sounds like a subaru

[badintentions]

hi all i have my ca running decent it builds boost and starts every time but a few problems first off very low torque and second it sound like a subaru im thinkig bad valves probabley exaust and its burning oil with out any consumption there are no ecu codes i think the oil is from the turbo no big deal i can deal with that but i thought these engines had some balls im just looking for an opinion from some one smart i need a ca doc

[mmm240]

I'm no CA doc, but if it sounds like a subaru I'm guessing you have a misfire.

[ca18detgabby]

it sounds like a suby? care to elaborate just a bit more.

this is a 1.8L with a low compression and a small turbo.......... it isnt balls to the wall on the low end. then agian most turbo cars arent.

burning oil is not a good thing. If your having turbo issues..... you are going to have trouble making power. This isnt something that just goes away if you ignore it either.

Ps my CA has some balls....... maybe you dont know how to drive it?

[rico05]

Haha Gabby I was waiting for you to call coil.

Actually, any time that my car has sounded like that it was from a dead cylinder which was from....drumroll...a bad coil.

[boost_boy]

hi all i have my ca running decent it builds boost and starts every time but a few problems first off very low torque and second it sound like a subaru im thinkig bad valves probabley exaust and its burning oil with out any consumption there are no ecu codes i think the oil is from the turbo no big deal i can deal with that but i thought these engines had some balls im just looking for an opinion from some one smart i need a ca doc

These engines have balls, but yours have bad ignition components which will make your bucket feel ball-less. Suspect your igniter to be at fault and if that's not it, like others have mentioned, look at a coil issue or maybe even an injector issue. Just too may possibilities and that's why I urge people to do your homework before investing in a motor. You really want to learn about it's likes and dislikes before getting into a headache-based project.

Dee

[rico05]

Quick note: Ground your ignitor well. When we went to fire up my reswap, it would barely kickover and would not run. I remounted the ignitor and it ran. Now, it runs better than it has. Ever. In 4 years.

[athomas08]

i had this same problem, it is definitely a coil pack problem. Check the coils and make sure they are all working properly. Also check for air leaks in the intake system and pull the plugs and check for abnormal wear!

[VILLEN32]

that guys right/ check ur ingition system, my SRT4 had the same sound one day, later on to find out it was the coil pack, it was an aftermarket MSD one so i replaced it and it happened again within a year so i went back to stock and never had that problem again. Sometimes OEM $hit is better than quality after market stuff

[bentvalves]

^ so true people will never realize that though.

until they run into a problem like that that basically spells out - "stock **** aint so bad after all"

[meminto]

A coilpack not functioning correctly, or a misaligned/disconnected injector plug will cause the "wrx" sound...

Coilpacks can develop a fracture along the spine at the rear of the coil pack causing spark to ground, this is primarily due to age+heat..

I have never heard a of a vacuum leak being the root cause of this particular sound.

[Dattebayo]

I've had issues with a stuck PCV causing this sound as well

[badintentions]

its in cylinder one when i discount the injector nothing happens but if i disconnect the coil it just shuts off if i disconnect any other coil it spits sputters and and well tells me the coil is good but cylinder one i i unplug it it just shuts down the lug is fuel soaked but if i pull the plug and turn it over it sparks i have tried switching coils compression is good valve clearance is good timing is good i mean this thing has no torque at all i brought it to the track thinking maybe its in my head and ran a 17.6 so something is up i have no torque great mid then and nothing at all on top fixed the turbo bad oil seal no more smoke some other oddities my tach no longer works and i have no rev limiter bad ecu ? maybe Im lost here this car has been giving me so many probablems

[ca18detgabby]

swap coils with another cyclindar. if cyclindar 1 works and say cyclindar 3 now doesnt...... it is the coil. if conditions stay in 1 then it is either plug or harness related.

cyclindar 1 not firing means you are having the power of only 3 cyclindars.

figure 180WHP over 4 GOOD STOCK cyclindars....... if you only are running 3 of the 4 that is 45HP you are flushing down the toilet. this now means that it takes longer to spoil the turbo too, because you arent creating as much exhaust gases.

[badintentions]

i have switch the coil but i haven't checked the harness but i am getting spark i can pull the plug and check it and im getting fuel its just not all coming to gether its just weid my tach stopped working i know on my sr that is where the comp gets it tach reading

[RS12Turbo]

I found out yesterday that moisture on the coil pack connectors will cause the suby sound/ misfire......I had washed my engine bay with the coil pack cover on, drove it to work and back home....no probs. Cranked it up this morning, and right away it sounded like a suby. I took the coil pack cover off, and the underside was dripping wet with condensation, along with the coil pack connectors/ coils. I unplugged each one and hit them with a shot of that "air in a can" stuff to dry them off. Plugged them back in, cranked it up, and it was back to smooth purring again. Maybe you have a dirty connection or something...who knows....I never thought a little moisture would cause issues like that.