Car left me stranded at school for the first time since i bought her 30k miles ago. I have been using a screw driver to start her as I lost the key about 8 months ago. I get in the seat after registration, turn the electric switch with my screw driver, and push my start button. I hear a click and then realize I have no power. No lights my radio won't turn on no electric what so ever. I have tightened and cleaned the terminals and I'm at a loss as to what may be the issue.

check your fusible links

Check battery ground too.

check your fusible links

 

Fusible links are in a gray box behind the battery on the left side of the engine bay. It will have 3 fusible links inside of it.

Thank you for the help. I just got back from the parts yard with some fusible links and an ignition switch. Starting it with a scregie or knife or file etc etc may have damaged it so thats what I'm hoping it is.

Will be back here hopefully driving my trusty sub

Thanks again.

t

ahhhh. Well, its still stranded in a parking lot. Here is a run down:

 

i lost the key and broke the column and ignition 20-30k miles ago....been starting her with a screw driver ever since. Night before the issue my wipers started actuating without input from the switch. I thought some electrical gremlins were just messing with me.

 

after I parked it and walked back out, I turn the ignition switch to on, push in my start button, and the starter clicks once. I turn it off and then on and no electricity what so ever. No radio, no lights.

 

6 hours later:

 

New used ignition switch in and I turn it to on and I hear the three little chimes telling me I have electric circuit again. Hit the starter button and all dash lights and electricity go out. I clean the ground(again) and mess with my connections. turn the key on and I have the chimes and A normal looking starting procedure: instead of pushing my ignition button, I flip on the lights-------------------All power dies. No dash lights head lights failed to come on and no radio and back to the same problem. What a weird issue to have. Usually, with this old of subaru, there is no new problem. Im stumped

On one of my BRATs, I had an issue of corrosion on the main battery feed to the fusable link box. Wire was just about ate through at it's connection.

Undo the mount for the link box and turn it over to inspect those connections.

 

Also, it could be the battery cables themselves loosing connection inside of the ends.

 

A "high amp draw" like starter, or headlights will cause the connection to fail, where dashlights, radio, chimes will not.

Edited August 29, 201213 yr by TomRhere

When you say new ignition switch did you replace the whole switch? The left hand side with the (5 wires I think) went out on my Brat. It did the samething you are talking about.

The trouble you are having is due to a bad connection somewhere in the main power bus. It could be a wire connection on the hot side or the ground side of the main power. Check the fusible links for a bad connection as that is a fairly common point of trouble like this. Also check the smaller power wire that comes from the battery to power the fusible links. Clean the main chassis ground from the battery along with the battery post connections. Another possible trouble is internal corrosion of a power wire. This usually happens at the battery connections but it can be elsewhere if the wire insulation gets damaged. The wire looks ok from the outside but is corrodid on the inside. It would help to have a test light probe so you could trace down the trouble spot. They are cheap to buy and a very good tool to have on hand for this kind of thing. Start the tracking at the battery then move on to the next connection until you find the trouble. The ignition will need to be turned on when you do that so current is flowing and the voltage drop acoss the bad connection is there.

Edited August 29, 201213 yr by Cougar

replace the aluimuminum batery cable with a copper one

Hey guys thanks for the information. I got the power to come on again this morning and and compression started it to get it back to a garage. Weird thing is when I turn the headlights on while it is running they work. Ill start with the test light and give an update. thanks again for all your helpful comments

This is really weird. I checked the wire from the battery to the fusible link box and it was two pieces and taped so i put proper ends on a new wire and replaced the monkey junk. Now when the ignition is turned on the starter still kills the circuit. turned off and on again and the dash lights come on. when i turn the lights on the FREAKING rpm needle bounces around and the plastic light switch on the dash IS MAKING FREAKING NOISE!!!!!!! Gall darn it what the heck is going on I'm wondering if my head really is fubar or if maybe the imaginary gremlins are chomping through wires?

bump

If you haven't yet cleaned the battery connections and the main chassis ground connection do that. If that doesn't help then start tracing the power feed, using a voltmeter, to the fusible links and see if the trouble is there. If that is ok then check the power lead going to the ignition switch from that point. It's a simple logical progression that will find the trouble.

 

The fact that gauges changed when you turned the lights on may indicate there is a chassis ground problem.

Edited August 30, 201213 yr by Cougar

I had some weird stuff like that happen with my Brat alternator would go out.

If you haven't yet cleaned the battery connections and the main chassis ground connection do that. If that doesn't help then start tracing the power feed, using a voltmeter, to the fusible links and see if the trouble is there. If that is ok then check the power lead going to the ignition switch from that point. It's a simple logical progression that will find the trouble.

 

The fact that gauges changed when you turned the lights on may indicate there is a chassis ground problem.

 

+1 it is in your main negative cable more than likely. I had this happen once on a Honda and the wire looked fine but when I did a prob test I found out there was a large spot of corrosion in the middle of the wire. I would check both ends of your negative and also check with prob light, or just replace negative wire

I agree. The negative leads to the chassis and engine need to be checked also.