CEL light flashes code 32 for 02 sensor. My Subaru will not start but is turning over. Faulty 02 sensor wouldn't prevent the car from starting, right?

Okay so after looking around at this forum for a bit + a few other places. I answered my own question. I should be able To remove 02 sensor and car should be able to run, just with terrible gas milage. I am going to start with the battery connection. Battery was just replaced last year after I bought the car, but il check voltage. Clean terminals and and go from there. A few other possibilities I have run across is my alternator or starter.

 

I had something similar to this problem occur last year. It was throwing three different codes. My mechanic at the time started

 

replacing fuel pump, spark plugs, etc. and

nothing was working. My CEL came on after I had a local car audio place install a cd deck and a free alarm they threw I'n. Weird stuff was happening. Alarm went off with nobody near the car and clicker was inside the house hanging up. I had a different man come out and check the install. He was the one that noticed my battery sunken In, Not Subaru or the other two mechanics I brought it to by then. I replaced the battery and it ran fine, codes vanished! But now here we go again....

Low battery voltage can cause some screwy problems.

When you say won't start, do you mean the it just clicks when you turn the key, or does the engine turn (chug chug chug) but won't fire?

 

I don't think a faulty O2 should prevent the car from starting, but OBD1 is strange, the fact that you got a code from it at all is a miracle. :-p

Need air fuel spark to get fire. Air is pretty easy, but the ECU controls the other two (fuel/spark) and is needs input from sensors to do it. So determine which one you do NOT have, and we can go from there.

Engine won't fire:( it is chug chug chugging.

Crank the engine for 5 - 10 seconds then sniff around the tailpipe for the smell of raw gas. If you smell gas, then you're getting fuel. The next step is to figure out if you have spark. Pretty simple, pull a spark plug wire off the coil, crank the engine for a few seconds and watch for a light show. Easier to do at night.

 

If you have both, then it's either not enough of one, or the timing is off.

I don't smell anything. Thanks for your help

Ok. Assuming no fuel. Check all fuses first. The pump is easy to access via a plate in the floor behind the passenger rear seat, though you may have to go in from the trunk if your seats don't fold down. You can check the connector there for 12V with the key On. The two larger wires are the power and ground for the pump.