Is it a water pump? Blockage? Radiator? (2002 Subaru WRX)

[Vicarious_Lee]

Radiator fluid is disappearing at a higher rate and I'm now getting a P0301 "cylinder 1 misfire" CEL code.

[KJ4VOV]

Radiator fluid is disappearing at a higher rate and I'm now getting a P0301 "cylinder 1 misfire" CEL code.

(Cue the eerie and ominous background music)

That's not good...

[williaty]

Radiator fluid is disappearing at a higher rate and I'm now getting a P0301 "cylinder 1 misfire" CEL code.

(Cue the eerie and ominous background music)

That's not good...

This.



Errr... wait... this is ZS, not a car forum... let's see if I can get this right on my first try ever:

Indubitably, my good Sir or Madam!




How'd I do?

[KJ4VOV]

How'd I do?

Unfortunately, you did quite well. Wish you didn't have to though... I'm sure Lee would have been more than happy to see this thread fade off into obscurity because the problem was solved.

[Braxton]

Head Gasket?

[crypto]

We established it was a bad head gasket on page one, didnt we?

[williaty]

We established it was a bad head gasket on page one, didnt we?

Yup.

[Vicarious_Lee]

We established it was a bad head gasket on page one, didnt we?

Yup.

Over the Internet. For free.

Meanwhile at the dealership, I'm at $421 bucks gone, it's getting worse, and the only thing they did was replace a thermostat that I took out and replaced 3 days before in my garage.

Oh well, we'll see. I know it needs a new radiator, and the timing belt/water pump are past changing. Maybe I'll just do all that, end up with a fresh motor, and find a VF-39, STi pinks, intake hose, will's TGV deletes, a Godspeed TMIC, and tune for the win?

Will, looks like you're spot-on, but the verdict is still out (technically).

STi timing belt upgrade, what say you, good man?

[KJ4VOV]

We established it was a bad head gasket on page one, didnt we?

Yup.

Over the Internet. For free.

Meanwhile at the dealership, I'm at $421 bucks gone, it's getting worse, and the only thing they did was replace a thermostat that I took out and replaced 3 days before in my garage.

Oh well, we'll see. I know it needs a new radiator, and the timing belt/water pump are past changing. Maybe I'll just do all that, end up with a fresh motor, and find a VF-39, STi pinks, intake hose, will's TGV deletes, a Godspeed TMIC, and tune for the win?

Will, looks like you're spot-on, but the verdict is still out (technically).

STi timing belt upgrade, what say you, good man?

Perhaps, in addition to your offer of paying for Will's ZS membership, you should get your mechanic at the dealership a ZS membership too?

[crypto]

I say you should stop fucking with it.

Your computer is broken
Your AR-15 is broken
Your WRX is broken


Just get one of them reliable.

[Vicarious_Lee]

Perhaps, in addition to your offer of paying for Will's ZS membership, you should get your mechanic at the dealership a ZS membership too?

The mechanic at the dealership hasn't done anything but waste time and money.

I say you should stop fucking with it.

Your computer is broken
Your AR-15 is broken
Your WRX is broken


Just get one of them reliable.

Good point. This has been a shitty few weeks for keeping things in order. I've been told that I attract incredibly unique and bizarre problems everywhere I go, but honestly when shit crashes and burns like this, it's hard not to consider that maybe I'm just the most successful fucktard in history.

[williaty]

Meanwhile at the dealership, I'm at $421 bucks gone, it's getting worse, and the only thing they did was replace a thermostat that I took out and replaced 3 days before in my garage.

Good god, I wish I could charge that kind of money for a t-stat replacement!

Oh well, we'll see. I know it needs a new radiator, and the timing belt/water pump are past changing. Maybe I'll just do all that, end up with a fresh motor, and find a VF-39, STi pinks, intake hose, will's TGV deletes, a Godspeed TMIC, and tune for the win?

Problematic radiator can definitely cause you to lose coolant. However, that can't cause you to have the misfire code you're getting. So replacing the radiator could fix some of your symptoms but not all of them.

As far as the mods you have listed, none of them will provide the least bit of help if, as I've been suspecting all along, there's a headgasket leak. The fact that you're getting a misfire code now supports the idea that it's a headgasket leak. Injecting coolant into the cylinder can foul combustion. Similarly, letting compression escape can foul combustion.

STi timing belt upgrade, what say you, good man?

STI timing belt is a ripoff. The Gates Racing (blue) belt is a good upgrade, however.

Perhaps, in addition to your offer of paying for Will's ZS membership, you should get your mechanic at the dealership a ZS membership too?

I am strangely yet membershipless.

I say you should stop fucking with it.

Your computer is broken
Your AR-15 is broken
Your WRX is broken


Just get one of them reliable.

Restore AR, use it to permanently "fix" WRX.

[Vicarious_Lee]

Thanks. That would make sense now. I'm not sure what else to do. I don't really see these guys as particularly bright, useful, or dedicated, but if it's a HG I'm not sure where else to take it. At least half the mechanics drive bugeye WRXes themselves.

I wasn't thinking of any of those mods fixing anything. I was thinking "Well, if this engine's gonna need to be pulled, may was well do some upgrades while I'm at it."

I won't be able to get a Gates Racing belt shipped in time, so I'll just go with the standard one if thats the case.

The AR runs fine now, actually. It just won't cycle Tula and has some trouble with a batch of TAP 75gr primers. Otherwise it eats whatever.

That said, if I can't get Roxy reliable again I'm going to have to get rid of her. I can't have a car that's not deadbolt reliable at this point in my life.

[TXwaterdog]

I've wanted a WRX for so long. Glad I've always decided to get something else. They're hella fun to drive but I understand they are hella hard to fix as well. Good luck on your repair. I suggest starting a post on a WRX forum. There's tons of gearheads out there, I think of myself as one but I'm not going to speculate what your issue is because I'm not familiar with your engine, turbos and haven't read the full thread. Good Luck, I like the idea of fixing the AR to fix the WRX.

[KJ4VOV]

Perhaps, in addition to your offer of paying for Will's ZS membership, you should get your mechanic at the dealership a ZS membership too?

The mechanic at the dealership hasn't done anything but waste time and money.

Yes, but if he were a member here he'd at least get good advice he could use.

[KJ4VOV]

I say you should stop fucking with it.

Your computer is broken
Your AR-15 is broken
Your WRX is broken


Just get one of them reliable.

Restore AR, use it to permanently "fix" WRX.

(Check local laws first...)

True story: About 25 years ago, on the editorial page of the NY Daily News, I read about a guy living on Long Island who was having trouble with his lawnmower. After several hours of sheer frustration with it he went into his house and came back out with a 9mm and put a double-tap through the carb. Neighbors, naturally, called the cops and he was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm within city limits. And the NY Daily News' Editorial Comment on this? "Next time, beat it to death with a blunt instrument."

[Vicarious_Lee]

Perhaps, in addition to your offer of paying for Will's ZS membership, you should get your mechanic at the dealership a ZS membership too?

The mechanic at the dealership hasn't done anything but waste time and money.

Yes, but if he were a member here he'd at least get good advice he could use.

Is ZS just that awesome, or does most everyone actually suck shit at their jobs?

Little of both, mostly the latter I fear.

[williaty]

That said, if I can't get Roxy reliable again I'm going to have to get rid of her. I can't have a car that's not deadbolt reliable at this point in my life.

You've had one serious problem in 10 years with that car. That counts as pretty reliable, honestly. The other absolute surety is that you're not going to find an (good) AWD car, with as high of a safety rating, that's more reliable.

I've wanted a WRX for so long. Glad I've always decided to get something else. They're hella fun to drive but I understand they are hella hard to fix as well. Good luck on your repair. I suggest starting a post on a WRX forum. There's tons of gearheads out there, I think of myself as one but I'm not going to speculate what your issue is because I'm not familiar with your engine, turbos and haven't read the full thread. Good Luck, I like the idea of fixing the AR to fix the WRX.

They're not that hard exactly, it's more that they're very different compared to other import vehicles. They're pretty good to work on, other than spark plugs, really, but the things you learned working on Hondas, Toyotas, GMs, and Fords won't help you at all on a Subaru.

Posting on an Impreza forum would probably get him less help than he got here.

[Vicarious_Lee]

You're exactly right, will. I've been a member of Cobb Forums longer than I've owned a WRX (9 years), and I'm just way out of the scene these days.

Thanks for putting it into perspective. Other than this I haven't had any problems with the car (besides washer fluid leak), and I still love the way it drives.

ETA: That said, my family is pretty spoiled on reliability. An engine you have to crack before 250,000 miles doesn't cut it. We run 3rd generation Nissan Maxima VG-30s and Buick 3800 V6es into the ground.

My dad's got 366,000 miles on his Buick 3800, and he hasn't opened it once. Now, everything else about that car is a steaming pile of shit and it's had like, 4 transmissions, but the motor is awesome.

[williaty]

You're exactly right, will. I've been a member of Cobb Forums longer than I've owned a WRX (9 years), and I'm just way out of the scene these days.

Thanks for putting it into perspective. Other than this I haven't had any problems with the car (besides washer fluid leak), and I still love the way it drives.

ETA: That said, my family is pretty spoiled on reliability. An engine you have to crack before 250,000 miles doesn't cut it. We run 3rd generation Nissan Maxima VG-30s and Buick 3800 V6es into the ground.

My dad's got 366,000 miles on his Buick 3800, and he hasn't opened it once. Now, everything else about that car is a steaming pile of shit and it's had like, 4 transmissions, but the motor is awesome.

So you basically just have to pick your issues. NO car will predictably run 300,000mi without any issues. Some are going to have rust, some are going to blow trannies, some are going to spin bearings, some are going to need headgaskets. The car you picked is generally reliable, so long as you don't abuse it (which most WRX owners do abuse it). Your only guaranteed thing you're going to have to do is headgaskets every 150k miles or so. They may spin a bearing, just in the 2.0L models and they may eat up a turbo.

Compare that to other safe AWD compact and midsize cars like the newer Volvos, Audis, BMWs, etc, and you'll realize how incredibly good Subarus can be if you take care of them.

[Vicarious_Lee]

Today, they say leaking GP moto upper radiator hose and bad clamp. They're screwing with the coils trying to reproduce the misfire that isn't apparent now. They said the spark plugs all looked fine. I replaced them 20,000 miles ago.

Eh. I'll just be patient.

[KJ4VOV]

Today, they say leaking GP moto upper radiator hose and bad clamp. They're screwing with the coils trying to reproduce the misfire that isn't apparent now. They said the spark plugs all looked fine. I replaced them 20,000 miles ago.

Eh. I'll just be patient.

The coils aren't the only thing they're screwing with...

[williaty]

Why do I think they're about to bill $400 for checking the turbo encabulator?

[KJ4VOV]

Why do I think they're about to bill $400 for checking the turbo encabulator?

That's cheap for checking an encabulator, unless it's a Mk 1 check. If you have to get out the ecabulation frangdibulation meter though... it can easily triple the cost.