"Jules" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:16:08 -0500, JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

My ex's 1999 Subaru Legacy (4 cyl, 126K miles) began making some nasty
noises in the motor a week ago. She drove it 2 blocks and it's been
sitting
in the driveway ever since, while she ponders what to do. Except for
warranty work, It's been maintained by one very competent mechanic
throughout its life.

What are the oil and coolant levels like? Any oil in the coolant expansion
tank?

All sorts of things can make "nasty noises" - are we talking knocking,
scraping, high-pitched squeal, something else?

At the bad end of the scale, valves hitting pistons due to worn timing
gear (although I'm not sure if the Legacy's engine is an interference
design where that could happen), or a major bearing fault. At the other
end of the scale, I had a locking tab break on a cam gear in an engine
once which made a heck of a noise, but it was maybe a $1 part and a ten
minute fix.

He's hesitant to mess with it because he says that evaluation could
require major engine disassembly which could cost so much that no sane
owner would want to even go that far just to find out that the car is
toast. Car is in otherwise excellent condition.

Can you get a second opinion? Maybe tow it to a garage if you have to so
someone can listen to it (just keep in mind that you're free to tow it to
more than one garage - don't feel obligated to leave it with the first
garage you go to)

Lots of mechanics will be able to narrow it down by ear (and experience).

So, ***if*** we were dealing with a spark plug which was broken due to
incorrect length, wouldn't that have happened almost immediately after
the plugs were installed? Assuming yes, what else are we left with?
Right length, wrong plug (temperature)? Wrong torque? Defective plug?

What makes you think it's related to plugs? Was something changed recently
that you didn't mention in your post?


I thought of plugs because it's the only one of many possible causes I've
read about in the past day. Misleading, but it's all I had in mind at the
moment.