Re-Bitten Hero

Bad news today... one blown engine .

Basically I was cruising at 75mph, then when the speed restrictions lifted, I accelerated to about 120mph (being in Germany as I am) and suddenly the power started tailing off... I slowed down, and cruised at about 80mph for a bit and it still wasn't right, so I slowed to 50mph and pottered on to the airport where I had to pick up my Mum

Looks like a piston ring has gone, or maybe a cylinder head or head gasket Anyhow it's at a Subaru dealer now and they'll take it to bits early next week and report on it. It still runs, it's just creating clouds of smoke on the over-run, which means oil is getting in somewhere when it shouldn't - therefore why I think it's a piston ring or gasket. Hopefully it won't be too expensive...

Ho hum. So much for Scooby reliability...

R

gossythevaleter

happened to me was the turbo

johnfelstead

yep, could be a turbo. They should be able to tell you that fairly quickly, or at least rule out the engine, by doing a compresion test. Sugest it if they havnt mentioned it.

Re-Bitten Hero

I have a boost gauge fitted, and initially it was holding boost ok, then of course once I realised there was a problem I didn't test it any more...

I'm not sure it's the turbo though, as there is a knocking sound in time with the engine revs. Or could that be because there is oil being pulled through the engine because the turbo is blown?

Interestingly, the garage did a quick "diagnosis" by going under the bonnet with the engine running and blipping the throttle a few times, and I did notice some smoke coming from the area of the turbo. I assumed it must be from the top end of the engine somewhere, but could it be this?

Gossy - exactly what happened when your turbo went? What symptoms? This is very important as they'll take the engine out on Monday!!

Thanks guys, all help very gratefully received...

Richard

johnfelstead

you wont get a knocking noise if the turbo has gone richard, quite often you hear a grinding noise as the turbo blades machine the housing away

You normally dont see oil smoke externally around the turbo when they fail, its usually always seen out the exhaust after being ingested into the engine and burned, so if you have oil vapour in the engine bay that sugests you have indead damaged the engine internally, and the combustion gasses are presurising the oil breathers in the crankcase/heads.

Re-Bitten Hero

Hmm sounds like it's not the turbo then . I'm guessing cracked cylinder heads and a piston or something then .

But if something really major had gone in the engine, wouldn't it have just scrunched to a halt when I dipped the clutch? Instead the ECU idled it at about 1500rpm (bizarre) for a bit before it dropped down towards normal...

Thanks John
Richard

[Edited by Re-Bitten Hero - 12/5/2003 7:36:54 PM]

johnfelstead

Sorry Richard, hope i am wrong.

Re-Bitten Hero

So do I but (a) you most definitely know what you're talking about, and (b) you're right about the smoke in the engine bay thing.

A bit more info - when he gently revved the engine, there was the occasional puff of blue smoke came from somewhere around the turbo area, and loads out of the exhaust. Maybe a turbo seal has gone? (being hopeful!)

R

simo

Sorry to read this Richard, hope you get it sorted quickly & cheaply

cheers Simon

johnfelstead

The turbo is a sealed unit, so even when it failes you wont see any oil around it, the oil vapour has to be coming from somewhere else. Technically you shouldnt see any vapour in the engine bay at all because all the breathers feed back into the inlet, asuming your setup is stock. You can get it where oil vapour comes out of the air filter if the internal piston failure is severe.

I think maybe you have a small oil leak that is burning on the exhaust, and thats the vapour you see under the bonnet. If you have a knocking noise it does sound like an internal failure. Sometimes if the engine is just runnng badly then you can have a failed spark plug, but that wouldnt give you any metalic noises.

Worst case senario is the turbo failed, dumping oil into the combustion chambers and this caused the engine to det because the octane is efectively lowered by excesive oil vapour, burning a hole in the piston. It doesnt take long at those speeds for that type of chain reaction to occur.

jjones

happened to neanderthal. looked knackered, sounded knackered, smoke at idle etc, lumpy idle - sounded like on 3.

turned out a rubber pipe had split by the turbo. cheap to fix

fingers crossed.

jjones

smoke at idle out of zorst, more when revved.

quicksprint

Another way to check if the problem is piston rings is to pull out the dipstick and/or remove the oil filler cap whilst the engine is idling.....if you have excessive crankcase pressure you will get alot of smoke and (with your hand over the filler cap) a pulsating in sync with the engine note.

steve

Chris L

Not good mate Hope you get it sorted.

Cheers
Chris

Floyd

iTrader: (9)

Sorry to hear that Richard. How many miles has the car done now?

F
PS I still haven't used those tyres you gave me yet!

Re-Bitten Hero

Thanks for the advice and sympathy guys...

I can't do any diagnosis myself now as the car is at a dealer 30km away and I'm now carless . I noticed the oil temps went very high shortly afterwards but then dropped back again when I dropped the speed right down. But I fear the worst

I'll keep you updated...

Richard

Floyd: get on a track day then

EvilBevel

Sorry to hear that Richard.

I know I sound like a broken record, but make sure they check (or simply replace) the MAF sensor when the engine is back in proper shape.

mutant_matt

Sorry to hear that Richard!

How many miles has it done?

Matt

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

****, sorry to hear this matey, not good

I really hope you get it sorted asap and at as little cost as poss

Are you coming back to Blightly for Chrimbo?

Leslie

Sorry to hear about it, Hope it is not a burned out piston.

Les

Floyd

iTrader: (9)

Theo, yes you do soung like a broken record

But what I fear is that I could replace a perfectly good MAF with a brand new that is not so good/well made, which could be unreliable.

What are the definitive checks to be made to see a potential MAF that is on its way out?

F

johnfelstead

if you do an ECU reset and the car starts to idle lumpy, that is a good sign. You would be able to tell pretty quickly if your new MAF is buggered, it's going to be less common than one that has failed on the car.

The best way to tell is by having some history logs via EcuTek Delta Dash and then on occasion do some power runs, in the same place and under the same conditions. If the MAF voltage is diferent then it needs a look at.

BMWhere?

Hey Rich, once again for the benefit of the Scoobynet Community, sorry to hear about your motor problems! Hope you get it sorted quickly and cheaply and correctly by them dodgy Munchkin dealers!

Obviously as you were picking your mum up from the flughafen its all her fault... you should make her pay for it!

Failing that, maybe Flo can find some way of blaming the TüV for it and give you a Subaru authorised letter so you can claim off them!

Re-Bitten Hero

Nice ideas Al, but my Mum says you're a cheeky so-and-so and she won't pay

And Flo's already got the Munchkin TÜV on the run and checking to see if their insurance will pay for the diff... so that would at least be something!

Next thing to check is if the EU 5-year drivetrain warranty applies to the engine and to Dutch Scoobies, in which case maybe I have a claim?

Fingers crossed!


Sal - yes, I'm back in Blighty for about 3 weeks - maybe I can get over to Cambridge and we can get some sort of Scooby meet sorted out up there? Bring back the Old Skool people (Puff etc )

Theo - thanks, will make sure I check the MAF sensor when it's all back together. I have some power runs from the AP22 which I can use as a crude comparison.

cheers
R

[Edited by Re-Bitten Hero - 12/6/2003 8:21:54 PM]

Re-Bitten Hero

Forgot to say, 50000 miles, 80000 km, so nothing really

johnfelstead

Richard, do not do any power runs with the AP22 to check the MAF, you could blow it up again if the MAF is indeed faulty. Theo is correct, put a new MAF in irespective, if the engine has indeed failed internally, they cost £75.

Re-Bitten Hero

Ok, worth knowing! I'll get them to put a new one in, it's peanuts compared to the cost of rebuilding the engine.

Thanks guys
Richard

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

So your not selling any bits then Rich????? I would get rid of that PPP if I was you aswell.

SJ_Skyline

Richard - gutted for you mate

Ian Cook2

Blimey disappear off the face of the earth for 5 minutes and all hell breaks loose ! lol

Sorry to hear your car is pooped ! hope it gets sorted soon mate ! at least you aint driving a shagged out S reg vectra like some people i know (that blew its timing belt tensioner and cost the warranty firm nearly 3k on a rebuild !) !