JIM THEO

I ask here and there about this problem and Subaru service can't help me as they don't have (or don't like to have ) piston slap issues with new age cars so it's better to post a related topic.
Actually I want the opinion of people with the above problem regarding:

* When you realise that your engine suffers from piston slap, I mean it was from the first miles brand new or after say one or two years? Does it getting worse with the time?

* Do you suffer also from oil consumption and if yes (obviously) how much oil do you need per 5000km?

* Is your slaping noise audible immediately when you turn on the key or after few seconds? (Mine is audible only below - exactly -1350rpms and until the engine is completely warm, with this weather iddle starts from 1600rpms)

* What pistons are more prone to slap, in my car the noise comes from the turbo area but can't describe exactly which piston?

* What MY is your car assuming that new age cars suffer also are there cases with WRX01-03?

* How did you running in your car, I have been told that this is critical to piston slap problems?

* Is the slap similar with the noise from boost solenoid, injectors, oil-water pumps, belt tensioner etc and if yes could someone distinguish them?

Sorry for the torrents of questions, I believe this is quite interesting for many of us!
Thanks in advance.
JIM

[Edited by JIM THEO - 1/15/2004 6:24:38 PM]

Kevin Groat

Jim,

STI3.
Bought with 12,000 mile on clock.
Noticed piston slap at probably 30,000 miles, pretty sure it wasn't obvious before this.
Starting from cold it takes a few seconds (30 secs maybe) before the slap noise appears.
Obvious at idle, worse if throttle blipped slightly, there is a point at which it disappears.
No oil consumption at all between changes.
Different viscosity oils can quieten it a bit - seems best with 10w40 Magnatec, tried Mobil 5w50 and it sounded like a bag of spanners, also tried a 15w50 and it sounded worse.
Still runs sweet as a nut all the way to it's 7,800 rpm redline.
Might change it when the clutch needs doing but not going to pull the damned thing apart just for this.

edit to say on 47k miles at the moment and just completed the timing belt service.

Hope this helps.

Kevin.

[Edited by Kevin Groat - 1/15/2004 11:08:38 PM]

TARManiAC

Finally!! I knew I couldn´t be the only one.

Car is wrx01 but bought October02 from new, although I suspect the dealer of having sold a demonstrator as it had 200km on the clock and stonechip in bonnet. I only discovered this after buying because car was parked in dark place of showroom. Otherwise looked perfectly new.

Discovered knocking noise after approx. 3000km and car was run in according to the owners manual. Although I didn´t vary speed much (went from belgium to denmark which means a lot of Autobahn).

Dealer first said:"They all do that" (honest). I thought it was a joke cos exactly those words I was warned about on this board (but nice that he actually acknowleged the noise). He said:"pick anyone car in this showroom and it will do it when started". So I did, and it didn´t. He changed cambelt tensioner but that didn´t help. He called for help from a Subaru engineer from the importer (note that I live in belgium). He couldn´t hear anything wrong from the engine and so case was closed. At least that´s what Subaru think. But I´ll be back.

Noise is audible from cold engine, even in the summer and even if engine has alredy been started once during the day, also if it has just been stopped for 1 hour. I use Castrol rs 10/40 and noise is getting worse (now 42000 km).

Recently the engine has thrown the CEL twice because of cam pos. sensor.

Am I correct that when a cambelttensioner is changed, the belt itself must also be changed?

I even wrote a letter to FHI. The reply was:"we have no piston slap problems on the new models". It seems to be the standard answer like "they all do that sir" was for the old model.

JIM THEO

Not necessarily if it hasn't any damage on it could be only the tensioner, local Subaru service changed in mine also tensioner without belt and crank shaft pulley as it was "unbalanced", for two days all was ok, now noise is back probably due to fresh oil change with the new tensioner!
Thay also claim that there is no Piston slap problem on new age cars...unfortunately!
I'll try to contact FHI, if are there other new age owners could be a massive e-mail with complains thus they can't stand out that there are no piston slap problems do you think?
JIM