Just the sti's as far as I'm aware

Are the cars ok after the recall flash update ?
Thanks in advance :thumb:

The flash update removes the red line lean fuel issue that was causing the serious DET failures... BUT If you run these cars on crap fuel they will still have those issues and thus possible failure even with the flash update.

Mines been on V power since I got it, and I've had Duncan map it to that fuel... no failures and now on 27k

ive just had first service on WRX-S and all ok so far 11k in

touch wood.

95 ron all the time, BUT due to move to 98 now

dont that mean shell should pay for the new block?

Jst as an FYI, my 2006 2.5 sti engine failed - 45k miles, new shortblock. went in several times to be looked at when there was "no problem" until it went pop

add another one to the list

reg 57 plate 2.5 litre sti type uk with ppp fitted at factory, current ,mileage 12200 2 subaru services at 1 year and 2 years old recorded in service book, car purchased, in april 2010 by myself so have covered around 3000 miles mixed driving motorway and daily driving, use v power all the time from the local shell garage. this is the 2nd scoob i have owned so have a background in them always warmed up and given a couple of minutes to warm down currently in dealership awaiting replacement short engine under warranty

1st 57 plate I've seen with the problem,just inside warranty period as well!!


There's going to be a few unhappy people as this is obviously going to keep happening outside of the warranty as well. :eek:

What were the symptoms before failure please M8

just heard a slight knocking noise after running the car for about 10 minutes last wednesday. Came home and let the car tickover lifted the bonnet and could hear a slight rattle from the bottom end intermitantly. took it to the dealer carefully they revved it to about 4000 rpm for around 20 secs dropped it to tickover then blipped the throttle and there was the rattle loud and clear...at no time before this did i have any noise or any loss of power, oil use loss of water anything ...

Oh dear.
Trading in my WR1 for a new STI tomorrow. I haven't been on scoobynet for some time and so had not seen this thread. I hope they have sorted the problem out for the last few STIs before the 2011 car comes out.

Since a few 06/07 cars are being mentioned, I thought I'd add a piccy of mine when I stripped it down.
Symptoms were boost related coolant and bubbles to expansion tank with occasional over topping if I didn't pour the tank contents back to the header tank.
It never overheated.
I guess it started at about 38,000 miles and didn't change the engine until 43,000.

This is no.s 1 & 3 cylinders:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...g?t=1281100661


Note that the gaskets have gone at the same location. It was the same spot on the other two cylinders.
I'm presuming that the exhaust end head bolts worked their way loose?

The Bolts dont work themselves loose, its the head itself that some how sinks in the middle, God only knows how it does it but seen it on a few because if you re torque the head bolts the cams become incredibly tight to try and turn

apologies for my lack of knowledge, where are the gaskets? are they worn at the bottom of the circles?

Bottom of the bores as circled in red mate, it blows hot exhaust gasses into the water jacket
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...Apr2010017.jpg

It is the pistons that fail on the hatch apparently, looks as if you have a different problem. still not a good advert for subaru though. is the car standard/modified or ppp?

thanks Rob.

Pistons that usually fail, and have had a couple of headgaskets go too

the engine above is from a hawkeye if i'm not mistaken

Sorry, just found this thread. I have a 2.0 WRX PPP, but have a stack of correspondence to and from IM and none of it helpful.
My car had done 36K miles with full Subaru history, the last service just 200miles prior to big-end failure.
The car was out of warranty, but I thought I would have a case for at least some help with the cost.
No joy and only tea and sympathy.
I tried the aforementioned Mr Hogg and the technical man, neither would accept any responsibility or offer any explanation or assurances.
I even wrote direct to Subaru in Japan. They just referred me back to IM.
Don't expect anything from them. If you think you have a valid case send everything by snail mail and recorded delivery.
Expect long pauses when nothing happens and then have to write to them again to demand a response.
This, I am afraid is normal service from IM over Subaru engine failures.
There are a lot of them, including brand new cars but IM deny there is even an issue.
If you get all the data together it would be very interesting to see it published here. I am convinced the problem is far greater than we all imagine.
I am not a scaremonger, but I would never buy another Subaru and this is my second car and bought new.

That explains why it was difficult to check the valve clearances. The cams were so difficult to rock.
I swapped to some ARP studs thinking it was the std bolts.

Are the cams going to wear badly if I've torqued down this central are of the heads?
So what was changed on later 2.5 heads to stop this?

It was rather modded 06 STi so not a good candidate for a warranty, although I did try.

Hopper.... for a 2.0 liter is yours a Jap car ?

Shaun

PS Butty, if I've got my user names right it's Rob84 who is going to be dropping a 2.5 into my car.....along with your STi manifold which is in my hall as I speak :D

What plugs should I be using for the 2.5, I had NGK PFR7B's and then swapped them for ....memory fails.......BK8's when I had the meth injection...

Shaun,
The plugs depend on the heads you use, so I'd keep to the plugs you already have.
If you ever use the 2.5 heads then its ILFR7H.

Nick

The plugs are a little tired I gues so I'll get some replacements........... just off to RCMS website and also look at an oil pump :D

What do you think I should get ?

Cheers

Shaun

No, I bought mine new in Sept '04. All the servicing was by Main dealers and on the button.

The experience has put me off ever buying another 'ru.

You think you are doing everything right, according to the manufacturers recommendations then the engine fails 200 miles after a major service.

And then IM say that it's just one of those things and that's that.

In the end they told me that if I wrote to them again about it they would not answer.

They never admitted there was a problem, suggested what could have caused it or were able to give any assurances that it would not happen again anytime.

When I first returned the car to the dealers I was told by the mechanic there that he had "done hundreds of them" when asked about replacing the crank and big ends. Possibly an exaggeration. but you get the idea.

Another told me that his mate who worked at a dealership in Chelmsford somewhere had four similar jobs there awaiting parts and one was an almost new car with 2,000 miles on the clock.

The worrying thing for me though, is that despite a number of theories nobody can say definitively what causes the problems and so you feel like you are driving a bloody time-bomb.

And yet all the time there are people out there with starship mileage and huge power outputs who have no problems whatever.

It leaves you thinking that maybe IM are correct in their belief that it is just one of those things.

Maybe we just got Friday afternoon cars . . . .

Nothing as far as i'm aware has been changed on the heads, the only real way is to skim the head a little if its possible to level it back out as when you torque it down it pulls the middle in if its not perfectly flat:eek: the hatches suffer the same problem, I got lucky with mine as it had only just blown on the way home & dumped all its coolant out so filled it right back up with hot water:D so no long term damage done.

If you reassemble the cams into a head thats sunk so to speak it will happen were the cams will seize up if they were very tight to turn. I saw one that only got 3 miles before it shattered the cam pulleys. Young lad wasnt aware how much damage could be done.


Shaun you have the right person lol & the Plugs I use in my 2.5 are LFR7AIX Ngk's. the 2.5 heads have a longer reach plug fitted to them were'as the 2.0 just have short plugs fitted

I had the heads lightly skimmed anyway as the HGs must have flapped a bit when leaking and dug slightly into the heads.

Has the re-flash stopped the engine failures in the hatch or is it still happening does anybody know?

The flash may have helped reduce the number of failures but it has certainly not cured the root problem (pistons)

Yup the pistons are of a bad design, then again the engine wasnt meant for the Impreza, sort of an oversight, though if it goes pop again and your dealer is nice, you may get them to put some decent ones in ;)

Tony:)

Can anyone give a scientific explanation for the reason why the 2.5's pistons cause these failures? :wonder:

Nope, but I like your booby pic! :D