[roarester]

so i have a 2007 forester xt automatic

yesterday when my girlfriend went to start it she said it started and when she came back the car was off but the lights were still on.

I finally got around to looking at it today and i went to start it, it gets full power, I can hear the fuel pump working, but when I crank it over it makes a weird noise tries to start and keeps making a bad noise. i think it might be the starter making the noise but I honestly have no idea.
any help would be appreciated.

if anyone would like i may be able to take a video so you can see and hear it.

 

[roarester]

any ideas? please!

 

[Inactive_55959]

I think it might be helpful if you described the weird noise, or provided a video/recording of some kind. Otherwise: not a lot to go on.

 

[Kevin]

Is it a "clicking" noise?

 

[ForesterCub]

It could be so many things, that's the issue.

Can you expand on this a bit? "yesterday when my girlfriend went to start it she said it started and when she came back the car was off but the lights were still on."

Posting a vid may help. But first start with basics like making sure you have oil, fuel, battery power,. Confirming you have a spark would help narrow things down a bit.

And no check engine light?

 

[roarester]

 

[roarester]

video posted, no check light, fluids are all where they should be. car was running tip top a few days ago the last time i drove it.

from what i can tell she went out in the morning, it was a bit colder than it has been. and started the car up, went inside and she says when she came out the engine was off and the lights were on and would not start again. i thought maybe it was becase it was cold but when i went out today it didnt even want to turn over.

 

[ForesterCub]

The engine is turning over, albeit slowly, so it's not the starter.

Honestly, start at the battery. Check all cables methodcically, forensically, and have battery tested. If you're not familair with electrical diagnostics then you're probabaly going to have to call someione out. But like I said, check the battery and and ground wires first.

 

[ITTY]

Can you jump-start it? Sounds like a weak battery that finally gave up the ghost due to the cold.

 

[roarester]

i just checked all the connections and they are all solid, i amwaiting for my buddy and we are going to try jumping it and testing the battery. thanks for the input, i will keep you guys posted.

 

[ForesterCub]

Is it a Subaru battery? They tend to last (only) about 4 years or so and often die very suddenly (once they are on their way out), even from things like leaving the lights on for a relatively small while.

 

[roarester]

jump starting didn't work, so next stop is the auto store for a new battery to see if that solves the issue.

no it not a subaru battery its a econo power that came with it from the litha dealership i got it from.

 

[Kevin]

If jump starting from a reliable source didn't work I cannot see how a new battery would solve the issue? However if the battery is old then replacing it is a good idea.

 

[roarester]

when my other car gets here i am going to take the battery to get tested and charged, my buddy had to go back to work.

after a few minutes of trying to jump start it, it got closer to starting but after taking the battery off i can see it is pretty toasted. and after trying to jump it the battery went full dead, where before it would still try to start.

i'm confused and starting to get frustrated so i need to take a step back. any other ideas would be helpful.

thanks again for everyone's input.

 

[DoubleDingo]

You didn't mention cleaning the connections. Make sure there is no corrosion on the battery cables. Get some fresh baking soda and an empty jar. Dump in some baking soda, add water, mix it up, then pour onto the connections. Watch the fizz show, rinse them off, then brush them off with a wire brush made for battery terminals. If there was a lot of fizz, repeat the baking soda mixture until there is no more fizz. That video sounded like a dead battery, bad connections, or dying starter. Begin from the easy to get to get places like the battery and connections. Just remember, a bad battery will eventually kill an alternator, so make sure that battery is good or get a new one like you mentioned doing.

 

[roarester]

It could be so many things, that's the issue.

Can you expand on this a bit? "yesterday when my girlfriend went to start it she said it started and when she came back the car was off but the lights were still on."

Posting a vid may help. But first start with basics like making sure you have oil, fuel, battery power,. Confirming you have a spark would help narrow things down a bit.

And no check engine light?

If jump starting from a reliable source didn't work I cannot see how a new battery would solve the issue? However if the battery is old then replacing it is a good idea.

any other ideas?

 

[Inactive_55959]

By far not an expert in this topic but I would look at the following:

- are you not getting spark due to fouled plugs, or bad coils etc ...?
- is the starter motor losing power and unable to turn over the motor fast enough?

On a manual you can put a car in gear and push it downhill to get the motor running if the starter fails. Not sure if there is a way to do this on an automatic (or if it will work with a modern ecu with theft prevention stuff), but if it is possible and you can start the car this way - it might point to a weak starter.

But: given that the motor died in its own I suspect this may be related to spark plugs or coils. Ungortunately, while getting to these components on most cars is a cinch: it is a bit of a pain on our horizontally-opposed cars.

When did you last service spark plugs or coils?

 

[roarester]

i have only had the car for a little bit and haven't changed them yet,
i will check that all out today when i have some spare time. thank you!

 

[roarester]

So just got the beast back from the dealership and the timing had jumped due to a failed part, and had to get a whole new shortblock put in new heads cams etc,

 

[2.5x_sleeper]

@roarester thank you for updating your thread. Sounds like a very expensive repair!

I'll add "SOLVED!" to your thread title.

Bobby...

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