Blow'd up 08 STI

So I'm pretty sure my slut of a car is now a victim of 'sploded ring lands.

It has been stutterinng (acceleration hesitations, feeling like a bad fuel pump etc) for a while now, I took it to SoG, they said nothing was wrong. (It has also been way down on power, were talking like moped-esque speeds here)

Cut to this morning when I start the slut to go to the store, and it looked like a spy hunter smoke screen. The smell of burned oil filled the cabin as soon as I opened the door.

I am a sad panda.

I made a huge mistake buying an 08. I'm trying to get in touch with SoG, but they all are "busy" right now. Anyone have any suggestions as to a course of action here?


edit. i'm stock except for a perrin CATBACK exhaust

 

ouch, do the new generation imprezas have that many problems? i've heard of quite a few

 

or subaru of kennesaw... good point though^^^

 

I'd take the cat back off then take (or tow) it to subaru of Kennesaw! ASAP.

 

Take the Catback off and call Subaru Roadside and have it towed to a Subaru Dealership

 

yes have it towed to Subaru of kennesaw and have the king look at it.

 

for biggis sake a mod should delete this thread. There is no way a cat back caused his issue but they willl try to blame it on it.

 

Did you check Mysubaru . com to make sure yours had the reflash and any recalls?

 

...Im really sad hearing this for you

 

Agreed! Take it 2 any dealer! Sog will take care of u. U just have 2 push them a bit! Talk 2 herb hoffman. The gm and if that doesn't do it go 2 the factory zone rep! Demand satisfaction!

 

Update: 2-1-09

I drove the car to Subaru of Kennesaw yesterday afternoon (a 2 hour drive for me, yaay).

On the trip there I drove the car like an egg was under the pedals. Upon arriving a subaru tech put the ecu data reader in, scanned and told me everything was fine.:unamused:

I then tried to explain "really? everything is fine? my car which drives like a dog when its not rocket hot, is down on power and blows a spy hunter fog of oil when I start it in the morning is fine?"

But that didn't work.

So I was then told to drive it back to Cleveland and "They will start a case log with the local Rep".

On the drive home last night, it was fine, but a couple of interesting things happened while driving it to dinner and back with a couple of friends. I was asked "are you making your car buck like that?" and "mac...you know you have a large puff of smoke when you start it right?"

:unamused:


I thoroughly regret ever buying the STi.

 

you may need to leave it with them so they can drive it and replicate the problem.

 

when was your car manufactured??? Mine was made in April 08. Ringland problems were supposed to be fixed after March/April production. I'm also very concerned about this possible problem... damn... Update with more info to other GR owners when you find out (or PM)

 

^^^
Yes please do!

 

Negative. As long as there are Closed loop delays (as mandated by LEV2 emissions requirements) it will always crack the pistons.

This is a problem that SOA cannot do anything about due to emissions requirements. However, as long as the car is stock and maintenance records are kept, they will pay for the repair of the cracked piston(s) and then it WILL happen again.

I'm willing to bet every single 08~09 STi will break a piston in its lifetime BEFORE the powertrain warranty expires.

 

Nice to know... :unamused:

 

The sooner you have SS or Doug at Top Speed tune your car, the better off you'll be.

Simply removing the CL/OL delays will fix the problem.

 

I am completely stock and the only "drivetrain" mod I was planning was a cat-back.

Not to mention I got the wrap-around 100K gold...

 

As long as you get the SPT catback and installed at the dealer you are safe for 100k/10 years (or is it 12? I cant remember...).

However, ASAP when the warranty is up, I'd get rid of it.

I take it you got the top of the line SAS Gold plan?

 

Does this have to do with the smog unit?

I "heard" that the problem was when you hit the rev limiter you would run too Lean...so to retune with "Stock" parts would fix this problem?


Yes top war. plan...

 

The rev limiter is the same on all SUBARUs. It cuts fuel delivery when at the specified RPM. When the RPM drop, the fuel delivery resumes. Its nothing fancy.

What the recall reflash and later ECU programming did was close the throttle body near and at the revlimiter which reduces engine load the chances of cracking the piston.

However, that does nothing for normal driving. Driving the vehicle normally will break the piston. ANY visit into boost is dangerous on the vehicle, as it will run 14.7:1 AFR for a long time. Usually until 4000~5000 at WOT will it then go into open loop and run super rich.

The air pump is not the problem. It only turns on at cold start and even then only very briefly.

You'll notice that WRX's do not suffer the same problem when stock (at least, 06, 07 and 08. I dont know about 09 yet) as they already conform to LEV2 standards as delivered in 2006. LEV2 started for all 2007MY SUBARUs (i dont know about all others).

 

So correct me if I am wrong but in Lamens terms

It runa at a leaner AF ratio with every trip into boost thus running hotter resulting in premature wear on the pistons = FAIL

 

Its not so much temp and wear, its the fact that the timing and fuel maps call for x and x at x amount of air, but since the closed loop delay says NO!!!!!!!!!!! run 14.7:1!!!!!!! then there's too much timing for how much air is in there vs the amount of fuel, so you get DETONATION which is like hitting the piston with a hammer. Then the piston breaks.

 

either way, epic fail on the factory tuners' part

 

yup.

 

ive seen the map and its like pouring ice water on red hot metal in various points on the fuel map on high loads area

 

This really sucks. I can't believe that the STI of all cars in the Subaru stable has this problem. I may understand the outback or something but the "Thou shalt always seek the redline" car? Seriously??

Sorry to hear this Biggis. :unamused:

 

That is some lame shit. Either void the warranty and save your pistons (SS Tune), or end up in the shop once a year for a complete tear down. Although you could always reflash for warranty work it is still completely unacceptable!

 

I'm completely just down in the dumps about this whole thing. I'll give SoK a call tomorrow and see if we can work something out. I REALLY should have bitched and moaned until they did a compression test. hindsight is 20/20.

 

I'm really sorry bro I feel you. I have tried to log onto my . Subaru. . Com but have to wait for my vin to be verified before I can check on recalls for mine... I would sure hope that mine would have been checked before I took delivery because if not I will be very upset with SOK ...still waiting to do all my reviews bcause things can still come up and I want to give the clearest picture I can

 

The LGT, OBXT experience this too. FXT and Baja and 06+ WRX less so for some reason. I've seen a many of LGT/OBXT with broken pistons that were covered no problem due to it being stock, driven by old people and they had all work done at the dealer.

This mainstream advertising is BULLSHIT especially when SUBARU does not stand behind their product when it breaks under the advertised driving conditions.

This was NOT an issue at all with the 05~06 STi.

I am 100% positive that if they had spent an extra $1,000,000 on R&D for emissions/reliability tuning they would not be paying, best case ~$1500 per car repair to worst case $7000 per car for warranty repairs.

Same goes to the headgaskets on all the SOHC 2.5 NA cars. An extra $10 per car would save them from paying for a headgasket job (~$1000 per car) under warranty on 1 out of 10 sold.

I wont even go there on the wheel bearings....

 

.......never buying another subaru.

 

jut dont get an 08~09 STi and you'll be fine.


Again, i've said this from the beginning!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks. Oh so helpful.

 

Funny thing is a lot of the ones I have logged have this issue...not just 08+ or the 32 bit. I watched on stock tuning with the wrx when in 5th on the highway it would get up to 7-8 psi of boost and still in CL and trying to run 14.7. Deborah's LGT does the same thing. It's kind of crazy. Thankfully I can take care of it with a quick easy reflash

Oh yeah...and btw seen some OTS tunes that retained this as well....just not good in my opinion. Easier as you don't have to have half the map tuned because it is always in closed loop, but bad on blowing engines!

 

^I did say others have same issue. All SUBARUs have CL/OL delays. 07+ STi is the WORST.

Others are less.

04~06 STi is the least out of all of them.

 

I know one thing warranty or not, I would be hauling my ass to a tuner ASAP. I don't knowwhat is worse: haggling over warranty work, or waiting the however many weeks for a rebuild if they cover it, either way if a couple of hours with SS would help avoid the ultra-heaping of BS. I would be there!
Oh and there is always trading it in for an Evo 9 or 10..........
I will definitely buy a Suby as a daily driver most of their models are great reliable DD's, but performance wise bang for the buck reliability not so much anymore....

 

There is no 'would help', it FIXES the problem.

 

http://www.iwsti.com/forums/gr-gene...-engine-control-module-ecm-reprogramming.html

This is a post over at IWSTI about the reflash that should have been done to all 08 STI's. It has a PDF of the recall notice at the top of the page.

Edit: BTW, even Cobb said to get this recall done. They said to un-marry the AP if you had one or get it done before you put in an AP.

 

I'm familiar with it.

It does nothing to fix the REAL problem with the tune.

 

+1 for WJM... factory reflashes do NOT fix the ECU problems. Pro-Tune FIXES the ECU problems.

If you get your car tuned right after you buy it and still blow the motor, it will most likely be due to user error.

Of course, I'm perplexed that 2 years after I bought an 07 STi... NOW everyone is flipping the fuck out over subaru's inept ECU management?

 

I knew you were. I just wanted it to be posted in here as well.

When I have time and money(mainly money), I will go to SS and get a custom tune for my otherwise stock car(aka Stage 1). I will do it not out of concern, but wanting just a little extra power.

 

Took a bit for people to really figure out the issue...once I looked at the maps I knew the problem. With some other input from respectable tuners (you know who you are) and a few ideas on my part, I have a reflash for it that keeps it 'somewhat legally' stock and well within warranty.

 

Oh I know, just throwing in my experience with them and clarifying that this can and does happen on 02-05 wrx and Sti as well as other turbo Subarus. CL/OL delay is just ugly on these cars stock!

 

Wow, that is really unfortunate. Good luck getting your car to run correctly.

 

and how far must I go to get this...



I called SOK and was told that I needed the reflash...when i got there and the car was hooked up...it had already been flashed but not documented by another dealership

 

Will(WJM) is in Jacksonville at Subaru of Jacksonville.









Unless he moved...again.

 

WJM mentioned Doug and SS earlier in this post so they may have what you need, just assuming anyway.