OK so Im stumped. Everytime I start the RX now it has a ticking noise somewhere in the engine bay, it has a Check Engine Light, and it smoke.

 

Today I started it up, no CEL, no ticking, no smoke!!! Wait... 25seconds later, whats that ticking noise? Turn around and look at all the grey smoke!

 

Im lost on where to start. Advise?

 

Smoked in the garage, dont think it was coolant because it didnt burn our eyes. Just smelled like death lol.

 

Also gona be taking my intake manifold off... anyone point me in the direction on how to go about that?

OK so Im stumped. Everytime I start the RX now it has a ticking noise somewhere in the engine bay, it has a Check Engine Light, and it smoke.

 

Today I started it up, no CEL, no ticking, no smoke!!! Wait... 25seconds later, whats that ticking noise? Turn around and look at all the grey smoke!

 

Im lost on where to start. Advise?

 

Smoked in the garage, dont think it was coolant because it didnt burn our eyes. Just smelled like death lol.

 

Also gona be taking my intake manifold off... anyone point me in the direction on how to go about that?

My first little bit of advice pretaining to the intake manifold would be to buy the gaskets from the dealer not that autozone crap. Here is why:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=81092&highlight=intake+gasket+failure

 

And to be careful when taking that intake bolts out, they like to break on ya. I bought a can of PB blaster and that helped to break them loose for me.

go to thepartsbin.com for the intake manifold gaskets, theyre like $4 apiece and they are OEM brand. Nippon reinz, i think, or Ishino is the brand name.

 

Label all the vacuum hoses that you take off, because that makes re assembly easier. I used some white sticky labels and a colored set of sharpie markers.. each solenoid/component/"thingy" got its own color, I didnt even write part names down. Green hose went back onto the same thingy that the green plug went back onto, and that thingy had a green tag on it

 

You MIGHT want to try spraying the manifold bolts with PB blaster when its cold, take it for a drive, spray it again right after parking the car, THEN try to loosen the manifold bolts while the engine is hot. It might be easier.

 

Check the memory and it should point you towards your CEL culprit component, but I am going to guess EGR solenoid just on a whim.

Well I couldnt figure out how to check for CEL's any insight on this?

Well I couldnt figure out how to check for CEL's any insight on this?

 

There is a plastic trim / cover under the steering wheel that goes about to where your toes are when working the pedals. Remove it. (I toss them) There is a roughly 7" roughly square metal box attached to the steering column. Along the edge facing the driver's seat there will be a hole. Look through the hole to see the LED that blinks the trouble code. Count the long blinks as 10s, short blinks as 1s. Ex: 3 long, 4 short = 34. When it repeats, it has read out all the different codes.

 

Yes, heat (even just normal operating temperature) helps removing stuck bolts very much. A couple driving cycles w/ penatrant added before & after each run should work it into the threads well.

Smoke signals hmmmm

 

White smoke=coolant when coming from the exhaust, tires when coming from the wheel wells.

 

Black smoke=rich mixture, usually accompanied by the smell of raw gas.

 

Blue smoke=oil burning, usually accompanied by a thin film of oil on the bumper around the exhaust.

 

Grey smoke=expensive internal bits burning away, usually accompanied by a sickening hot metal smell.

Smoke signals hmmmm

 

White smoke=coolant when coming from the exhaust, tires when coming from the wheel wells.

 

Black smoke=rich mixture, usually accompanied by the smell of raw gas.

 

Blue smoke=oil burning, usually accompanied by a thin film of oil on the bumper around the exhaust.

 

Grey smoke=expensive internal bits burning away, usually accompanied by a sickening hot metal smell.

 

Colors are subjective.