Okay, so I just got back from limping this car back home from school.

I definitely get the "subaru noise" thing now.

She won't idle, flashing CEL, read the code, only 1, which is P0303.

Where should I start first? I have work in a half hour, but no way in hell am I gonna make it with that car.

Had to keep the RPMs up at the stop lights, and some ricer G5 thought I was revving at him.

 

isnt the subaru noise usually the lash adjusters? take off the valve and look for broken or lash adjusters out of place

 

P0303 is cylinder 3 (?) misfire, I believe. Start with making sure the coil is on tight. May want to change your plugs depending on mileage and whatnot. Also could be bad gas if you're tuned.

I got some gas of questionable quality from Meijer and my car misfired like a b!tch until I filled up with something else.

 

Blown head gasket? Milky oil? Any coolant loss?

 

My car did the same thing and I spit a plug had to do a helicoil

 

Noted. Would this set any sort of code or just the noise/
The car is all stock. I'll switch the coil packs and see, but would the misfire also cause the subaru noise I'm getting?
Plugs maybe have like 12k on them.. NGK Iridium IX's.
Car only gets Mobil put in it.
I checked oil, it doesn't look milky. dunno about the head gasket, no coolant loss besides the little leak I've always had from my radiator.

 

I have to check the plugs after work. Noted.

Thanks, guys. Keep em coming.

 

Dibs on headlights and hood

 

Yea my car made the same noise and it was a broken valve..haha Good Luck!

 

Well this.. doesn't make me feel any better.
I'm maybe hoping it's a bad coil?

Also at work now, took my dad's truck.

 

It could be something stupid or something major. Check your plugs, do a leak down test and check the coils...are you running stock gap plugs??

 

It's honestly very hard to diagnose. It could be a multitude of things honestly. Have you played with your plug gap any? Could be a bad coil, although you won't really know until you replace one. Could honestly be something very minor, or bigger (like in my case)

Beat me too it! haha

 

You shouldn't gap iridiums lol.

Check the plugs, leak down test and compression test.... your answers will be given to you right there...if it fails leak down or compression test you have a major problem. If it passes both then you have a little problem. However as an fyi a car can pass a compression test yet fail a leak down test. I can list so many things that can be wrong but without diagnosis its a shot in the dark

 

This...I asked because maybe he had a weak grounding strap from messing with them and it snapped off.

 

Misfire could cause the subaru noise. When mine was misfiring it sounded like that.
Start with your plugs, and maybe swap coils 2/3 and see if the misfire switches cylinders.

 

Thank you guys for the info.

I haven't gapped my iridiums. These plugs have been in there for 12k miles or so.

Was searching for that, and couldn't find anybody saying it.

Gonna get home and swap the coils 2/3 and see if the CEL switches to a different cylinder.
I may buy a set of "cheaper" plugs to test against my current plugs as well.

I'll update in a couple hours, thanks guys.

 

Any news interested ?!?!

 

Yeah sorry.
I wasn't able to do all the work I wanted today, because it's straight pouring here in MI.

I pulled the plugs.. #3 plug and coil are destroyed.. The boot is just ripped.
I stuck a magnet down in there and was picking up shavings of stuff.. Got most/all of it out.
Thread #3 is now messed up so I'm getting that helicoiled.

I don't know the full extent of the damage yet, but I'm getting there. I'll keep the thread updated.

Here's a video I posted in a different thread of a valve train noise, which I believe may have lead to all of this.. :

- That video was when the engine was warm. Speed of ticking changes with the RPMs.

 

Wow same as mine #3 boot was destroyed plug was mashed good luck man.like I said I helicoiled Mine after checking everything out and the car has run beautiful since

Once again good luck and keep us updated!!

 

So I take it it wasnt sticky lifter eh? haha

 

I had a plug blow out aswell. Although i got a random multiple cylinder misfire. Easiest an first thing to check is obviously plugs. Then check for any chewed wires to the coil packs. Oter than that ur really going to have to do some more serious diag.

 

you folks really should torque the spark plugs.The LSJ spark plug has a gasket, needs to be tightened, undone 3/4 of a turn and re-torqued. Its a scandal this happens, and its not the fault of the engine... sad to say. Glad you may be out of the woods Gelladuga, good luck.

 

whats the torque spec on that?

 

So not torquing the spark plugs is what causes this?

 

15 FT LBS iirc look it up.
The reason wheels fall off and studs break, spark plugs fall out or threads strip is:
under torqued or over torqued. take your pick.
results are the same.\

There are some engines (Ecotec is not one of them) that have the issue due to a design issue, Ford produce a spark plug thread repair kit for some of their engines, I cant remember which ones, but its out there.

Ecotec issues with sparkplugs is just sad work.

my .02c