92 L Series - won't start

[Dave72]

Hi All,

I'm hoping someone can give me a few tips.

My EA82 L-Series cut out while accerating from the lights today. The battery came loose, but everything was still connected.

I still had accessories, but found there is no spark from the coil. I put a multimeter over all the fusable links, and they seem fine (although I'm not sure why there are 3, but thats a question for another day). I also checked the wire from the alternator to the fuseable link... ok. Earth lead to engine.. ok.

I tried replacing the coil... no change. Checked all electrical plugs, they all seem to be intact. Confirmed there is power to the +ve on the coil.

What am I missing here? Does anyone have a checklist of things I can try before I call in the mega expensive mobile mechanics?

Cheers,
Dave

[FujiFan]

Heres a thought
Have you snapped the Cam timing belt for #'s 2+4 cylinders. Had this hapen to me once on the motorway at 100km/h. had the similar symptoms you describe. If you cant get the engine to fire at all this is prob the reason. Remove dizzy cap and watch it while someone cranks the engine. if it dont rotate then broken belt:(

FujiFan

[Dave72]

Thanks for the tip.

Is this a big job... would a mobile mechanic be able to do it?

I had to leave the car on the side of the road. But I'll go back tomorrow and rip the dizzy cap off and have a look.

[FujiFan]

I wont lie to you, it is about a 3 hour job with the right tools and at least a Gregorys workshop manual to guide you if have not done this before. And yes a mobile mechanic worth his weight could easily do it, but we buy these subarus because WE can and enjoy doing service and repairs ourselves. In saying that you do what you gotta do to get it runnning again. If it does turn out to be a broken 2/4 timing belt, I can provide u with the info required to DIY. I paid the local subaru dealer approx $285 to replace both belts back in 1998. $50 to tow from motorway shoulder to dealer workshop (less than 10Km).

[Dave72]

Yeah, I hear ya. If I had it in my drive, I would definitely give it a shot... but it's over $150 bucks to get it towed home... add to that I've never changed a timing belt and don't have a particularly good record for anything more than a pad or oil change. Pity, but what can you do.

[FujiFan]

At least though if you can diagnose fault for yourself, then know what actually needs be RandR. Then you can find out who is trying to rip you off to get the job done. Let me know how it goes..

[steptoe]

or the ignition module has gone to module heaven. Another in ACA brand available for about a hundred schmackers, need a screw driver to remove philips scres, afew flats to lever things off the module, maybe a philips to centre shaft under plug.

[Battlewagon]

Or it could be even simpler. Check that the screw holding the rotor button onto the dissy shaft hasn't fallen out. Happened to me, the motor stopped dead.

[coupe]

My money is on the module.
If you have power to the coil then is a strong possibility.
Cheers Pete

[Dave72]

Thought I'd better give everyone an update. I managed to get back to the car and confirmed the rotor button definitely wasn't turning.

I've only had the car 12 months, and because it wasn't the original EA82 engine, I never knew how many k's it had on it.

Fortunately (I guess), I could get it to a mechanic that was only a few hundred metres up the road without needing to call a tow truck. They've confirmed there was a broken cam belt, and have replaced both belts, but are having a few issues getting the timing right... so hopefully there are no other problems. They didn't sound happy, so I'd better not hassle them again.

Cheers,
Dave

[FujiFan]

Good to here you are making progress with it. As for the mechanics, this is so typical. Theres nothing difficult to comprehend with these engines. Hope they didn't sting you on $$$ for the job.

[steptoe]

Wonder if they used the timing marks on flywheel, turned clockwise once more for the last belt? Let them work it out - almost need a manual toread the process to understand it. Go ahead ask them if they used the belt install marks. "Er ?? Sure we did"

[Dave72]

Got the car back... everything seems good, although I seem to be getting a lot more pinging down low, so the timing still seems a bit out, but nothing to really worry about.

I didn't bother asking what they meant by "the timing on one of the banks went out". From the belt I did on my old escort, there's only one position where everything is lined up. They charged me $500 all up (extra 30 minutes labour because of the "issue"), but considering what took them 3 days, probably would have taken me 2 weeks and a lot of swearing... I'm not complaining, I just needed it back on the road.

[FujiFan]

Good that you got it back and running now. A bit rich though, even getting you to pay xtra 30mins for what they should have got right 1st time round. reason for each bank having own timing marks is cause the two banks of "paired cylinders" are effectively 180 degrees out of phase from one another.

[Dave72]

Just as a warning to others... a few weeks ago, one of the cam belt tensioner bearings started whining. Ideally, you would change these when you put in new belts, as the new belts often put a little more pressure on the old bearings.

Unfortunately I wasn't asked if I wanted the "kit" installed, so they just changed the belts "as they were instructed." (My fault as an ignorant customer)

So as far as I know, they've got to pull the radiator out again to access the belts and replace the tensioners.

The moral of this story... get them to change everything while it's in pieces.