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Subaru Forester Engine problems

439 messages,  Last post on Aug 25, 2012 at 2:58 PM

You are in the Subaru Forester Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Forester, Engine, Wagon

Messages Page 43 of 45

#414 of 439 Re: subaru engine failure #4 HELP [blown_engine] by aatherton

Dec 13, 2011 (10:09 am)

Replying to: blown_engine (Dec 12, 2011 8:32 pm)
You say "… 2010 subaru forester and going on engine #2… The vehicle has 38000 km total and on 3rd engine… the engine currently only has 10,000 km on it…"
 
Are you saying that engine #2 is in the car now, with only 6,000 miles since it was installed, and that now the car needs a 3rd engine at 24,000 miles? Three engines needed in 24,000 miles? The dealership is proceeding carefully with such a case.
 
Did you buy this car new from the dealership, and did the dealership provide (that is, furnish and install) engine #2?
Or did you buy this car from a used car dealer after engine #1 failed, engine #2 was not provided by a dealership, and now the dealership and Subaru Canada are being asked to provide engine #3?
 
I can understand why they would not agree to pay for engine #3 without doing a diagnostic removal and tear-down to investigate the cause engine #2's failure.
And it is logical that they would want you to pay for the investigation, in case it indicated that Subaru was not the cause of the failure.
 
The dealership and Subaru Canada would want to investigate the circumstances of engine #2. Was it a new Subaru engine, installed by a dealer? Was is properly maintained and driven? What was the internal mechanism of failure?
 
If they provided engine #2 and find you were not the cause of its failure, they will reimburse you for its investigation, and provide engine #3.

#415 of 439 Re: subaru engine failure #4 HELP [aatherton] by ateixeira

Dec 13, 2011 (10:12 am)

Replying to: aatherton (Dec 13, 2011 10:09 am)
Something must be going on, could it be bad gas? Or the wrong oil?
 
One failure is uncommon, 2 rare, but 4? Unheard of...

#416 of 439 Re: knock like sound on the start [xwesx] by mountaindog

Dec 17, 2011 (10:29 am)

Replying to: xwesx (Jun 01, 2011 12:20 pm)
Easy driving is always a positive thing. Since 1977 I have had about 10 Subarus and driven them well over 1 million miles. I never red line engines. One reason I like manual transmissions is that I can keep the RPM down. Subaru engines are very strong and if you don't drive them at high engine speeds the go a long time. My last 1.8L 1994 went 300,000 miles. It was running just fine but road salt had rusted it out so I had to retire it. I really think in a place with no salty winer roads I would have run that engine 500,000 for sure. I have always found it strange when so many people report engine problems, head gaskets failures etc. I have just never had any trouble.
 
I use Mobile 1 10W30 synthetic and only change it at 15,000 files with a filter change every 5000.

#417 of 439 Re: subaru engine failure #4 HELP [ateixeira] by aatherton

Dec 17, 2011 (11:34 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Dec 13, 2011 10:12 am)
"... One failure is uncommon, 2 rare, but 4? Unheard of..."
 
He said... "I currently own a 2010 subaru forester and going on engine #2... The vehicle has 38000 km total and on 3rd engine... before this it was a 2008 wrx and again went through 2 engines."
 
It is not clear, but I think there is a Forester which is requiring a 3rd engine, and there was a WRX that required a 2nd engine. Five engines between two cars.

#418 of 439 Re: subaru engine failure #4 HELP [aatherton] by mountaindog

Dec 18, 2011 (7:48 pm)

Replying to: aatherton (Dec 17, 2011 11:34 am)
Wish we knew more of the details of 5 engine failures on 2 cars. There is a company in Florida which builds complete Subaru engine packages for aircraft. They started with the 2.5 and are now build with the 3.0L 6 cylinder. They have had great success with the Subaru engines. I believe they have sold several thousand by now.
 
My only Subaru engine failure was on a 1979 Wagon way back in 1985. I think it was a 1.6L engine. I got the car used with over 100,000 mile on it. I only had it for 6 months when it broke a connecting rod. Talk about loud bangs and vibration. The car did just manage to keep running until I got it off the freeway. Sound like a sledge hammer inside the motor. With a rod flying around the crank a sledge hammer might have been less trouble. It never ran again.
 
Most of the miles I have run Subarus have been with the older pushrod motors and they were solid. I am currently running a 2007 2.5 Impreza. While I don't like the car the 2.5L engine is running fine. Our 2011 2.5L Forester with the new motor also runs fine but, it should since it's new. I never had any of the years with he head gasket troubles.
 
If you could post some information about the failures it would be very informative.

#419 of 439 Re: subaru engine failure #4 HELP [aatherton] by ateixeira

Dec 19, 2011 (1:40 pm)

Replying to: aatherton (Dec 17, 2011 11:34 am)
Five blown engines? What's going in the fuel tank, bleach?

#420 of 439 Re: subaru engine failure #4 HELP [ateixeira] by aatherton

Dec 19, 2011 (5:00 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Dec 19, 2011 1:40 pm)
You have suspected bad gas, wrong oil, and bleach
I suspect things like usage, maintenance and quality of rebuilds.

#421 of 439 Re: subaru engine failure #4 HELP [blown_engine] by marianneo

Dec 19, 2011 (7:41 pm)

Replying to: blown_engine (Dec 12, 2011 8:32 pm)
I am on my 2nd blown head gasket and now the engine has blown I don't know what to do either.

#422 of 439 Re: Forester troubles [isaac17] by beanzz

Dec 23, 2011 (4:15 am)

Replying to: isaac17 (Dec 12, 2011 4:20 am)
I have a 2011 manual Turbo built in July that I've had for just over a week. It runs quite roughly, especially between about 2,000 RPM and 3,000 RPM. It's been back to Subaru a couple of times and they can't find the cause. They suspect the fuel the dealership originally put in the car.
 
I topped up the tank with 48 litres of 98 octane ( the best we get in Australia) and it's much worse now. I've agreed with Subaru to empty this tank and one more (both filled with Subaru's fuel additive) before bringing it back to them. If the cause is fuel then it should have cleared out by then.
 
I have my doubts.......

#423 of 439 Re: My 2003 Forester that backfires and doesn't start [xwesx] by phxmotor

Apr 25, 2012 (8:55 pm)

Replying to: xwesx (Jul 13, 2010 10:26 am)
sorry this is 2 years too late...but...your problem is that you need your valves adjusted.
These are not hydraulic lifters...they are like the Honda Vtech valves... they MUST be adjusted once every 100k miles.
If you dont the exh valves will get too tight...and at 1st it will rn fine but not idle right.
Then it will get worse and worse.
ut; your not starting problem is easy...all you have is a bad connection to the battery. There are 4 places to check. Pos...neg...positive at the starter...and negative at where the cable conncts to the block and at the body. Since the positive at the battery includesa nut & bolt connector at the positive battery terminal...you must take it apart and clean it.
Thats it! Clean all 4 points on the battery cables...aand get the valves adjusted. And please please buy a cheap code reader. The nut cases who think they can live without one are truely nuts.
Oh...about batteries...2x a year you must add distilled water...at the same time clean the terminals...and the other end of each cable too.
This is basic stuff to keep your car running w/o having to get a mechanic or a shop into your life.
Basic stuff. Do it!

Messages Page 43 of 45

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