Intake or battery issues with winter starting

[daiheadjai]

So I woke up to a car that wouldn't start today. Alternator would click, and all the lights and radio etc would start, but the engine wouldn't turn.
Tried to do a bump start as well as my own power pack to jump start.
No dice.
Called roadside assistance, and they came by with a booster pack. It still wouldn't turn over until they brought a second booster pack to up the amps.

I drove the car for half an hour to charge, then visited Subaru of London.
They told me the battery was fine, and that it was because my Injen intake had come loose (the hoses, and MAF sensor) which caused the problem.

I'm still a bit skeptical, but we'll see. The reason I bring this up, is that they charged me $50 just to tighten two screws, and one hose clamp, (on account of it being aftermarket).
If this happens to you, try to tighten these things yourself and save the money!

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[extrashaky]

Sounds like BS to me. The intake is not going to affect the output of the battery. If it were a problem with the intake, boosting the amps available wouldn't have magically caused it to start.

Did you have a check engine light on before this happened? Do you have anything on the car that could cause a slow drain, like a Bluetooth OBDII adapter?

Oh, and by the way, by "bump start," did you mean you tried to roll start it and dump the clutch? I don't think that actually works with this car because of the way fuel is delivered, or rather not delivered when you attempt to roll start it.

[daiheadjai]

Nope. No CEL though I do have an OBDII, iPod and a dash cam. But I unplugged those last night because I noticed it struggling to start in the morning the last few days. In the past, when I had intake issues, it would throw a CEL but this one didn't.

I agree though... I didn't really buy it either, but had to grudgingly pay.

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[extrashaky]

There has been discussion on the board about how weak the stock battery is. Some people have actually had them replaced under warranty, IIRC.

I recently left for week on a business trip, and my battery was dead when I came back. Luckily it was at home, so I just plugged in the charger and charged it back up. However, I've noticed a few slow starts since then since it's been cold. That, along with your story, makes me nervous. I've been considering swapping it for something better.

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

There has been discussion on the board about how weak the stock battery is. Some people have actually had them replaced under warranty, IIRC.

I recently left for week on a business trip, and my battery was dead when I came back. Luckily it was at home, so I just plugged in the charger and charged it back up. However, I've noticed a few slow starts since then since it's been cold. That, along with your story, makes me nervous. I've been considering swapping it for something better.

The tow truck guys suggested heavy duty red top batteries.
The dealer wanted to charge me $50 just to check the battery. I'm almost certain I'll be visiting the dealer again...

If you're under warranty it might be a good idea to keep an eye on it... And make sure you have stock parts on when you visit the dealer.

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[nikitopo]

Our batteries are weak for a reason. They don't weight too much. Try using an actual lightweight battery and then you'll face real issues ...

[GeorgeJFrick]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

So I woke up to a car that wouldn't start today. Alternator would click, and all the lights and radio etc would start, but the engine wouldn't turn.
Tried to do a bump start as well as my own power pack to jump start.
No dice.
Called roadside assistance, and they came by with a booster pack. It still wouldn't turn over until they brought a second booster pack to up the amps.

I drove the car for half an hour to charge, then visited Subaru of London.
They told me the battery was fine, and that it was because my Injen intake had come loose (the hoses, and MAF sensor) which caused the problem.

I'm still a bit skeptical, but we'll see. The reason I bring this up, is that they charged me $50 just to tighten two screws, and one hose clamp, (on account of it being aftermarket).
If this happens to you, try to tighten these things yourself and save the money!

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

Wow. This puts my dealership into perspective. I showed up with no appointment and they replaced my battery/etc after cold starting problems. Bill was $0.00.

If the intake is coming loose, I'd remove it (it shouldn't be?!?).

[GeorgeJFrick]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

There has been discussion on the board about how weak the stock battery is. Some people have actually had them replaced under warranty, IIRC.

I recently left for week on a business trip, and my battery was dead when I came back. Luckily it was at home, so I just plugged in the charger and charged it back up. However, I've noticed a few slow starts since then since it's been cold. That, along with your story, makes me nervous. I've been considering swapping it for something better.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99895

Here is my thread from a week or so ago when I had my second dead battery under warranty.

[Braces]

Surprised they warrantied your batteries since they are considered a wear item. My original battery lasted exactly 3 years in the Arizona HEAT before dying. The car will "bump"start because I had to do that to start the car LOL.

[lupindub]

They warrantied my batteries as well. First week after buying my 2013 FRS that was CPO, battery died on me. Went to dealership and had it replaced with a new one for free.

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by GeorgeJFrick

Wow. This puts my dealership into perspective. I showed up with no appointment and they replaced my battery/etc after cold starting problems. Bill was $0.00.

If the intake is coming loose, I'd remove it (it shouldn't be?!?).

Actually, this seems to have solved a persistent lumpy idle I've had with the Injen. It might be a cure for the problems Injen owners have been reporting. I'm guessing from use, the screws started loosening (I have tracked it a couple times).

Plus I'm a noob wrencher so I definitely could've done a shoddy install.

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