Subaru Ascent Won’t Start (Causes And Fixes)
Your Subaru Ascent deciding not to start when you’re all set up and ready to hit the road can be an awful experience. However, knowing what to do when this happens will help you quickly resolve this issue and get your car back on the road. This guide offers you helpful info on why your car is failing to start and what to do about it.
Subaru Ascent won’t start is mostly caused by a bad battery or bad alternator. Other potential culprits include a bad starter motor, ignition switch malfunction, clogged fuel filter, defective fuel pump, bad crankshaft position sensor, immobilizer malfunction, and wiring problems.
In this article, we’ll cover full details on all the possible causes for your Subaru Ascent to refuse to start. We’ll also offer you troubleshooting and expert advice on how you can get your vehicle back on the road.
Why Your Subaru Ascent Won’t Start
Here are the most common causes behind your Subaru Ascent failing to start:
Dead battery
In most cases, your Subaru Ascent not staring usually has something to do with a weak or dead battery. This is easy to understand given that a dead battery can’t produce the necessary power to run the engine.
Common causes for a dead battery include leaving your accessories or lights on, an old battery that requires a replacement, or a failing charging system.
Some of the key symptoms of a dead battery to look out for include clicking sounds, dim lights, and nothing happening at all when you turn on the key.
Solution: Test your battery voltage with an multimeter to confirm if the battery is the problem. If the voltage reads 12V to 13V, it’s in good health.
However, if it reads below 11.5V or over 14V, it could be faulty. If you want a temporary fix for this issue, consider jumpstarting your car.
Corroded battery terminals
If the battery looks okay, you may want to check its terminals for corrosion and loose connections. These can lead to contact loss and reduce current flow. And this is another reason your engine will not start properly.
Solution: We advise you to check your battery terminals for signs of dirt or corrosion (it appears as white or silver-green deposits) and clean them. While still at it, ensure all your battery connections are secure.
Starter motor failure
A starter motor simply does that—start your car engine. These starters generally have a limited lifespan and will likely be shortened by starting your car more frequently.
When your motor is failing, you’ll likely get a clicking sound whenever you turn the key. Also, if you’ve confirmed that the battery is good and your car still won’t start, the motor may be the problem.
Solution: The best fix for a starter motor that’s failing is to replace it with a new one. However, you may try a temporary solution that involves turning your key while hitting the motor with anything like a metal tool, stick, etc.
Bad alternator
Your car alternator produces the necessary electricity for charging your battery. An undercharged battery will then be unable to start your car.
Solution: A bad alternator has no other fix but to replace it with a new one.
Bad ignition switch
Another reason you may be experiencing no-start problems on your vehicle is due to a bad ignition switch.
As you can easily guess from its name, this component initiates the starting process of your car.
Therefore, if it starts to fail, it won’t be able to the necessary electrical signals for starting your engine.
If you experience difficulty in turning your key or get no response at all, you most probably have a bad ignition switch.
Solution: Inspect the switch wiring and connections and replace it with new one if it is faulty.
Fuel delivery system issues
Issues that get in the way of fuel delivery will also deprive your engine of the right amount of fuel it needs and thus make it unable to start.
The most common fuel delivery system issues that can make your engine fail to start include lack of enough fuel in the gas tank, a failing fuel pump, a clogged filter, failing fuel injectors, or fuel line obstruction.
Solution: Check whether the gas tank has a sufficient amount of fuel. Next, check if the filter is clogged and replace it. Turn your key and listen for a humming sound; this indicates a working fuel pump. If no sound, the pump could be bad. Inspect the fuel injectors as well and replace them if necessary.
Faulty spark plugs
The spark plugs are a crucial component of your car ignition system. They produce the spark that ignites the fuel-air mixture in your engine.
Therefore, if they’re fouled, your engine will not be able to start. Some key symptoms of bad spark plugs include misfires, rough idling, and hard starting the engine.
Solution: Inspect your spark plugs for any signs of damage or wear and replace them if they have become faulty.
Immobilizer malfunction
Subaru vehicles usually have an antitheft security system that helps prevent unauthorized access to your vehicle. If this system starts to malfunction, it may stop your engine from starting
A key sign of the security system malfunction is a flashing security light on the dash or your engine cranking but failing to start.
Solution: Check if the key fob battery is dead and replace it. Also, try reinserting your key more firmly and see if it works. You may also try to re-synchronizing the key with your car computer.
If none of these works, your security system may be faulty and needs replacement. Have a mechanic check and advise you on the next steps.
Malfunctioning starter relay
The starter relay/solenoid transmits electrical current from your battery to the starter motor. If fails, it interrupts current flow and results in a no-start condition.
In this case, you may get a clicking sound or nothing happens at all when you turn the key.
Solution: Inspect the solenoid and relay for malfunction or damage signs and replace them if necessary.
Engine sensor malfunction
Your Subaru Ascent usually comes with two crucial engine sensors namely the crankshaft and camshaft position sensors.
These two provide crucial info to engine management about the speed and position of the camshaft and crankshaft.
Therefore, any of these sensors failing will make your engine not start.
Solution: Locate these two sensors in your vehicle and inspect their functionality. Alternatively, scan your car computer with an OBD-II scanner for any trouble codes that could give you a clue on which sensor is faulty.
Blown fuse
A bad fuse may also make your Subaru engine fail to start. Blown fuses related to the ignition system starter motor, engine control module (ECM), starter motor, fuel system, etc., will likely lead to your engine failing to start.
Solution: You should check all the fuses inside the fuse box related to the engine starting process. Inspect and test each of the fuses and be sure to replace the blown ones with new fuses with the same amperage ratings.
Engine failure
In a worst-case scenario, a failing engine could be the reason your vehicle is not starting. When an engine fails, nothing works in your car.
However, this is quite rare and you should only consider it if all the other issues above have checked out.
Solution: Get a qualified auto mechanic to inspect your engine for any signs of failure.
Why Your Subaru Ascent Is Beeping And Won’t Start
Another common problem with the Subaru Ascent is beeping and failing to start at the same time. This is usually a sign of an underlying issue with your vehicle. Beeping sounds in vehicles are generally warning indicators.
One of the likely causes behind this issue is a security system issue. You can confirm this by checking if the security light is flashing on the dash. Also, check whether there are any warning messages available related to your car security system.
You can try using your key fob to disarm your security system issue. You can also consult your user manual for additional troubleshooting tips for the security system.
Alternatively, can also try replacing the battery in your key fob or even re-program the fob to see if it resolves the problem.
A low battery could also be the cause of the beeping sound as suggested by car owners in this Subaru Ascent forum thread. The beeping could be a warning that your battery voltage is too low and insufficient to start your vehicle.
Check your vehicle battery voltage and confirm if it’s within the recommended range. Charging the battery or jump-starting your car will help solve this problem.
What Causes Subaru Ascent Not To Start But The Battery Is Fine
Sometimes your Subaru Ascent may refuse to start but you check the battery and it’s healthy. In this case, there is still a variety of other potential culprits to consider. These include:
- A faulty starter motor
- Issues with the ignition switch
- Fuel delivery system problems
- Malfunctioning sensors
- Wiring issues
Having your vehicle thoroughly diagnosed by a qualified auto mechanic will help uncover the exact cause behind this problem.
Subaru Ascent Won’t Start After Parking
Sometimes you may park your Subaru Ascent for a while and when you try to start it, it won’t come on. When this happens, the number one potential cause to consider is a weak or dead battery.
If there are dim lights on the dash, that’s an additional sign of a dead battery. Try testing the battery and recharging or replacing it as necessary.
Other likely causes include a faulty immobilizer system, dead key fob battery, fuel delivery system issues, bad spark plugs, or failing engine sensors.
This Facebook post also suggests that this is an issue with the 2020 Subaru Ascent models.
Car owners who have had this issue before recommend pressing and holding the ignition button for up to 15 seconds until it shuts off.
While Subaru Ascent drivers navigate the complexities of ignition challenges, it’s enlightening to recognize that vehicles across brands grapple with unique starting troubles. For instance, Nissan Xterra owners have occasionally reported a distinct clicking noise during ignition attempts. If you’re keen on understanding this more, our article detailing the Nissan Xterra not starting accompanied by a clicking noise provides an in-depth analysis of this issue. On the other hand, the Hyundai Tucson, renowned for its balance of performance and comfort, has its own set of ignition concerns. For a comprehensive overview of these challenges, our guide on the reasons a Hyundai Tucson won’t start can offer valuable insights.FAQs:
If your vehicle is stuck in ignition mode and won’t start, you could be having an issue with the steering wheel lock, ignition cylinder, or the key itself.
Your Subaru Ascent making a clicking sound and falling to start is usually caused by a dead battery, faulty starter motor, starter electrical connection, or bad battery connection.
Conclusion
When faced with a no-start situation in your Subaru Ascent, the most common culprit check is a weak or dead battery or a failing alternator. Other likely causes include a bad starter, failing ignition switch, fouled spark plugs, fuel delivery system problems, faulty engine sensor, wiring issues, and security system malfunction.
We have offered you guidelines on how to deal with each of these problems in the above article. We recommend that you first have your car thoroughly inspected to help you find the exact cause behind this issue and resolve it to make your car resume working as before.
