2002 WRX diagnostic help:

Story: Last night, a mile from home, with a warm car, the wife stops for beer. Goes back out to the car, and it won't start- we get a click, but no starter turn over. We clean the battery terminals, no change (new battery a year ago). Bump start it- starts right up. She drives it the mile home, and it's surging and stumbling, but idles fine.

Background: Changed the clutch and center differential last weekend. She has driven it about 30 miles with no indications of any problem.

Is this a fuel pump thing? Is there a starter interlock with fuel pressure? It almost seems like they are unrelated, but they have to be... there weren't any symptoms of any problems until she tried to start it after the liquor store.

Checked the alternator ?

There is a clutch interlock and a pedal-to-the-floor fuel cutoff.

Do the cam and crank sensors read the correct ohms?

The rough running might be related to the starting issue, but maybe not. I would check and see how the car runs with the o2 unplugged. The starter problem might just be a plain old solenoid.

I'll ohm out the cam and crank sensors- those wouldn't have anything to do with the starting issue, right?

I've got the thing on jumpers (ironically, to my MG), but I still just get a click. the battery seems like it's at a decent voltage (around 13v). If I can get it started, I'll check the voltage output of the alternator.

Another weird data point. Fuel gauge now reads 1/4 tank. Was over half tank when the problem happened- verified by both the wife and I.

Cam and crank sensors can absolutely cause car to intermittently not start.

I would double check the wires to the starter first and then try tapping the starter. Is the pitch mount ground wire attached at both ends?

I don't have the fsm with me but the cam sensor should be at 0-.9v key in-engine off and I think both should be at 1k-4k ohm. But check the fsm for the numbers.

No CEL's- wouldn't a cam or crank sensor cause that?

Uh, heh heh. Put a hold on any diagnostic you were thinking about. Picture to follow.

So, no pictures. But, apparently, and tell me if I'm wrong here, you need to attach the starter ground when you put everything back together. It had to be making the minimum amount of contact for her to use it for a few days this week.

So: the car wouldn't start, yada yada yada, it starts. Surging seems to be solved as well. Sorry for wasting your time.

It's always nice when it turns out to be something easy.

This is your perfect opportunity to come up with a convoluted explanation and make your wife think you are a mechanical genius.

Well, I messed that up too. Dagnabbit. I need a built-in reality consultant to help me frame the truth. It was a real relief, I must say.