so I got out of church tonight (yes it's friday night) and the Subaru would not start...  it would not turn over at all

 

I can hear the fuel pump, hear a relay on the passenger side kick panel area, the voltage is about 12.5 and does not drop when the key is turned

 

Any ways I need to figure this out...  is there a relay or fuse associated with the starter?

Auto trans or manual?

There is an interlock relay somewhere under the dash for the starter.

Auto trans, did you try starting in neutral?

Manual trans has a funny issue with the clutch start switch where if you don't push the clutch pedal far enough it may not properly ground the interlock relay. Then you get no power to the starter solenoid.

 

Another option is just the contacts in the starter are worn out. But you will at least still get a "click" from the solenoid as it engages.

Edited July 27, 201312 yr by Fairtax4me

It could be the starter.  The starter on 90's subarus have a tendency to fail.  When this happened to me, I just went to the junk yard and got a replacemnt.  The relay is part of the starter.

 

Another problem with the 90's subarus is that the control voltage to the starter can become too low.  This also happened to me.  You can check this by bringing current directly from the battery to the control plug, although you would have to go to the hardware to get a female connector.

Auto trans or manual?

There is an interlock relay somewhere under the dash for the starter.

Auto trans, did you try starting in neutral?

Manual trans has a funny issue with the clutch start switch where if you don't push the clutch pedal far enough it may not properly ground the interlock relay. Then you get no power to the starter solenoid.

 

Another option is just the contacts in the starter are worn out. But you will at least still get a "click" from the solenoid as it engages.

 

Auto trans

 

I did try neutral

 

if the contacts are worn out wouldn't it give some early warning like slow starts?

 

It does not even click at all, it's like the starter is not even there electrically

 

I am heading back out to the church today armed with a test light, a 10 gauge jumper wire, digital volt/ohm meter, and at the bare minimum that should get me home

 

 

another thing I noticed is a few weeks ago the key I usually use kept getting stuck in the ignition, I also noticed that the ignition switch felt a little wobbley however my spare key does not get stuck so I doubt it is related...

 

is there a FUSE for the starter?  

Maybe this will help?

 

Starting/Charging Diagram - 98 Legacy/Outback

Edited July 27, 201312 yr by heartless

well now that the sun is out it was EASY to figure out...  the starter relay wire came loose and was just hanging there

Glad you found the trouble. If it happens again I would suspect the inhibit switch first. They are a common issue for that problem along with the starter solenoid contacts wearing out. You will hear a load click from the solenoid when they go bad and you try to start the engine.

well now that the sun is out it was EASY to figure out... the starter relay wire came loose and was just hanging there

I've seen these wrapped over the larger harness that the wire comes from and pulled tight to the starter which could cause it to pull off if the engine twists the other way under accel/decel. Make sure it has plenty of room for the wire to flex to allow for movement of the engine.

 

Also there is supposed to be a detent in the connector that locks it onto the spade on the starter solenoid. If that has worn out or is stuck the wire can easily slip off.