My First Baja Engine Noise Help

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Upsilon
Scoobytruck Lurker
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2020 12:30 pm

My First Baja Engine Noise Help

Post by Upsilon »

Hello!

I'm close to buying my first Baja which has been a goal for a while now! It's a 2004 Baja sport N/A Manual with 110K miles. It's listed for $3995 and i'm all too aware of something that's too good to be true because I've seen similar Bajas go for a lot more with more miles. I went through the car and found everything in good working order(except for the driver seat which is a bit torn up) but what's holding me back is a discerning engine noise when it idles cold that sounds worse than Piston slap. My guess is a timing belt tensioner but i'm not very familiar with these engines. If anyone can tell me what it might be please let me know!

Here's a link to a short video I took of the noise: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-H8KGx ... sp=sharing
ZUBAJA
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Re: My First Baja Engine Noise Help

Post by ZUBAJA »

What I heard sounded more like an exhaust leak than a knock. Piston slap isn't uncommon on these (really almost ANY Subaru engine that I've dealt with). I am not aware of timing components making a knocking noise like some brands.
One thing I look for on Subarus that is a tell-tale of maintenance. I check the coolant. Subaru coolant is a dark emerald green. If I take off the radiator cap (cold) and find dark green, that is a GOOD sign. Light stuff isn't the end of the world, but the dark usually means they cared for the car well. Dennis
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