94 wagon won't start - just died (MT)

[evm1024]

I went into the store yesterday and left the 94 wagon idling with my family in it (to keep warm). When I got back I started to drive away and the engine died and would not start again.

I took the us home and got my wifes car and towed it back home...

Hooking up the black ECU wires I do not get any error codes. The check engine light just flashes on and off (at about a 0.3 sec rate). No other pattern, all flashes the same length.

Just to see what happens I disconnect the black ECU wires and hook up the Green (on a cold engine) and the check engine light does the same and the radiator fans come on high speed then low speed the off and repeats the pattern with a 1 or 2 second cycle.

When trying to start it it almost fires sometimes.

It's too cold to stay out too long so I'm in here asking advise. Next step (once I'm warm again) is to see if I get any fuel from the fuel pump and to check the intake ducting to see if there is a blockage and to check for spart with a timing light.

My guess is a loss of fuel. Either a blocked fuel filter or a bad fuel pump. Don't have a book so I'll need to figure out where to look.

Any helpful advise is most welcome.

Regards, Ethan

(Moved here from misc)

[evm1024]

Getting back out to the cold I hook up a spare plug to a plug wire and crank it over. No Spark.... Well, that is at least batter to know what is the reason it won't start . Now to figure out why..... What to look for next?

[evm1024]

So it could be the ignition module or the crankshaft position sensor or?? How to test the module? I see that they run $200 form the local parts place (ouch) and about $60 from a used parts online place. Spendy if that is not the problem.

I did take off the connectors and tried to see if corrosion was the problem. No joy.

Suggestions?

[ericem]

That's odd. Could be the coilpack. You should get a code I would think if the crankshaft position sensor was a issue. Are you sure you used a good spark plug??

[evm1024]

Looks like a good plug. I did only test it with one plug and on one of the (2) coils. I'll give it a try with another plug and on the other coil. No hint of a spark was seen and not much of any firing.

I was puzzled too bu the lack of codes. I was trying to list all that I could think of. I presume that the check engine light blinks like I described when there are no codes to report....

Thanks!

[vrg3]

Check the other channel.

It's possible your ignitor's toast. Usually only one of the two channels dies, but it's possible both did in this case.

The crank and cam sensor trouble codes get triggered if the ECU sees signals from one sensor and not the other. It seems unlikely that both would fail at the same time, and you have no codes, so I wouldn't suspect them.

Maybe find someone else with an early-to-mid-90s Subaru and see if they're willing to let you swap their ignitor and coil over to your car temporarily?

[sammydafish]

I've got an igniter you can have, just throw me a couple bucks for for shipping... might have a coil pack too.

test a few things 1st. make sure you have power to the coils (center wire I think)

you kinda need to test for injector pulse too. If you have that, then it's an ignition problem, if you don't, well it's probably a crank sensor. I'm pretty sure the car won't throw a code if the crank sensor totally dies, the ecu doesn't know that the car is cranking at all, so it doesn't try to start..... although you said it sounds like it wants to start? so if it spits and sputters than you might have intermittent spark, which rules out the crank sensor if you don't have a code.

Also try jumping it. A weak battery might crank the car over all day but not have enough voltage to fire the igniter. That's a commonly overlooked problem and I even had it on an impreza that was in the shop about a month ago.

[evm1024]

Thanks to all. I'll see about some more tests after work tonight.

[evm1024]

OK so I got some time in the freezing rain today to look at the wagon. Still won't start. I've replaced the coil with a junkyard pull and ditto for the ignition module. The ignition module does not have the same footprint as the on in the car but the connector is the same. I did have one of the screws in so that it would have a good through the case ground.

It is a 94 but has a prior years engine in it. I base that on the crank angle sensor being the kind with the long leads.

The engine check light shows no codes with the black wires connected. It just flashes on and off with no code pattern. When connection the green wires I get the radiator fans cycling fast-slow-off. (I hear that this is normal)

I ohmed the crank angle sensor and found about 1 k ohms. Then I turned the engine over with the crank angle sensor hooked up to the meter. I got about 600 mv AC. And when hooking up the black wire again I got codes (11) which is crank angle sensor. This tells me that this part is good and that the ECU does not have detectable problem.

OK, I've tested the spark using some used plugs. No spark visible. I tried a few used plugs just to be sure that it was not a bad plug I was checking with.

I should say that when turning it over I do get an occasional fire.

So what to do. Do you think that it is the ignition module? (wrong one from junkyard). I'll have to look for broken wires and other things that could keep the spark from happening.

Oh, because I did get the code for the crank angle sensor and no other codes I presume that it is not the cam sensor or other detectable things.....

regards, Ethan

[BSOD2600]

Have you checked the timing?

My car died a while ago while driving in a parking lot. Car wouldn't fire up afterwards. One stupid mechanic thought my ECM / wiring harness was bad. Long story short, the timing belt had jumped.

[evm1024]

I've not checked the timing yet. I'll have to do that on monday. Perhaps it did jump.

It appears to have spark. I put a plug in it and had someone turn it over and was able to see some spark. Dark outside so it was easier to see. Not as strong as I would like.

I'll be able to get back to this on monday and check timing. Till then let's see what fuel problems I could check for. I should have fuel pressure if the pump is working. I can check that. Where is the fuel filter and are there more than one.

Thanks to all.

[BSOD2600]

When my timing was off, the ECM was only firing two of the injectors, which is apparently why the first (dumb) mechanic thought the ECM/wiring harness was bad. So do you have spark in all 4 or just 2 cylinders?

The fuel filter is on the driver side in the engine bay. Should be above the windshield washer fluid container.

[evolutionmovement]

I wonder if you have a dead timing belt tensioner or frozen pulley. The only filter is near the driver's strut tower - it's a black metal can with the two fuel line connections on top. If you have fuel, my guess is maybe a timing belt tensioner. I had that happen to me. I stopped to get gas once, restarted the car and it promptly died. It would occasionally fire after cranking it a while, but only briefly. This happened in winter of course. I'll never reuse an old tensioner again. Damned tow costs as much as a new tensioner.

[evm1024]

I pulled the fuel line out of the filter and got plenty of flow when the fuel pump relay clicked on.

Its really windy and cold here so I will put off checking the timing.

That is what it looks like. Could be a frozen tensioner or jumped timing belt tooth for some other reason.

I'm not sure that I am up to resetting the timing belt outside this winter.... Perhaps a shop is in my future.

Perhaps I'll brave the weather and bundle up for the timing check.

Thanks to all.

[evm1024]

I finely got out to check the timing. Took forever to find the mark and get some paint on it then still couuld not find it again while cranking the engine.

Then there it was at least 40 degrees BTDC. Now we know why the engine will not start.

I had the timing belt replaced a year ago but do not remember if the tensioner adjuster was replaced. I'm gonna guess that I was cheap and had the pullys replaced but reused the adjuster. Bad move it appears.

We have mixed snow and rain at the moment. Perhaps I'll look into the cost of having someone do the reset for me. Now how much will that cost?

Thanks to all for the pointers.

--Ethan

[BSOD2600]

Glad you got it figured out. FYI, a new hydraulic tensioner and timing belt kit is going to run you like $400+.

[evm1024]

There is a good lesson here, read on.

I decided to go ahead an do it in the sleet and snow. Bundle up and cover it with some blue tarps. And dig in.

Once I get it down with the timing belt covers off I could see what the problem was. The adjuster was new from the last belt replacement (less than a year ago, done by my daughters boyfriend). However he had either not tightened the adjuster bolts down to spec or had missed the step to move it to the left.

It was all the way to the right and that would limit the adjustment range or limit the tension or???

I suspect that by being to the right the belt had jumped a tooth or 2 more than once. It looked to be about 3 or 4 teeth off. There was a point a few months ago that I noticed a change in gas mileage and less interest in going about 5k rpm. Plus harder starting.

Once I readjusted it and got it back together it started eagerly. Just in time to go skiing at Timberline tomorrow.

Thanks to all for the pointers and advise.

--Ethan

[douglas vincent]

AWESONME!!!!


Great to hear a success story like that!