2008 wrx crank but no start, no spark...please help!

[pjkolosha]

Hello everyone! I am fairly new to this so if you guys could just please have patience and help me out ###
I recently bought a 2008 wrx hatch that was damaged in the front. Had to replace the timing belt and also get a new cam sprocket. Put the new timing belt on and lining up all the notches and timing belt correctly (double checked many times) and tried to start. The engine was cranking over but no start so i was afraid the valves were bent and there was no compression. So i then began to check the compression....removed all the spark plugs and all valves had compression. I tried to start many times after that and still, engine cranked but no start. I then checked the spark plugs and there was no spark. I have no idea what causes this problem for this is the first time i encountered it. Is there some sensor thats rotted or bad? Ive been searching on forums all day and have found someone answers but nothing that completely answered my question. Every thing seemed to be related to some cam sensor. If anyone that had this problem please help me out i would really appreciate it. thanks

srry...i think i posted the same thread on wrx tech forums. dont know how to navigate well yet...excuse the newbiness

[pzr2874]

Was it running before the timing belt was replaced?

[pjkolosha]

I actually bought it wrecked...going to rebuild it back to stock and throw a few mods in it. But the radiator was smashed back into the timing belt so there was no way i was going to try to start her up without knowing if the timing is off or even bent valves. So we took it apart and the cam sprocket was the only thing broke, replaced that, set timing correctly tried to start her up and nothing..cranking no start. Checked valve compression before taking engine apart and surprisingly it was holding pressure. Checked the spark plugs and no spark when trying to crack? any ideas???

[pjkolosha]

oh and no...the timing belt was off because of the busted cam sprocket

[pzr2874]

Could be ANYTHING

[pjkolosha]

Originally Posted by pzr2874

Could be ANYTHING

dang, well thanks for taking to time to help. i guess ill try to get a diagnostic reading and see what codes come up and go from there. might as well change the cam positioning sensor sense that what everyone seems to think

[pjkolosha]

DANG.....im an idiot lol finally figured out whats caused my 08 not to start. the second we figured it out and changed the problem we fired er' up and it was like shes been running all along.

[pzr2874]

What was it?

[pjkolosha]

Originally Posted by pzr2874

What was it?

well i have a friend that specializes in electrical work and he was going to see if it was anything electrical. so before he came over me and my old man figured we do some last min checks. so as we were checking timeing AGAIN, we noticed on the middle cam sprocket (not sure if thats whats its called) there was three notches. One was an arrow, the second was an "N" and the third was a dash. So i looked online and you were supposed to align it with the dash and we were using the arrow (about 5 teeth off). When we set it and checked the spark by trying to start er up, she started on only 2 spark plugs. I immediately turned the car off put the other spark plugs back and tried again and it started like its bein running all along!

noob mistake lol

[BLAZE2099]

Newbs usually don't mess with timing, so I'd say, good catch!

[pzr2874]

^ this

[pjkolosha]

thanks haha i changed timing before but never on a subie. I guess its just that one little thing that i missed..good thing its all and over with now and time to put her back together