[Drool]

Okay so im in a bit of a predicament. I just rebuilt my ‘14 forester engine from heads up. Just finished everything yesterday. Engine is in, all wires are connected back to correct places and have double checked all my work. I go to start the car and it cranks no problem but no start. Tested fuel, air and spark. No spark on any of my plugs. So next thing it can be is crankshaft sensor right? Well that was never unplugged or messed with. Maybe camshaft sensors? Idk. This is where im lost. I have pulled multiple fuses that could be related to this and they were all good. Now ive read up that it could be one of the SBF fuses maybe? I checked all of those and they seem to look okay. I am also 99% sure that my timing is correct as this is not my first time rebuilding a subi. Anything helps. Hoping someone has been through this and figured it out. TIA

I have my OBDII plugged in when trying to start. No RPM reads and no codes thrown. Wondering if it isnt throwing codes bc it hasnt started and ran yet?

 

[bman400]

If no RPM reads that would mean the crank sensor?

 

[Drool]

@bman400 When I figured that out i jumped to the conclusion of a bad crank sensor which was never unplugged. I will pull it out today and take a look but it doesn’t make sense for it to just go bad while sitting for 2 weeks.

 

[Drool]

Crankshaft position sensor has been tested. It has power and is grounded. Ignition coils have power but no signal when cranking

 

[eelnod]

So either your ECM is not getting the crankshaft position signal to process, or not able to output signal to spark.

 

[Drool]

So either your ECM is not getting the crankshaft position signal to process, or not able to output signal to spark.

So i have checked ohms on every wire that could be related to the ignition. Cam sensors, crank sensor, throttle control, etc..
All have checked out to be good. If it is the ECM then my question is. How would it go bad after sitting for 2 weeks when it worked fine before parking the car to do a head gasket job?
As i said i was pretty confident in my timing(i still am), im about to take the cover off and double check it. If my timing is off, say 30degrees, it should still fire but send spark at the wrong time?

 

[eelnod]

Have you tried scanning the car to see if there are any codes suggesting missing signals? Also check for rodent damages especially sitting for 2 weeks. Some shops have oscilloscopes that can check for crank signal waves other than just power and grounding.

 

[Drool]

Have you tried scanning the car to see if there are any codes suggesting missing signals? Also check for rodent damages especially sitting for 2 weeks. Some shops have oscilloscopes that can check for crank signal waves other than just power and grounding.

yes i have an OBD2 plugged in. No codes. Also my shop is part living space and stays clean so i am pretty certain no “rodent damages”

now as for the oscilloscope, i dont have access to one and i am trying to stay away from shops for now bc i dont have the funds for that currently.

going to try a couple more things before it gets sold as is

 

[eelnod]

A basic obd2 reader might not be sufficient. Strange that you're not getting a firing signal and yet no obd2 error. Would rebooting ecm again help?

 

[Drool]

A basic obd2 reader might not be sufficient. Strange that you're not getting a firing signal and yet no obd2 error. Would rebooting ecm again help?

My obd reads everything. Throttle control, rpm, FI timing, etc etc..

I have the service manual and couldnt find how to reboot the ecm. Do you happen to know how?

 

[eelnod]

I think you can just reboot by disconnecting battery and run down capacitance by turning lights on. I supposed you have pulled the plugs to see if they are wet or dry, and they are sparking. Something is not making sense here.

 

[Drool]

SOLVED!

Wow! What a journey with this car. So i pulled the engine 3 weeks ago to start a head job. Full overhead rebuild. Everything went smoothly until putting the engine back in. I wanted to share this so no one else makes the same mistake I did.

A rookie mistake. So i changed the rear main seal and when putting my plates back on i wasnt paying full attention. I totally missed the notch on the crankshaft sensor plate that keeps it aligned. So obviously this is why it wouldnt start. Put the engine back in and it started right up.

Wish i had the service manual from the start but i found it when looking for the wiring diagrams. Just incase anyone might need it this is the link for the 2014 Subaru Forester Service Manual

USDM Forester FSM 2014

MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.

www.mediafire.com

 

[eelnod]

Thanks for the update. That explains why it didn't make sense. I have the same manual. Hope not much has changed to use on my 2017 FXT. Still think you should trip a code as soon as you crank!

 

[Drool]

Right!! Im not understanding why it didnt throw a code or send signals but at the wrong time. Just glad i got it figured out.