Long Crank On 2006 Subaru HELP!!!

[Michael Roback]

I have a normally aspirated, non-turbo, manual transmission 2006
Forester. I have had an odd problem for a couple of weeks. The first
symptoms were that occassionally the car cranked over longer than normal
before it started. One time, the check engine light came on for a split
second and went off immediately. I thought it was the battery, but the
crank was fast not slow! I had the battery checked and it showed to be
low, so I decided to put in a new interstate battery anyway. The
original battery was 5+ years old. But the problem has persisted. Now,
if I have the clutch slightly off the floor, the car cranks on fast
without a problem, but if I have the clutch to the floor, it cranks for
a few seconds before it kicks over. Checked cable connections. I do not
think this car has an adjustable clutch? I had thought that perhaps the
flywheel is getting to much force? The only other tidbit is that when I
reconnected the battery I heard a click? I do not know whether that was
the starter engaging? and finally my ratchet fell through the engine
compartment when it fell off the plug. Weird I know, but could it have
hit something on the way down?!! But the car was displaying this problem
on a smaller scale before I ever changed out the battery, so I think
whatever it is it is a progressive problem. I even considered the clutch
interlock switch? Maybe disconnecting the battery and draining any
excess charge would help. Have not tried that yet? I am at a loss. The
car only has about 26,000 miles on it. Do not drive it that much. Has
not had major service yet. Anyone have any idea what the problem could
be? Please help if you can.
hoshwa is online now Report Post Edit/Delete Message

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

I have a normally aspirated, non-turbo, manual transmission 2006
Forester. I have had an odd problem for a couple of weeks. The first
symptoms were that occassionally the car cranked over longer than normal
before it started. One time, the check engine light came on for a split
second and went off immediately. I thought it was the battery, but the
crank was fast not slow! I had the battery checked and it showed to be
low, so I decided to put in a new interstate battery anyway. The
original battery was 5+ years old. But the problem has persisted. Now,
if I have the clutch slightly off the floor, the car cranks on fast
without a problem, but if I have the clutch to the floor, it cranks for
a few seconds before it kicks over. Checked cable connections. I do not
think this car has an adjustable clutch? I had thought that perhaps the
flywheel is getting to much force? The only other tidbit is that when I
reconnected the battery I heard a click? I do not know whether that was
the starter engaging? and finally my ratchet fell through the engine
compartment  when it fell off the plug. Weird I know, but could it have
hit something on the way down?!! But the car was displaying this problem
on a smaller scale before I ever changed out the battery, so I think
whatever it is it is a progressive problem. I even considered the clutch
interlock switch? Maybe disconnecting the battery and draining any
excess charge would help. Have not tried that yet? I am at a loss. The
car only has about 26,000 miles on it. Do not drive it that much. Has
not had major service yet. Anyone have any idea what the problem could
be? Please help if you can.
hoshwa is online now Report Post    Edit/Delete Message

I dunno. It seems your original problem could have been a bad battery.
Certainly 5+ years is a long time anywhere in the southern US.
batteries here in Texas average about 3 or less.

If the check engine light came on, there is a code stored. I'd read
it. Likely, it's just a spurious code like misfire or ??? Caused by
the poor starting. It may, however, have been erased from changing the
battery.

You should consider having your car serviced and checked out. Low
usage, like you have, is considered 'severe duty' .

 

[weelliott]

I have a normally aspirated, non-turbo, manual transmission 2006
Forester. I have had an odd problem for a couple of weeks. The first
symptoms were that occassionally the car cranked over longer than normal
before it started. One time, the check engine light came on for a split
second and went off immediately. I thought it was the battery, but the
crank was fast not slow! I had the battery checked and it showed to be
low, so I decided to put in a new interstate battery anyway. The
original battery was 5+ years old. But the problem has persisted. Now,
if I have the clutch slightly off the floor, the car cranks on fast
without a problem, but if I have the clutch to the floor, it cranks for
a few seconds before it kicks over. Checked cable connections. I do not
think this car has an adjustable clutch? I had thought that perhaps the
flywheel is getting to much force? The only other tidbit is that when I
reconnected the battery I heard a click? I do not know whether that was
the starter engaging? and finally my ratchet fell through the engine
compartment  when it fell off the plug. Weird I know, but could it have
hit something on the way down?!! But the car was displaying this problem
on a smaller scale before I ever changed out the battery, so I think
whatever it is it is a progressive problem. I even considered the clutch
interlock switch? Maybe disconnecting the battery and draining any
excess charge would help. Have not tried that yet? I am at a loss. The
car only has about 26,000 miles on it. Do not drive it that much. Has
not had major service yet. Anyone have any idea what the problem could
be? Please help if you can.
hoshwa is online now Report Post    Edit/Delete Message

As soon as you said that the symptoms changed when you eased up on the
clutch I thought clutch interlock switch. Perhaps it has a worn spot
on the contacts so that when it is all the way down that worn spot
doesn't pass voltage very well, but when slightly off the floor it
will pass voltage fine. However, I don't know if this is a valid
theory since I'd think that the juice going to the starter would not
go through that switch, but rather through a relay activated by the
clutch interlock switch. And that relay would either be on or off. So
I don't know. But I'd lean more towards mechanical causes.

I could see if the throwout bearing were going bad it might create
extra friction for the engine to overcome, but in my experience with
bad throwut bearings, they ususally make a big racket when you have
the clutch out and do nothign wrong when the clutch is in. But this
could be another failure mode.

Anyone else got some ideas?

 

[AS]

The problem does not seem to be the starter, it cranks. The difference
is the time it takes for the engine to kick over.

Is there a chance that the clutch pedal is pressing on a wire harness?
Aftermarket alarm or another installation?

If the throw bearing were binding you would hear a difference in the
cranking speed, so i am inclined to think that the problem is not
mechanical as someone else suggested.

I checked and there are no TSBs about this.

Good luck!

 

[Dave__67]

I have a normally aspirated, non-turbo, manual transmission 2006
Forester. I have had an odd problem for a couple of weeks. The first
symptoms were that occassionally the car cranked over longer than normal
before it started. One time, the check engine light came on for a split
second and went off immediately. I thought it was the battery, but the
crank was fast not slow! I had the battery checked and it showed to be
low, so I decided to put in a new interstate battery anyway. The
original battery was 5+ years old. But the problem has persisted. Now,
if I have the clutch slightly off the floor, the car cranks on fast
without a problem, but if I have the clutch to the floor, it cranks for
a few seconds before it kicks over. Checked cable connections. I do not
think this car has an adjustable clutch? I had thought that perhaps the
flywheel is getting to much force? The only other tidbit is that when I
reconnected the battery I heard a click? I do not know whether that was
the starter engaging? and finally my ratchet fell through the engine
compartment  when it fell off the plug. Weird I know, but could it have
hit something on the way down?!! But the car was displaying this problem
on a smaller scale before I ever changed out the battery, so I think
whatever it is it is a progressive problem. I even considered the clutch
interlock switch? Maybe disconnecting the battery and draining any
excess charge would help. Have not tried that yet? I am at a loss. The
car only has about 26,000 miles on it. Do not drive it that much. Has
not had major service yet. Anyone have any idea what the problem could
be? Please help if you can.
hoshwa is online now Report Post    Edit/Delete Message

2 good guesses, I think:

1) Fuel system is taking time to come up to pressure. way to test-
turn key to 'on' and then to 'off' (after you hear the pump stop
running) several times before cranking

2) One or more injectors is leaking after the car is parked, and car
is 'over-rich' at startup. Way to test- crank engine with the gas
floored, if it starts right up, it's fulla fuel. (throttle-by-wire
systems usually allow full-throttle-startsto clear an overrich
condition)


Dave