SubaruJon

Thanks for the advice Dee2 and Lonstorm66. When you say clean the key cylinder switch contact, are you talking about the wire that is directly on top of the cylinder where the key goes in?

Hey everyone, I'm having this weird problem with my Loyale where the ignition won't work and the car thinks it's not on. Frequently when I put the key in and turn it to ON, no lights will come on - essentially the vehicle is still off. The hazards and door chime still work so the battery is not the issue (3 month old battery). It has only happened a few times that the car will actually turn off while driving, usually it happens when attempting to start the vehicle. I noticed it happens mostly when the steering column panel is on; once I remove it and jiggle the wires or give them room the car usually starts. The other weird thing is that when it is the ON position and I turn it to START, it doesn't turn on the starter motor. I have to jiggle it in the START position to get it going. This made me think it was the starter so I replaced the starter motor but it didn't fix the issue. One wire coming from the ignition switch was getting very hot to the point where it was melting the plastic terminal connector thing under the steering column. Beside the coolant reservoir in the fuse wire box with 4 wires, a green wire in there is also being over heated. I got a mechanics opinion and he thinks there was too much power going through the ignition switch wire, and that the previous owner or mechanic put in a higher rated fuse wire to keep it from shorting. (Sorry I have no mechanical background so I'm not sure what to call these parts. I also don't remember exactly what the mechanic said it was a while ago) So, I ordered a new ignition switch and put it in this morning. Everything seemed great so I tidied up the cables and put the panels back on. After breakfast I went to turn it on and nothing! So I pulled off the panel and put in the key and it worked again. I'm still having the issue of needing to convince the START position to work. The only component left would be the lock cylinder I think? I'm stumped, any advice or ideas would be appreciated.

Hello, I've been lurking the forum for a few months, but decided to join to get some advice on repairs. I bought my 1991 Subaru Loyale a few months ago and have driven it across Canada. Pros: good on gas, small enough to drive anywhere, easy to work on, only 160000km on it, looks cool. Cons: no power up hills, smelly exhaust, bottoms out when fully packed, Tick of Death comes and goes. Currently I'm having intermittent starting issues - I will make a post with more details.