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Been occasionally having starting issues with a recent RayLoc starter I got from Napa. Every few weeks, I'll go to start the car and all I hear is just a click -- typically sounding when the starter won't engage. I go hit the starter a few times with something heavy and then the car will start up.

Thinking that the starter has a bad spot, I went and got another one from napa (yay for lifetime warranty). Installed it and then the car wouldn't start at all. I could hear it 'click' each time I turned the ignition. After hitting it a few times, wiggling the wires around, I put my old starter back. It started up just fine. I took the 'new' starter back to napa, they test it with their machine and say its fine. wtf?

I have noticed lately that more white corrosion has been building up on the battery, but it's oddly not around the terminals.



I scrapped off a bunch. That something to be concerned about? While I was at napa, I bought a terminal cleaner and used it. You think my occasional starting problems are related to bad connections or something else? My alternator is new (grrrr) and while driving I always see ~14V.

My legacy had corrosion around the bracket - starter was just fine. I'd check the positive lead line going straight from the battery to the starter.

Well since my initial posting, I've gotten a new battery. It doesn't really seemed to have helped.

Lately, I've noticed to start the car when cold, I must hold the key in the start position for ~2-3 seconds. Only then, will the starter engage. Once it's warmed up, it only takes a second to fire up. Any thoughts on why? new battery and starter would've solved it, I thought.

Next time it starts acting up, try running a wire from the little spade connector on the starter directly to the starter. If it turns over right away, it is probably an issue with the ignition switch.

Mine was doing something similar, and I had to start the car that way for a while. Finally figured out that they ignition switch was messed up from someone's botched security system install. Replaced it ($20 or so from Advance Auto Parts) and have not had a single issue since.

Have you checked the starter solenoid?

Did you install the starter clutch interlock relay.

On my car, I unplugged and bypassed the harness I made, and the car went from making no noise, to actually trying to start (but the battery was dead). So I think something may have been up with the harness, or dirt on the contacts....because I haven't had issues with it recently.

I deleted my interlock relay as well.

IronMonkeyL255: Ok, so a wire from that spade (stupid plastic cover is annoying to remove when cold outside) to which the positive or negative connector on the starter?

asc_up: I have not. I assumed that this 2nd reman'ed starter would be fine. To test, I simply connect a wire from the battery (positive terminal?) to that push-on connector on the solenoid, right?

Legacy777: Nope, the interlock relay was never wired up (heh, thanks Nick).

Still been having the occasional starting issue. Occasionally, it flat out won't start. But some times, I'll hold it in the start position for literally a second or two, and THEN it starts up. That's not normal.

Anyways, I bought a new ignition switch and installed it today. Damn what a pain to route the wires up through the steering wheel area. Couldn't completely remote the steel knee kick panel thing, so that made it more challenging.


Here are some pics of the old one:

Front:


Back. interesting enough, the new DOES have a wire on that empty post.


Contact points. I briefly tried to scrape some of the crap off that top left one. I think this is a good reason why starting is a problem at times.


Looks like that top contact point on the rotor has melted plastic on it, obviously not good for making a circuit!

BSOD2600 wrote:Still been having the occasional starting issue. Occasionally, it flat out won't start. But some times, I'll hold it in the start position for literally a second or two, and THEN it starts up. That's not normal.

I've been having that issue too.

Did the new starter switch fix the problem?

I've driven 900+ miles and dozens of starts over the course of the past 2 weeks since the replacement. No starting problems since. After looking at all that melted plastic on the starter switch, I'm really thinking that was the source of ALL my starting problems the past year.

I'll update this thread if I do any time soon (but I better not since I've installed new parts for every god damn thing related to starting).

Well its been about 9,000 mi since my last post and the starting problems are occuring again. grrr

Some sort of issues as before -- when I turn the key, I hear the click from the starter.
* sometimes I can try turning the key a few times (slowly seems to help) and it'll fire up.
* sometimes if I'm on a hill I'll roll the car a few inches and pop the clutch in 1st. Then try starting and it'll work.
* sometimes I have to go and bash on the starter with a wrench, where then it'll start up fine.

I called up NAPA about the warrenty on this RayLock starter and its got a lifetime warrenty. They won't let me get another one until I bring it in and they test it. In all my past experiance with getting the starters tested for the Subaru, they've all passed, so I think this one will too.

Anyways, ya'll think its probably the starter or something else?

Peel the insulation back from your battery cables a little; are they copper colored or black/green/white Do the same for all the ground points on the engine, you may just have high resistance in the cables or ground points.

Sounds like a dead spot. It may or may not pass depending on where the rotor's oriented when they try it. No load on a test bench might make it pass even if it's on the dead spot. It's not an uncommon fault with starters and it's complete BS if they don't accept it.

Short rant: rebuilt starters and alternators are all junk. Getting a good one is a complete crap shoot because they're made in China (or substitute cheap-labor country) in shit factories with no Q/A at all. The clowns who work in these chain shops are paid barely more than minimum wage and get no training of any significance. Alternators can be shot and pass when tested because they don't know how to use the equipment right. At least with a starter, it's a visual go/no go, but having no simulated load is a bullshit test that almost any starter will pass and not acknowledging dead spot faults is a sure sign of ignorance (or a cover for a f-u warranty policy). Long gone are the days where you can economically rebuild this shit yourself and know it was done right (or where you cut corners that are the likely cause if you have problems).

Well drove to NAPA, pulled the starter in their parking lot. They benchtested it 12x times and all passed (amazing!). Afterwards that fucker was damn hot reinstalling it back into my car.

Turns out that the starter I originally got from NAPA is for a 90 legacy manual, which they have to special order from Utah and would cost ~$15 in frieght. The correct 94 legacy manaul starter they have in stock, they want to charge me ~$15 to 'upgrade' to the correct part! EVen though its their stupid store/computer which got the wrong starter in the first place! Called up the local corperate office and they said to stop by and they'll rectify the sitation. Will do tomorrow and hopefully then, these starting issues will go away again ... for another year.

Got the correct '94 starter from Napa headquarters this morning with no issues/money.

Lets hope this one lasts me longer than 6 months...

What is this difference with this starter?

Besides the fact that NAPA would have to special order the '90 from Utah, while the 94 they always have in stock? Couldn't really tell ya -- nor could they.

Maybe its just me, but I swear this starter takes a few more cranks before it the engine starts up... They both look the same and obviously work.

Thread back from the dead.
I have been having a similar problem. I turn the key and all I hear is a click from the starter solenoid. I have to turn the ignition repeatedly to get it to turn over. It starts up quickly once the starter gets going. It does it a lot more when it is cold out (32 F and below), but also does it randomly in warm weather. I have switched the starter out with a different used one and still have the same issues. Did you ever figure it out BSOD2600? BTW, mine is a 94 touring wagon with a 5spd swap.
-Max

Well the TW is sadly dead. But by the time it went to the wrecking yard, I had replaced the starter (several times.. actually about 1 reman starter a year), battery and lastly ignition switch. I seem to recall that by that time it didn't ever have problems starting... until the reman starter got another bad spot on it again. Whack it with a socket and it would fire right up...

Can say I've had any starting issues with the '94 SS -- yet (heh although it has my starter/battery from the TW).

I've been having the same issue with the wife's '90 N/a wagone since I got it. she has learned to deal with it. If it doesn't crank right away she just holds the key in the start position and after a few seconds it will crank over.

I told her that I'd worry about it when it doesn't start.... Have a good used factory subie starter waiting, and have a parts car with a good ign switch still in it...

Thanks for the heads up on the switch replacement!!!

Most of the time, the issue is going to be the starter solenoid contacts. I would start there as they are cheap to replace.

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