I have 02 WRX sedan with 44k mi on it. i've noticed motor oil burning smell (very faint), and just last wkend after few hrs of 80mph cruise, i saw smoke coming from front of the engine, just behind radiator. nowadays, after 2.5k mi I loose about 1/2 qt of oil, regularly.

it just might be coincidence, but the smell started after i switched to mobil1 after 33k mi. what's going on?

 

You probably either have a bad seal, or something even worse. You did not spill any oil that may have dripped down to the manifold did you?

If you are burning 1/2 a quart a month, odds are that you have a bad seal...

Hmmmmm...you do have a power train warranty don't you? Or is it long since void, as mine is?

I would take it in, and demand the dealer fix the problem. How about your turbo oil supply? How does it look? Of the return line?

Good luck man...sorry to hear of your misfortune. Regardless, a car with only 44k miles should not be burning oil. I would drive the damn thing into the dealer ASAP. If they won't fix it, a nice brick through the window of the showroom floor late in the dark night might be a friendly gesture!

 

yeah then **** all over the door *****

 

Thanks... I do qualify for the warrenty. I'll have to take it in and see if it'll be handled better than with the clutch/tranny noise. I did check the filter, drain plug, etc. no drips either...
I'm thinking it started after i switched to mobil1 after 35k mi but probly coincidence

 

I can only hope it'll be easy to diagnose and pinpoint the prob. Too many times they told me it'll be too expensive to take things apart just to find the source of the prob (even when the prob's obvious from outside...) so i have to wait until the prob worsens...

well, if it's the crank seal maybe i'll invest in lightweight pulley

 

the one thing that I dislike about a flat engine is that if it leaks somthing that somthing will get on the exhaust and burn off.
Any half competent ( that's probably most) mechanic should be able to find an oil leak.

I would stay away from a lightweight crank pulley because they get rid of the harmonic balancer. The harmonic balancer is resonsable for keeping all the nasty vibrations in the crank at bay removing it is asking for a broken crank or at least worn bearings, leaking seals and if you make enough power you will get missfire codes from all the noise that is not being absorbed for the balancer.

 

correct me if i'm wrong... I thought flat engines, specifically Subarus, do not need harmonic balancer due to their inherent design - moving parts (weight) in exactly opposite direction. Isnt harmonic balancer used more for in-line or V engines??
I thought it's relatively safe to put lighter pulley on a flat engine

 

I think that you are pretty correct, as a matter of fact. In my studies, I have found that the lighter pulley will cause a unichipped WRX to throw a misfire code, but not on a stock ECU. It is not, however, going to fix your oil leak.

 

i meant if I need to fix the crank seal then i'll 'upgrade' the pulley since it needs to come out anyways.

exactly what was causing (and how) the misfire code with Unichip and lightweight pulley?

 

you can put a lightweight pulley on your engine if you want, and tons of people have done that.
But do you think that a company as cheap as SOA would have spent the money and lost the performance to build a balancer if it was unnecessary?

 

well, i havent taken out the pulley to see that extra lumps of metal. i'm talking based on what i've read on these cars. what i'm saying is I thought Suby flat-4's do not have harmonic balancer. If you say they do, I'll just have to do more reading... and also see what the dealer says