Just wondering.

I've burnt about 2.5 quarts of oil in the last 4000-5000 miles. I use Mobil 1 synth.

I still have the issue where if I let my car idle or run in say stop and go traffic sometimes oil/smoke will start to POUR out of the hood scoop. I don't get any drips and I just heard fromt he dealership that I have NO oil leaks. Around my turbo and down pipe there are oil stains...like burnt orange and what not.

I've had this issue for like 20,000 miles. I've had the car in several times for oil burn off in the same location. Rear part of the motor around the turbo/downpipe.

They have so far...replaced my water pump and timing belt. PCV valve and I believe the valve cover gasket on that side.

so....no oil leak. Mad oil burn off.

I'm going to change my oil tonight and fill it to the brim. Then they are going to have me come out in 1000 miles to check the levels...then another 1000 then another 1000. Depending on burn off they are going to run some tests. I asked about a leak down/compression check and they said if the levels go down far enough they are gonna run those checks and possibly do a tear down.

I've been concerned that I'm getting MAD blow by and loosing my turbo for some time now as I sometimes get very very irregular boost patterns. I don't have a gauge but you can feel them. For about a week or so strait maybe two weeks recently I wasn't getting boost until 5000 rpms.

I am pretty sure I sometimes hear detonation on hard accelerations.

I've also heard that loosing number 3 you can get blow by on that side of the engine.



me personally. I hope it's going going gone. I have 15k on my 100k warranty and have stayed in my warranty like a good little boy. So hopefully they'll find it's done for and I'll get a new block. Think I'll have some fun with that one...haa.

what do you guys think?

Going motor? Going turbo? Nothing?

Just seems like around 3 quarts of oil loss is a big deal.

 

if everything is covered under warranty then thats fine and gravy, just make sure they dont try to turn it around on you and say its your fault...they will try to make you pay for everything if that happens

 

I've been pretty careful with my warranty and service. I took it in for EVERYTHING up until 60k. Since then I've done all the monthly maintenance myself. I had the timing belt changed at like 75k. Etc. It's a well maintained car.

I call them before I do anything to my car to make sure it's not voiding warranty.

 

and youve kept all your maintenace records and receipts also right? if so, then you have nothing to worry about

 

Are you taking it to Carlsen for the oil consumption test? If you do BE VELLY CAREFUL and make 100% sure to go with them EACH time they check the oil.

I did this oil consumption test with Carlsen on my 2003 WRX when I noticed that it went through about 1qt every 3500 miles (I changed at 5k, Mobil1 10w30, and added a qt every 3500). My car consistently used oil in this manner and I followed the break-in procedure perfectly (whether it was right or wrong, I was following directions).

The long and short of it is after 3k miles they reported to me that my car had not burned a drop of oil, and it was exactly where it was when they changed it (part of the test is that THEY do the oil change before the test, and mark the drainplug etc). I came in 800 miles later for my last check thinking "let's just wrap this up" and I asked them again about it supposedly not using a drop this time - the service guy (I think his name was Howard) said I could go back with them when they checked the oil. The tech pulled the dipstick and it was DRY. There was not a drop of oil on my dipstick. He checked it again, dry. I asked how the F*** it could have used what, an entire quart in 800 miles and Howard's reaction was to have them put it up on the lift to check for "customer tampering" as he suspected that I just drained the oil out. At this point he told me I had to go to the customer waiting area. After a while Howard came back up and told me that there was no evidence of tampering with the drainplug or dipstick (duh) and that my car had used about 1 quart of oil in about 4000 miles which is considered "normal" by SOA. He notified SOA of the issue so that if my car has an issue down the road, this will be in it's case history. Have a nice day, oh and you might want to grab a quart of oil on the way home....

So I assume that the previous tech who checked the oil lied about the level. I have no idea what went on there except a clear and concise showing that Carlsen SUCKS and the service department cannot be trusted.

So yeah, be careful with that "oil consumption test" and just make sure you are there when they pull your dipstick (if you follow me).

 

Ray, some time next week when I am not so busy come on by and we can do a compression test. If you still have good compression then there is no need for a leak down test.

We can compression test all four cylinders in about an hour.

My car also burns about a quart of oil over a 3K mile span, i've never had it drop 2.5 quarts though.

If you are able to throw on your hazards next time the smoke starts billowing, pop the hood and see if you can spot where the root source is.

It could be the bearings are shot in the turbo and leaking, but I really don't know.

Have you tried removing your heat shield to see if there is oil splatter on the other side? The oil intake is on the top side of the CHRA, and the oil exhaust is on the bottom. I think that if your oil pressure was extremely high, or if the pressure clips that hold the hose in place over the lip were damaged or slid off.

Let me know if you want to try and diagnose the problem to help speed up the process.

 

also, we can take the Downpipe off and check for shaft play as well.

 

I am having santa cruz do the work and I trust them. I took my car there and I always take my car there. They all know who I am and they all know I keep an eye on my car. That's why they are trusting me to do the oil change and set the oil level to the top line. They couldn't mark my drain plug as I use a futoma valve....and NO it is not leaking.

I have pulled off when the smoke started. It's coming from around the turbo. That is a definate.

I'll be under the car tonight. Only problem is that it's been 30 degrees in santa cruz the last few nights and my garage door is busted....yeah.

and someone jacked my shop lights.

 

Don't know if it will help you but my motor was driniking some oil on 5w30 Mobile 1. I got a tip for UK N00b to switch to 10w30 and I am noticing a DRASTIC reduction in oil consumption. MY05 STi was switched to syn after the 1k break in and used to use 2 quarts or better between oil changes.

 

Wow, must be nice to have such rapport with the dealer. I guess.

Conversely I bought my car at Santa Cruz and planned on always having it maintained there, but couldn't deal with the scheduling BS (3 weeks in advance for an oil change, etc etc) so I took it to Carlsen for every service. My car went to them for each recommended service and I still got screwed over.

Either way, good luck with your test and I hope they figure it out.

 

wow.

I have never had problems getting in. They can usually get me in on the day I want within 48 hours. Oil changes no problem. That's weird. It might be just because I got more into a friendly basis with some of them, former and current employees. I sit and rap with the parts guys for like an hour every time I come in. The guy I bought the car off of, charlie is a great guy. He's gone now but I used to talk to him all the time on and off the clock. Couple of the mechanics, etc. Some of them have and are i-clubers.

I don't know man. I have just been really vocal with my intent to stay under my 100k warranty. I call them for everything.

Good folks there. Maybe I should change out the futoma valve for the test process so they can mark it and what not...cover their asses and mine.

When this motor goes I don't to have it be my fault. Shoot one of the guys there has been asking me for like a year or more now everytime I come in there when my motor was going to go.

 

Haha.. Apparently you are a VIP there. I'm not making this up - I heard all the great things about the dealership and wanted to make it my only place to take my Suby. Charlie - yeah he is the first guy I talked to - I emailed saying I wanted specifically a new silver 5spd sedan with no spoiler and a boost gauge. He emailed back saying "I have just the car for you, it's a black 4EAT '02 (used) wagon!" Haha.. The guy that I actually bought my car from was really cool - and it was the best car buying experience I have ever had. Charlie went over all the new car stuff with me, and he was really nice as well.

I called down there to make an appt for my first 3 oil changes. Each time I asked about Saturday even though I know would get booked up quick. I would be 3 weeks out at the earliest, and I dunno about you but with as much as I drive, who knows how many miles I will have in 3 weeks. I asked about weekday appointments too which would be much harder, but even then it was waaaay out. The last one they told me I could come down and wait on a Saturday because they thought they would have time - I got down around noon and they were closed - for some reason the whole service dept had gone for the day. So I gave up, and never got even one of my free oil changes.

This car purchase was a HUGE thing for me, and I purchased the 100k warranty as well. I wanted to make sure I did EVERYTHING I could to make sure my warranty was intact as I intended to keep the car. Every time the car did anything weird, I took it in so there would be a record of it. All my routine maintenance intervals were documented on my.subaru.com (I am still getting emails and haven't had the car for 2 years). At about 30k miles my experience with Carlsen showed me my warranty was useless and I really didn't want their techs working on my car anyway after the oil consumption test, so I cashed in the warranty.

The thing is, this was during the time when people were having great experiences at Carlsen. I got into an argument with 'mexicanpizza' one time about it as he was saying my stuff didn't really happen since he had good experiences there (that old story eh).

Might be a good idea or even a nice thing to do for them to change out your fumoto even though it's not leaking. Just makes it a little easier for them to be able to 100% rule it out.

Sounds like you got a good thing going with that dealership, nice to hear.

 

wow. bummer.

I guess it's luck of the draw.

I was living in the east bay/fremont/milpitas area when I got my car so I had to drive over the hill to do all my changes but they always got me in when I asked. Usually Sat. am around 10am. I'd drive over. Grab a breakfast buritto and coffee across the street and it'd be done and washed when I got finished.

Now that I live over here I call in whenever something bad happens. I started doing my own oil changes as soon as my free ones where up.....with my driving it went fast..haa. got 87k on an 04.

it's like they say..every experience is a different one. The dealership has overgone a major overhall on staff, building and philosophy in the last year and a half.

I'm going to do the oil stuff tonight and get it all lined up for them perfect. I'll even notch the plug so they know it's all good.

 

my car drank 1 quart of M1 10w-30 over about 5k miles, and drank about the same amount of GC by 6.3k. I just switched to some syntec 5w-50 to see if it'll help.

 

prior to my motor crappin out on me at 50K miles, I was using about 1 quart of oil per 1000 miles for about 10K miles. no leaks. just burning. i drove the car pretty hard, but not abused.

i still drive the same way I used to, and I have about 30K on my new motor, and I barely consume any oil these days (i check by emptying out all the used oil into mobil 1 cans to make sure there's more or less an even amount going in and out. but i change oil every 3000-5000 miles now with mobil1 5w30 synthetic