BRZ A/T Push Start Will Not Start

[Slade]

Hi guys,

Can anyone help me? I have a 2014 Subaru BRZ. I finished installing rear sway bar links. I started the car to pull it out of my driveway, but it wouldn’t come out of park. I then shut it off and turned it back on, but then the engine wouldn’t turn over. The lights come on but the engine won’t turn over. This can’t be related can it what do the sway bar links have to do with the car it starting? Not really sure what else can be the problem? The battery isn’t dead, I’m not sure what’s going on. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

[humfrz]

Are you SURE the battery is up to speed?

You might check the appropriate fuse(s) for the start system.

Also, you might check the switch on the brake that tells the system that the brake has been applied so the start button will work (this needs to be verified, I don't have an AT).

I'm sure others will be along with more help.

[Slade]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Are you SURE the battery is up to speed?

You might check the appropriate fuse(s) for the start system.

Also, you might check the switch on the brake that tells the system that the brake has been applied so the start button will work (this needs to be verified, I don't have an AT).

I'm sure others will be along with more help.

Hey thank you for the response. I spent today after work doing various trouble shooting.
-Tried to see if the steering wheel being locked was the problem. Not it
-Used my moms car to jump it, no luck.
-I took my battery to autozone to be tested, it was about 3 years old and looked pretty bad, because of the corona situation the guy didn’t even really bother and just gave me a new one since it was covered under warranty. Put that new battery in the car and still didn’t start. But at least I have a new battery!

But just now, I tried getting it to start again and I realized my brake lights don’t work, but my taillights and everything else still does. This has me thinking about what you said earlier about the brake light switch. I will do more research but I’m feeling (hoping) this is the issue. Luckily the from Subaru doesn’t seem too expensive. I didn’t look at the installation but hopefully it’s not too hard. If installation isn’t an issue o might just replace it anyway because the part was so affordable.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Slade

Hey thank you for the response. I spent today after work doing various trouble shooting.
-Tried to see if the steering wheel being locked was the problem. Not it
-Used my moms car to jump it, no luck.
-I took my battery to autozone to be tested, it was about 3 years old and looked pretty bad, because of the corona situation the guy didn’t even really bother and just gave me a new one since it was covered under warranty. Put that new battery in the car and still didn’t start. But at least I have a new battery!

But just now, I tried getting it to start again and I realized my brake lights don’t work, but my taillights and everything else still does. This has me thinking about what you said earlier about the brake light switch. I will do more research but I’m feeling (hoping) this is the issue. Luckily the from Subaru doesn’t seem too expensive. I didn’t look at the installation but hopefully it’s not too hard. If installation isn’t an issue o might just replace it anyway because the part was so affordable.

Well, sounds like you are making progress. Sort of like what Thomas Edison replied when his wife yelled down in the basement "Thomas, have you found an filament that works yet?" He replied, no, but I know of a bunch of things that don't work".

That brake switch may be the problem. I don't know if the switch that turns on the brake lights is the same one that tells the car that the brake has been pushed so it will start? -

You did check the fuses? #22 & #30 in the fuse box under the hood (I think).

Somewhere on this forum, there are instructions for checking and replacing that switch, but I'm too busy to look it up for you, with the pressures and time constraints of my retirement ... and all that -

Keep us posted.

[Slade]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Well, sounds like you are making progress. Sort of like what Thomas Edison replied when his wife yelled down in the basement "Thomas, have you found an filament that works yet?" He replied, no, but I know of a bunch of things that don't work".

That brake switch may be the problem. I don't know if the switch that turns on the brake lights is the same one that tells the car that the brake has been pushed so it will start? -

You did check the fuses? #22 & #30 in the fuse box under the hood (I think).

Somewhere on this forum, there are instructions for checking and replacing that switch, but I'm too busy to look it up for you, with the pressures and time constraints of my retirement ... and all that -

Keep us posted.

Thanks! Don't worry about looking it up for me, you pointing me in the right direction was thanks enough. I did not check the fuses either, I will do that first thing tomorrow. Thanks a lot!

Edit: This thread was all I could find on replacing the switch. https://www.ft86club.com/forums/show...e+light+switch
It kind of sounds easy, but I am still not 100% sure. It seems like its right above the brake pedal and can be replaced just by using my hand. But I am not clear on this part:
1. Unlock the switch module by turning it counter clockwise.
2. Push the switch toward the pedal if your brake light is on without touching the pedal and the lock and test.
3. Pull the switch away from the pedal if the brake light is not illuminated immediately when depressing the pedal and lock then test.

So my brake lights are not coming on, does that mean after I put the new brake light switch in, I need to pull the switch away from the pedal? Maybe this will be something I understand better when I'm actually working on the car.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Slade

Thanks! Don't worry about looking it up for me, you pointing me in the right direction was thanks enough. I did not check the fuses either, I will do that first thing tomorrow. Thanks a lot!

Edit: This thread was all I could find on replacing the switch. https://www.ft86club.com/forums/show...e+light+switch
It kind of sounds easy, but I am still not 100% sure. It seems like its right above the brake pedal and can be replaced just by using my hand. But I am not clear on this part:
1. Unlock the switch module by turning it counter clockwise.
2. Push the switch toward the pedal if your brake light is on without touching the pedal and the lock and test.
3. Pull the switch away from the pedal if the brake light is not illuminated immediately when depressing the pedal and lock then test.

So my brake lights are not coming on, does that mean after I put the new brake light switch in, I need to pull the switch away from the pedal? Maybe this will be something I understand better when I'm actually working on the car.

Yep, check the fuses first.

Be sure to read post #3 in that thread you found.

Hopefully, the procedure will become clearer once you get an eyeball on the mechanism.

Since I don't have an AT, I can't give you any first hand knowledge.

However, I do have a back in the day story. A long time ago, I flew into Raleigh/Durham airport in North Carolina, to do some business with some of the companies at Research Triangle Park.

I renter this brand new car at the airport and drove to RTP for my first appointment. After my appointment, I fired up my new rental car but the shift lever for the AT wouldn't come out of PARK. I fiddled with it for a while then, since I was running late, I gave it a big ol yank, something popped real loud, but it came out of park and I was on my way.

When I returned it to the airport, I mentioned the incident to this pretty, young girl behind the counter and that it needed to be fixed. She asked me if I had pushed on the brake pedal before trying to get it out of park.

NO! I replied -

I went away mumbling something about stupid new fangled things on cars - why don't people just learn to drive the fucking things without all of the nanny BS. Besides, there weren't nutten wrong with standard transmissions -


THE END

[Slade]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Yep, check the fuses first.

Be sure to read post #3 in that thread you found.

Hopefully, the procedure will become clearer once you get an eyeball on the mechanism.

Since I don't have an AT, I can't give you any first hand knowledge.

However, I do have a back in the day story. A long time ago, I flew into Raleigh/Durham airport in North Carolina, to do some business with some of the companies at Research Triangle Park.

I renter this brand new car at the airport and drove to RTP for my first appointment. After my appointment, I fired up my new rental car but the shift lever for the AT wouldn't come out of PARK. I fiddled with it for a while then, since I was running late, I gave it a big ol yank, something popped real loud, but it came out of park and I was on my way.

When I returned it to the airport, I mentioned the incident to this pretty, young girl behind the counter and that it needed to be fixed. She asked me if I had pushed on the brake pedal before trying to get it out of park.

NO! I replied -

I went away mumbling something about stupid new fangled things on cars - why don't people just learn to drive the fucking things without all of the nanny BS. Besides, there weren't nutten wrong with standard transmissions -


THE END

Lol, thanks for that lighthearted story.

I checked the fuses and they all are good. None are blown. I currently have the brake switch in my hand, Subaru has to order it, will take 2 business days. The brake switch doesn’t look like it’s broken or anything. But of course I don’t have a tester to be sure. I must be honest, I’m getting a little anxious that it might not be the switch and I have a real problem on my hands.

[Opie]

Plug the brake light switch you removed back into the harness but don't install it in the bracket and try to start the car...if it starts the switch is good and was likely just out of adjustment. An improperly adjusted switch will act the same as a failed switch.

Brake light switch triggers the brake lights, the starter and the shifter interlock.



Also check to ensure that the little stopper is still present where the brake light switch touches the pedal assembly. Those are known to fall out and cause issues.

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67825

[humfrz]

Hey, hey, ol @Opie to the rescue -

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Slade

But of course I don’t have a tester to be sure.

sounds like we need to introduce you to harbor freight!

this is what you'd need.
https://www.harborfreight.com/7-func...ter-63759.html


turn it on, set it to 200 ohms (Ω), install the leads in the 'COM', and 'VΩmA' ports. it will initially show a '1' towards the left, meaning that there's more resistance than it can measure. touch the leads together, and the number will jump around on the right-- the lower the number, the better--it means less resistance.

[Slade]

All of you thank you so much for the replies. I bought the tester tested all the fuses again with it just be safe. They all check out. Will pick up that digital multimeter tomorrow, that's a really great price. Thank you Soundman for supplying the link.

[Slade]

Originally Posted by Opie

Plug the brake light switch you removed back into the harness but don't install it in the bracket and try to start the car...if it starts the switch is good and was likely just out of adjustment. An improperly adjusted switch will act the same as a failed switch.

Brake light switch triggers the brake lights, the starter and the shifter interlock.



Also check to ensure that the little stopper is still present where the brake light switch touches the pedal assembly. Those are known to fall out and cause issues.

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67825

So I did this, I installed the brake switch in the harness, but I did not install it into the bracket on the pedal. Still did not start, I guess the good news is that means it is more likely that the brake switch is the culprit. Thanks for the diagram!

[Slade]

Hi everyone so here is an update. Originally when I said I tested all the fuses, that was the fuse box under the hood. I completely neglected the fuse box inside the car under the dash. Please forgive my ignorance.

Upon testing the fuses, I saw that the brake light fuse was blown. Put another one in, along with the switch from Subaru that came in today. I put it in and the car still would not start. I checked and my brake lights won’t come on, switch had to be good, it is brand new, so I checked the fuse and it’s blown again. Honestly I thought maybe I had put the blown fuse back in thinking it was thinking it was the fuse, so I grab another new fuse pop that in, and it blows again.

So the brake light fuse keeps blowing, the good news is I have figured out the problem. The bad news is, why does the fuse keep blowing? I don’t have a clue. Any ideas? Thank you all for your help and patience in dealing with me by the way.

[soundman98]

sounds like it's time to bring it somewhere. a blowing fuse means there's a short somewhere. that 'somewhere' could be anywhere.

if you've made any modifications to the middle/rear of the car where you could have unknowingly damaged a wire, i'd start there. otherwise, there's really no way to know until fully digging into it.

you could check that all the brake light bulbs are intact, but that's about the only easy thing to check.