Using Oil and EM light Issues - Please help.

[Trikytrev777]

Afternoon all, 

so I have a 2006 Blobeye Impreza WRX. I had a full rebuild around 8k ago now, and things have been fine up until the last two months or so. I now have the following issues that any advice would be greatly appreciated on: 

1 - My car boosts fine following an oil and filter change, but after around 1.5-2k it starts to make a strange noise after around 5-7psi of boost. After an oil and filter change it then boosts up to 19psi with no issues or noise. 

2 - My car is using oil - a lot! Every week I seem to be topping up oil levels. I have took the filler cap of whilst running and no puffs of smoke, since owing the car (one year in January2018) it has had 5 oil changes, with magnetic sump plug fitter after the first. Which when I change has a small amount of what I can only describe as magnetic sludge on it. No metal partials, just a very fine dust like sludge. This scares me! But reading around I have read that it could be the new bearings wearing in??? I have also read about the PCV valve and that this can increase oil use. Is this true? and where do you find this part in the UK I've looked everywhere! I have part numbers 11819AA001 and 11810AA000 and can only find and import from America - what! My car is also not smoking at all on start up. Condensation yes, but no blue smoke, and when I try and rev or boost higher than just normal driving I don't get clouds of smoke either. turbo and seals okay I believe? 

3 - If i drive at a constant speed/engine load (by this I mean RPM) of above 3k in any gear I get a flashing engine management light - the worst! I've researched and found that this is a misfire. Specifically on an OBD reader is cylinder one. I have done the following to try and rectify it with no success: 1) New set of NGK iridium Plugs. I've gone for PFR7 (standard STI plugs) as I have a few mods including a ECUtek map that is only running 275bhp, with approximately 19psi of boost. Now I gaped these plugs to 0.65, but then now read that they are 0.7 as standard. Could this be the fault? I have also changed the coil for another one that I had from an STI Intake that I bought, and has not resolved the issue, or changed the cylinder.  

4 - when idling from a cold start it idles very well and consistently. When driving if I drop my clutch, the engine speed drops and nearly stalls (<300rpm approx) and then catches itself and increases, it never actually does stall. I have had my MAF sensor out and cleaned this, but made no difference. 

Now I am no mechanic at all, but I am handy with a spanner and willing to learn, so I hope I haven't embarrassed myself here. This is my first Subaru, and first performance car so please be nice guys. Any advice is greatly appreciated. This is also my daily driver and does around 150-170 miles per week. 

Thanks in advance, 

Trev

P.S. list of mods: 

-Rebuilt short block with V7 Pistons, new rings and V10 rods. Honed block and built to a tolerance of "two thou" (so I am told). Re-skimmed heads and pressure tested before fitting. All usual gaskets and seals replaced and including Crank and big end bearings. 

-Full decat exhaust with ninja two backbox

-inner wing induction system - with clean K&N filter

-ECUTek remap at 275bhp (tested at Corten Miller - Lincolnshire) after run in of new build

- BC Coilovers - hard ride! 

- Standard Recirculation valve

- Silicone hoses all round except turbo intake - doing when I next work on the car

Exedy Stage two organic clutch fitted with rebuild

Using Subaru Black JDM Oil filter and 5-40 Fully Synthetic castrol Titanium oil

- Planned mods: JDM STI intake with Subaru TGV deletes and STI Pink injectors (bought), and maybe a rebuilt turbo expenses and fiancee permitting lol, and then remap to suit.  

[Thefatmanwrx]

You can get your pcv from importcarparts.co.uk as for your issues i have no clue but I had my engine rebuilt not so long ago I have the same magnetic sludge on my dump plug i hope i don't get these issues good luck dude

[Trikytrev777]

Thanks mate. I did find it on there, but it doesn't have the plastic housing just the metal valve piece. Is this okay to screw into the plastic housing? Glad to hear its not just me with the metallic sludge - hope its okay for the both of us. 

[Thefatmanwrx]

My pcv may be different it screws directly into the back off my intake manifold sort of below the intercooler to throttle body coupler and yes fingers crossed for us both 😅

[stuartie]

Can't help with you're trouble i'm afraid as have a classic and have never worked on the newer scoobs but i wouldn't worry about the metallic sludge on the sump plug as thats perfectly normal as long as there's no larger bits stuck to it, engines that are well worn in over 100k miles still get the fine pieces stuck to the plug, if you think about its all those metal parts flying round and round inside the engine at a million miles an hour you'll get some wear, hope you get to the bottom of the problem bud 👍

[Trikytrev777]

Thanks Stuartie, that's a relief to know that it's normal for the mag plug to have a bit of sludge on it. Yeah no big pieces of metal, I rubbed it between my fingers and didn't even feel grainy, just very sticky. Thanks for your help buddy. 

[Trikytrev777]

[Trikytrev777]

So these are the old standard WRX plugs that the engine was run in on, before I changed as per my original post. I wonder if anyone can see any alarming signs on these plugs? These were in for around 8k. Any signs on it burning oil that might suggest my rings are gone etc? 

On the box I wrote the following to identify: 

DF - Drivers Front (1)

DR - Drivers Rear (3)

PF - Passengers Front (2)

PR - Passengers Rear (4)

(As you look at the car in the UK). 

 

Thanks in advance. 

[Trikytrev777]

This was filmed the last time it made the noise under boost - before the last oil and filter change. 

[Tidgy]

Define alot of oil, how much per 1000 miles?

[savage bulldogs]

My classic ran on 3 cylinders and it idled ok (just a bit lumpy and didnt stall) , but It only boosted to about 0.5 bar .

So hopefully its just a electrical misfire and not a cylinder down on compression. I think its the lighting ,but it looks like the 2 top plugs are darker in your 1st pic ?



Generally if a cylinder is misfiring , that plug will be a bit darker (sooty) . If excess oil is burning in a cylinder, the plugs normally have a oily residue .

Are they all the same colour ?

Have you got any excess oil in the tmic ?

Can't help much with the pcv , as i Haven't got 1 on mine .

Always find it better if you phone luke at import car parts , as he stocks a fair bit more than just whats listed on the website .




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[Trikytrev777]

I would estimate around 700ml per 1000 miles. I do a lot of rush hour start and start driving and been told this increases consumption, but this is excessive, right? 

 

With regards to the soot, they all have some black soot on them, but none seem worse than the other. 

Last time I had the tmic off it was none dry. I need to take it off again to look at the PCV so I'll have a look and let you know. 

 

Thanks to you both for your input so far. 

 

Thanks, 

Trev

[Tidgy]

1L per 1000 miles is the point where you know you have an issue so its up there.

 

Given the noise on boost i;d get the turbo checked out.

[Trikytrev777]

Thanks buddy, still quite high then. How would I go about getting it checked? Or checking it myself? I don' get any blue smoke or or continuous clouds of smoke out the exhaust. Would you have any idea as to why it stops after an oil and filter change? 

Thanks in advance. 

[Sandals]

Might want to check your rocker covers for oil leaks, they are known to leak after a while. Especially drivers side because the exhaust is close to it. Have a look under the engine on both sides for any oil

[Trikytrev777]

Hi Sandals, thanks you for the suggestion - I will be sure to have a look. Even if parked for a while hot or cold I don't see any engine oil spots on the floor. Would this drip down onto the floor is it was this? 

[savage bulldogs]

I assume you haven't got any other gauges oil pressure / oil temp particularly?

I always use millers nano drive oil but i fully forged mine . Dont think many use castrol other than for the diff. If the symptoms go after a fresh oil change maybe try some millers cfcs next time , to rule out oil degradation

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[Trikytrev777]

Hi Savage, 

 

No I haven't got any other gauges I'm afraid. Thanks for the oil degradation suggestion. Just out of curiosity - if my PCV valve was blocked completely, would the extra pressure in the crankcase cause the oil to breakdown quicker? Also, It might be a daft question but could I put nano-drive 5w40 in my engine? I have read about it and been wondering for a while, so just going to ask your opinion. 

 

Thanks again. 

 

Trev

[Tidgy]

I suggest you pop down to a specialist and get them to give it a once over.

[savage bulldogs]

I used to run the stock pcv set up on my old uk and currently run a catch can , so have no stock oil breather system in situ . I couldn't say if a faulty pcv would cause the oil to break down sooner but if it seized in the shut position , id imagine it would cause exessive crankcase oil pressure .

Oil grade threads are normally a can of worms on any forum and although i doubt a change in brand of oil would hurt , it would probably be nice to know where the oil is going before filling up with £60 's worth of millers .



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