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Car Forum / Subaru Cars / January 2009Starter Weirdness
I have a 1998 2.5 Legacy GT Wagon with a strange starter issue. In cold weather, the starter won't work. I can hear a click and the battery seem to be charged. Turning the key in the ignition again and again eventually turns the engine over. In warmer weather, not a problem. It has also happened twice that the starter did not disengage after turning over the engine. Turning off the ignition completely doesn't help. Does that seem like a starter issue or a wiring issue? > I have a 1998 2.5 Legacy GT Wagon with a strange starter issue. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > after turning over the engine. Turning off the ignition completely > doesn't help. Does that seem like a starter issue or a wiring issue? The cold weather no-start syndrome is almost guaranteed to be a weak battery. > > I have a 1998 2.5 Legacy GT Wagon with a strange starter issue. > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > The cold weather no-start syndrome is almost guaranteed to be a weak > battery. Forgot to mention: The battery has been replaced. The symptoms happened with the old battery as well. If you are sure the battery posts and clamps are clean where they connect together, then, your symptoms also indicate bad brushes in the starter, which I think it is. The brushes can be replaced or you can get a new starter. You indicate more symptoms than just cold weather, that's why I discarded the battery thing.  SignatureBob Noble http://www.sonic.net/bnoble >I have a 1998 2.5 Legacy GT Wagon with a strange starter issue. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > after turning over the engine. Turning off the ignition completely > doesn't help. Does that seem like a starter issue or a wiring issue? > If you are sure the battery posts and clamps are clean where they > connect together, then, your symptoms also indicate bad brushes in the > starter, which I think it is. > The brushes can be replaced or you can get a new starter. > You indicate more symptoms than just cold weather, that's why I > discarded the battery thing. Hi, Simple and easy to do is turn in the old starter for new replacement and\no more starter problem. > If you are sure the battery posts and clamps are clean where they > connect together, then, your symptoms also indicate bad brushes in the > starter, which I think it is. > The brushes can be replaced or you can get a new starter. > You indicate more symptoms than just cold weather, that's why I > discarded the battery thing. I'd say the pronlem could very well be the starter solenoid. It CAN be rebuilt, but for most folks a new/rebuilt starter is just as easy. Carl Signatureto reply, change ( .not) to ( .net) I agree Carl, It's possible, but their symptoms indicate the brushes. When the brushes get worn or the springs get overheated they don't make good contact, just like the solenoid. The brushes usually cause weirder problems than the solenoid. But alas, when going on some one else's verbal explanation of a problem, it could be anything and yes, the solenoid sure could be the culprit. SignatureBob Noble http://www.sonic.net/bnoble > >> If you are sure the battery posts and clamps are clean where they connect [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Carl >I agree Carl, >It's possible, but their symptoms indicate the brushes. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >But alas, when going on some one else's verbal explanation of a problem, it >could be anything and yes, the solenoid sure could be the culprit. >>> If you are sure the battery posts and clamps are clean where they connect >>> together, then, your symptoms also indicate bad brushes in th starter, >>> which I think it is. >>> The brushes can be replaced or you can get a new starter. >>> You indicate more symptoms than just cold weather, that's why I discarded >>> the battery thing. >> >> I'd say the pronlem could very well be the starter solenoid. It CAN b >> rebuilt, but for most folks a new/rebuilt starter is just as easy. >> >> Carl If it wasn't temperature dependent, I'd go with an each way bet. As it is I'm leaning towards brushes. IME, solenoids usually either just fail o else do the intermittent "click then start later" thing with increasin frequency before finally dying. If an starter exchange motor is cheape than the labour to do proper diags, I'd go that way. Cheer - Message posted using http://www.talkaboutautos.com/group/alt.autos.subaru More information at http://www.talkaboutautos.com/faq.htm The not disengaging cannot be pinned on the brushes. I go with the solenoid that could cause both if it is binding inside. When you say cold weather, how cold is cold? Good luck > > [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > Message posted using http://www.talkaboutautos.com/group/alt.autos.subaru/ > More information at http://www.talkaboutautos.com/faq.html Good point. SignatureBob Noble http://www.sonic.net/bnoble > The not disengaging cannot be pinned on the brushes. I go with the > solenoid that could cause both if it is binding inside. When you say cold > weather, how cold is cold? > > Good luck > I have a 1998 2.5 Legacy GT Wagon with a strange starter issue. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > problem. It has also happened twice that the starter did not disengage > after turning over the engine. Remove the starter motor and apply grease to the shaft that the starter gear moves along. Reinstall starter motor. Turning off the ignition completely > doesn't help. Does that seem like a starter issue or a wiring issue? >> I have a 1998 2.5 Legacy GT Wagon with a strange starter issue. >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Turning off the ignition completely >> doesn't help. Does that seem like a starter issue or a wiring issue? I was taught never under any circumstances to grease or lubricate this shaft (Bendix), as this will cause extra friction on the solinoid, slowing down the engagement and disingagement of the drive gear. Clean the bendix in Petrol, dry then reassemble. The accumulation of dust from the clutch can also cause problems in the Bendix. This may or may not clear your problem, but in general I have found to replace the complete stater to give the best results. You could end up trying several thing, and still need to replace the starter. > >> I have a 1998 2.5 Legacy GT Wagon with a strangestarterissue. > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > replace the complete stater to give the best results. > You could end up trying several thing, and still need to replace thestarter. For what it's worth, replacing the starter fixed the issue. The brushes and solenoid are not "user serviceable". The cost of the repair (parts, labor, 8.375% NYC tax): $321.87 Hi Florian! >I have a 1998 2.5 Legacy GT Wagon with a strange starter issue. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >after turning over the engine. Turning off the ignition completely >doesn't help. Does that seem like a starter issue or a wiring issue? I too would guess that your starter is failing. Specifically the solenoid; it's not making contact reliably (click when key is turned), and occasionally not releasing either (starter not disengaging). This is usually caused by contamination buildup inside the solenoid from the contacts and starter motor brushes. These symptoms _will_ get worse with cold, and will eventually the starter will fail altogether. (Perhaps catastrophically, if the starter fails to disengage, and you hit the highway w/o noticing it . . .) You can probably disassemble the starter and clean things up, but for the time and effort spent, you will be better off, IMO, to simply replace the starter. It's a fairly easy task, and for this reason, I'd recommend getting one from a salvage yard. ByeBye! S. Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101 > Hi Florian! > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >>after turning over the engine. Turning off the ignition completely >>doesn't help. Does that seem like a starter issue or a wiring issue? Solenoid/age stickiness is very likely, but there are more possible reasons for it clicking and not starting, as I have found from the 86 Peugeot 505 Diesel: 1) an age related internal degeneration of the battery cables INSIDE the covering. Try bypassing the cable/putting a jumper on to see if there is a hidden corrosion issue. 2) [this might be a Peugeot only problem] pehaps there is a key switch weakness that could be temp related as well. When warm, enough juice flows, but as it gets cold, the wires etc contract. Actually, there isn't enough juice in a Pug's case to do more than make the solenoid click. 505 gas and diesel are infamous for both, and a separate relay to bypass the weak ignition switch and cable replacements are the noted fixes for these. I have always wondered about Subarus as the starters always seems to turn over slowly even with a new battery once the weather gets cold, and they are a few years old. But since you said it doesn't disengage at times, go with simple & replace starter. Really, it sounds like it is binding up both on engage and disengage. Jim B |
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