GTgal

Oh, btw. Long before I used the Seafoam, I bought ( out of my own pocket )and had by boyfriend replace the knock sensor, since I asked the dealer to and they would not. Waste of money - it didn't stop the pinging.

I started with a tank of premium ( 92 octane, I believe ) when I added the Seafoam, but switched back to regular the next tank. The pinging was gone. I sometimes add another can 5000 miles later.

Had the same problem with my 2000 GT. Premium gas only helped for awhile. Got the same response from the dealer that my fuel injectors were clogged. Try adding Seafoam ( you can get at Napa ) to your gas tank with some premium or better yet, use down the throttle body as posted on this site. It worked for me!

When I first picked up my 2000 GT wagon at the Subaru dealer, it was detailed and waxed and looked wonderful. Went to the detail garage and asked the guy what they used. He said a brand called Auto Magic - he detailed cars on the side too and that was all he would use. It is sold at jobbers stores and online only. I've been using it every summer since and my car looks great! Highly recommend. P.S. Don't use that Zymol or Nu Finish unless you are thinking of completely sanding down your car and repainting it. http://www.automagic.biz/buy-automagic.htm

About the catalytic converter, will any of the deposit residue from cleaning the combustion chambers plug or harm it? Has anyone tried adding just a little bit of diesel fuel when the tank was about a 1/4 full and running it down the freeway, then filling it with premium?

I don't think my fuel injectors need replacing. When I had my 30,000 mile service done at the local Subaru dealer, they said they were dirty and needed to be cleaned . The car was pinging at that time occasionally, that's why I was thinking the problem could be the fuel injectors. Several months later it was pinging more often, so I brought it in for service. They said the pinging was "within normal range" ( like any pinging should have a normal range ) and attributed it to my Ganzflow intake, so they refused to fix it. Ok, maybe I should have removed the intake first but it pings with or without it. I have used Techron -- no difference. Reset the ECU 3 times. It seemed to help right after I did it, but then went back to its normal pinging. Excuse me for my ignorance, but what is a pulse generator? btw - this dealer just replaced my radiator free under warranty this week when my boyfriend discovered a small seam leak near the bottom rad hose. And I wondered where that slow loss of coolant was coming from. Thought it might be a head gasket. I wonder if others had this problem.

Tiny, Yes it does ping when the engine is cold and when it is hot - doesn't seem to matter. I think I will try a combination of all of the suggestions. btw, where can you get this Seafoam? Sounds great.

Does anybody have any recommendations on ways to deep clean Subaru fuel injectors? I'm not talking about that liquid you add " every 3 thousand miles" to your gas tank. My 2000 GT has been pinging since before 30,000 miles - currently have 52,000. Have used mid-grade gas for a year to to try to counteract. Have replaced anti-knock sensor -- no difference. Subaru dealer says I need a fuel injection cleaning for 129.00. Is there a DIY throttle body alternative?

Thank you for all the info. I feel much better now about the head gasket issue. Well, except for Subiegal's comment about the phase 2 --- hopefully that is a very small minority. Great link, Flowmastered ! I didn't know about the website and a rally here would be something to look forward to. Btw - is there any local Subaru dealer here in Portland that'll do warranty work without giving me the brush off?

Have been browsing this forum for the past year before joining , ( was so impressed with all the knowledge, this newbie still didn't feel worthy ) and all I can say is a big THANK YOU to all the moderators and posters who really know their stuff about Subies and have helped those of us don't. Best recommendations for mods and what to do about car problems I've gotten have from this site. My question: Have searched the forums, but would like the definitive answer on how to tell if you have one of the Subarus prone to head gasket failure. I know phase one, 2.5 --- which are the phase 1? Do you go by model, year sold, VIN, manufacture date ? Heard there's a 20% failure rate, so that means odds are in our favor, right? At what mileage does it begin to show ? I have a 2000 GT Wagon.