October 12, 200520 yr That is the first time I have heard of a timing chain problem with the H6. This makes sense as that would easily affect all three cylinders, fairly rare on a chain engine. I'm glad they found it for you.
October 12, 200520 yr All in all, the EZ-30 looks to have been a solid performer up to this point. No slapping or gasket issues.
October 13, 200520 yr Author They found a bit of sludge when they pulled the cover and there was some speculation that this might have been the source of the problem. And yes I am deligent about my oil changes. BUT I was told to start changing the oil every 2k. Seems this was not the first one that had sludged up.
October 13, 200520 yr What oil did you use and what intevals (miles AND months). This is the first time I'm hearing about sludge in subaru.
October 13, 200520 yr They found a bit of sludge when they pulled the cover and there was some speculation that this might have been the source of the problem. And yes I am deligent about my oil changes. BUT I was told to start changing the oil every 2k. Seems this was not the first one that had sludged up. What the FSCK?!?!?! If the engine is sludging up at 2K (or even 3K) then there is a major problem with the design of that engine. This indicates that the engine is getting hot enough to boil the oil to sludge, or the filter is not holding the sediment from the engine (because it is producing too much?) then the root problem needs to be corrected. Telling the customer that he needs to change the oil more often is not a solution.
October 13, 200520 yr Well i can also be from taking very short trips an not letting the car warm up. If that is the case you have to switch to hotter spark plugs and a differnt oil, prbbly synthetic. nipper
October 13, 200520 yr I'd like to hear more about the "sludge," too. Either way, what is the timing chain's tensioning mechanism in the EZ-30? Is it a hydraulic tensioner or spring-loaded?
October 13, 200520 yr This is why some companies have gone to synthetics. In a number of modern engines the operating temp is hot enough to sludge them up. Most timing chain tensiors are hydraulic these days and sludge is a no no. If it were my car it would get synthetic oil and regular monitoring with oil analis for a while. I am not sure what conditions in Colorado might have to do with it, or if this will turn out to be a problem as with some Toyotas and Hondas. It sure sounds easy to fix.
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now