Won’t start after running awhile. Options

[Penny]

Hi guys, I’m new here and have a question. Took my 75 2.0 for a 45 minute drive yesterday and it ran like a top. (FYI 55 degrees yesterday.) Jumped in the car to come back home a half an hour later and it wouldn’t restart. Plenty of fuel. First thing I checked was fuel pump relay and it was fine. It wouldn’t even turn over nor any clicks like a dead battery. Nothing. But Radio, lights, etc. all worked. Neighbor eventually came over to give me a jump, then it turned over (could have been simply because it had cooled somewhat by then) but wouldn’t start. Oh, I put in a brand new battery last summer, so it shouldn’t be battery related, I don’t think. While I was waiting for the tow truck, tried to start it again after it had cooled more, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours after initially parked, and it started up perfect. Drove it home. Ran perfect on the way home. Parked safely in garage, turned it off and immediately tried to restart. Nothing, again wouldn’t even turn over. Went out to the garage three hours later, after it cooled, and started with the first turn on the key. Any ideas what I should be looking for?

[Penny]

If I knew my way around motors better, I would probably do the less expensive Ford solenoid route. But my husband, and Subaru dealer shop foreman nephew, who tinkers on this car for me, are advising me to get the new starter with the better than original solenoid. I’ve been stranded in BFE 4 times in the six years I’ve had this car so they and I just want the most reliable fix.

Hopefully I learn enough from this forum that I’ll eventually be able to do my own minor wrenching. I did learn early on about the pinched prongs on the fuel pump relay that I was able to rescue myself on about a half a dozen occasions. Funny, I pulled a relay out of my first 914, which I have saved as my donor car, and that relay wouldn’t work in this 914’s fuel pump relay spot. Weird. I would’ve thought they would’ve been interchangeable but only one relay that I found works for me in that spot. I even got brand new relay from Auto Atlanta and it won’t work in that spot either. With either this relay board or the relay board from my other 914 that I put in to see if that helped. It didn’t. But anyway that’s not my complaint - this one particular relay seems to work just fine.

Anyway, so what is my best bet after market starter to go get?

Thanks again for all the great input and the warm welcome!
Penny

[ClayPerrine]

If I knew my way around motors better, I would probably do the less expensive Ford solenoid route. But my husband, and Subaru dealer shop foreman nephew, who tinkers on this car for me, are advising me to get the new starter with the better than original solenoid. I’ve been stranded in BFE 4 times in the six years I’ve had this car so they and I just want the most reliable fix.

Hopefully I learn enough from this forum that I’ll eventually be able to do my own minor wrenching. I did learn early on about the pinched prongs on the fuel pump relay that I was able to rescue myself on about a half a dozen occasions. Funny, I pulled a relay out of my first 914, which I have saved as my donor car, and that relay wouldn’t work in this 914’s fuel pump relay spot. Weird. I would’ve thought they would’ve been interchangeable but only one relay that I found works for me in that spot. I even got brand new relay from Auto Atlanta and it won’t work in that spot either. With either this relay board or the relay board from my other 914 that I put in to see if that helped. It didn’t. But anyway that’s not my complaint - this one particular relay seems to work just fine.

Anyway, so what is my best bet after market starter to go get?

Thanks again for all the great input and the warm welcome!
Penny

If you are going the aftermarket gear drive starter route, then in my opinion, IMI makes the best one. I have run them for years with no issues. The starter on my 4.0L 964 motor is the same one I ran on the 2.0 4 cylinder back before I did the six conversion. Same starter, 3 different motors.

https://www.allzim.com/store/lightweight-ge...category_id=786


And I don't hate the Ford starter solenoid fix. But I would rather have a starter that doesn't require a band-aid to work.

Clay

[BeatNavy]

If you are going the aftermarket gear drive starter route, then in my opinion, IMI makes the best one. I have run them for years with no issues. The starter on my 4.0L 964 motor is the same one I ran on the 2.0 4 cylinder back before I did the six conversion. Same starter, 3 different motors.

https://www.allzim.com/store/lightweight-ge...category_id=786


And I don't hate the Ford starter solenoid fix. But I would rather have a starter that doesn't require a band-aid to work.

Clay

I believe that's the one I have, and it does crank like a champ. I found it also mitigated by D-Jet warm-start whatever-you-want-to-call-it thing where a 5 minute stop sometimes results in hard starting.

Having said that, it's not really either / or, is it? I have that AND the Ford relay setup. Another possible point of failure is the ignition switch (particularly the POS aftermarket ones), and I had thought that the relay setup helped reduce strain on that by bypassing it during cranking. Is that correct?

Good luck, Penny.