Hi everyone,  

 

I am in at a lost.  Before I did a compression test, the car was working just fine.  Now, it is just making clicking noises everytime I turn the key.  I have a 97 subaru outback 2.5l.  The compression test were all ok, except the 4th cylinder had a weaker 1st puff.  Then the spark plugs were installed back in.  I put some dielectric on the boot metal connectors.  (I don't know if that will cause anything).  Also, I did jack up the engine pretty far to get access to the 3rd and 4th spark plugs.  But the confusing thing is, the engine was able to crank and give me compression readings.  Afterwards, I lowered the engine, and all of a sudden, there's no life.  Oh, also, I forgot to unplug the ignition for the first test, but disconnected it for the rest of the test.  Will I get clicking noise if the ignition coil goes bad?  

 

I thought the clicking noise was from the starter or the starter solenoid.  The clicking was pretty loud under the hood in the area where the starter is located.  I banged on it, still didn't work.  Then I thought, maybe the battery is just low.  I know, doing the compression test took a lot of juice out of the battery.  But I had spare, and the battery was strong enough to power up other vehicles.  So i'm not sure if it's the battery either.  Just how much battery power do I need to power a power eating outback?  

 

This morning, I took out the starter, and disassembled the solenoid, cleaned it, and relubed it.  I couldn't get the screws from the back of the starter off so I couldn't clean it, but looking inside it, it didn't look that bad.  After putting it together, I tested it with a battery power, and it spins, and turns on.  I also checked it with a volt meter, but I don't know if I did it correctly.  I read 20 from the multimeter...... except that was wrong.  I had set the multimeter correctly, but read the Ohms markings instead... lol.  only now have I remembered how careless I was in reading it.  But thinking about the settings I used and where the needle landed, it may have given me somewhere around 9v.  

 

I installed it back on the car, but it still doesn't work.  When I turn the key, the pulley turns for a split second, and then click click click click............ like it doesn't have enough power to turn the engine over.   ... or maybe something internal in the engine blocking itself from getting turned?..... 

 

I am lost.  All I did was jacked up the engine, did compression test, then lowered it back down!  ..... I did nothing else to it. 

 

Any advice will be helpful.  I had spent about 3 days in the cold scratching my head trying to figure what is going on.  

 

Oh yeah, also, I do have a remote lock on the car.  But I disabled it after every time I hook up the battery. ...so I don't know anymore.  Could that be a possible cause as well? 

 

Thanks in advance.  And I'm sorry its kind of long.  

Edited November 23, 20169 yr by Subruman

Check and clean your grounds.  At the battery remove and clean both the posts and cable ends .  make sure connections are tight at the starter.  Check voltage properly at the positive starter terminal ,should be 12 + at rest and no less than 10 vt if it is cranking. Clicking is usually low voltage bad ground or a faulty solenoid.

Edited November 23, 20169 yr by montana tom

can you crank the engine around with a wrench? maybe check for slipped cam/crank timing.

Battery is low. Probably had a poor connection when you tried to jump start it.

It's better to disconnect the battery and charge it if possible, rather than jump starting.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it.  Yes, I finally had the time to take the battery to Autozone and get it charged.  It happened to be just the battery!!!  It fired right up.  ... and music to my ears.  lol.  Well, at least on the side, I have a much cleaner Starter now. haha.