Legacy Dad Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Hi everyone: I try to avoid newbie nuisance posts but my son has a 2009 Legacy with 70K miles that has just been diagnosed (@ dealer) with no/low compression in #3. I'm finding lots of posts about ringland failures but is this a problem with 2009 MY or was it supposedly fixed earlier? There have been no warning signs till yesterday - just suddenly started running rough, then smoking. The tech said a lot of oil was leaking out the bottom. (I live across the country from him so am not in the direct communication loop) This is a well-maintained business car and not subjected to any high rev/high stress driving. Dealer has yet to offer a diagnosis or quote but I think my son needs to get a 2nd opinion. Any one with advice on a good indy shop in San Diego please let me know. Also, I know there is a ton of info on-line already but if you can chime in with any input on selective warranties, appeals to SOA, or anything else we might want to know, it would be very much appreciated. Also, if these engines are rebuilt properly will this happen again - is it that chronic? Thanks so much, Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BarManBean Posted September 18, 2013 Moderators Share Posted September 18, 2013 Subscribed to see other responses. AFAIK, oil should not be "leaking out the bottom" if the rings are gone. Bad rings will result in oil consumption and blue smoke out the exhaust. If oil is leaking it could be a number of different seals... "Bullet-proof" your OEM TMIC! <<Buy your kit here>> Not currently in stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEE-OTTO Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Running rough and throwing oil out the bottom...hmmm The bottom of our engines arent prone to leaking oil. The big leak areas are the rear main and the valve covers (if you strip the cover bolts when replacing and cannot get a tight seal) In more catastrophic cases a thrown rod can knock a hole in the block. If it is still running rough and leaking oil there is something afoul with the shortblock. Rebuilding that shortblock would be a PITA I would buy a new one, swap heads and live happy. Try to get some better details of the issue(tech notes, sons account of what happen when it nuked) we should be able to help you make a good choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEE-OTTO Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Also the ringland issue you've probably read thread and threads about pertains mostly to our turbo'd cousins the Legacy GT (LGT) owners. Many reason are the cause of that: terrible factory tune, stock UEL imparting more heat to the #4 cyl, bad custom tunes, owner fumbling etc. Ringlands in our engine (EJ253) aren't really an issue. We typically suffer from oil starvation, rod knock and head gaskets. When searching for solution make sure to cite EJ253 or N/A (Naturally Aspirated) to keep clear of the turbo issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy Dad Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thanks for the fast response and good advice. I was way off about the ringland issue. As I thought, it sounds like the only way to get further diagnosis is to do a teardown and then, probably a new or rebuilt block or heads. He can't afford to be without a car but is well connected in the auto industry. Short story is he got a reasonable offer for the Legacy as is and is back on the road with new car, new warranty, new tires, etc. Not what he planned for a low mileage Japanese car but things could always be worse. Thanks again for the help - these forums are super! Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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