What is wrong with my car??????

[cameraman]

The bloody thing is driving me nuts. It is a 95 Subaru Outback.

Simple problem, you park it nose up on a steep hill and it will not start.
It will crank until the battery dies but won't start.
Full tank or empty makes no difference.
Pull into the up hill parking spot & the car can idle there forever.
Turn the engine off for a minute or so & it won't restart.
Roll the car off the hill, let sit for a minute & it starts just fine.

WTF???

[Sean Malone]

The fuel pump primes the system when the ignition is turn the 'on' position. Sounds like the solenoid that controls the initial prime has stopped.

[Methanolandbrats]

Test fuel pump relay by turning key to on and listening for a whir from the fuel pump. They usually run a few seconds in on position. I doubt if that's it since it starts fine on level or downhill. Do Subaru's have a fuel pump and a transfer pump? Are you sure it's getting spark when facing uphill? I don't know why it would'nt, but you ALWAYS check the simple stuff first. Assuming it's got spark, I'd vote for a failing fuel pump or transfer pump. Also check the fuel pressure regulator (or whatever Subaru calls it, I'm a VW guy).

[cameraman]

It primes just fine on flat ground. I guess I need to park it on the hill and have somebody turn the key so I can hear if the pump primes on a slope:confused:

The alarm system has a fuel cut off so I suppose that also could be a problem. What I need to do is find a pair of those ramps you use to change the oil and see if I can get it to happen in a garage.

[Methanolandbrats]

Try the Outback forum on here........you might get lucky. Good luck.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/

[Gnam]

Spark, Starter, Air: :thumbup:
Fuel: :irked: (only on the flat)
Gravity: Well, there's your problem. ;)

My guess is either not enough fuel is getting to the engine (weak pump or clogged fuel filter),
or the car just thinks there isn't enough fuel (bad/loose sensor).

Did the problem begin when the weather turned cold?
Have you tried starting the car with it oriented perpendicular to the street, so one side of the car is higher than the other?

[cameraman]

Have you tried starting the car with it oriented perpendicular to the street, so one side of the car is higher than the other?That is the only way to start it, pop it out of gear, roll downhill and turn so that the car is blocking the road, wait a minute pissing off a garbage truck in the process, turn the key and it starts instantly.

60°F or 15°F makes no difference.

[Methanolandbrats]

Hmmmm.........does Suby use an inertia switch to cut off the fuel in event of a rollover? If it's an automatic, is there a brake pedal switch to prevent starting if brake is not on? Neutral switch on transmission? Just throwing out ideas. Have somebody read the ECU to see if there are any codes stored.

[cameraman]

5 speed. No stored codes:irked:

Inertia switch... I have no idea.

[cameraman]

Thankfully it started storing codes. Nobody would have guessed this one. It was a bad crankshaft sensor. If the car was turned off on a very steep hill that also has a rather steep crown, nose up tipped to the passenger side, the crankshaft sensor would not function therefore the car would not start. Change the angle of the car and the crankshaft sensor would magically "fix" itself. Steep hills without the crown, it still worked. Heavily crowned flat roads, it still worked. Parked in front of the day care, dead as a damned rock. At least it was cheap to fix.