2003 Forester engine ping

[4WDGL]

I have a ’03 Subaru Forester that started pinging at about 5,000
miles. I mentioned it to the dealer when it was in for oil change and
the dealer said that they didn’t notice it. I switched brands of
gasoline but it still continued. I took it back to the dealer who
said to try 3 tankfuls of 89 octane gasoline and see what happens.
After three tankfuls it still pings so I called the dealer again and
they said they contacted Subaru of America and the district manager
would contact me in a few weeks. Last week I tried 93 Octane and it
still pings. I was wondering if anyone else is having this problem
with their Subaru. This is the 2.5 Liter with automatic transmission.
This is not a light ping, rather a heavy, loud ping even on level
roads at low speed. I’m really disappointed at the lack of interest
the dealer has shown and I will take them to court if I have to in
order to get this fixed. If anyone else is having this problem please
let me know. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Henry Paul]

I don't know if resetting the ECU would help or not, but you can unhook the
negative battery cable and press the brake pedal several times to discharge
the capacitors. Then reconnect it and see if it is any better.

--
Henry Paul

I have a '03 Subaru Forester that started pinging at about 5,000
miles. I mentioned it to the dealer when it was in for oil change and
the dealer said that they didn't notice it. I switched brands of
gasoline but it still continued. I took it back to the dealer who
said to try 3 tankfuls of 89 octane gasoline and see what happens.
After three tankfuls it still pings so I called the dealer again and
they said they contacted Subaru of America and the district manager
would contact me in a few weeks. Last week I tried 93 Octane and it
still pings. I was wondering if anyone else is having this problem
with their Subaru. This is the 2.5 Liter with automatic transmission.
This is not a light ping, rather a heavy, loud ping even on level
roads at low speed. I'm really disappointed at the lack of interest
the dealer has shown and I will take them to court if I have to in
order to get this fixed. If anyone else is having this problem please
let me know. Thanks for any suggestions.

--
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[Cixcos]

I have a 2002 Forester (automatic) and have never experienced ping. I
use 93 octane.

 

[Edward Hayes]

My 2000 Forester exhibits a light pinging during light acceleration and has
done so for 73,000 miles. Light pinging is not a problem and tells me the
computer has advanced the timing to maximum for my driving style and gas. If
mine stops the light pinging I'd be concerned. ed

 

[Edward Hayes]

Your engine should run great on 87 octane fuel. I would first reset the
computer by removing the neg battery cable for an hour or so or if your in a
hurry pump the brake pedal several times with the batt cable off. If that
doesn't work try a bottle of TECHRON FUEL SYSTEM CLEANER. from Wal-Mart for
6 bucks. Don't use the techron injector cleaner as it is too diluted to
clean combustion chambers and valves. If that doesn't work then the dealer
is the only safe way to go if you can get to a good service department. ed

 

[Voja]

Welcome to the club.

Apparently, as Edward said, light engine ping (a.k.a detonation) is
common in Subaru engines.
ECU allows engine to start pinging (advances timing) so that is uses the
most power out of it
and then adjusts it so that detonation stops.

I agree that this is normal to some level but when I'm forced to use 92+
aki fuel and I can still hear it,
then it drives me nuts. I have the same problem and I've been fighting
it with SOC Subaru of Canada
for the past 2+ years. Finally I got somebody there to listen to my sad
story and they "promised" that
something will be done. Problem is when is it going to be done. So I
decided to talk to BBB and they took
over the case. I don't know what I can expect but I know that if there
is no solution I'll either sell the car (which
I REALLY do not want to) or put huge lemon yellow letters that'll say
"THIS IS $35K LEMON CAR"
and then we'll see how much effect it'll create like the guy with BMW
here in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

If you read my post from around end of July 2004 you'll see what I've
done so far.

Don't buy BS stories from dealership to get higher octane fuel and/or
fuel additives (no offense Edward
and others) to "clean carbon deposits" from your engine. Those stores
are there to pacify you
so you don't bother them. Go all the way and demand that they repair the
car. With 5K miles on the engine
no matter how "bad" you/me and others drive there is no way that engine
can build up that much carbon depos-
its so that it starts to ping.

Btw, SOC rep. told me that they have few more cases with 2003 and 2002
engine models. This version
of engine was some kind of "beta version" and unfortunately we have to
pay the price for it. Bummer.

If you need more info/want to exchange your view you can send me an
e-mail to (e-mail address removed)

There is more on this at www.canadiandirect.com (Google search "subaru
engine ping")

Cheers,
Voja

 

[Edward Hayes]

I will stick by my recommendation to try a fuel system cleaner because: you
may have gotten a load of poor quality gasoline that indeed caused some
deposits on the back of the intake valves. I used TECHRON FUEL SYSTEM
CLEANER avail at Wal-Mart's for about 6 dollars. If it is a serious
knocking and not a light but noticeable pinging then a reflash of the ECU
should be available from your dealer. Your vehicle should run wonderful on
87 octain fuel and exhibit a light pinging only on acceleration. Try the
fuel system cleaner for one full take of gas and if the problem persist then
force the dealer to fix it. ed

 

[zeddakonia]

there is definitely a design fault with subaru 2.5 litre engines.
regarding fuel system cleaners and ECU resets - its all rubbish.
In 12 months had 12 plus fuel system cleaners added, 6-7 times upper
engine cleans performed, engine resets, etc etc and offcourse the
favourite thing which the Subaru technicians say "Sir add very high
quality fuel" (if only those morons could give me an address and
directions to the vulcan planet to get that ever elluding VERY HIGH
QUALITY FUEL).

Subaru naturally will never admit its their design fault - the engineering
team hasnt done much testing. And offcourse we are the guinee pigs - paid
in full for the new car purchase and then sweating and paying for visits
to the service centre and paying for the costs associated.

So welcome to the pinging forester club, if my comments sound sarcastic -
it sure does and its very frustrating. The solution is simple - I am never
gonna buy a Subaru ever again.

Spread the word around - subs sucks - never buy a subaru again.

 

[Voja]

Dammit, I just realised that I've posted wrong web site. It should be
www.canadiandriver.com instead.

Sorry :-(

Here is the right link:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/discuss/messages/1496/13858.html?1092179947

Cherrs,
Voja

 

[Ignignokt]

there is definitely a design fault with subaru 2.5 litre engines.
regarding fuel system cleaners and ECU resets - its all rubbish.
In 12 months had 12 plus fuel system cleaners added, 6-7 times upper
engine cleans performed, engine resets, etc etc and offcourse the
favourite thing which the Subaru technicians say "Sir add very high
quality fuel" (if only those morons could give me an address and
directions to the vulcan planet to get that ever elluding VERY HIGH
QUALITY FUEL).

Subaru naturally will never admit its their design fault - the
engineering team hasnt done much testing. And offcourse we are the
guinee pigs - paid in full for the new car purchase and then sweating
and paying for visits to the service centre and paying for the costs
associated.

So welcome to the pinging forester club, if my comments sound
sarcastic - it sure does and its very frustrating. The solution is
simple - I am never gonna buy a Subaru ever again.

Hmm. I've never heard a ping from my Forester -- and I run it quite hard
quite often. Of course, it has a turbocharged version of the 2.5L engine,
and therefore must have different ECU programming than the NA version. I
also understand there are other design differences between the NA and turbo
2.5L engines (my brochure mentions several differences in the heads, and the
crank and bore must also be different, since the turbo has a lower CR than
the NA engine.) Perhaps they've expunged this gremlin from the the turbo
engine. Or perhaps the NA and turbo engines are sufficiently different that
I'm comparing apples to oranges. Or maybe to lake trout.

Has anybody experienced this pinging in a 2.5L *turbo* engine? Is the fact
that I always pump 93-octane (US measures -- I've no idea how to convert to
European measures) into the car to credit for my lack of engine ping?

Spread the word around - subs sucks - never buy a subaru again.

Crap. *Now* you tell me.

- Greg Reed

 

[Florian Feuser /FFF/]

there is definitely a design fault with subaru 2.5 litre engines.
regarding fuel system cleaners and ECU resets - its all rubbish.

My 98 2.5 does not ping with 91 octane fuel on 80+ degree days at sea level. How
can this be a design fault affecting all Subaru 2.5 litre engines?

Florian

 

[Edward Hayes]

Such a statement like all 2.5L engines has a design fault has no bases if
fact.

 

[Don.]

It's been said many times here but evidently bears repeating:

My Service Manager told me the designers decided on short skirt pistons
to improve gas mileage. This causes a "slap" that sounds like a ping.
It's pretty critical you adhere to the manual's recommendation for oil
viscosity, which sounds low by most standards, to _help_ reduce the
"ping". We had a short block installed in our 1997 OB at 50K miles
under warrantee. It started at about 45K miles when I went to a QuckLube
and stupidly said "20/50 oil". I was absent mindedly thinking from 50
years driving experience. Our 2003 OB does it occasionally in the winter.

So, it's not a "design fault" it's more like "faulty reasoning" if
anything. And it's not unique to Forester 2.5L engines