2010 Subaru Outback 3.6R issue

Ds2000

The fi must be higher.
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well my bro in law had an engine flush performed on this wagon with the 3.6 boxer 6. I was unaware he planned this, it's a VVT engine with a network of pressure pipes to operate said "mechanism."
A little while after, the ECM reported a failure, camshaft position timing, over advanced bank 2. The car would not idle, run, anything. He fiddled and got it running, but it's never been right. This was April 15th.
Now it has a pretty nasty tick in the same bank, maybe a knock. Runs, but seems to consume oil, but not by overtly burning in mass quantity. May be related to jammed VVT system.
Anyone here with hints/tips?
 
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First thing would be flushed with what, and for what reason, was the VVT issue there previously?

If it wasn't then maybe it did some damage to the VVT solenoids, (I'm assuming it has VVT solenoids, not familiar with Subaru)
 
It was one of those "engine flush" services often pushed at oil service centers. Normally he wouldn't fall for such a pitch. I am also not familiar with their VVT, maybe I'll dig a little.
 
Damn...another engine messed up by flushing. I can't tell you how many times I've heard of someone having their Honda transmissions "flushed," and then had them fail. Flushing sometimes involves using chemical "cleaners" (solvents) that end up remaining in the engine or transmission, and break things down. It's said the only ones who benefit from the flush are the shops that do the flushes.

But the deed is done. Time to fix it! :)

That almost sounds like a crankshaft position sensor went bad. Honda's VTEC system likely operates similar (they used a solenoid to actuate it, and it relies on other sensors all working properly), and oftentimes the issues are electrical and not mechanical. (Although the gasket on the VTEC solenoid can cause some nasty oil leaks.)

It also could have been a wild coincidence. It does happen. Yet having the oil (and any "gunk") dislodged during that flush certainly could have fouled anything along the paths the oil takes throughout the system. I have read of some owners using Seafoam, or Marvel Mystery Oil, in the crankcase to help clean things out and also loosen up the caked oil rings on the pistons. My only wild guess is to remove any external oil lines to see if they are plugged, check the VVT solenoid(s) to see if they are not plugged, and/or to check if there are any screens that could be cleaned.

Search for a factory service manual from a Subaru forum (as some members post them to share), or use the Googles. (Just be certain it's not from a dodgy download site.) Or you can sometimes buy unofficial copies of them as PDFs on eBay inexpensively.
 
Thanks man. It's time to do a little pulling and inspecting. At 130k it's time to do a few other things anyway.
 
He sent it to Missouri, where his brother will fix and use it. Feh. I am gonna buy a ‘97 Lexus LX-450 with the lockers and the indestructible 4.5l I-6.
 
YouTube.....the make and model....+ engine flush

You'll find a camera jockey that had the same problem and fixed it himself.

To everyone else.....don't flush anything but a toilet !
 
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