legacycentral bbs

I was hoping I'd never have to post in this forum...

I was hoping to have the Legacy running today. And even though my parts order was delayed AGAIN (I'm never going to that dealership again) and even though I have had a very rough week already, nothing has gone right all week, I bolted the new 98 Leg GT exhaust up and attempted to start the car....

It did not try to turn over, no sound came from the starter whatsoever. Now I will admit, that when I had my friend try to start it, I saw a ground wire that I forgot to attach, spark when it slightly touched the engine block. I believe I heard the starter click when it did that. So I attached that ground wire to its proper location and still the same thing. I wondered if I had blown a fuse when it sparked like that, but I checked all the fuses and they look okay.

I heard the fuel rails filling up with fuel when the ignition was in Start, so that eliminates the possibility that I didn't hook up the neutral safety switch right. The starter is connected perfectly, battery is brand-new, everything checks out.

I'm REALLY pissed off right now, because I have two cars and neither are driveable. The XT decided to strip one of the exhaust manifold studs right out of the head, so I have a huge exhaust leak, and I really don't feel like taking the heads off to replace burnt exhaust valves. I don't have a tap-and-die set, nor have I ever used one before, nor do I feel like taking a crash course and screw something up. So I NEED the Legacy running ASAP!! I'm having to borrow my grandfather's crap truck, which is most embarrassing.

So, any recommendations? Do you think I fried the starter when that wire sparked? I will probably take the starter to Autozone tomorrow and let them test it. But until then, any ideas?

D'oooooooooh....

Your car's a 5-speed, right? There is no neutral safety switch; just the clutch safety switch. And the fuel pump is controlled by the ECU, so it doesn't necessarily depend on the clutch safety switch.

Can you verify that the starter solenoid is getting +12v when the ignition switch is in the START position?

Can you push-start the car?

Yep, it's a 5-speed. I was hoping to get it running tonight so I wouldn't hafta borrow the truck tomorrow, so I was working on it up until about 12am...

So I haven't had a chance to clutch start it or do any testing of any sorts.

There is a neutral safety switch on an MT, but I forgot that only controls idle when you're in neutral and has nothing to do with starting the car

I have a multimeter, but I'm dumb as iron Cheerios as to how to use it, nor do I exactly know where the starter solenoid is. Remember, electronics aren't my forte

Thanks though Vikash, I hope we can both figure this out, and FAST!

Are you sure you plugged in all the sensors, cam/crank/etc. Dunno if you had to undo em, or unbolt em or anything but that can prevent the car from starting.

The solenoid is the hump on top of the starter, like sort of a smaller cylinder melted to the top.

Taps are pretty straight forward. If you're going to chase the threads, get the right tap and one of those t-handles for it and turn it. Use oil for lube and back off 1/2 turn for every 1 to 2 turns in. If you were going to make a new hole, you could look up a tap hole chart, then drill the hole to the corresponding size that matches what you want the threads to be. After drilling the hole, tap it as above. Work slowly and don't try to force it. When you back off you may be able to hear or feel a little pop. That would be the material you're removing getting cut. That's what you want it to do so that it doesn't clog the threads. I like the fluted taps personally, and never use the solid ones (smooth, like a screw).

Steve

Okay, I just got back from Advance, had the starter tested. It fired right up and spun like a champ. So the starter is fine.

According to the Haynes diagram, the current flows through the starter through the black fusible link and the slow-blow fuse #4 in the fuse box, both of which I double-checked, they're fine. So I have pretty much two options left: either the starter interlock relay or the clutch safety switch.

I reiterate: I am STUPID when it comes to electronics. I have no idea how to use a multimeter, so I really have no way of testing these two components, nor do I have the time or money to just replace them and see if that works...

So any and all help is MUCH appreciated!

Looks like the interlock relay is mounted to the little brace that holds the brake pedal lever and stuff, or somewhere near there. You could bypass it if you like by jumpering the red-with-yellow-stripe wire with the blue-with-red-stripe wire.

The starter solenoid terminal is right next to the big phat +12v feed for the starter. It's a little spade terminal with the red-with-yellow-stripe wire going to it. If all else fails, you should be able to use a jumper wire between this and +12v to start your car. Be careful, of course.

Your ignition switch could also be at fault. Check the voltage at the blue-with-red-stripe wire coming off the ignition switch connector; it should be +12v when you try to crank.