i have a 94 loyale with 124,000 miles in top condition. i have a problem that has been going on for about 6 months. what happens is that on occasion the car won't turn over, similar to the battery being dead. when i turn on the key, i can hear a click (sounds like maybe a relay has kicked in) but nothing happens. the car doesn't turn over at all. i can try it several times but nothing happens. if i wait for a period of time, say 15-45 minutes or so, then try it again, it will start. if i can find someone close by to jump start it, then i get it jumped overa and it will start. if noone is around, if i wait awhile and try again, it will start without a problem. i've had the battery checked, it checks ok. subaru dealership couldn't find anything. it will do this and then be fine for maybe a week, or maybe even a month. but then it does it again. any ideas?

I've had a tricky starter. The selinod worked fine (that clicking you hear when you try to start) but it would only kick over the starter if I was VERY persistant or hit it with a lot of juice (jump starting it)

 

Swaped on a junkyard starter and havent looked back. Might want to try a junkyard one, just to see if its the starter, and replace it as needed.

 

Thats my guess

I recently had a similar problem.. Turned out that both the starter and the battery cables were worn out.. only takes about 20 minutes to change all of it.. They don't die often, so junkyard parts are usually ok.

I recently had a similar problem.. Turned out that both the starter and the battery cables were worn out.. only takes about 20 minutes to change all of it.. They don't die often, so junkyard parts are usually ok.

yes, sometimes you get lucky and your cables need to be cleaned or tightened. my starter has 197k miles on it as far as i can tell, and my car has good documentation.

Nippondenso starters have contacts and a plunger that need to be changed every once in awhile. Take off the back plate of your solenoid (3 phillips screws) and have a look at them. If the plunger looks badly pitted and one of the contacts is paper thin, get new ones from a rebuilder - should be less than $20.

had a DL and if you cranked on it too long(trying to start it after putting it together, wrong timing) it would just click after a few hard cranks. let it cool off and it would work until it got hot again.

Mike, we had the same problem on a 91 Loyale. I replaced the starter twice. Would work for a period of time, but when it got hot it would start over again. Took it to a mechanic, he replaced the starter a few weeks later same thing. He then found a short in the ignition. That was over a year ago, guess what it is happening again. Hope if and when you find the cause you post it.

Mike, we had the same problem on a 91 Loyale. I replaced the starter twice. Would work for a period of time, but when it got hot it would start over again. Took it to a mechanic, he replaced the starter a few weeks later same thing. He then found a short in the ignition. That was over a year ago, guess what it is happening again. Hope if and when you find the cause you post it.

My problem has been real intermittent. It hasn't happened since I made my original post. Every week I spray a cleaner on the battery terminal. It hasn't happened since. Coincidence? More time will tell. Sometimes it doesn't do it for a couple of months at a time. Stay tuned.