Engine Failure (#4 Rod Bearing + Short Block)

[shiro]

Originally Posted by toeout

Once you hear the rod knock, there is no reason to baby it, the damage is already done. You gonna get a new short block and that's it, might as well clatter to the dealer's lot.

The only thing I'm curious about, is how often was the oil level monitored. I check mine weekly, at least, and I've never let it be lower than 1mm from max level.

IMO the only obligation for the owner is to keep the engine cooled and lubricated. If that's done, it better hold together, even if driven hard ( assuming engine is brought to working temp )

Oil level and pressure have been a big argument (as well as cams and timing). Though, one gauge that can really help is oil pressure. With all the medal shavings that appear in the oil that could possibly hinder the oil pump it might be a good idea for an oil pressure gauge. But that is just one assessment that is going around.

[ajc209]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

My point exactly!
I am sure that there are many out there that hold the opposite opinion but nobody has put any firm evidence on the table that there are the 100s of incidents being claimed by some.
The internet is a wealth of information but the flip side is that it is very easy too take too little or inaccurate data and run with it!

Sorry I missed the contrary part!

I have heard of a few cars here in the UK with similar issues but on a forum of thousands of people 0.01% is still 1 in 10,000

[marky]

Originally Posted by ajc209

Sorry I missed the contrary part!

I have heard of a few cars here in the UK with similar issues but on a forum of thousands of people 0.01% is still 1 in 10,000

Mod or stock?

Only if everyone that owns a frs/brz/gt86 are on this then will get an idea of the % lol.. I'm sure there's out there same issues but never been heard

[apexslider]

Any one with a failure doing regular oil analysis? Or any oil analysis at all?

[Caspeed]

Originally Posted by themadscientist

Oh, lord, that sounds terrible. So are we reasonably certain the course of events is:

1. Oil is lost, but we haven't determined for certain the reason
2. Oil pressure drops as a result
3. Rod bearing fails

If that's the case then the rods are not the problem, but merely a victim, oil pressure is not the illness, merely a symptom and the true culprit is whatever is causing the oil loss.

I know I have no plans to modify my engine beyond things like free breathing and an oil cooler, but a triple stack of aftermarket meters are part of the plan, water temp, oil temp and oil pressure. Those are the basics and I have never trusted stock gauges.

Remember that installing an oil cooler is actually modifying the oil system and might lead to a warranty denial.. Just saying...

[redlne]

Bearing failed in mine. It was 3000km overdue for service. Warranty was declined due to "degradation of oil due to not following service intervals". I requested a copy of oil analysis but they never did one. I was going to buy a WRX as well but Subaru can f*ck off now.

[marky]

Originally Posted by redlne

Bearing failed in mine. It was 3000km overdue for service. Warranty was declined due to "degradation of oil due to not following service intervals". I requested a copy of oil analysis but they never did one. I was going to buy a WRX as well but Subaru can f*ck off now.

Wow that sucks.. did you fix the car?

[tyrantcf]

Originally Posted by redlne

Bearing failed in mine. It was 3000km overdue for service. Warranty was declined due to "degradation of oil due to not following service intervals". I requested a copy of oil analysis but they never did one. I was going to buy a WRX as well but Subaru can f*ck off now.

In their defense, it was overdue... and clearly you weren't keeping an eye on the oil level...

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by redlne

Bearing failed in mine. It was 3000km overdue for service. Warranty was declined due to "degradation of oil due to not following service intervals". I requested a copy of oil analysis but they never did one. I was going to buy a WRX as well but Subaru can f*ck off now.

Originally Posted by tyrantcf

In their defense, it was overdue... and clearly you weren't keeping an eye on the oil level...

Yeah, no offense redlne, but the service interval is 7500 miles/12000 km and you exceeded it by 1800 miles/3000 km...you kinda screwed yourself on this one.

This is also part of the reason that I change my oil every 5000 mi/8000 km, so that if I forget/run over, its still within the recommended service interval. Sure, it costs a little more over the lifetime of the car, but its peace of mind.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by tyrantcf

In their defense, it was overdue... and clearly you weren't keeping an eye on the oil level...

[Assuming all regular driving and sparse hard running, for instance a jaunt through some backroads and a handful of redline shifts per week] If <2,000 miles over the service interval is enough to kill this car then I doubt any will make it to 100k miles. That is a fatal flaw if it's true, a car that sensitive to varying levels of lubrication is a ticking time bomb.

Seriously there are used oil analysis suggesting that we can run to 10k service intervals with no issue.

Yeah what the guy did wasn't great but it's no reason for a catastrophic failue.

Edit: Links to members with oil analysis, agreed that not checking levels is super bad.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...88&postcount=2
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...1&postcount=18
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...7&postcount=27
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...9&postcount=13
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13286
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19363

[tyrantcf]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

[Assuming all regular driving and sparse hard running, for instance a jaunt through some backroads and a handful of redline shifts per week] If <2,000 miles over the service interval is enough to kill this car then I doubt any will make it to 100k miles. That is a fatal flaw if it's true, a car that sensitive to varying levels of lubrication is a ticking time bomb.

Seriously there are used oil analysis suggesting that we can run to 10k service intervals with no issue.

Yeah what the guy did wasn't great but it's no reason for a catastrophic failue.

I'm sure the oil itself is/was fine at that mileage, I was more making the point about level. Unless he says otherwise, it sounds like he ran ~9,300 miles without a top off or even so much as a dipstick check. That's asking for trouble.

[Tank]

Originally Posted by tyrantcf

I'm sure the oil itself is/was fine at that mileage, I was more making the point about level. Unless he says otherwise, it sounds like he ran ~9,300 miles without a top off or even so much as a dipstick check. That's asking for trouble.

I checked mine right when I heard noises. Oil was at the full mark. ~4300 miles on this oil change (I use one of the tripometers for oil and the other for measuring mileage between fillups).

[redlne]

Was taken for service and picked up after hours. They didn't do service and said I never booked out for that.

Oil was full still when it failed.

[redlne]

And it was my wife that drove it do it didn't get trashed.