2006_wilson

Hello Guys,
Ok so i just bought a 03 Wrx paid £3500 for it,
Drove it home it was fine, drove it the next day the oil light flased up at me, i checked it and it was fine,
Next day i was driving it home and the oil light came on, engine cut out and lost power, started it back up and really loud tapping noise from the front right side of the engine (if your sat in the drivers seat front left if your looking in the engine bay, by the turbo)
I had a mecanic look at it today and he has diagnosed it as the bottom end????
I have a 99 impreza 2000 turbo that the bottom end went on and it sounded completely diffrent, it was a grinding noise under load, this sunds like the tappets but i am no pro at engine issues.
Just concerned as a few threads i have read say they had the same problems and it was a oil blockage and the tappets werent getting any oil.

Need some help guys as i have only had the car 2 days and a engine swap is going to be pricey,
Cheers for the help in advanced.

Cheers lee

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

the oil light doesnt mean low oil
it means low oil pressure.
the pump could have failed then the car would have no oil pressure and possibly this is what has killed the bottom end.
if the bottom end has failed the engine will need a rebuild, nothing else will cure it

2006_wilson

I havent driven it since but started it for the mechanic, and when you rev it the tapping gets quicker as well sounds like the old fords with noisy tappets??

scoobiewrx555

I suggest you go back to whoever you bought it from and have it out with them.

Goods have to be of merchandisable quality whether used or new, sold commercially or privately.

Buying a car from a private vendor doesn't mean you're unprotected by the law, although it is a bit more long winded and complicated to get your money back ( unless the vendor is an honourable individual that will refund you in full), than buying from a commercial seller that will have to refund your money without question.

Even with being given a note/receipt saying "sold as seen" doesn't mean immunity for the seller.

If you bought it from a dealer you certainly have some comeback in your favour in as much as take it back and get a full refund.

For your WRX it is either an engine rebuild, or get a used lump.

2006_wilson

Thank you for the feedback mate, didnt know i could do anything if it was sold private, even worse it was supposed to of had a sevrvice 2k ago so surely they may have noticed something with it

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

im not so sure,
if the pump failed when you were driving it as indicated by the oil light.
there is no way the owner could of known this was going to happen unless he had an oil pressure gauge fitted and noticed the pressure dropping.

this is assuming that is the problem and the bottom end has gone.

scoobiewrx555

That oil light could have been going on and off for some time before the car was sold. It only takes a couple or three of tins of STP or that kind of oil additive to raise oil pressure enough to keep the oil light off for a little while and quieten engine noises down.

I'm always a bit suspicious about these things and for all we know the seller may well have been in a hurry to get rid of it due the oil pressure issues that they knew about.

Alternatively the seller may not have had a clue there was a problem and sold it on innocently enough however, to buy a car and two days later and the bottom end goes due to oil pump/oil pressure failure just feels a bit too coincidental although it may have been nothing but pure bad luck.

Either way he should still be able to get his money back by hook or by crook but the OP had better get on with doing that now rather than later when it's too late.

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

very true i guess im too trusting as i would never dream of doing anything like that.

but it could happen or an unlucky coincidence, only one person would really know.

scoobiewrx555

The oil pump went on my BugEye WRX wagon years ago now and fubar'd the bottom end just like the OP's.

I went out and stuck an STi long block in with turbo etc.... I rewired the car and fitted the STi ECU to run the AVCS. It's still sitting in there good as gold, gets a good spanking now and again and never moans or groans.

The OP can either get his money back, or say fudge it and put it all down to experience, and rather than rebuild the WRX back to standard, make it either a forged bottom end, or for less money than a rebuild, pick up a low mileage full long block with turbo and so on STi lump, and if he doesn't fancy a rewire to run the AVCS on it he can still run the engine without AVCS using the WRX ECU no problem.

He's got options!!