90 Loyale Wagon, FI, non-turbo, 5 speed.

 

Cranks, but won't start. Doesn't seem to crank faster, so I don't think it's the timing belt, but will check it anyways. When turning the car to on, no noise from the fuel pump...is this normal? I'll use a meter to check the voltage, but I was wondering if not hearing it kick on was unusual.

 

I had a 93 Escort wagon (enduro race car) that had an inertia switch mounted in the cargo area, that once switched, would cut out fuel. If this was switched, the car would crank but not start. This is exactly what the Subaru is doing...but I can't seem to find anything about a similar switch. Was running and driving fine a few days ago, pulled it out of the garage and parked it, went to start it, and it was doing this. I find it hard to believe that the fuel pump just up and quit on me, same with the t-belts, but I've had stranger things happen.

 

Checked all fuses under dash. None blown. Made SURE I was pushing clutch through the floor. Also checked the plugs and wires, as this same thing happened when I had replaced the dist. cap on my Jeep with a crap no name brand and it was on wrong. Same symptoms - wouldn't start, just crank over and over.

 

One side note. There is a family living next door with small children (6-8 yrs old) that love to get into my cars. Oddly enough, the fuel door was popped during the time between when I drove it out of the garage and when I tried starting it again. Is there any way they might have put dirt or something into the fuel tank to cause this scenario?

 

Thanks in advance guys.

I don't know anything (much) about these Subaru's.

 

That said...

 

You'd no doubt see any contaminating stuff at the filler hole if the kids messed around with that, aside from water or such. Besides, I'd expect the engine would sputter or something and not just stop firing the cylinders altogether.

 

Sounds indicative of lack of spark. I suppose by "checked plugs and wires" you meant you pulled a wire or plug and looked for the spark?

 

Should be a simple matter to pull a fuel line and check it for flow that way, being extremely cautious of course. Could also be flooding at the carburator.

Almost the same thing happened on my 88GL Wagon. It turned out

that something was making power to the fuel pump intermitant.

Sometimes I had power to the pump and it would start, and sometimes

it would not. I hard wired the pump to the cig lighter after my

mechanic said he could find no problem, and the thing stuck me

in the middle of nowhere refusing to start.

 

Now if anyone can tell me why the primary power path became

intermitant I would love to know. It must be a theme with the

subaru as I have seen others post that they hot wired the

pump as well.

 

-Brett

Turns out it was a fuel pump kill switch wired into the hazard switch. Weird Oh well, that's better than it being a huge problem!