No start on forester

[Buckforty]

My 2001 forester is giving me a huge headache...

I changed the starter on the weekend at the garage down the street cause it was making a huge racket when i tried to solve the first no start...

Now, its throwing camshaft and crankshaft codes, and doesn't want to go...we are going to check the timing belt tomorow to see if i slipped a tooth when i tried to start the car with a bad starter...

Anyone ever have this esperience? Am I going to have to replace the 2 sensors?


Thanks for any help...
Jon

[STeveD]

I "had" to do it, yes. Make sure that you grounded everything properly after installing the new starter, and that nothing got in the electrical connectors. I think my problem was actually some spilled oil in the sensor connectors and that there was nothing wrong with the sensors themselves.

If you decided to shampoo the engine, I'd bet it was related to that.

So disconnect your crank sensor and check the connectors for corrosion, contamination, etc. first. If the crank sensor is working properly, your cam sensor fault might go away.

[Buckforty]

All that was removed was the air intake to get to the sensor...
It looked like there was some oil spilled on the cam sensor (from the filler neck), but the crank sensor shouldnt of given out, where is it postioned?
So do you think if I am able to clean the connections, that the problem may go away?

how much am i looking at for the sensor if you know?

[STeveD]

Yes, I think that cleaning the grounds and/or sensors may help. Also change just the crank sensor to start.

I'm not sure about the 2001 Forester. '04 STi was around $200 retail per sensor IIRC. Call and post around though... people strip them off seized and blown motors before sending them for scrap metal.

[Cavemanrjc]

at the engine end of the ground cabel check both ends of the bracket that the cabel bolts to.
Ive run in to heavy pitting betwen the bracket and the trans case

On one i caused a no charge condition
on anouther missfire codes

simpel test use a pair of jumper cabels and clip to eng/trans case and the other end to the neg on the batt

oil on the sensors should not matter think abought this the other end is alwas coverd in oil

only real concern would be if the conection got coverd but thats unlikely with weather pack plugs
also very unlikely that both went bad by changing a starter

get some elec cleaner and spray both ends of the conections inside Unplug to do it and as Steve said look for green
also look for green dust coming from any wire harnis that you might have disturbed if you see some leaching out of the harnis look there for roting wires

we do live in the salt belt and all

make sure all air intake conections (clamps) are tight between the mass air flow sensor and the throtal body and all posabull false air intrusions are pluged pcv and such

o was there any mecanical damage to the first starter ? Like a broken nose cone with missing bits?

Ill asume the batt is full charged and both ends of that cabel are clean.

dose the car have a factory tach?
if so dose it start to rise on crank?
if it dose the crank sensor is at least sumwhat working

[Cavemanrjc]

Come now steve the amound of oil your car huffs out. Im kinda suprised you have any rubber / wire isalation left. and that its not all swelled to 5 times its original size ;)

[STeveD]

Yes, my garage has gone back to the good old GM days where there's a good layer of cardboard lining the floor....

... on the bright side, it's more slippery through the air with the oil spray on the fender. At least it doesn't hit the ground until I come to a stop! :-)


Edit: BTW, I think I solved that on Sunday. Next trackday should have minimal to no drippage.

[Buckforty]

Well, heres the update, my mechanic got it solved today....

My starter was worn right out (virtually filed down), luckily I didnt overly damage the engine side of things.

Both sensors were throwing codes, SO, the first thing he did was check the timing... AND because the timing belt slipped...crucial part was missing on the timing assembly (the little shrowd cover that goes the main cog? that prevents the belt from jumping)...

luckily no bent valves, new belt installed and everything is good again with a used starter in the old one's place.

I guess the fact that the timing jumped was causing the starter to over work and want to go back to its original timing somehow - and thats what cause the starter to self destruct...


***I just hope that the garage that had done the service in the first place will own up to the mistake and help re-imburse me...That was back in january.



Thanks to everyone for their help!

[STeveD]

Six months later? That's tough to pin on the shop after that much time.

Was it a timing belt service that you're referring to?

[Buckforty]

no, a complete engine swap...with some work on timing belt. to get the belt off you need to take off this little piece of tin - and it wasnt replaced...

see the problem is that the part (that little cover that goes over cog - i think its the crankshaft gear - that cover wasnt there...) that cover is only supposed to go a few tho. over the belt to keep it from coming off its course. if it wasnt installed to begin with, with time, the belt would jump off it.

I dont drive the car hard, i just commute with it easy breezy...so it wouldnt get a hard work out ever.

I mean, my understanding is that this part is required and it wasnt there when took off the cover...

[STeveD]

Are you sure that your specific motor came with it? My DOHC 2.5L turbo STi motor has one, but my SOHC 2.2L N/A Legacy motor does not. (I have the service manuals... the SOHC motor never was designed with one.)

Also, if it was supposed to come with it, your swapped motor might not have had it.

[Buckforty]

In the manual I have for the 01 forester, the MT engine has a Timing belt guide and it has 2 bolt holes over the crankshaft sproket, and thats from the manual...

2. TIMING BELT
1) Remove timing belt guide. (MT vehicles only)
S2M0294
14

[Cavemanrjc]

Weird