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subie newb here, need help with intermittent no-start

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 1:29 am
by wakingtowinter
what's up guys. First of all this looks like an awesome board and it looks like there's a lot of knowledgeable folks on here. I'm very excited to be the new owner of a 93 Legacy turbo wagon with a 5 speed swap. I am completely new to Subarus, but not completely new to cars. Before this I owned a couple of Rangers and I know my way around those all right, but I am lost now with the Legacy. Replacing parts is easy but diagnosing problems, especially electrical problems, is a terrifying abyss for me.

I have an intermittent no-start issue that cropped up again today. Went to start car, turned key, lights/stereo etc. turns on, no start. just a click from the dash area. I know the battery is good. Other than that I'm not sure where to start looking since I don't really know where much stuff is on this car. What should I look at next? One thing I was thinking about was the ignition lock cylinder...When I got the car the cylinder was worn to the point where you can start it with any old key on your ring, and I haven't had time to fix it yet. I was wondering if this might be causing the problem. Thanks in advance for the help guys! :D

Re: subie newb here, need help with intermittent no-start

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 2:16 am
by wakingtowinter
all right, false alarm! I got it. I cleaned off the battery posts and terminals and she started right up. I should have just done this before posting. This was actually the problem with the last 4-5 cars I worked on that weren't starting. Love it when it's simple and I don't have to spend money.

Re: subie newb here, need help with intermittent no-start

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:07 am
by Legacy777
Welcome to the BBS.

If you continue to have a problem, I'd suggest taking a look at the starter solenoid contacts. It's a relatively common failure point. You can buy just the contacts online for pretty cheap.

Re: subie newb here, need help with intermittent no-start

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:17 am
by wakingtowinter
Thanks, I will keep that in mind.