1997 Subaru Outback - Hard to start when hot

How come the car starter does not engage in 90 degree weather? I bypass the starter with a remote hook up and it starts right up.

I have no idea what “bypassing the starter” means? Are you bypassing the BATTERY with jumper cables?

I used a remote starter. Please don’t tell me it’s the starter. Starts and runs fine all year till it gets above 90. I wonder if I should put fresh fuses in? Its 23 years old.

Check if the clutch pedal inter- lock safety switch is defective/out of adjustment.

Tester

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If your “remote starter bypass” means the button that a mechanic hooks up and uses under the hood, then the problem lies within the system portions that you are bypassing. The starter itself is working. You can check for a blown fuse, but they either work or don’t usually. The clutch switch would be something to check, or the neutral switch if you have an automatic. And, the ignition switch itself would be a possibility (the start position portion of that switch). Since this is an intermittent, your bypass method might be a red herring, unless you have done it a few times. I am presuming that when this occurs on a 90 degree day, you are talking about a cold start when the car has been sitting in the sun…or is there another scenario?

There is no clutch. I’m wondering if it’s the transmission interlock switch or the ignition switch.

A cold start is fine anytime. If I could just tell a dealer I don’t need a starter or alternator. The internet and You tube have other Subarus models with the same problem. They should know rather than the expensive process of elimination. I need someone who has had this issue and corrected it.

There are a handful of possible reasons. Just because someone else had a defective neutral safety switch does not mean that is your problem. The odds may be better but it is not definitive. The best bet is to take it in and then make sure they provide an estimate prior to doing the work. If they come back with- we need to replace the starter motor, then reinforce the fact it starts using a bypass so that can’t be it or just go down the road to the next place. Telling them what to replace will guarantee a bill for that service as well as what was actually wrong with it :wink:

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+1
Many years ago, I mentioned my stomach problems to a co-worker, and he said, “I know exactly what is wrong with you!”. He then proceeded to recommend that I should have the same Pyloric Sphincter surgery that his wife had recently undergone. I mentioned this to my doctor at my next visit, and she said, “Please don’t follow that person’s advice when it comes to your health”.

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Exactly what happens when it fails to start? Have you tried starting in neutral?

There is no need to take a 23-year-old car to a dealer.

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Yes tried the shake rattle and roll. I may just replace the lock out and then if nesasary the ignition switch. Any sugestions?. How hard is it to replace the transmission lockout switch?
It has to be a heavy ware or use item I am thinking. This 23 year old car is a low mileage garage kept creamuff.