Is my car done
 

My car is making a loud rattling knock noise under the hood. I bottomed out really bad 2 days ago but the car seemed fine after. Then this rattling noise started the next day but wasn’t bad and now I’m on the side of the road because I’m scared to drive the car. I already checked for damage under the car but I can’t find anything. I have to find out how to upload video

How much oil is in your car? Sounds like maybe you nudged the oil pan enough and maybe caused an oil leak. Would explain why the car was fine initially and isn't now.

There was barely anything when I checked the oil.. I just filled the oil back up to hopefully get the car to a shop but the noise is still there.. it’s not as loud but still really loud.. I’m still trying to upload a video

Maybe you smashed the heat shield up against the header?

If that is the case, it would be OK to drive it to a shop (or your home) to be fixed.


humfrz

Is there a puddle of oil under the car after you filled it back up and ran it a bit?

If so, you may want to have it towed to a shop.


humfrz

That's a tow truck call. Definitely ran the car out of oil, motor probably has damage.

No there’s no puddle.. there’s a few drops but no puddle

Oh, that does not sound good. Yep, I'd go with @DarkPira7e 's suggestion and have it towed.

Let us know what is causing that nasty sound - :(


humfrz

I hope everything works out for you, definitely keep us in the loop with whatever is determined to be root cause.. deepest condolences, I've been in that same spot a few times and it's almost like you're not even sure how to feel because of the panic and anxiety. Just be rational, and respectful that the situation has occurred. Best thing you can do is work on the next steps and be patient with everything / everyone involved.

What I mean to say is, don't kick your fenders while waiting for the tow truck to show up.

I think I’m going to be told it can’t be fixed.. I did some spirited driving the day after bottoming out because I thought the car was fine and there were no odd noises.. I’ve never had this happen before and idk what would be next. It’s being looked at now

Motor is done

Really sorry to hear. Did they give you guidance on how to proceed? Any options? Let us know if we can be helpful. Not an easy pill to swallow, but you'll have to make a choice eventually no matter what.

Last car I blew a motor in, I bought a new engine for it and it sat for 6 years before I sold it because it wasn't worth the trouble. If it's your only car, I understand that waiting may not be an option - but don't rush to one single conclusion if you have other options available at this very moment - give it a week for everything to settle in and then think about the options you've got.

They told me if I can get a new motor shipped there they can install it and yes this is my only car.

Yep... bottoming out could have cracked the oil pan and caused you to lose a significant amount of oil over a short period of time, possibly overnight. If there was barely anything in the dip stick there was probably nothing left in the oil pan... what was on the dip stick could have been just residual oil in the dip stick tube.



Hearing that noise with the hood down, from the driver seat, at idle RPM.... RIP

Hole/leak in oil pan? Spun bearing do to low oil?

Ya there was zero doubt from the clip.

He's not going to tell us.

Well he already fessed up to low oil so I believe he will.

No oil pressure light or CEL?

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

I would explain the situation to your insurance agent if you've got body damage along with the the engine damage. I imagine the car looks pretty rough underneath if whatever you hit was able to damage the oil pan (or whatever was damaged).

Sorry yes spun bearing.. the first time I checked the oil after the rattling started there was pretty much nothing.. tried putting oil in to see if I we could find where it was leaking but couldn’t find anything after like an hour.. I got the car to a shop and they said spun bearing.. I’m going to Call Subaru the dealership and see if they can tell me how much everything would be to replace

It was a bad hit.. the road had crosswalks that slanted up and down with no warning and I hit it at 25.. immediately got out the car to see if I heard anything different or if it sounded bad but it’s was fine.. at least for that day

Start an insurance claim

This ^... If there is impact damage to the underside that could have caused the oil to leak out then there may be a possible claim. Worth checking out though. Just be careful since it would be an at fault claim and could hike up your rates.

A "cooked" Twin usually turns a golden brown.. some call it Lava..

+1 for filing an insurance claim. Might raise your premium, but that might just be the price to pay to get a new engine (or new car, if this one is totaled)

I kind of fucked myself then.. I just changed to liability insurance temporarily to help a friend with there rent for a month.. I don’t think that’s enough to cover it... I’m just going to have to be without the car for a while until I can pay for the motor and install.. when I called the dealership they told me it would be around 5300 for the short block and the labor for the installation.. does that sound correct? There’s a shop offering me less but I want to know it’s done correctly.. I’m not knowledgeable enough to do it myself so the dealership seems to be my only option.

That isn't a bad price. I would check some reviews on the independent shop as well though.


Never, EVER go to liability only on a car. I think the reasons are apparent.

Thats really rough man, sorry to hear it.

Unfortunately, I don't have really any point of reference for what a new engine install should cost (I've only had my FR-S since the summer) but I'm sure you can find posts on here detailing what others have paid and get a decent idea of what the service normally would cost.

Yes they are.. I love the car tho so I’ll just have to pay it when I can.

Yea I’ll have to do some research.. don’t ever go 133 on a backroad days after bottoming out really bad smh.. I normally drive the car like a baby but every once in a while if I find a curvy area that’s in the backroads I like to drive a bit crazy.. I definitely did this to myself

For reference a short block is about $1800 and the gasket kit (which includes everything you need) is $240. You also need about 2 tubes of ThreeBond which is another $50. Don't forget oil and coolant. So basically they are charging you ~3000 in labor. It's an extremely time consuming job though. It took me 2 months to replace my short block but actual time working was about 50 hours I would say. I don't do this everyday so I'm slow. I've seen builders quote 24 hours to rebuild an FA20. So at 24 hours they are charging $125/hour.

Thanks for the info! Depending on how much money I come up with i might look into a swap. I understand that’s like double the price but it all depends on the money I can come up with and the time I’m willing to be without the car. Plus I’d have to do tons of research and find a shop that would be willing to do the swap. I don’t know yet

If you have the tools, knowledge (or ability to research), and some friends, you can swap in a used FA20 from a junkyard and have it running in a couple days. Junkyard motors are a crapshoot, so I probably wouldn't hold onto the car for long after swapping, but it's a less expensive option.

LOL And then we get a new guy starting a thread that says "Just bought a used one and the engine blew up two days later. Did I get ripped off?"

caveat emptor :lol:

Just because it's being done at the dealership doesn't mean it will be done correctly. Especially at the Toyota dealership working on a Subaru engine.



IMO, a full engine swap from a shop would be a better choice than an engine rebuild from the dealership. As long as the used engine was sourced from a good donor (Ex, a car that was rear ended and written off) I don't see the problem, since most shops will give you a warranty period anyways. An engine rebuild means more can go wrong.

it also doesn't mean that it wont get done right. Request a master or mdt to only be the one to touch your car. At least then, your dealing with someone whos been with Toyota since the FRS came out (takes 5 years to be master) and who gives a shit enough about what hes doing. Ask to talk to the tech doing the job, and hell, if it makes you feel better, ask for his credential's. Im a master tech at a Toyota dealer, I can tell you most techs run from the FR-S. I've built a few FA20 engines and if you get someone who cares, it will be done right.----Hell, if you're close enough to Louisiana (Baton Rouge) to tow it to me, i'll build it for you for a much cheaper cost than $3k just in labor.