Something odd happened yesterday. Had my Outback, with push-button start, parked, with me inside, waiting for a restaurant takeout order. I had turned off the car completely but within a minute decided to roll down the windows a bit, so: with my foot OFF the brake, I pressed the start-stop button twice. This turns on the electrical system but not the engine. A/C was off, as was the head unit.
After 10 minutes, I went inside he restaurant to pick up the order, then got ready to drive away. I pressed the start-stop button to turn OFF the car, then put my foot on the brake and pressed the same button to start the car.
Hmm. The starter engine turned over, I heard the engine come on, the RPMs revved in the normal fashion — and after about two, three seconds, the engine shut itself off.
Did it again. Same results. Four, five times in a row: engine comes on, shuts off.
I called the dealership to talk to the service manager and when I got her on the phone (after maybe four minutes), I told her what was happening and went through the same sequence again — except that now, of course, the engine started, albeit with a slight hesitancy.
The service manager could not explain the miss-starts, and neither can I. I am inclined to blame the battery, which is notoriously weak for a largish vehicle like the 5th-gen Outback...but if I had nearly drained the battery by sitting there with the power on for 10-12 minutes, why would the engine actually start and then immediately shut down? Why, after multiple failed attempts, would the car finally start for real after four, five minutes' pause?
Ideas? Thank you!
After 10 minutes, I went inside he restaurant to pick up the order, then got ready to drive away. I pressed the start-stop button to turn OFF the car, then put my foot on the brake and pressed the same button to start the car.
Hmm. The starter engine turned over, I heard the engine come on, the RPMs revved in the normal fashion — and after about two, three seconds, the engine shut itself off.
Did it again. Same results. Four, five times in a row: engine comes on, shuts off.
I called the dealership to talk to the service manager and when I got her on the phone (after maybe four minutes), I told her what was happening and went through the same sequence again — except that now, of course, the engine started, albeit with a slight hesitancy.
The service manager could not explain the miss-starts, and neither can I. I am inclined to blame the battery, which is notoriously weak for a largish vehicle like the 5th-gen Outback...but if I had nearly drained the battery by sitting there with the power on for 10-12 minutes, why would the engine actually start and then immediately shut down? Why, after multiple failed attempts, would the car finally start for real after four, five minutes' pause?
Ideas? Thank you!