mike harris

I have just today noticed a knocking noise coming from my engine. it started to happen yesterday after a bit speeding. it only seems to happen when i come off the accelerator or when the car is not pulling. I have recently come back from blackpool for the weekend and the car ran very well. I was wondering if it could be the petrol that i put in. I filled up with bp ultimate (97 ron) stuff. i have just filled up now with optimax which i always use. could someone tell me if these symptoms are knocking or should i be looking fo something else?

john banks

Get it checked asap, at the worst case it could be a big end bearing that has failed.

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

it shows 0 replies in the forum but clearly John has replied!


Edit - that fixed it

mike harris

spot on mate. big end bearing/bearings gone engine is dead. now looking for a new/ second hand engine to drop in.

john banks

Are you sorted out with contacts? Contact API David who posts on here and does warranty work to dealer standards and you won't get fleeced.

What year/model/spec/mods does the car have?

mike harris

year = 1995
model = saloon 4 door jap import(imported 1999)
spec = pretty standard body wise and engine fully standard
mods = nothing

john banks

The earlier imports I don't think were quite so likely to det on our fuel, but did you use octane booster as well?

mike harris

I use optimax only until recently. the only other thing i can think caused it is i had an oil change in ATS and they fitted a smaller diameter oil filter. i was wondering if the flow of oil through the smaller filter was sufficent..


if only i could prove it.

WRX STI Type RA.

MIKE...All the newer filters are the smaller veriety i`m affraid...I too got a shock at the diffrent dimentions from the older type to the newer version......Kev.

Kevin Groat

Mike, any idea which type of oil ATS used?
As above, the smaller diameter filter is the new revised part.
How long and hard were you ragging the car before you noticed the problem - e.g flat out in fifth for a few miles?

mike harris

the oil used was shell helix plus 15/40 or 10/40.

I had done about 5 miles then the car idled for about 5 mins then after i pulled off again. i noticed the knocking. and it has got gradually worse since. so car is now off road till i can get it done. can get an engine that has done 41,000 miles and comes totally complete with turbo manifolds,etc, for 795+vat

and can get it fitted for around 150 quid.

Kevin Groat

As long as the engine comes with some sort of warranty then that price isn't bad - presume it's also an early WRX engine?. Before you decide though I'd also get a quote from APIDavid - their prices are pretty competitive and their standard of work comes highly recommended.

Dark Blue Mark

Id want the engine looked at. You *may* be able to tell the difference between a sudden failure (recent maintenance related) and one that has been the result of excessive wear. Trust there was enough oil in there?!

MB

StickyMicky

recent oil change
then a frisky speeding drive
and BP ultimate


its a scoobs worst nightmare

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

If I had a tenner for every engine that fails after an oil change!! Regardless of whether we rebuild it or not.

Mike H has mailed me and I've replied, thanks for the nice comments above one and all, it IS appreciated.

BP ultimate is NOT good enough for an imported Subaru that is working hard. Some cars seem more susceptible to det than others but that can probably be explained by the manufacturing differences between cars [ ECU programs etc ] We won't go into the many and varied reasons why it happens as I feel it has been done here, before, many times and I believe well covered.

Suffice to say Shell Optimax is THE fuel of choice for an imported Subaru and nothing else is really up to it.

David APi Engines / APi Impreza

Nevetas

Is there anyway to minamise risk, after an oil change, or is it just a lottery?

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

use good oil, prefill the oil filter, disconnect crank sensor and turn engine over a number of times to get oil pressure..

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

The only real difference is that it IS possible in theory to win the lottery, with a badly done oil change you will ALWAYS lose.

David APi Engines / APi Impreza

dj219957

Ok, so how long after a bad change would you know about it? i.e immidiate, a few days, a few months or is it again a lottery? Surely it would happen immidiatly because the cause is oil starvation which occurs only for a few seconds after the change?

Or is that the damage is done immedialty but sometimes wont cause a failure until sometime in the future?

I say this becuase i had done an oil change on mine a few weeks before it went bang...
Im never gonna change it again...lol

StickyMicky

and how did you change your oil?

dj219957

primed the filter but didnt turn the engine over without spark. left it to idle for a couple minutes before driving off.

StickyMicky

thats scarey, ive done it that way a few times myself

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

Usually the failure is immediate. One customer of ours didn't make the 400 yards from the dealership in Sevenoaks to the traffic lights after a £400 + service.

'sorry sir, but they are weak on the cranks and it's just coincidence !! We can rebuild it for you at 4600 plus VAT. No !! it's not our fault it IS just a coincidence..................

David APi Engines / APi Impreza

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

It IS cumulative - it will eventually catch you out. Russian roullette - how lucky do you feel today!!

David APi Engines / APi Impreza

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Hiya

>One customer of ours didn't make the 400 yards from the dealership in Sevenoaks to the traffic lights after a £400 + service. 'sorry sir, but they are weak on the cranks and it's just coincidence !! We can rebuild it for you at 4600 plus VAT. No !! it's not our fault it IS just a coincidence..................

Good god! I hope he didn't let them get away with it! If something of that magnitude happens to the engine that shortly after a service, I'd be very suspicious and want it independently investigated. I'm guessing that's where you came in David! Well, at least for the re-build anyway!

Mental note: check my oil level for the 100th time when I get in tonight!

Best,

Echo

Is it better to do the oil every 10k (MY02) rather than 4/5k then as that reduces the chances of this happening?

BTW, many thanks David for your help recently, I have thankfully managed to get a new engine under warranty (at 75k!) but when I've blown that one up I'll be visiting

Mike

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

Good luck, Well Done! you must have caught IM in an unguarded moment - not easy.

Japanese engines [ any manufacturer ] like fresh oil and that black stuff that discolours oil is carbon, the hardest substance known to man [ except the IM warranty department ] A properly carried out oil change is best done [ and recommended by us ] at 3000 miles, for the lifetime that you own any Japanese car.

The metals quality and clearances used by Japanese manufacturing processes means that nice clean yellow oil suits best.

I am informed by someone that purports to know [ Shell oil rep] that manufacturers are selecting longer oil change service schedules because of the problem of dealing with and disposing of, toxin contaminated oil.

The longer it stays in your sump the less there is to deal with, great for the planet - bad for engines - you choose !!

David APi Engines / APi Impreza

dj219957

hhhmm yes, im thinking perhaps it was my right foot that did mine then. My failure was not immediate anyway.... I had a very very very very gentle knock (thats very gentle!) for a couple months. Then i had a loss of power for a couple of days, then i had more auidible knocking sound (that sh*t ya pants - this is gonna cost me a packet feeling) followed by me starting the car on the drive and the knocking been so loud (along with smoke) that i thought best to ley her to rest. So not immediate.
Does this add up? Anyone else get the loss of power thing too???


Andy

StickyMicky

i feel pretty lucky

my oil changes are done every 3k, sumtimes less then that, its just that there was once or twice where i didnt remove the crank sensor (although one of these times i did remove the plug leads)

Jiggerypokery

David, is there a Subaru bulletin on how to carry out an oil change?

My dealer does not fill the filter , luckily, he let me change my own oil and filter, and knocked £130 off the bill