getting to pump for the instant when key is turned on. Will continue on with other parts since I am now pretty confident that the fuel pump itself is working okay, unless someone else knows something else to check! Have new fuel filter to pick up today, though doubt that is problem since didn't slowly act more and more starved.

Interesting day! Went in and hooked things back up and put in relay, still nothing, so put in a wire back to fuel pump from the relay--didn't connect it, but no 12 volts on the upper left terminal. Went back to the relay and found that it switches on and then clicks off almost immediately, even with the fuel pump disconnected. So relay must be a problem. Put in a jumper at relay and got 12 volts back to pump and it runs, but doesn't seem to pump enough gas to keep engine going. Tomorrow will get a new filter and replace that, and try to find a used pump at the salvage yard, plus pick up a relay or two while there. Any special ideas. Still puzzled why didn't have continuity on the wire harness at first, then when I put on jumper, then both the new wire and upper left terminal had 12 volts. Apparently the bottom left is a ground wire since it would show 12 volts from top left. Will work on it later this week or next. Thanks for the thoughts and advice so far. Hope to get this figured out!<br />

No continuity on Black/yellow to Blue/yellow.

Took the pump relay out and seems to check out fine. When two "brass" colored blades are connected to battery, then there is a click and there is then continuity between the two copper colored blades of the relay. Put back into socket, still no current to the Black/yellow (upper left) of plug at fuel pump, only power is at top middle and top right--low voltage to both of these. This morning seems to be less than one or two volts (about 2 in middle, 1 in right). Anyone know if there is some connector between the relay and the fuel pump that might be coming loose? Am going to check continuity between the relay plug (black/red) and the fuel pump plug (blue/yellow) on upper left of plug. No power to either of the bottom terminals of fuel pump plug.

Thanks, but no I cannot hear well, but if not power to the connector, then it wouldn't work anyway. Thanks for the info about relay not being under the fuse-block, will look and see if I can locate a green connector for the relay of the fuel pump. Nothing labeled fuel pump or other recognizable name on either fuse block. Haynes says after checking fuse, then check relay, but haven't found a fuse so didn't take the next step yet. Thanks for the info on fuel pump, though I doubt it is bad since I don't have 12 volts to the clip at the fuel pump.