Ceased Engine? Starter?

MYSTERYMEAT

MEMBER
2000 SUBARU FORESTER
130,000 MILES

I have a problem with my 2000 Subaru Forester. As it is my work vehicle I rely on it everyday for an hour long commute(each way).

Here is my problem:

Monday morning on my way to work it died on the freeway. As I was going up a hill the engine revs were going higher and higher and the power was going lower and lower. My lights were dimming and the check engine, Ebrake, low oil and Battery dashboard lights all came on at the same time. When I tried to start it back up I would go black, as in when the key was just in the on position my headlights would be on and dashboard lights on, but when I try to start the car everything goes black.

Because the power loss I felt and the dimming of the lights I thought it might be a bad alternator, so I replaced that and also found my battery to be fairly useless after a quite voltmeter. So after a new alternator, new battery and 2 new belts I am stuck at more or less the same problem.

When I try to start the car its much more forcefull now (most likely due to the new battery) but just clicks once as I start the car, and I hear a humming sound, but nothing happens. I just hope the engine did not cease.I really can't afford to take this in as I just bought a new car for my wife after she had our third child.

Please Help!

Thanks in advance for any advise.

-Ivan
2000 Subaru Forester
140000 miles

3 Replies

DJCL

MECHANIC
767 POSTS

If the battery is new and good. Start by checking all your connections amd cables. You could do a voltage drop test if your good with a volt meeter. Or just use jumper cables to by pass the bad cable on connection. Run the one jumper cable from neg on the battery to the engine block. And rum the red jumper cable to the pos lug on the starter. See if it starts then. If not check for voltage @ the starter when cranking.