taysubaru

It's definitely coolant, not oil. What's strange is I had a failed turbo where the shaft had cracked, and there was some coolant being burned. This made sense to me, coolant and oil were leaking into the exhaust. Now I replaced with a new turbo, and honestly it seems to be burning even MORE coolant... which makes 0 sense. Unless the turbo castings were defective, how else is this possible? The only other potential is that my head gasket failed, but my car idles fine, and the coolant burn only really occurs while under boost (and it's intermittent), which doesn't line up with head gaskets. Also, what are the odds both head gaskets and turbo failed on the same day?? Honestly I am at such a loss as to what's going on. Reached out to turbo manufacturer to see if they've ever have failures in the coolant castings, but outside of that I'm not sure where to go next. Thanks for the insights...

Hi, I replaced the turbo on my 05LGT, car drives fine and the boost is working, however the car seems to be burning coolant intermittently. When I put more load on the car, white smoke comes up, but when I start it, idle it, or even drive with low rpm no issue. To me this suggest it's not a head gasket. Maybe a faulty turbo from the factory? Cannot think of another reason the car would be acting this way. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks - this makes more sense. Definitely tricky. The hardest part is that once the turbo is close to going in, you can't see it (just feel it), so you don't know it's lined up perfectly and not just kinked. I tried pulling the air inlet back, but it was hard to get enough clearance to not tear the rubber. I am debating fully removing more of the air inlet, which would not only avoid any tear to the rubber (as you could install the inlet back on once the turbo is set), but also you can see through the hole created by the inlet removal to confirm the oil hose connection is solid. Seems like this removal is non-trivial, but saves me putting the whole thing back together just to discover the turbo is free draining oil from my missed connection! Any thoughts? Not worth the effort?

Hi, thanks for your response. What do you mean by "drain spout"? Are you referring to the oil outlet pipe, or the oil outlet hose? The outlet pipe came installed on my new turbo, and I re-used the oil outlet hose from the old turbo on the new install. Thanks! T

Hi - thanks for responding. I am confused, how does bolting the turbo on the up pipe help you drop in the turbo blind and connect the oil hose?

Hi All, Seems to be a common issue, but I am currently installing the VF46 turbo on my 2005 Subaru LGT, and I am having a very difficult time lining up the oil drain line on the bottom of the turbo. Obviously this is complicated by having to also line up the turbo air intake hose (as the soft rubber is prone to tearing), but it seems like such a bad design to have to install this part totally blind. I thought it was in, put the car back together, only to have oil pour out when I started. Back to the drawing board, and a lot of rework, with no guarantees it will be any easier! Does anyone have any tips for how to improve this step? I am considering removing the entire turbo air inlet line so that I can look through the hole and see the oil line actually line up with the drain...this seems extreme, but I don't know what else to do! Thanks in advance for any advice! T

Ok thanks, so I can just keep/reuse the previous VF40 boost pill and I'm all set for the swap?

Hi, I'm looking for a used OEM VF40 Turbo, to install on a 2005 Subaru LGT. I am located in Canada (but we can discuss a shipping arrangement). Let me know if you have any leads. Thanks!

Thank you so much! I realize I was confused by the water pipe terminology - these are of course the coolant lines! My guess is that the water pipes are sold separately as the OEM ones can often be reused. That said, from experience, would you suggest I order these new parts in addition to the new turbo? I hate wasting money, but if these parts are likely worn/rusted/damaged, doesn't hurt to buy new! First time replacing the turbo, so I've got lots to learn...

Question regarding the installation of an after market VF40 turbo replacement: I have the option of ordering new water pipes & bolts for the turbo coolant system separately. My guess is that the water pipes are sold separately as the OEM ones can often be reused. That said, from experience, would you suggest I order these new parts in addition to the turbo?

Looking at installing a new aftermarket VF40 turbo from JM Turbo Technology. This came recommended from a local Subaru shop in Toronto, Canada. A couple of quick questions: - Is anyone familiar with this product? Any advice? - There is a turbo water line kit available as an add-on. Would you recommend I get this? Not familiar with a water line on the OEM unit... - Any tips for after market turbo installations or things to watch out for? Thanks! T

Hi, I'm looking for a used OEM VF40 Turbo, to install on a 2005 Subaru LGT. I am located in Canada (but we can discuss a shipping arrangement). Let me know if you have any leads. Thanks!

Appreciate the clarification. That's exactly what I plan to do. Sell as a project, or keep for my own project with additional diagnosis and a turbo!

I appreciate the sentiment, I'm just saying while I appreciate the statistics, that doesn't corelate to actual advice for my particular situation. I need to make a decision on a car sitting in my driveway. To summarize - if you were in my shoes, you would send the car to the scrap yard, or put in a brand new motor?

I appreciate where you're coming from, but let's get the facts straight (for the record). The turbo started making a rattle sound just last week (not a whine), and upon inspection it sounds like turbine blade damage on the hot side of the turbo. The P0011/P0021 code came on earlier this week, and I stopped driving it. I drained the oil, and there was no obvious metal or sediment in the oil, giving me hope that the damage was minimal. The car now seems to run better with the new oil, and I wonder if I drained out any sort of clog. The car without boost is lame, so I figure I put a second hand turbo in (for a reasonable price), and see if the car works again. At that point, I will either keep driving for an bit longer, or sell the car for a very reasonable price (I'm not trying to scam someone). There is no evidence at this point that I need to replace the full motor, nor is there any economics supporting that decision. I also don't think the car should be sent to the scrap yard. Now, I also wish to respect the integrity of this forum. Therefore, I would appreciate your advice on what you would do in this same situation? Rather than jumping on my post with incorrect information and calling me "that guy", maybe you could actually help me out.

Hi All, Like many before me, I've blown the VF40 turbo on my 2005 LGT. I have tracked down a used VF46 Turbo (80,000 miles), and hope to drop it in to get the Subaru back on the road soon. I understand that these turbos are essentially interchangeable. At this point, I am looking for advice on the swap over process, and I am hoping you can help! Here are my main questions: 1 - My goal is to swap in the VF46 without doing a tune. From what I have read the max boost on these stock turbos is 13.5 PSI, therefore the swap over is low risk to a compression failure. Please let me know if I have missed something. 2 - Is 80,000 miles a concern for the VF46 turbo? What is the average lifespan (assuming maintained properly) 3 - Is swapping these turbos without a tune a feasible option? 4 - I have read on the forum that I should keep the VF40 actuator. I have also read that this may not be required. Can anyone comment on this? 5 - I have read on the forum that I should keep the VF40 boost pill. I have also read that with the VF40 boost pill, I don't need to keep the VF40 actuator. Some clarity here would be really appreciated. 6 - Any general tips for the swap out process? In particular, finicky parts, challenging steps, or particularly useful tools? 7 - If anyone has a good video guide, blog post, or forum post walking through this process they would recommend, I would really appreciate it. Thanks to all for your insight, guidance, and perspective - it means a lot. Best, T

Thanks for this - good food for thought. Question on this - the car is in great shape aside from the turbo... 2005 LGTs in Toronto are going for C$3K - C$7K (US$2K-$5K) Some have more miles on them, but also some are the 5 speed manual which may be more valuable. I'd say if I did the turbo, I could list it competitively at C$4,500 If I decided not to do the turbo, and make it someone else's problem, what is a reasonable price to list it for? Based on the cost of the part and service, knocking off C$1000-C$1500 would seem reasonable, but I'm worried someone won't buy a "broken" car for more than like C$500... I know this answer is variable, but I've never sold a car. Curious what people's experience has been with pricing, especially in a similar scenario. Thanks! Taylor

Flushed the oil and no sign of metal pieces, went through the oil with a magnet. However, just before doing the oil change, the car had the CEL come on, and the P0011 and P0021 error codes come up. Any idea if these issues are related? What would you suggest I do next?

Hi All, Unfortunately the turbo on my '05 LGT has failed. There seems to be turbine blades rattling in the exhaust side of the turbo and no boost. The car has 194K on it. The banjo bolts don't seem clogged and oil levels are fine. It randomly failed going uphill in cruise control at 110km/hr... puzzling. I wanted to ask and see if anyone has any personal experience or advice on turbo replacements or rebuilds? I'm just looking to get an "in-kind" fix, so I can sell the car working as it should (i.e. no need to upsize). I recognize there are turbo wikis on the website, but I'm hoping to find someone with experience going through this process. My main questions: - Is it easy to find the part and replace the turbo? - Is there a particular brand or website I should look at? - How much (~) would this cost? - Would this repair be worthwhile at this point (considering resale value)? - Is buying a turbo rebuild kit a feasible option? Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it. Tay

Hi All, Unfortunately the turbo on my '05 LGT has failed. There seems to be turbine blades rattling in the exhaust side of the turbo and no boost. The car has 194K on it. The banjo bolts don't seem clogged and oil levels are fine. It randomly failed going uphill in cruise control at 110km/hr... puzzling. I wanted to ask and see if anyone has any personal experience or advice on turbo replacements or rebuilds? I'm just looking to get an "in-kind" fix, so I can sell the car working as it should (i.e. no need to upsize). I recognize there are turbo wikis on the website, but I'm hoping to find someone with experience going through this process. My main questions: - Is it easy to find the part and replace the turbo? - Is there a particular brand or website I should look at? - How much (~) would this cost? - Would this repair be worthwhile at this point (considering resale value)? - Is buying a turbo rebuild kit a feasible option? Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it. Tay

Hi Guys, 2005 LGT, 195kms and no engine mods. Was driving on the highway today in cruise after 2 hours with no problems, when I heard this metallic rattle coming from the engine. Next thing I noticed that I had lost boost. I took it easy on the car for the final 10kms and shut the car down. On inspection, the car has a periodic rattle coming from the turbo area. No CEL. I'm worried the turbo has blown, although weird to have happened while just driving along the highway? Either way, car has the unhealthy rattle, no boost, and no CEL. Would really appreciate any ideas, advice, or insight on what this may be, and what I should do next. Thanks guys. T

Hi, I had a Subaru dealership complete the TKC-20 recall passenger front airbag work today. Unfortunately, after driving away, I noticed my radio wasn't working properly. The FM channels we're barely picking up, and the AM channels were all white noise. Any idea what the problem is? The dealership said they look at it tomorrow morning (which is a huge pain, but alas). If anyone thinks I can fix this at home tonight, that would be huge! The mechanic on the phone felt something might have been "unplugged and not plugged back in" when they took the dash off. Thanks!

Thanks for the response. I figured unplugging the MAF and noticing the improved idle meant it was likely a sensor issue (rather than a mechanical one), but I am not overly experience with this type of stuff! Would a vacuum line leak produce a unique sound? I did notice what seemed to be a high pitched whine with the bad idle.... As for the CEL code, I am not sure what the error is. Unfortunately I don't have a code reader. I noticed there's a 'DIY code reader' thread for the 2005 Legacy, but haven't given it a shot yet. Not sure how difficult it would be?

Hi All, I have a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT. Today the engine idle became really rough (especially when stopped at a red light, while still in drive). The CEL turned on. I did some rough diagnostics by unplugging various sensors and monitoring the idle, and it seems the MAF sensor is the issue, as the idle improved once I unplugged it. I pulled out the actual MAF sensor and it looks pretty 'gunked up'. It's original, as far as I know. Some questions for the forum: 1) Would you suggest I buy MAF sensor cleaner and see if there's improvement? 2) Instead, should I replace the part? If so, what replacement sensor do you recommend? I've attached a screen grab of the replacement options on Rock Auto. 3) Do you suggest I still have the CEL error code read by an auto shop? Or just proceed with the sensor cleaning/replacement and re-evaluate. Thanks in advance for your advice - it's really appreciated.

Thanks gkinslow. So the Denso OEM (#2349120) is a good bet? I was checking out the Walker (#25054058) as it's a bit cheaper and my friend has done exhaust replacements with their parts before, but I certainly appreciate your advice! Don't want to mess around with a junk O2 sensor.