hschwab Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 i have a 1991 subaru legacy and sometimes when i turn the key to start i get nothing. it is almost like the battery had be taken out. after a few seconds i try it again and it starts just fine. this only happens every once in a while. the batt and the alt are both fine. any idea what could cause this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 technically, this belongs in the "newer gen" forum; you might get better answers there. the mods usually move these threads soon enough, but while youre here I'll rty and help you anyhow. I had the same problem on my GL10, and it got to a point where I was frequently using a screwdriver to bridge the positive battery cable over to the solenoid terminal with the key "on" to start the car. I installed a relay to do basically just that, and used the original solenoid wire attached to the ignition switch, to signal the relay. go to advanced search, enter the search term "relay" and enter the user name Skip. on the first page there should be a thread with a subject similar to this, with about 27 or so replies... click on that. skip has a wonderful little diagram, and he and i both made some posts outlining this fix in detail... one of these days im going to make a simple write up with photos for the USRM.. one of these days..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendrik Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 i have a 1991 subaru legacy and sometimes when i turn the key to start i get nothing. it is almost like the battery had be taken out. after a few seconds i try it again and it starts just fine. this only happens every once in a while. the batt and the alt are both fine. any idea what could cause this? Here is a detailed story about the ignition switch , not just the start position...... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=65843 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Sounds like the starter solenoid. It may be best just to replace the starter, since the solenoid is part of the assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Start with basics. Clean all the battery cables. Next would be the starter solenoid contacts. They are cheap and easy to install. No need to replace the starter in this gen subaru. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 I'd try this if all connections are clean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Maybe you just need new contacts. If you pull the starter apart and your contacts are pitted, just replace them. They're under $10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manarius Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 Maybe you just need new contacts. If you pull the starter apart and your contacts are pitted, just replace them. They're under $10. I second this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 As a new guy on the board you need to evaluate your options. Do you have the time, tools and expierence to find a place to buy the contacts, yank the starter, tear into it and replace the solenoid internals? or as these iginion switches are known to cause some problems at this age Go for getting a relay and an inline fuse at Walmart, NAPA ect a few feet of wire and have a go at the relay fix Daeron and I explain? choice is yours batter up Good luck and we all hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 Hm...good info Skip and daeron. Actually I hadn't heard of the ignition switch issues before this. I'll have to look into this on my '96 as it sometimes has this issue.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manarius Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 As a new guy on the board you need to evaluate your options. Do you have the time, tools and expierence to find a place to buy the contacts, yank the starter, tear into it and replace the solenoid internals? or as these iginion switches are known to cause some problems at this age Go for getting a relay and an inline fuse at Walmart, NAPA ect a few feet of wire and have a go at the relay fix Daeron and I explain? choice is yours batter up Good luck and we all hope this helps. I'd say that out of those 3 problems, the starter contacts is BY FAR the most common, especially on the 1991's. And seeing as I own one and have had the contacts problem and not any of the others, I think I'd know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 No need to replace the starter in this gen subaru. I've replaced TWO starters in my 91 Legacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 i had a similar problem on my 97 obw. i swapped in a starter from a 96 leg donor car and evenually the problem came back. this led me to believe it wasn't my starter contacts (but both starters had 100k - to 125k miles, so who knows). so i tried the relay fix last spring and no more problems. my understanding was that there is an internal relay in the ignition system that gets weak and it doesn't send enough juice to the starter. i'm not sure. but if so, this may contribute to contact wear, or maybe the combination of the 2 issues is to blame, fix one and it works again. still , i'm not sure, but my starter is 100% now. thanks to skip, it was great help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 If the starter system proves out to be ok then check the ignition switch connector in the steering column. A common problem has been the terminal contacts that carry the high current get burned after time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 I've replaced TWO starters in my 91 Legacy.Just curious were these used, oem remans, autoparts store remans? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 I bought the car with a bad starter almost 7 years ago when it had 90k, I'm fairly certain it was the original. I had the starter replaced, and I have no idea where the replacement one came from. Earlier this year, that starter began to act up, so I replaced it with a reman OEM one, and so far so good obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 OK thanks. Just trying to figure out for replacement starter what the most reliable yet cost effective way is to go. I had terrible luck with oem reman starters from Ford, but I would expect Subaru to be superior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 As a guy who's been around the board for a while, I can say that the contacts are a often recurring problem. So I'd get my local high school or tech school auto shop to put new contacs in the soleniod. The contacts burn out. The easiest way to tell is if you turn the key to start, listen for a click under the hood. Every time you turn the key, you should hear a click under the hood. My dad thought it might have something to do with the clutch when his car started randomly not starting. He'd turn the key, nothing but a click, he'd push the clutch in and out, the car would start. Shows how supersiticions get started. I replaced the contacts, and the problem went away. My car, I've had the same problem, but it's that the contacts are getting turned by the starter cable. The contacts aren't anchored into the solenoid body well enough, so they rotate and don't connect well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 My dad thought it might have something to do with the clutch when his car started randomly not starting. He'd turn the key, nothing but a click, he'd push the clutch in and out, the car would start. Shows how supersiticions get started. Newer vehicles have a switch on the clutch pedal so you have to press the clutch in order to start it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Newer vehicles have a switch on the clutch pedal so you have to press the clutch in order to start it. Well DUH. "he'd push the clutch in and out" I suppose I should have phrased it "he'd pump the clutch pedal, then hold it in again" I'd say it's an 85% chance it's the solenoid contacts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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