05 outback dead battery, no start. Help

[05Scooby2.5]

Hello All,

New to the forum. I'm usually on the jeep forums with my TJ but i have a problem i can't seem to figure out by myself. My wife has a 2005 Outback 2.5 SOHC auto. On Sunday i was cleaning her car out and getting it it ready for winter(blanket, water bottles, hand warmers, shovel, etc, etc.). I had the rear hatch open for no longer then 20 minutes. I happen to notice to cargo light was a bit dim and i suspected the battery was probably dead (I have noticed the car takes a little more effort to start the past couple of weeks.)

Not sure what i was thinking but I hit the aftermarket remote start and tried to start the car. As i suspected, the car failed to start but it was clicking like a dead battery would. The odd thing was the remote start kept trying to start the car over and over. So i hopped in and put the key in the ignition and turned it on. That didn't work and it kep going. So, to not damage any components i disconnected the battery.

Now i was a bit confused about the remote start. I have been around a good number of them and i thought they had a failsafe and stopped after 3-5 trys. This one kept on going. So i reconnected the battery and tried to start it with the key. Same issue, no start just the starter clicking. I then jumped the car with my jeep. The car now has full power, but when i go to start it up i hear nothing at all. Not even the starter clicking.

Confused as to what was going on i thought the starter had gone bad. When i removed it and did a bench test, it was in good working order. So i reinstalled it. After all this i tried to restart the car with the remote start again thinking there was a security feature with the remote start. No luck. So i located the remote start and disconnecteed the entire control module from the car.

Here is where I'm at now. With the remote start control module disconnected, and with the original battery in, When i start the car, the starter clicks like there is a dead battery(makes sense). BUT when i jump the car with my Jeep and now have full power to the subaru I get nothing. Not even the starter is clicking. Although i do hear clicking coming from the left of the car and the right.

At this point I'm at a loss. I am picking up a new battery today for it, but i still don't understand why it won't start, or even engage with full power, but it will with half a dead battery. Please help!

[1 Lucky Texan]

how old is the battery? it might have a dead cell.

what condition are the battery cables in? sometimes they will limit current flow if corrosion has crept inside/down the insulation.

[ChromeDomeAl]

I'm with 1 Lucky Texan on this one. I would replace the cables. You might not have the negative strap grounded correctly. If you get the new battery in and it still doesn't work, I would look for a battery and alternator tester (Interstate Battery retailers have nifty little units) and have them run a test. Those machines can sometimes pinpoint a problem.

[Novablue]

Did you connect to the same place for every jump? Did you jump via the "black wire" on the battery or an engine or strut mount? You should have an easy time to jump the car if you use a ground point like the top bolt of the strut. If it's still hard it's possible the low battery is just drawing more power than it can get to start AND overcome the draw on the battery. A fully discharged battery is hard to jump start. Sorry this may be old news to you since you have a TJ, but we should cover the basics!

I highly suspect that a new battery will solve the starting issue. If it doesn't look hard at the wires to the starter, alternator and battery.

Not all remote starts work the same way, it's possible yours keeps trying with out stopping but the number for stopping could be higher too like 10.

[05Scooby2.5]

Thanks for the responses. I just installed a fresh new battery. I tried to start it and I got nothing as before. I'm going back out to check the wiring to and from the starter and if I can check the single wire going to the starter with a volt meter.

[cardoc]

Originally Posted by 05Scooby2.5

Thanks for the responses. I just installed a fresh new battery. I tried to start it and I got nothing as before. I'm going back out to check the wiring to and from the starter and if I can check the single wire going to the starter with a volt meter.

Good idea. If it started before and now it doesn't, go over every calbe/circuit you unhooked or spliced in to and recheck it.

[05Scooby2.5]

Well, I've checked all the wiring that is associated with the starting system. Here are my results

Power Cable - Key On Engine Off-12.34V(both in the on position and while cranking)
Ground Cable - 1ish ohm(fluctuated because of the connection, only had the lead touching not hard wired.)
Small Black wire roughly 14-16 gauge - Key On Engine Off- 6mv, Key On Engine Cranking-8.9mv.

According to the power and ground results, Those cables are in good working order. The black wire I'm not sure what the appropriate value is I should be seeing. Does anybody know? Is that a good reading?

thinking the female spade connector had been corroded i jumped it with a lead wire and it still didn't start, eliminating a possible bad connector(on the wire end nearest the starter at least)

[1 Lucky Texan]

Power Cable - Key On Engine Off-12.34V(both in the on position and while cranking)

was it actually turning the engine over? or did you mean in the 'start' position, but only clicking as before?

kinda seems like power is not getting to the solenoid cause, I'd expect a drop, maybe as much as 1 or 2 volts.

could be in the column - try jiggling the switch? maybe neutral safety or some kinda problem with the remote start/security bypass?

[05Scooby2.5]

Originally Posted by 1 Lucky Texan

was it actually turning the engine over? or did you mean in the 'start' position, but only clicking as before?

kinda seems like power is not getting to the solenoid cause, I'd expect a drop, maybe as much as 1 or 2 volts.

could be in the column - try jiggling the switch? maybe neutral safety or some kinda problem with the remote start/security bypass?

Sorry for the confusion, The key was turned in the start position but all i got was the clicking like before.

I messed around with it a bit more. I was also reading another post that had a similar no start issue but not exact. So I used some of those ideas. I shifted through all the gears and back to park to try and (reset) the neutral safety switch, but that did nothing. I believe I located the starter relay and swapped it out with a known good relay(fog light relay). Still no start.

Just to clarify, the clicking I am hearing is the starter relay, I believe the electronic throttle, and another solenoid on the right side of the car behind the glove box(body control module relay/security relay???) I'm taking the starter back out to get it tested again just to eliminate that from the equation. Tomorrow I'm also going to jump the starter wire and test for resistance being that it was a little cruddy on the connector.

[1 Lucky Texan]

Originally Posted by 05Scooby2.5

Sorry for the confusion, The key was turned in the start position but all i got was the clicking like before.

I messed around with it a bit more. I was also reading another post that had a similar no start issue but not exact. So I used some of those ideas. I shifted through all the gears and back to park to try and (reset) the neutral safety switch, but that did nothing. I believe I located the starter relay and swapped it out with a known good relay(fog light relay). Still no start.

Just to clarify, the clicking I am hearing is the starter relay, I believe the electronic throttle, and another solenoid on the right side of the car behind the glove box(body control module relay/security relay???) I'm taking the starter back out to get it tested again just to eliminate that from the equation. Tomorrow I'm also going to jump the starter wire and test for resistance being that it was a little cruddy on the connector.

got it. 05 seems new-ish to have bad contacts in the solenoid, but it seems like it must be that or a bad cable. I once discovered a bad cable in a parking lot ans was able to start and drive my car using 'half' the emergency jumper cable set I had to bypass the starter cable.