Subaru Forester Engine Problems

YES, you can use it with confidence. It won't cause your car grief.

The biofuels people tell us to expect an increase in fuel usage of about three per cent, but that’s offset by the cheaper price of E10. Run a check on your car to actually measure the difference in consumption. Run it on E10 for a couple of tank fulls and then revert to regular unleaded, again for a couple of tank fulls. That will tell you exactly what your car is doing and if it’s worthwhile using E10. We have had a couple of other reports from owners saying their cars are using a lot more E10 than they were unleaded, but the biofuels people and the carmaker involved reckoned there was something wrong with their cars. Running a higher octane fuel will generally improve fuel economy and performance, but it costs more, so you have to balance the extra costs against the benefits to determine if that’s the best way to go.

SUBARU told us it is not necessary to replace the water pump every time the cam belt is changed. The company says current spare parts sales for cam belts are more than six times those of water pumps for the Forester. But they say some workshops recommend checking the water pump when replacing the cam belt because replacing the pump requires the cam belt to be removed. It is suspected some workshops replace the water pump unnecessarily because of small signs of seepage from the breather hole. Slight seepage is normal as this is designed to drain water pump seal seepage. Subaru Australia issued a bulletin to dealers in July 2006 to inform them of this.

The oil consumption is a result of the engine design, being horizontally opposed, and it's not limited to Subaru. Oil accumulates in the rings when it's sitting and you'll sometimes see a puff of smoke from the tailpipe on start-up. It's not something to be concerned about if you check the oil on a regular basis, as you should do on all cars. Use the Subaru recommended oil when topping it up. You'll find that in the owner's manual.

WE APPROACHED Subaru for its thoughts. The company said it is difficult to accurately diagnose the engine noise without hearing it or knowing the specific conditions when it occurs. It is possibly caused by pinging or by pre-detonation of the fuel in the combustion chamber and this can be the result of the quality and/or octane rating of the fuel. If the dealer cannot determine the actual cause, it can ask for help from Subaru Australia's technical support department (ph: 1800 226 643) so more specific information can be obtained to assist the diagnosis.

The oil consumption is a result of the engine design, being horizontally-opposed, and it's not limited to Subaru. Oil accumulates in the rings when it's sitting and you'll sometimes see a puff of smoke from the tailpipe on start-up. It's not something to be concerned about if you check the oil on a regular basis, as you should do on all cars. Use the Subaru recommended oil when topping it up, you'll find that in the owner's manual.

Subaru's advice is correct and they confirmed it for us. The problems mentioned by the service manager are ones that might be experienced by owners of old cars, particularly those running carburetors. We also approached the Biofuels Association and they too confirmed that you could use E10 without a problem.

It might or it might go back to what the mechanic did or didn't do at the service, but there's no way to tell, so you're stuck with getting it fixed. Find a Subaru specialist and take it there if you have lost confidence in your mechanic.

IT'S best to phone the suppliers to find a system for your car, and then ask for their recommended installer, someone with experience with the system on the same model as yours. The Australian LPG Warehouse has a kit available for the 2002-2007 Forester.

YOU have the wrong information about converting your car to gas, as there are kits available. Phone the Australian LPG Warehouse for more info on 9770 2287. You can also use E10 blends. They have an octane rating the same as PULP.