The Dude

I have over 90,000 miles on a set of Goodyear Weatherhandler LS. Probably another 20,000 miles until I hit the wear bars, although I'll replace them before that. Not sexy, but they handle well and wear like iron.

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Let's start with something cheap and easy. Does your car have AT? If so, have you tried installing the FWD fuse? That will rule out torque binding from the transmision. It might also rule out the rear half axle since your car is in FWD. Raise the car and check the rear wheel for bearing play or noise, also cheap and easy. I wonder if it is possible to drop the rear axle and then briefly run the car? If the noise is still there without the axle, you're almost certain that it is the bearing. Rebuilt axle, about $60.00. Probably worth $60 to diagnose and possibly repair the problem.

Why are you assuming a warm engine? The electric fuel pump pressurizes the fuel system as soon as the ignition switch is placed in the "on" position. I could site numerous situations that would result in the fuel system being pressurized without the engine being fully warmed, if warmed at all. How much fuel will be ejected by a pressurized Subaru fuel system? Frankly, I do not know, and I find myself strongly disinclined to go to the bother of actually measuring the output. However, the instuctions given by the Subaru factory for replacing the fuel filter go to some length (disabling the fuel pump, and then running the engine until the fuel supply is exhausted) to insure that the fuel system is fully depressurized. I can only conclude that Subaru is concerned that some significant quantity of gasoline will be ejected from the pressurized fuel system. In any regard, I stand by my assertion that, regardless of the cause, a boxer engine is more likely to experience hydolocking than a "V" type engine. The primary reason being that gravity will help drain fluid from a cylinder in a "V" type engine, while the horizontal boxer engine will necessarily be denied that advantage. If you disagree, fine. 25% VAT My heavens. You realize that you Danes were much, much better off being Vikings. 25% VAT, does that at least go to pay for a state provided funeral where they put your body in a long boat and then set it ablaze as it drifts off into the ocean? I hope so.

Well, Olaf, if you check a posting on this board by "Skytow" on 1-6-05 you'll see where his Subaru engine was hydrolocked by a leaking fuel injector. I said it was RARE. I have read that gravity will help gasoline from a leaky fuel injector drain past the piston rings on a "V" type engine. Obviously, gravity will not help gas drain in a horizontal boxer engine. My calculations show that about 63 mL (2.0 ounces) of gasoline in a cylinder has the potential to hydrolock the engine, that's not a whole lot. I don't stay awake at night worrying about this happening. And I normally avoid aggressive and personal attacks, as well. But I'm not the one freezing my breezer off for eight months out of the year in some Gulag of a country and paying 18% VAT for that privilege. So, maybe I know a little something about engines, and a few other things too. Have a nice day, ja?

Is the cooling fan coming on? You might try backflushing the radiator, changing the thermostat, and radiator cap. And of course, make sure the cooling system is free from air. However, you do have the infamous 2.5L DOHC Phase I engine, so a blown head gasket is a real and ugly possibility. Do a search on head gasket failures. Run the car up to operating temperature and look for bubbles in the expansion tank. You might consider having the radiator "sniffed" for exhaust gases before you put a whole lot more time and money into this problem. Often you will not see cross-contaminated fluids with a Phase I HG failure. Good luck.

I agree the boxer engine has a lot of advantages. It happens rarely, but the boxer has one unique disadvantge-hyrdolocking. If one of the fuel injectors leaks overnight, the pressurized fuel will leak into the cylinder. The horizontal boxer cylinder will fill up with fuel. Crank the engine, gasoline doesn't compress, new piston and connecting needed.

There is only one band that is adjustable. The procedure is in the Haynes Subie Manual.

I just started experiencing the same thing with my Forester at 175,000 miles. The car veers a little at highway speed when a strong wind hit it. My first guess? Ball joints. Genuine Subaru ball joints are only $35.00 each, and they look pretty easy to replace. Another possibility, tie rods end, also not too bad. Hopefully not the steering rack, mucho bucks.

Shortlid makes an excellent point. Do you have a compelling need for an AWD vehicle? I live in South Carolina and I own a Forester. I have driven the car for six years. I am aware of the AWD "kicking in" on two occasions, both times in the snow. So far, (175,000 miles) the Forester has been a very good car to own. Others can tell you the all good points about Subarus. I will tell you about some of the drawbacks. 1. Very few dealers in the Southeast. No snow=fewer Subies. 2. Subaru is a pretty reliable car, but there are lot more parts on an AWD car. 3. Interference engine. Hard to avoid on Japanese cars, but try. 4. Even fewer good "indie" repair shops. Hope you really like your dealer. 5. The AT Subies MUST be towed on flat bed truck. If you break down in the rural south, say Mississippi, you may be up a creek without a paddle. Subaru seems to make tough little cars, just something to think about.

All things equal, automotive experts will pick an AT over an MT for towing. An AT is certainly much easier for the driver to tow with. Plus, you will have made an investment in the towing equipment for your car. You want to make that investment on the car with longest probable life. Please do a web search on towing . You'll see that the AT is almost universally recommended.

These are all good suggestions, a little premature since we don't know the engine's exact condition. The car had the timing belt replaced at a Subaru dealership by a factory trained mechanic. He or she, was fully qualified to do the work and inspect all the parts of the timing belt system. Which just shows you what a bad idea interference engines are. Sure, the timing belt drivetrain doesn't break very often, but it doesn't always happen to the other guy. And when it happens to you you're looking at a minimum $3,000 repair. EJ25 non-interference engine=160 hp, EJ25 interference engine=165 hp. BIG WHOOP.

I would agree. There is a good chance that this engine is scrap aluminum. This is not the typical scenario for a simple head gasket failure. Susie, unfortunately you are in a bit of quandry. It is expensive even to determine the condition of the engine. If the mechanic tears the engine down and finds that the engine is a total loss, you still have to pay for having the engine torn down. I would definitely wait for the Subaru rep before doing anything. He may be able to provide some insight as to what happened to your car. You need to be very cautious. The LAST thing that you want to do authorize a very expensive repair on a suspect engine. There are other options besides repairing the engine . We can consider those after the Subaru Rep makes his call. Frankly, lean on the Rep a little. I think Subaru could have done a lot better than the 2.5L DOHC.

You have the infamous 2.5L DOHC Phase I engine. Many Phase I owners have posted on this board reporting the failure of the engine's head gaskets. This appears to be a well known, and well documented problem. Your car is out of warranty. It is almost a certainty no special accommodation will be made for you. Subaru has not even acknowledged a problem with the Phase I engine. Your estimate for a simple head gasket replacement seems outrageously high. Most people report spending around $1,200 for the repair. That does not include new heads if they are required. Usually, new heads are NOT needed. If you stopped the car IMMEDIATELY when the head gaskets blew, the heads are probably OK. Perhaps someone on this board can point you to a more reasonable dealer or quality independent repair shop in your area.

If the clicking is from a worn CV joint it will not get better by itself. Change the axle and it will get better. Overheated AT fluid turns acidic. That's why when you see dark red AT fluid with a burnt smell, change it ASAP. That stuff is eating away at your tranny and seals while you do something else every weekend. That "metalic" noise probably is from the transmission. It may even be related to the burnt fluid in your AT. Of all your car's probems, that's the one that would concern me the most. Because broken transmissions are almost never cheap to replace or repair. Drain the AT and hope for the best.

Pre 1997 2.2 engines are NON-interference. Go to the head of the class.

Actually, the general rule is all Subaru engines, including the 2.2, starting from 1997 and on, are interference engines. If you doubt this, look it up. One other advantage of a interference engine is thermal efficiency. In general, the smaller the combustion area, the more heat is retained in the expanding gas column, and more power for the engine. HOWEVER, In real life the microscopic power increase of the interference engine can not even be felt by the driver. Car manufacturers are in a horsepower war. Every manufacturer tries to make their cars more attractive by wringing every last possible watt out of their engine. It's not worth it. You are risking a $3,000-$4,000 engine repair for just a couple of extra horsepower from an interferential engine. It's like playing Russian roulette all by yourself. I'ts just stupid.

I have a 99 Forester AT. I would never consider putting a turbo on the engine. It is a VERY open deck engine. It's a way overbored 2.2 block and the head bolts are probably holding everything together. Towing with any turbo is not a great idea. I don't know how much you're towing, but I tow a 1,700 boat with my Forester with no sweat. If you need more towing capacity do it right and buy another car or truck.

I don't fault you at all. There has been a huge amount of contraversy on this subject. However, Subaru3, a moderator on this board, on 7-13-04 quoted the offical Subaru 1997 Technical training manual. It stated that the 2.2 had been reconfigered as an interference engine. This information has been verified numerous times. A number of very disappointed 2.2 owners have posted that their valves were trashed when their timing belts broke. Emily at CCR is a very nice person, but she has been misinformed on several occasions. Years ago, I was informed by Subaru of America that my 2.5L SOHC was a non-interferential engine. They were wrong.

I am sure that you don't know that EVERY Subaru engine since 1997 has been an interference engine. In 1997 the 2.2 head was redesigned, and the beloved and formerly bullet proof 2.2 became an INTERFERENCE engine. Trust me on this. More than one 2.2 owner and poster on this board has found this to be true the hard and expensive way.

One thing worth mentioning, body rot. I know northern Arizona gets a lot of snow. If this car has seen a lot of road salt, give the body a good inspection.

Interference engines are a $3,000 repair just waiting to happen. It's not just the belt breaking that can destroy your engine. I wish that was true. If the tensioner fails, BANG goes your engine. If the water pump seizes, BANG goes your engine. If just one of the idlers fail, BANG goes your engine. If you get in a wreck, and the timing belt jumps, BANG goes your engine. This last one happens more often than you might think. In all honesty, the timing belt might be the most reliable part of the whole Mickey Mouse interference engine. Most timing belt appear to have almost no wear on them when even changed at 100,OOO miles. Mine even had the lettering still on the belt.

The recording of piston slap in a GM vehicle doesn't sound a thing like piston slap in a Subaru boxer engine. Not even remotely close. At it's worst, on a very cold morning, piston slap in a Subaru may sound like a bad crankshaft bearing. Usually, it's a rattle or tapping sound. It usually gets less noticable as the engine warms up. With some wear on the engine, I have 175,000 miles on my 99 Forester, you can hear the piston slap in the background all the time. I am not a die hard fan of Subaru, and I will have to say that on a warmed up engine the piston slap is bearly noticable. Subaru claims that piston slap doesn't effect engine life. Based on my experience, I would have to say that is probably true. However, there have been a number of Subaru engines with extremely bad piston slap. It would seem that in those extreme cases Subaru has replaced the pistons, or otherwise repaired the engine under warranty.

Peg, It's sounds like your engine has developed "piston slap". In some Subaru engines "piston slap" is fairly common, and is considered to be "normal". For example, my 99 Forester developed "piston slap" at 20,000 miles. I now have 175,000 trouble free miles on the engine. However, "piston slap" can also be a sign of piston ring wear. A simple and relatively inexpensive compression test can determine whether or not your piston rings are worn. IF you have worn piston rings, could it have been caused by the syn oil change over? There is no way to know. BTW, I don't which engine you have, but "piston slap" is fairly common in several Subaru engines. It starts at first only during cold weather. Gradually you can hear the ticking all year. In my engine, the 2.5L SOHC, it is attributed to overly short piston "skirts". I hope this helps. One question, did the the low oil dashboard light ever go on during this time?