Wont Start

[Desertman]

Hello All, looking for some advice.

I have a 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek 2.0 gas. CVT.

Issue: 30% of the time won’t start. AUX power comes on and sometime a single click from the engine bay but nothing else. Will always start after jumping it.

I’ve had my local Subaru dealer look at it. It’s not the battery (new, Optima red top), alternator, or starter. They tested them and I retested them. The Dealer said bad battery cables but I’m not convinced.

I don’t know if I should test my ignition starter switch or something else. Any guidance would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Ty.

 

[bspill]

Had an issue with my Forester battery draining. Found out the dealer, without my knowledge, had installed a security system that was causing the battery to drain. You may want to check it out.

 

[bmart]

If you have another battery to swap in, I would, as a test. A bad cable? If it is broken, perhaps, but really unlikely. A damaged ground, absolutely. Loose connector? It may test for "in park" that could create such an issue. People love to store crap on the shifter/rear view mirror.

 

[Mark Monte]

Nowadays one can buy a "code keeper" that plugs into the cigarette lighter
so that you don't have to re-program anything after disconnecting the battery. (Not just the radio pre-set stations, the clock, etc,. but the powertrain parameters too)
My guess is that the dealer only "looked at it:" and shrugged his shoulderrs and didn't do anything useful.
Did he check the alternator output? Clean the terminals?
I call the "battery, alternator and starter" the Holyt Trinity because they are all inter-related. The battery has only one job: start the engine, and after that it isup to the alternagtor to keep it running strong_
., but did not remove what I call "invisibe corrosion" at the battery terminals. This type of resistance can cause a problem with the connection between the alternator and the battery. This condition can cause low voltage, or, more accurately, less amperage even though the Optima Red Top is a high qualioty battgery. Another idea is to stress test the alternator by reading the voltage at the battery while it is running. One can put a load on the alternator by turning things on likle the headlights,blowwer motor,etc. See if you still get 13.8 volts at the battery terminals.

 

[Desertman]

@bmart , Do you have any references that would walk me through finding out if I have a bad ground? Did you mention the car not fully being “in park” could be another issue?


@Mark Monte , I have had the alternator tested while vehicle was running, have not stress tested it yet. I have taken the starter off and it passed the bench test. I cleaned off the battery terminals as well. Code keeper is a good tip.

It’s starting about 80% of the time, first try. The other 20% it’ll start if I give it 30 secs between tries, 3-4 tries usually starts it. I’m not jumping it anymore.

 

[Mark Monte]

There is also a danger when "newer cars" are jumped. The car that is dead may suddenly start ===and create a voltage power spike that travels thruogh the jumper cables back to the running car and burns out the alternator.
It pops the diodes which control which way the voltage goes.
This happened once when I jumped a dead car using my mom's Nissan Altima. Believe me, replacing the Altima's alternator was not cheap.
In the really old days, like the Sixties, the alternator did not blow up like they do now. The cure is to unplug the alternator before jumping a dead car, and I wish someone had told me that before I made a boo-boo..

 

[bmart]

@bmart , Do you have any references that would walk me through finding out if I have a bad ground? Did you mention the car not fully being “in park” could be another issue?

Nope. Look in the service manual for ground locations. Check them visually and physically...and with a meter to ensure they are solid with no variance when you move them.

 

[Daniel Renaud]

Nowadays one can buy a "code keeper" that plugs into the cigarette lighter
so that you don't have to re-program anything after disconnecting the battery. (Not just the radio pre-set stations, the clock, etc,. but the powertrain parameters too)
My guess is that the dealer only "looked at it:" and shrugged his shoulderrs and didn't do anything useful.
Did he check the alternator output? Clean the terminals?
I call the "battery, alternator and starter" the Holyt Trinity because they are all inter-related. The battery has only one job: start the engine, and after that it isup to the alternagtor to keep it running strong_
., but did not remove what I call "invisibe corrosion" at the battery terminals. This type of resistance can cause a problem with the connection between the alternator and the battery. This condition can cause low voltage, or, more accurately, less amperage even though the Optima Red Top is a high qualioty battgery. Another idea is to stress test the alternator by reading the voltage at the battery while it is running. One can put a load on the alternator by turning things on likle the headlights,blowwer motor,etc. See if you still get 13.8 volts at the battery terminals.

code keeper what it's call doesn't exist on the web after a search for Subaru outback 2020 issues on code for the keys fobs only thing i know you can plug to the cigarette lighter a backup battery 12 v to keep the info.

 

[Mark Monte]

Dang it, I know it exists, the gizmo uses a 9 volt battery and costs less than $15, but the search engine doesn't respond properly.
There is this more expensive version at Autozone that automatically detects whether it works with your car:

Schumacher OBDll Memory Saver Cable

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