Engine 0n 2002 Impreza OBS

stackman1

Hi guys and gals. I bought my 2002 OBS brand new in August of 2001. It only has 87,000 miles on it. Ever since I have owned it the engine has been loud. My mechanic told me to take it in before my warranty was up and see if they thought there was a problem - they didn't. Just the Subaru 'engine'.... I have been religious about my oil changes and maintenance with the dealer. I am at a new dealer since my move to PA. I thought my wheel bearing was going and they just called to say I was right. The dealer also called to warn me that the engine sounded terrible 'like something was in it' or that 'a cylinder was bad'.....

This is my second rear wheel bearing to be replaced. I do think my engine was one of those lemons you hear about at least from a noise stand point. MPG I get about 25 highway and 20 local. I bought the Sube because I wanted it to run for 20 years....(BTW, after my 60,000 maintenance they held it over night because of engine noise but said it was gone in the morning). It never burns oil and has never had any leaks,

I told them to go ahead and replace the bearing. (I have accumulated some Subaru Bucks) Besides, I can't afford a new car. This one is paid off.

A friend of mine owns a Midas shop and his guys told me just to put in some Lucas product. Lube the lifters?

I asked the dealership to give me a quote on any option they could suggest to get at the root of the problem. Dropping the pan? Taking the cover off? These were some of the things thrown out. I will write back when I get quotes.

I haven't done the Timing Belt yet.....

What would you guys do? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

ateixeira

Your mileage seems normal. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Do these mechanics work on boxer engines a lot? They sound very different than in-lines and Vs.

xwesx

It is possible that yours has the piston slap issue, which is said to not cause any damage even though it is obnoxiously noisy.

If you have noise like that but normal fuel economy, I strongly recommend that you start having used oil analyses performed. That will give you an idea of what is really going on inside the engine. If there is a problem, or one is developing, the analyses will help you determine the course of action to take. Otherwise, you'll be flying blind and throwing a lot of money at it that could be better spent. If there is a problem, and you brought it up to a dealership prior to the warranty expiration, press Subaru (nicely) for assistance with the repair.

Here are some resources to perhaps help you in making a decision regarding UOA:

www.blackstonelabs.com
www.bobistheoilguy.com

Good luck!

stackman1

I don't know off hand. I am new to this area and this dealer. It looks to be a VW dealer primarily. In the interim I got a price quote on my left rear wheel bearing -$518.92.

They also said to tear the engine down to determine where the noise is emanating from would cost me $547.01 (just to get a look).

I tend to agree with you that if it ain't broke......If it blows a cylinder am I any worse off than I am now?

It drives fine except for the noise.

ateixeira

Tough to say for sure.

Try an oil analysis from bobistheoilguy.

That would be another way to tell if it's operating within specs. Subaru engines usually come back very clean (reports typically say "another clean Subaru engine") so if it's out of spec you'll know there's something wrong.

Also - is it just me, or does that seem pricey for a single wheel bearing?

stackman1

I can't remember what I paid for my last wheel bearing. $518 does seem high but I am at the dealership.....

So, when they analyze the oil - they can tell if the cylinder is not operating correctly. DO they look for shavings that kind of thing?

ateixeira

I've seen some of the reports, and they basically analyze all the contents, so yes, metal shavings for sure would be detected.

stackman1

When I decided not to have them look at the engine, the mechanic said he thought the sound was emanating from the front of the engine. He thinks the problem is the timing belt tensioner. As the timing belt has not been replaced I told him to take the cover over and replace the timing belt and tensioner. He is going to charge ~ $347. As I said mpg is good so I think the engine is ok and idea that it is the tensioner rattling is possible. Figure I need a timing belt about now anyway.