Hello everyone. This is my first time and my first Subaru. I bought the car in April 2012. Since then I have put 25,000 miles on it. Other than replacing a clutch cable the first year, the car has run very well. Two months ago I had the clutch and transmission rebuilt. It still ran great. Then I pulled a bonehead move. I decided to replace the distributor cap and rotor. Somehow, don't ask me why, I managed to install the distributor cap wrong! It was 180 degrees off. The cap I bought did not have the number one cylinder marked on it. When I went to start the car it wouldn't. I removed the distributor cap and found that the rotor had struck one of the contact points on the distributor cap, bending it slightly. The contact running along the top of the rotor was broken off and was laying below along with a small piece of plastic.

 

I have bought and installed a new distributor cap and rotor correctly. The car still won't start. I have now replaced the spark plug wires, spark plugs, and the ignition coil.

I have checked to see if the rotor is turning smoothly, and it is. The timing belts were replaced at 140,000 miles and the car now has 168,000 miles. When I try to start the car it turnes over easily. If I put the gas pedal to the floor the car will backfire once and then I stop.

 

I have put $1,500.00 into the car on the clutch and transmission and just don't have the money right now to have a mechanic look at it. I need help!

You likely have the spark plug wires routed incorrectly. Depending on cross reference, you may get a cap that physically fits, but the numbers are different.

 

Firing is 1-3-2-4 counter clockwise.

^^ don't read the numbers on the cap. My replacement came with Nissan firing order since the used the same cap design at one point..

 

just route your wires carefully, and make sure your is pointing toward cylinder 1 at TDC and that wire 1 is on that terminal.. It sounds like a wire crossed or distro off by a tooth or two..

^^ don't read the numbers on the cap. My replacement came with Nissan firing order since the used the same cap design at one point..

 

just route your wires carefully, and make sure your is pointing toward cylinder 1 at TDC and that wire 1 is on that terminal.. It sounds like a wire crossed or distro off by a tooth or two..

The nissan cross reference is exactly what i am referring to. Better a nissan part than a part not available.

Do you have a friend nearby with a Loyale or Gl with the same engine? Ask them to come over and open their hood so you can compare the wires.

 

You have learned from experience why you change the dirstributor cap one wire at a time lining it up with the existing one so the wires go in the correct order.

 

"Experience is a fine school ..." - Ben Franklin

#1 on the cap is to the right of the clip on the rear of the cap, looking at the brake master cylinder. Counter clockwise 1-3-2-4 from there. good luck.