FML: Tired of the same old coil pack issue? Enjoy your new rod knock...
 

The title pretty much sums it up. I'm not sure if this is a cautionary tale, troubleshooting post or just a rent, but here it is...

I've had the coil pack issue on my 2012 GT86 for a few months now and I've been going back and forth on whether to buy the old one for 80-ish $ or do the TSB for 400-ish $ (parts cost only). In the meanwhile the car developed what I can guess is a rod knock (RPM depended heavy metal on metal knocking noise). My only hope is that it might be a timing chain tensioner. Might be worth pointing out that the week before the rod knock I had idle seeking, low idle and stalls, which I attributed to ECU learning after clearing the coil pack fault codes.

The car has 100k km (60k mi) on it. It's been ~10 months and about 13k KM (8k mi) since it's last service, one track day (4x 10 minute drives, not sure if it was before or after the service). Daily driven, taken to the redline maybe a couple of times a week, for the most part it's driven under 3.5k. Never overheated, not missing any coolant, using mobil1 0w20, it's about 75-80% between min and max, genuine subaru oil filter.

Been to the subaru garage (since it's a subaru engine) and I got quoted ~7k USD for a short block , parts and labor. They also said they are not using 0w20, but 5w30 motorcraft oil. I'm not from the US, the temperature range here is 5-40c (41-104f). So it might have been the oil that caused this.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVKiSerRUec[/ame]

I was just thinking, man it's been like 5 days since someone reported a spun rod bearing. Sorry to hear about your problems. :(

Hello Yigal.K and welcome to our forum... :clap:

Sorry to hear you are having problems with your machine .. :(

That "knocking sound" coming from your engine does not sound good.

However, I doubt that using the recommended weight of oil caused it.

I won't guess what is causing that sound, maybe others will chime in with their thoughts.


humfrz

I didnt see an oil cooler in the list of modifications to the car. Tracking the car in a place where it can get to 100F no 0W20 oil without an oil cooler could very well be the cause. Using thicker oil would've not been the cure, but more of a bandaid. Anyways, looks like you are in for a new shortblock.

The car is bone stock. As I wrote before, that track day was a year or so ago and it was 4 10-minutes drive sessions spaced almost an hour apart. Also it was in the afternoon, it was hot, but nothing out of the ordinary (the temps I wrote are the extremes). Anyways doubt that was it, if for nothing else, the time that has passed since.

The shop confirmed the worst, it's coming from the crankshaft. So they'll be replacing the short block. I'll be using 5W30 from now on, better err on the side of caution.

Add an oil cooler

??

The OP says "As I wrote before, that track day was a year or so ago and it was 4 10-minutes drive sessions spaced almost an hour apart."

Do you still think he needs an oil cooler, with that limited amount of track time ..??


:iono:


humfrz

Yes, I mean, assuming he is going to track it. Track + hot environment and that oil gets really really hot and thin in no time.