i posted several months ago about a 2005 forester x  with timing belt issues. I finally got the crank pulley off and the timing cover to find the idler with teeth sitting in the bottom of the cover with a broken bolt. everything in there looked fairly new and the problem stemmed from a small accident that had pushed the front endin enough to break the bottom of the timing cover. I installed the new kit according to the directions and several examples from you tube. all the lines and notches lined up and i pulled the tensioner pin and tried to start it.......and all that happens is the engine turning. i've pulled the #1 plug to check for a spark and didn't see one. the only thing i remember unplugging during the tear down was the cooling fans. The car was running great when the timing caused it to die.  i'm lost here and need any advice i can get.

Check for any error codes and make sure the ignition system has power getting to it.

Did you remove the cam sprockets for any reason?

Agreed, check for codes and also check the wire on the cam timing sensor, also check your fuses, if you worked on your car without disconnecting your battery and no gloves the static electricity can short your electronic parts.

i took the battery out before starting the teardown and will check the fuses tomorrow. the cam pulleys never came off. would be nice if it's something as simple as a fuse. also wondering if the timing cover from an '06 is the same as my '05. found one on ebay cheaper than a new one from dealer.

Edited November 14, 201312 yr by outback steve

i have checked the fuses and they all looked ok. the wire and plug for both the crank and cam(driver side) sensors seem solid and undamaged. i got the code reader from the parts store and only got 2 codes....p0102 mass airflow and p0113 intake air temp sensor. still need to find a way to test the coil pack because there is no spark at plugs 1 or 3. when i had the coilpack out today i stuck a jumper wire in each of the holes in the plug and didn't get any arc when i held the end near a ground bolt, so i'm assuming the ignition system isn't getting power. so i'm still lost and maybe this is enough details for someone to get me on the right path.

Edited November 14, 201312 yr by outback steve

Unplug the MAF sensor and see if it will start.

tried with the maf sensor unplugged....still just turns the motor and no fire 

Lets to back to square one then.

Are you sure you used the right timing marks? Dashes on the cams, and the dot/dash on the back of the crank sprocket.

Both of those codes could be a result of a lack of power getting to them, possibly coming from the ECU. If you haven't verified power is getting to the ignition system yet I suggest you don't do anything else until that has been done.

so far i've only been checking spark at #1 and #3 plugs. i talked to a local mechanic yesterday who said to check all 4  at the coil pack. he said that the cam sensor could be bad and only send spark to any number or combination of cylinders instead of all 4. as far as i can tell i used the correct markings when setting the new belt. the passenger side cam pulley had a very distinct line stamped in it and was marked white, same for the crank. the driver side cam pulley had a red mark and a white scribble about 1/2 inch apart and a very light stamp in the red mark. i used the mark in the red to line things up since the stamped mark seems more permanent.

You can replace a number of things in an effort to solve an ignition problem and it won't do any good if the ignition system isn't getting power to it. Whenever you have an ignition problem the very first step to take is verify power is getting the system (at least that is what "my book" says). Once that has been verified then you move on to other possibilities for the trouble.