Forester engine failure
Discussion
A new college of mine has had his until now very dependable 2001 Y reg 2.0l Forester let him down. It's done 175k but has been regularly serviced and driven by a mature owner on mainly long trips (the guy used to commute from west Wales to Cambridge a couple of times a week). All of a sudden it dropped power, struggling to get over 50mph. A local Ford garage started to have a look and found a damaged HT lead, however since replacing the leads with a new set from Halfords the power loss remains.
Any ideas? I'm not that clued up on Subaru engines but would it be worth fixing?
Any ideas? I'm not that clued up on Subaru engines but would it be worth fixing?
R5GTTGaz said:
Does it struggle to rev? The Cat could have collapsed.
Christ that was quick Gaz. I'll ask him at breakfast in the morning (we're both staying at the same hotel on a course). He's bought a new car since so I've made him an offer on it as it stands and he's accepted as it was more than he was offered in part-ex and from a scrapyard.I'm thinking of either fixing it up, selling it on as "spares or repair", or even braking it up for parts.
Reset the ECU...cures a multitude of sins 
Bring it over and well plug it in to the laptop and see why it's sick. Take it to a dealer and they'll charge you just to look at it.
Edited to add....is it throwing up an error light on the dash. If yes probably easily cured. If not it could be something either like a piston gone/holed or as has been suggested collapsed cat. Anything properly blocking the exhaust and it will struggle to even start.
Bring it over and well plug it in to the laptop and see why it's sick. Take it to a dealer and they'll charge you just to look at it.
Edited to add....is it throwing up an error light on the dash. If yes probably easily cured. If not it could be something either like a piston gone/holed or as has been suggested collapsed cat. Anything properly blocking the exhaust and it will struggle to even start.
Edited by ScoobieWRX on Wednesday 17th September 09:08
You could take it off.(Very easy to do...2 screws off, disconnect the big connector, lift out and you're away)
Soak a cotton bud in brake cleaner (evaporates very quickly) and just very gently stroke/wipe the blob end of the sensor sticking out the bottom (little rod encased in resin) and you're done. It may well be covered in crap in which case that could be the prob.
If it's still doing the same after it's clean it may mean the MAF sensor has failed completely or you're still back to the collapsed CAT or buggered piston theory for which you will have to do a compression test on the engine, or remove the exhaust to check the cats.
To really tell if it's something electrical you really need to get it plugged into a laptop for diagnostics to rule out the usual gremlins and then investigate into the mechanicals of the car.
That is the process for checking what's ailing your new purchase. It may be very cheap to fix in which case you have a new runabout or a saleable car from which to make some decent profit or scrap the bugger and start again.
Soak a cotton bud in brake cleaner (evaporates very quickly) and just very gently stroke/wipe the blob end of the sensor sticking out the bottom (little rod encased in resin) and you're done. It may well be covered in crap in which case that could be the prob.
If it's still doing the same after it's clean it may mean the MAF sensor has failed completely or you're still back to the collapsed CAT or buggered piston theory for which you will have to do a compression test on the engine, or remove the exhaust to check the cats.
To really tell if it's something electrical you really need to get it plugged into a laptop for diagnostics to rule out the usual gremlins and then investigate into the mechanicals of the car.
That is the process for checking what's ailing your new purchase. It may be very cheap to fix in which case you have a new runabout or a saleable car from which to make some decent profit or scrap the bugger and start again.
Thanks for your help WRX, whatever happens I'm buying it off him for £200 as he was only offered £120 from a scrapyard he's happy with the deal.
If I can fix the car easily enough I'm not sure if I will keep it as a run-around and tow car (does anyone know the maximum towing limits for a 2 litre NA Forester?)
Like I said if it's beyond economical repair then I'll get rid of it for spares or repair on Ebay with no reserve or even brake it up for bits, either way it should be worth the hassle.
If I can fix the car easily enough I'm not sure if I will keep it as a run-around and tow car (does anyone know the maximum towing limits for a 2 litre NA Forester?)
Like I said if it's beyond economical repair then I'll get rid of it for spares or repair on Ebay with no reserve or even brake it up for bits, either way it should be worth the hassle.
£200 
That's bloody Cheap!!
You'd easily get that back just breaking it, alternatively there will be other scrappies that will give you a damn site more than £120 your mate was offered. IMHO the scrappie was taking the p1ss. It's worth at least £250 to weigh in as scrap is currently making £275 per ton.
Good luck with it and you know where i am if you need some diagnostics
That's bloody Cheap!!You'd easily get that back just breaking it, alternatively there will be other scrappies that will give you a damn site more than £120 your mate was offered. IMHO the scrappie was taking the p1ss. It's worth at least £250 to weigh in as scrap is currently making £275 per ton.
Good luck with it and you know where i am if you need some diagnostics
ScoobieWRX said:
£200 That's bloody Cheap!!
You'd easily get that back just breaking it, alternatively there will be other scrappies that will give you a damn site more than £120 your mate was offered. IMHO the scrappie was taking the p1ss. It's worth at least £250 to weigh in as scrap is currently making £275 per ton.
Good luck with it and you know where i am if you need some diagnostics
I think the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere in Wales may have made it a bit cheaper, but having a look on Autotrader and you can get an older but lower mileage runner for less than a grand. I'm picking it up tomorrow, the chap won't even be around he said he'd just leave the keys and documents in it and for me to help myself! That's bloody Cheap!!You'd easily get that back just breaking it, alternatively there will be other scrappies that will give you a damn site more than £120 your mate was offered. IMHO the scrappie was taking the p1ss. It's worth at least £250 to weigh in as scrap is currently making £275 per ton.
Good luck with it and you know where i am if you need some diagnostics
Scrap has dropped a bit lately as I only got £120 a ton for a dead E36 a couple of weeks ago. If the cat on this is collapsed will it still be worth something? I got £80 for the BMW one.
If the cat has collapsed it's worth nothing. However, it might not be that.
You have no idea what it is until you start investigating. For the £200 it's cost you it's worth spending some money on the car if it's easily fixable once you know what it is, and certainly if the rest of it is in good condition.
There must be some real profit in it somewhere other than breaking it which will take a while for you to recoup your money back and then some profit. I suppose if the engine is OK then that alone is easily worth £300 quid of anyones money. I sold my MY02 83K mile WRX engine which had a knackered/blown bottom end for £300 (sold with Turbo, manifolds etc...) so a running subaru engine, even normally aspirated must be worth that. Stick the engine on Ebay or stick it on PH classifieds (that's where i sold mine but it took a while).
IMHO if the rest of the car is in good condition i would be inclined to fix it and get 12mths MOT if it needs a ticket. If the car has been regularly serviced it must be generally in reasonable condition and worth putting back on the road. Even in these dodgy times cars under £1000 will sell all day long because people want cheap runabouts, and an old Forester is a bloody good relaible 4x4 workhorse.
I would get it MOT'd and taxed, chuck some fecking huge wheels and chunky town and country tyres on it, and take it for some green lane fun. Raising the suspension is a doddle so you'll have plenty of ground clearance. Farmers swear by them in std form so ever so slightly modified will make it a lot of fun. However in anycase it will be cheap to insure and tax (old VED rates apply) so worth doing as long as nothing mechanically major is FUBAR.
Let me know how you get on.
You have no idea what it is until you start investigating. For the £200 it's cost you it's worth spending some money on the car if it's easily fixable once you know what it is, and certainly if the rest of it is in good condition.
There must be some real profit in it somewhere other than breaking it which will take a while for you to recoup your money back and then some profit. I suppose if the engine is OK then that alone is easily worth £300 quid of anyones money. I sold my MY02 83K mile WRX engine which had a knackered/blown bottom end for £300 (sold with Turbo, manifolds etc...) so a running subaru engine, even normally aspirated must be worth that. Stick the engine on Ebay or stick it on PH classifieds (that's where i sold mine but it took a while).
IMHO if the rest of the car is in good condition i would be inclined to fix it and get 12mths MOT if it needs a ticket. If the car has been regularly serviced it must be generally in reasonable condition and worth putting back on the road. Even in these dodgy times cars under £1000 will sell all day long because people want cheap runabouts, and an old Forester is a bloody good relaible 4x4 workhorse.
I would get it MOT'd and taxed, chuck some fecking huge wheels and chunky town and country tyres on it, and take it for some green lane fun. Raising the suspension is a doddle so you'll have plenty of ground clearance. Farmers swear by them in std form so ever so slightly modified will make it a lot of fun. However in anycase it will be cheap to insure and tax (old VED rates apply) so worth doing as long as nothing mechanically major is FUBAR.
Let me know how you get on.
ScoobieWRX said:
Let me know how you get on.
Thanks again for the help WRX. Picked it up today, would have hired a van to tow it if I realised how heavy it was (1450kgs according to the handbook plus 500kgs of trailer!) but the Beemer pulled it along with ease:
It starts after a couple of turns then runs a little rough, ticks over very slowly. Not much power there and needed a few revs to get it up the ramps on to the trailer. The exhaust really does look knackered, but doesn't seem to be blowing from anywhere:
Gave it a quick clean and it's come up really nice. Will give it a polish and hoover tomorrow.
Going to price up new exhausts, but am I right in thinking it's a Impreza floorplan and engine therefore an Impreza exhaust may fit?
I think it's all pretty much the same.
Can't tell you for sure though as the underneath may be slightly different due the the extra ground clearance on the Forester compared to the Impreza, and that may perhaps alter the shape of the exhaust slightly.
Have a chat with Grade A Subaru if you need other bits as their prices are very reasonable, and they do mail order. Andy is a very nice chap that is always happy to lend some expert advice. All he does is Subaru breaking and he knows his stuff.
Tell you what....that looks in bloody good condition for the year and mileage, and i reckon it's worth spending a few bob on. Very bloody nice!! If i had the spare dosh i would have that off you. I know it's only photos but it looks really solid underneath and i wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a lot wrong with it.
Nice one!!
Can't tell you for sure though as the underneath may be slightly different due the the extra ground clearance on the Forester compared to the Impreza, and that may perhaps alter the shape of the exhaust slightly.
Have a chat with Grade A Subaru if you need other bits as their prices are very reasonable, and they do mail order. Andy is a very nice chap that is always happy to lend some expert advice. All he does is Subaru breaking and he knows his stuff.
Tell you what....that looks in bloody good condition for the year and mileage, and i reckon it's worth spending a few bob on. Very bloody nice!! If i had the spare dosh i would have that off you. I know it's only photos but it looks really solid underneath and i wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a lot wrong with it.
Nice one!!
Right, so I've whipped the old exhaust off, it looks like a genuine Subaru one that has lasted the life of the car so pretty good considering it's done 174k. This is what it looks like, does anyone know if it differs from a Impreza exhaust? There seem to be plenty of Impreza ones on Ebay from owners that must be upgrading but I'm struggling to find a Forester one.
Here's what's left on the car, it seems to run a bit better with the cats off but obviously very loud.
I don't really want to be shelling out for a new exhaust if there turns out to be a different major problem with it.
Here's what's left on the car, it seems to run a bit better with the cats off but obviously very loud.
I don't really want to be shelling out for a new exhaust if there turns out to be a different major problem with it.
Call Andy at Grade A Subaru and ask him if he has a used and in good condition forester exhaust in. It will be cheap i have no doubt and he will courier to you.
Otherwise...........Exhaust bits
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUBARU-FORSTER-NEW-FRONT-EXH...
All you need now is a backbox and centerpipe.....
I saw a nice set of Impreza sport SS tubular headers that would fit yours but at £664 i thought them a bit excessive for your requirememnts
Don't forget to get the engine checked out at least. You must know someone close by that can do compression and leak testing, and possibly plug it in to diagnostic to see if it's throwing up any CEL errors/codes before you go splashing out on new exhaust and other bits. Check spark plugs and air filter too just in case and is the Airbox/Air intake piping blocked with anything??
If all that checks OK then get the exhaust for it and see what happens
Otherwise...........Exhaust bits
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUBARU-FORSTER-NEW-FRONT-EXH...
All you need now is a backbox and centerpipe.....
I saw a nice set of Impreza sport SS tubular headers that would fit yours but at £664 i thought them a bit excessive for your requirememnts
Don't forget to get the engine checked out at least. You must know someone close by that can do compression and leak testing, and possibly plug it in to diagnostic to see if it's throwing up any CEL errors/codes before you go splashing out on new exhaust and other bits. Check spark plugs and air filter too just in case and is the Airbox/Air intake piping blocked with anything??
If all that checks OK then get the exhaust for it and see what happens
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