Very intermittent starting issue - key switch?

[91Beater]

A few days ago, I pull up to a rest stop. Go into the bathroom, come back two minutes later.
It won't crank over.

I can't get it to duplicate. Today I go pick someone up. I arrive. Shut off the car. Turn the key five minutes later and it won't start.

I tried sticking it in neutral and it didn't help.

Something I noticed is that when I move the key from on to start:
Sometimes stereo will shut off and I have to turn the key further to get the starter to engage.
Sometimes the stereo will shut off and starter will turn over at exactly the same point.
It seems to me that NO contact for starter is sketchy.

Problem with diagnosing this is that its way too intermittent to get it to duplicate.
I thought about wiring in two LEDs. One for starter relay coil and one across starter relay contacts.
The contact LED should remain on and coil remain off... and when starter is activated, contact LED shuts off and coil LED turns on for the duration of cranking.

I'd like to wire in a push-button with LED indicator(that lights up when its off using the voltage across the contacts) across the starter relay. The purpose is to monitor the voltage across the relay contacts

If the LED across starter contact turns off, this indicates that starter is getting voltage, which rules out control system. Then... I'll push the bypass button to directly energize the relay bypassing all safeties(so that I don't get stranded somewhere)

But... its too intermittent so I don't count on being able to duplicate it...

[Legacy777]

It really sounds like starter solenoid contacts. When I first started having the issue, it was intermittant and odd.

Regarding the stereo, anything tied into the "accessory" position on the ignition will turn off when the key is moved to the "start" position. You may have a bad ignition switch as well or that could just be the issue.

[91Beater]

It really sounds like starter solenoid contacts. When I first started having the issue, it was intermittant and odd.

Regarding the stereo, anything tied into the "accessory" position on the ignition will turn off when the key is moved to the "start" position. You may have a bad ignition switch as well or that could just be the issue.

After messing around with it, I had some success getting to duplicate.

It's doing exactly this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjZNvv6tr60

Same exact issues as commenters. Problem shows up after its been driven. Like my rest stop incident. I was like WTF? It freaked me out. Then after trying a few times, it worked.

I don't know if it's starter with bad commutator or solenoid. What should I do?

Rebuild solenoid and replace starter or just rebuild the solenoid?

[Legacy777]

There's not much to the solenoid, and you can pick up contacts and the plunger for pretty cheap. So I'd start there.

[91Beater]

It's got 200,000 miles... should I just spend $80 and replace the starter which includes the solenoid, or change the plunger and contacts on solenoid?

[Legacy777]

Personally, I'd do the solenoid contacts & plunger. I'm not too impressed with the reman'd parts from the autoparts store. If you can get a new starter from Subaru for $80, then that might not be too bad, but like I said, if it were me, I'd just do the solenoid contacts & plunger.

[jp233]

Yep I've got both cars, started doing weird things when turning the key. I made a post somewhere but can't find it. I put new contacts and plunger in both starters. Seems to work fine in the 93, the 94 still has intermittent problems.

I got the contacts and plunger kit from http://www.nationsautoelectric.com/

A local starter/alternator rebuild place might be able to just rebuild the whole thing, solenoid, windings and all with new contacts and plunger, for pretty cheap too.