IT has ti to with synthetic motor oils more than anything else.
My daughter's 2017 Subaru Forester Pzev (Pzev ia a high mileage economical engine) but it still has sufficient power to get on the freeway so as a driver you are happy enough to drive it). And you probably cannot find a better reasonably priced All Wheel Drive on the market anywhere. And when it comes to snow it blows everything else off the road. So, if you live somewhere like Portland, Oregon or Seattle Washington or Mt. Shasta it's the car you want that is both reasonably priced AND will get you through almost any snow storm with the road plowed or not when large 4 wheel drives have broken down in the snow from a loss of traction on ice. Part of this is you can feather the throttle if you have an automatic all wheel drive but the all wheel drive is the best design I have ever seen on a reasonably priced All wheel drive anywhere.
So, this is the problem with the oil seals on this particular model of PZEV engine built in 2017 for their Subaru Forester. Other Subarus might have this problem too caused by not changing your synthetic oil soon enough.
What I have also learned is ALWAYS change your Synthetic Oil every 3 months and if you want your Subaru engine to last forever basically always change your transmission oil every 6 months. These two things as well as taking time to warm up the engine before you start driving it will make your Subaru last almost forever for you.
So, how do you fix this problem (It cost us $3600 to fix this problem at a dealers).
Now to make matter worse for me this isn't even my car but my daughter's car that I kept for her in the U.S. because she has been living out of the country in Europe with her husband and child for a couple of years now.
We just visited them there in October this year by the way for 3 weeks in Europe and we might go back next year too if we are lucky enough to do that.
But, if you try to change the Oil Seals and Oil Gaskets yourself you need an engine hoist which is why having a dealership or someone with an engine hoist might be important. The engine hoists I used in the 1950s through 1995 when I got married this last time looked like three metal posts in a tripod and you then usually remove the hood of the car because the hoist goes above the hood and from it you either have a mechanical hoist to lift the engine out of the car. However, dealerships might have another device to lift an engine at an angle without removing the hood of the car. I don't know I haven't seen it done.
So, I asked the question to an AI and this is what it said: Basically, you do need to remove some things to change the spark plugs but with special sockets and a swivel on your socket handle you can remove and replace your spark plugs without removing the whole engine. This is how it's done:
- Preparation: Disconnect the battery, remove the engine cover, and often the air intake assembly to clear space.
- Coil Pack Removal: Unbolt the ignition coil pack (typically 10mm or 12mm bolt) and disconnect the electrical connector.
- Maneuvering: Twist and angle the coil pack to clear the frame rail; it won't always pull straight out.
- Spark Plug Extraction: Use a long extension, potentially with a universal joint (knuckle), to reach the plug.
- The "Tight" Side (Driver's):
- Remove the ECM (Engine Control Module) or move it aside for crucial room.
- Use angled tools to get around obstructions.
- Be careful not to let the extension/socket come apart inside the plug well.
- The "Easier" Side (Passenger's):
- Removing the intake often provides ample access.
- Coil packs and plugs are generally easier to reach and remove.
- Design: Subaru boxer engines have cylinders horizontally opposed, placing plugs deep in the "V" of the engine.
- Specialized Tools: Dealerships use tools designed for these tight spots, making full engine removal unnecessary and overly costly for just plugs.
- Cost Savings: Technicians avoid the significant labor of removing the entire engine, which can save the customer money despite the job being intricate.
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