Headturning knocking when cold

4050 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by UhOh, Nov 29, 2018

Forester001

Discussion Starter · Nov 28, 2018

Hi everyone.
Ive read a bit about piston slap problems on other threads. But I'm still not convinced. The garage where I bought the car sold it to me warm, and then claimed that all Subarus sounds like that... (has been for a year now)

Anyway, I got a very loud knocking noise that follows the RPM. Anything other then a warm summer morning makes it knock really badly (a hard kind of noise). Keeps on knocking for maybe 5-10 min. When its warm it all goes away and it runs fine. It also has some random engine vibrations when idling (not only when cold). Its clearly from the engine, it sings out of tune and the whole car vibrates for a second or two until it falls in line again. Almost like it fails to ignite a cylinder or two at random times. Not very often, but it happens...

I wouldn't care so much expect that its so loud that people turn heads when I drive by. As a Land Rover guy (got 3 of them at the moment) I'm used to old diesels and it just hurts my heart (and ears) every time I hear the Subaru on a cold morning.

Is this really how they are supposed to be? Its a quite low milage car. Nice condition and so on.

Subaru forester 2.0TD XT 2010, 60000 km 3700 miles, Manual, electric start button unfortunately

Thanks for any ideas and inputs.
:grin2:

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ForesterCub

· #2 · Nov 28, 2018 (Edited)

Welcome!

Would be a BIG help for you if you filled out your profile more fully - you will probabvly get more bites to your questions.

I take it you're in Australia / the UK? They don't have diesel Foresters in the USA.

Good luck with your query.

I would recoimmend having an oil analysis done.

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Kevin

· #3 · Nov 28, 2018

^ definitely Europe, even though Subie diesels (& Land Rovers) are sold elsewhere.

G'Day & Welcome aboard @Forester001

Most of the piston slap discussed here is about the petrol fueled engines but from what you are saying your diesel certainly seems to have an issue. My Mitsubishi Triton (L200) sounds like a bucket of bolts when cold but settles down when warm.

As mentioned above:

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ForesterCub

· #4 · Nov 28, 2018

I'm thinking more likely Australia as they got the turbo diesel and I'm pretty sure the UK and Europe only got the normally aspirated diesel.

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Kevin

· #5 · Nov 28, 2018

While different Euro spec may have different turbos for the EE20 I believe they are all turbo charged.

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Forester001

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 29, 2018

Ohh, didn't know this was mainly a US forum, But that would explain the petrol focus

Its a Swiss car, so Switzerland. And old LR Defender are dime a dozen here...

Anyway its clearly not a Turbo issue. But I stand to be corrected. And Its a Subaru Forester 2.0D XS Limited. Not a 2.0TD. Sorry.. my bad.

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Kevin

· #7 · Nov 29, 2018

Forester001 said:
And old LR Defender are dime a dozen here...

and you need 3 to keep one running - correct? I used to have a Range Rover. :grin2:

Forester001 said:
Anyway its clearly not a Turbo issue. But I stand to be corrected. And Its a Subaru Forester 2.0D XS Limited. Not a 2.0TD. Sorry.. my bad.

Everything I've read indicates that it does have a turbo so I am puzzled! Does it have a bonnet vent and is there an intercooler under that vent?

I think they were all specified as 2.0D or EE20 and never "TD". But I've been known to be wrong before - maybe once >

Sorry for the questions but just trying to establish that we have the right setup.

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UhOh

· #8 · Nov 29, 2018

Forester001 said:
Anything other then a warm summer morning makes it knock really badly (a hard kind of noise). Keeps on knocking for maybe 5-10 min. When its warm it all goes away and it runs fine.

A work around - while you're figuring it out, let your car idle for 5 min before driving it. I do that with my gasoline powered '99 (*) and even shift from P to N after 4 seconds of running - this rapid shift slows down the cold idle rpm on my car. Then let it idle/warm up at low rpm.

(*) am original owner and have done this since forever, am now at 360,000 km. My car has a cold knock for the first few minutes and this has addressed it fine for as long as I can recall.

Luck

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