"Mike Walsh" > wrote in message
...
>
> The neutral safety switch can keep it from starting.
> The fact that it clicks but does not start and eventually starts
> after several tries is what lead me to suspect the starter.
>
> miner_tom wrote:
>>
>> Mike,
>>
>> Thank you for the reply.
>>
>> I was doing some research and came across the possibility that it
>> could be
>> the "neutral safety switch". I had not heard of this before, nor do
>> I know
>> where it is on the Subaru, but it sounds interesting. I noticed
>> that when it
>> does not start, if I move the stick shift around, it then starts.
>>
>
> --
> Mike Walsh

The fact that car starts after playing with the gearshift might be
significant - or not. Does the car have a manual transmission or an
automatic? If it is a manual, moving around the gearshift might move
the flywheel just enough to correct an alignment issue between the
starter teeth and the flywheel teeth. As far as I know, manuals don't
have a neutral safety switch, only a clutch switch, so I think the OOP
must have an automatic. If this is the case, it could be that starting
after moving the gearshift indicates a problem with the neutral safety
switch, Will the car start in neutral (as opposed to park)? However,
the click indicates to me that the problem is not a neutral safety
switch issue. I would bet the problem is a bad solenoid (on the
starter).

A bad starter solenoid will exhibit similar symptoms. If you are
hearing a "click" it is unlikely to be the neutral safety switch. I
would wager the "click" is the solenoid trying to engage the starter.
I do not know if you can buy the solenoid separately, sometimes you
can, sometimes you can't (I am talking about the solenoid mounted to
the starter). The starter solenoid has two functions - first it moves
the starter gear to engage the ring gear on the flywheel or flexplate,
then it energizes the starter (by shorting across some terminals).

The solenoid can be related to a failure to start for a number of
reason:

1) - the wiring to the solenoid can be bad
2) - the actual solenoid windings can be bad, preventing the solenoid
from engaging
3) - the solenoid slug (the moving part) might have restricted
movement due to contamination, a problem with starter alignment, or
bad teeth on the starter or ring gear. If the slug doesn't travel the
full distance, the contacts aren't closed and no current is sent to
the starter
4) - the wiring to the starter might be bad. It will carry enough
current to energize the solenoid, but the wiring has so much
resistance that it can't power the starter motor
5) - a weak battery might have enough current to activate the
solenoid, but not actually crank the engine

Ed