21
Sorry for your situation, but this is one of those times when it's best to put the car out to grass. The car is 15 years old. I kept a Subaru running until 300,000, but there was always 'just one more thing' to repair on it.
For your car, the main issue is that the head gasket repair was bodged. They didn't get the timing correct - if your car was a DOHC ...
12
I think Meineke was taking you for a ride (pun intended). Here is my reasoning:
If it was leaking as bad as they say (or showed you) it was, you wouldn't have had any oil in your vehicle when you got to their shop.
If the car was having the massive oil leaks all over the engine compartment as they showed you, there would have been VOLUMES of smoke from it ...
9
I'm struggling to find the question you are asking here but taking the literal question "Would you assume the mechanic broke your camshaft if your car would not start due to broken camshaft around 30 miles after they repaired a different issue under the hood?" my answer would be "No."
If a camshaft were broken by a mechanic or anyone else, the car would not ...
8
Seeing as how your car has a turbo, the only place it would be leaking and you'd hear a ticking noise is pre-turbo, so the exhaust manifold at the head (header) and the down pipe on the hot side to the turbo. The turbo, due to it's nature of homogenizing the exhaust flow, will pretty much eliminate any ticking noise which may be due to an exhaust leak. While ...
8
It is ALWAYS good to get a second opinion. I would highly recommend taking it to another shop and have them tell you what they think it is even if you believe the first shop to be right.
That being said, there are a couple of things you can do at home to try and diagnose a head gasket problem yourself. Look to see if white smoke is coming out of the ...
8
I concur with user9181; I would add a suggestion of having a non-dealership mechanic render a second opinion. As noted, redecking the heads requires removal of the timing belt, and on reassembly it is easy for an inexperienced parts-changer (oops, I meant “mechanic”) to install it incorrectly. a new timing belt should always be used. if the alignment of ...
7
The short answer is no. RTV silicon is a great modern sealant, but must be used in the knowledge that the sealant can block oil ways. It can destroy catalytic convertors, if it becomes diluted by engine oil contact, to the point that it gets left on the cylinder wall during combustion and ends up in the exhaust stream. Oxygen sensors can also be destroyed by ...
7
It depends on whether you are paying him to rebuild the replacement engine, or to just fit it as it is...
6
If there was no oil leak before the oil change, then there is a possibility of wrong repair done at the workshop. Generally, for changing oil, the oil pan need not be touched at all, except for the oil drain plug. If the vehicle underbody is checked on a two post lift, then the leaking area could be spotted. Taking the vehicle to another mechanic is a good ...
6
The OP responded in the comments and stated the fix. He primed the motor with carb spray to get it going. Perhaps it had a mechanical fuel pump or needed the fuel rail primed in some way.
OP's response as the fix in comments below
Found out i need to spray some brake cleaner into the intake to prime the engine
6
Yes, debris will cause damage, however the valves cover gasket doesn't stick that hard and if it is the original, they come with some kind of rubber material, very easy to take out even in one piece almost always. Some gaskets are made of cork material, those would break but still won't generate much debris neither. The tip is: take time, warm up the engine ...
5
Generally:
Cork - always replace. (this includes rubber covered cork)
Rubber - replace if deformed or damaged.
On newer vehicles with the molded rubber ones which fit into a slot (I've seen on valve covers, intake manifold runners, etc, etc, etc) are good as long as they are pliable (still feel soft/subtle ... not hard or brittle) and are not damaged. So ...
5
You shouldn't need to use sealant on the gaskets. Most exhaust manifold gaskets either come with their own sealant (like Fel-Pro's do with the silver looking stuff), or they are metal and don't require it either. I believe sealants (such as high temp Permatex Copper) will just burn off anyway, because the heat at the head/header interface is far beyond what ...
5
Things to consider when choosing gasket materials:
Type of fluid/gas that should be contained
Pressure
Temperature range
Roughness of the sealing surfaces. The gasket needs to fill impurities in the sealing surfaces to keep the seal from leaking
Mechanical friction (Both for efficiency and resistance)
Perhaps the last one concerns other kind of seals more, ...
5
Assuming you're buying the OEM filter from a Subaru dealer, they should be giving you a new washer with each one. It's an aluminum washer that's sort of folded over on itself so that it crushes.
I just did an oil change, so here's a picture of the washers (used on the left, new on the right):
Notice that the left one is appreciably flattened.
My ...
5
I'm not a fan of RTV
Others that are professional and hobbyists don't agree with me but, some do.
I just don't use RTV, it's like duct tape to me. I get a physiological reaction to the acronym. I feel it has it's uses in very rare cases.
Why don't I like RTV?
Because if use too much it can create a bead inside of the motor and then eventually break ...
5
If it is the oil pan bolt holes that are stripped out, using a Heli-Coil thread insert is the professional permanent solution.
Heli-Coil is the inventor of this repair method, but there are other brands now available that do the same thing, they are sold in most Auto parts stores here in the US.
Using Epoxy to do this type of repair is similar to using ...
5
I would not immediately assume the repair shop was out to get you. Its possible, but not likely. PepBoys is a national chain, and their best most profitable behavior is to quickly and efficiently repair customer's cars. Any national chain will also spot check the reliability of their individual repair centers. I'm not saying its impossible, it just doesn'...
5
Generally you don't need to use any sealant on this type of gasket, mainly because the gasket is pliable enough and will seal on it's own. If I were going to use any sealant on it, it would be where the rounded part (in the back of this photo) which has a sharp corner:
The reason is, the corner of the gasket is a hard place to seal. Putting a dab of sealant ...
4
I've been changing my own oil since 1975 or so, Daniel, more often than not, several cars at a time (it's been a long long time since I've only had one vehicle). I've never changed a drain plug gasket - I've never seen one that leaked significantly enough to warrant replacement.
Do wipe around the drain hole, and wipe the existing gasket, before putting the ...
4
In the video, when they are talking about "burning oil", they mean it is physically running off of the valve cover gasket and down onto the exhaust manifold, which burns outside of the engine. This happens when the gasket fails. Changing the valve cover gasket will cure this exterior seepage from occurring, which will solve this issue. This will not affect ...
4
Odds are they did a shady job and are now trying to rip you off. No reason why it should be like that unless if they did that by accident or (worse) intentionally.
If you can, take a look underneath and see where its leaking from. Likely to be from one of 3 places:
1. The drain plug. Maybe it just needs to be tightened. Or maybe the drain plug has its own ...
4
I agree with @knocksAndMisfires - it sounds strange that the oil pan gasket would have to be touched for a routine oil change.
If the oil pan/lower sump was removed then this may necessitate a gasket change since they tend to be a single-use item, but this should not be required for a routine oil change.
One other thing worth mentioning: $200 for an oil ...
4
They are basically the same thing. Use the gasket and put the gasket maker on either side of it. It will do the same job and work just as well. Don't put it on too thick, just enough to hold the gasket in place on the block or on the pump. Should leave you in good stead.
4
Certainly sounds like the heater core is leaking coolant into the car's interior. Like Ducatikiller said it should smell a little bit sweet, but if you still can't tell stick your finger in the fluid and give it a rub-test. You will be able to tell water from engine coolant by how it feels. Also have a good look at the floorboards and the firewall in the ...
4
After removing the seat and looking underneath the carpet, there was no evidence of leaking from the heater core. It was rain water, about three gallons of it. Where did this all come from? Nothing from the doors, windows, or underneath the frame of the car.
All of this water came from two sheets of metal joining behind the back of passenger brake light. ...
4
Rubber gaskets typically seal well. Cork ones are hit or miss. If the valve cover is stamped steel, its normal to use gasket maker rather than the gasket.
If a piece did fall off inside the engine, the oil would likely flush it down to the oil pan and it would be caught in the oil pickup's screen.
4
If the par numbers cross reference, then they should be interchangeable. Otherwise they may not.
In some cases the difference in a gasket my not be the shape, but the materials as well. So even a gasket that appears to fit may not function correctly.
From a production standpoint, all the L4 motors of the same model year would have a fair likelihood of ...
4
Wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion. However, be careful if you try diagnosing yourself. If coolant is leaking into one of the cylinders and you try starting the car you could hydro-lock the engine and bend a connecting rod which is obviously more money to fix. Before turning over the engine, pull the spark plugs out and turn the engine over by hand ...
4
You don't need a sealent on this gasket. The new gasket will stand much prouder than the flattened gasket you'll be removing, and the WSM doesn't specify sealent anywhere. Torquing the cover down to the correct spec will create a good seal.
Any existing sealant is probably from an older repair where the mechanic tried to seal a leak without removing the ...
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