You broke my car! Why did this '14 Outback boomerang back to the CAR WIZARD's shop?
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- Why is this 2014 Subaru Outback back in the CAR WIZARD's 🧙♂️ shop? It was just featured in a video ( • Unusual sounds & smell... ) and now it's back?!? What's wrong and how was the issued resolved?
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If your code is "catalyst efficiency below threshold" do NOT automatically replace the cat. Check to see if your exhaust system has a flex-pipe just downstream of the cat (very common), if it does, closely check it for leaks. If it is leaking, it can distort the signal of the secondary o2 sensor (which is for monitoring the catalytic converter operation). I learned this the hard way by replacing my cat myself & not solving the problem.
helpful
Also check to make sure your rear o2 is working properly. I got this code on my old subie and it was just a rear bad o2 sensor giving false readings.
Edit: Also, emissions warranties can be quite long in some states, make sure your car isn't covered under warranty if you have cat issues.
+1 - My '08 Sequoia was throwing P0420 - it turned out to be a leaking manifold to cat gasket.
I replaced that secondary oxygen sensor with a "compatible" one from Bosch. It now triggers the P4020 every few months. Forums say the Bosch unit triggers by slightly different voltages than OEM. Lesson learned, use OEM or something known to be 100%.
Same thing applies to diesel emissions systems as well.
Long live the Car Wizard's honesty and loyalty in his profession!
Here here!!!🎉
💯👌💪👍👊. Anymore these days it's hard to find a. Good, car technician, body shop person, and a doctor. My hats off too the Car Wizard and all the technician there. Thank you, and BIG HUGS for you guys doing a Awesome job
1st car, in '74, grandfathers'67 Cutlass. 23k, immaculate. First inspection get charged for headlight alignment. They weren't I knew it he knew it. His response? Hey this cars perfect I gotta make money here.
Wish you were local. 👍👍
@@richardharvey8939 yeap! I know I take my cars too the crew there. If it didn't cost so much too have my Trans am shipped there. I'd love for them too install the clutch
There is an old mechanic making a decent income “refurbishing” catalytic converters. The main reason for failure being clogged passages and deposits on the reactive elements. He figured if he could clean out the passages and find something that would remove most of the deposits, the converters would be fine. He has a system of chemicals and flushes that he says accomplished that restoring the converter to near new operation, at 1/4 the cost of a new converter. So far he claims to have restored over 5000 converters, with only 3 failures.
that's interesting. it could make for some interesting youtube content. especially for chrisfix. :)
There are companies offering this kind of services, I even have seen a product that is supposed to do it with cat on the car and you inject it somehow with the car running.
@@uleertel probably has it shoot in the hole for the first O2 sensor
Being understanding and polite gets you much further than blaming others without proof.
Biden does that all the time.
@@boogitybear2283 What does that have to do with this?
@@msw7021 I would say everyone in DC does this..... 🙂 Be a non-partisan troll Poker!
@@boogitybear2283 Lol like blaming voting machines (no proof), voter fraud (less than zero proof), voting by mail (him and his whole family voted by mail), the media for accurately reporting the results, etc. etc. etc.?
Don’t confuse poker with facts.
Dude, the emissions codes that make your car seem like it's about to explode are insidious. A great way for the less ethically-inclined to make an easy, dishonest living.
Thanks for the updates Mr. and Mrs. Wizard! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
I'm working as semi truck electrician for almost 4 years and I've seen so many weird issues I'm not going to even blink my eyes no matter what you bring to a shop. By far the more bizarre case was a 2012 Volvo that came in for oil and filters service and some small electrical quirks. Everything went smoothly after which the next day truck was towed back with christmas three on dash, randomly blinking exterior lights and literally anything working at all and, of course, owner of the vehicle yelling at everyone. I checked for codes and found dozens and dozens of CAN communication errors for no apparent reasons. I checked all the can lines for short circuits and continuity, unplugged everything out of the cab except of power, unplugged every ecu inside the cab except of main vehicle ecu and the issue was still there. The last remained thing connected to can buses was... a radio. After unplugging it everything went back to life like there was no fault at all! Evening that day owner came back and he was still yelling that I'm trying to cover my mistake. He changed his attitude after we came to the truck, confirmed everything is fine and I plugged the radio back. Guy was so sorry that the next day he brought the bunch of tool truck goodies and he is our loyal customer to this day.
Have u enjoyed that profession? I’ve been told it’s a good path
Volvos known for wiring problems anyway, small nighmare working on em
Could the cat outlet sensor be faulty?
My GF's 4Runner got all the idiot lights...ABS, traction control, check engine, and I read that an emission code could cause this. I replaced the FUEL FILLER CAP and that fixed it.
A bad catalytic converter can in fact do damage. If the cat is clogged, it will cause extremely high exhaust temps to the point where the exhaust manifold will glow red. If it is clogged it is choking the engine. It can lead to syptoms like having a hard time with starting the engine, very bad acceleration and poor fuel economy. I have personally seen complete engine failures from clogged cats where it has burnt exhaust valves and caused catastrophic failure from the intense exhaust temps.
I think that the diagnostics will trigger a check engine light long before catastrophic failure occurs. It's up to the owner to have the vehicle serviced promptly to prevent serious engine damage.
Same thing can fail with modern diesel engines as well.
@@1575murray yes it should throw a CEL, but I'm talking about the people who ignore the CEL and keep driving thinking that it's no big deal.
@@markhutchinson3367 I am not one of them. I had only one CEL with my current car and I took it to my mechanic who replaced a bad O2 sensor which is another common problem.
The code is not for a clog it’s for the efficiency I believe the computer triggers the light when efficiency drops to 98% meaning it could operate for many more years with the code. I usually just use a spacer for my oxygen sensor to throw off the reading and trick tue computer into thinking everything is working properly
It’s common to have other issues after having your vehicle in for something else. Many don’t bring in their cars for regular services that would catch many problems not yet known.
I replaced the steering rack on my old 99 Firebird and in the process of doing that damaged a brake hardline, after fixing that, I cranked the car, bled the air out of the power steering rack, shut it down, took it off the jackstands and cleaned everything up, got in the car to go drive it and the car wouldn't crank, the FUEL PUMP had died.
@@DanielRichards644 yeah, like how the fuck does that even work? I can't even explain it with words, but like how the fuck does that even make sense 🤣🤣🤣
I have alway taken my car in for every 2000 now 5 000 mile oil change. And toyota and honda no issues but Subaru is a disaster
@@TheScrubmuffin69 no clue but I feel his pain, they don’t think it be like it is, but It do.
I love the catalytic converter scene, perfect and the sign of the times. 😂 "I have bills to pay" 😂
It is a good thing that customer was sensible in his approach to solving the problem, same for the Car Wizard . Well done to both.
Thank you for this video. You Nailed It! "Find out what is going on" before you speak or accuse. I learned a lot!
I've eaten crow for a customer on something I know I didn't do, but it was easier than the legal road we'd go down. And like the other retired shop owner, I cut back on any work except for my regulars, and sadly, some have passed on. But for this, you are lucky with such a flexible customer. Its 8 years old, and things happen. I'm glad it wasn't related to your previous work. I too, have an ABS lamp on for years, and my mechanic was cool and explained it was the ABS pump and on a '04 truck, not worth the cost to replace. It does disable cruise, but I don't use it. So with you, the plus here is, you'll get views and ad revenue! Woohoo! You ARE a wizard!
My dads car needs a new cat, I keep telling him park it outside, file a claim
The "I got bills to pay" after grabbing the converter part added a nice break into the middle of this video. Thank you for putting these in. They add a good laugh to break up tempo
That was funny n unexpected 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
True, but there are mechanics who purposely do bad work, knowing you’ll come back. My mechanic in Susanville replaced the timing belt on my Subaru, but “forgot” to replace the tensioner pulley or the water pump at the same time. Of course, the tensioner pulley went out about five months later. Was it his fault? Well, according to my friend who has been a mechanic for over 20 years, a mechanic should know that you replace tensioner pulley at the same time as you replace the timing belt on the Subaru.
Gunter Volkswagen in Memphis would NEVER do something like this, oh no....
@Jeff Zekas
What you mention happens ALL the time in this business. There are tons of shady crooked mechanics in this business and the honest ones are the exception, that is a fact, and I've been in the business for over 30 years.
Great video, Wizard! I fully expected Mrs. Wizard to edit in some Batmanesque Biff and Oof when you retrieved the cat. Youre emissions experiences have inspired me to double my efforts to obtain the 63 Belvedere wagon behind my neighbors house.
You all do such a good job explaining these problems/issues. Really enjoy your channel. Thanks.
💯. Before I started working for budweiser, I was a technician at 3 different dealership from 1999-2005. Sometimes it's CRAZY how you get done working on a car, few days or weeks later car comes back in for another reason that had NOTHING to do with what I fix on that car. Stuff happens. You never know what's going happen from the next day to the next with computer control vehicle. No Wonder! I went blad myself. UGH! LOL! But! It's still fun too work on vehicles. I actually injoy it still after 30 years of working on vehicles.
I've done it to myself many times -- had a failure happen soon after a repair and it's natural to think it was related and I messed something up. Then go on a long diagnostic to find it was completely unrelated and had nothing to do with the original work. Or sometimes I'll go on a hunt for one problem and discover something entirely different and even more important. Cars are weird sometimes.
I had my local Nissan dealer replace the plugs on my Nissan Maxima years ago and 1 month later the SES light comes on for bad coil packs. Always connected the two and one mechanic told me it could have been from them pulling on the wires while removing the plugs.
This is probably a minority of cases, but I had a p0420 on a 2004 legacy, and it turned out to be the oxygen sensors, not the cat. I was also having drivability issues though.
I had the same thing on my 2003 Outback. No drivability issues for mine, though. Replaced the downstream O2 sensor and still no CEL 2 years later
@@mr.toasty1972 newer Subies are HORRIBLE when a CEL comes on... disables EVERYTHING!
My 2001 lexus gs300 had same issue...replaced o2 sensors and check engine light gone
no cruise control in my 06 outback….
@@cigarsgunsanddiesel8032 yea, for a company that promotes safety, they shut off all the safety devices when there is a cold start misfire do to carbon fouling on the valves.
Definitely check that all the readiness monitor diagnostics have passed before buying a used car. As Wizard mentioned, unscrupulous sellers will clear codes when selling. It take a while and many cycles of driving for all tests to complete. If one or more fails, you’ll get a check engine light. I bought a pickup with a gutted catalyst and this was the case. It was on my dime to replace them, so beware.
Hopefully all the States will Do Away with Yearly Car Inspections as Many of them are just a Part Selling Scheme or someone knows someone who will give their Jalopy a Pass Sticker even tho it would Fail at another Inspection Site. I say allow any State Police Officer do Random Checks, if car is not up to Snuff-like Bald Tires or badly Cracked Windshield-give them a Ticket...
Love it when an unrelated youtuber I follow comments on another's.
I have a mechanic just like You. I come in with the car, tell him what I think, but tell him that he is the expert, to call me when You find what it is, so we go from there. Works every time. Last time I hade a bad wheelbearing, he change it but ALSO changed the abs-ring at the same time, because it was broken. Morecost? About $10. If I had to come in once again for JUST the ring, well, You know what the job it is. FWD, You figure... Just love You honest experts
I completely understand where the wizard is coming from and I would absolutely trust he and his macanics. However, in my experience there are few mechanics that have your values and expertise. More often than not they lack competence and integrity. My neighbour recently asked to use my scan tool to see why his check engine light was on. His car had just been in for a basic service. The code said there was a problem with the MAF sensor. I opened the bonnet to show him where it was and they hadn't even connected it. I plugged it in and reset the code. Problem solved. I'm a firefighter with basic mechanic skills and yet I am repairing faults of so called professionals. Of course we trust the wizard. Just wish he was in the UK 🇬🇧 😪
No one wants to work on boring expensive UK trash
its sad but some mechanics likely do cause other issues either through ineptitude or sabotage. Thankfully the wizard seems to run an honest shop so i wouldnt be quick to accuse him if the new issue was tatally unrelated to word he did= if a radiator I paid to have replaced was leaking of course Id expect them to fix it but if a wheel bearing went i know there is no relation
Once upon a time I had a 5 speed transaxle from a mid 80's Hyundai rebuilt by a shop in California just before we moved across the country. A week later I couldn't use 5th or reverse. Turns out that car used a vacuum actuator to shift to 5th or reverse, and had a vacuum canister for the system. Someone had inserted a bb into the vacuum line that fed the canister off the intake manifold.
@@bikeman1x11 *Sabotage happens in the car repair and service business much more often than most people would like to think! I've personally experienced this on SEVERAL occasions!*
@@watershed44 I just went through this at 7 different shops in a row. I trust 0 mechanics in my city and am currently returning my car to the last shop that worked on it a year ago because the steel braided brake lines they installed are leaking with less than 2000km on them and the car was stored from the day it left their shop in November and it didn’t come out until May. Been on the road for 3 months lmao the worst part is I didn’t even need to change out my lines, it was preventative maintenance because I plan to use my car on the track…
I've had mechanics forget tools in my cars. I have a collection of screwdrivers, sockets, punches and stuff. Once, when my Passat was in the shop for a wiring harness replacement in the passenger side door, a mechanic forgot his private mobile phone IN THE DOOR and closed it up. The next few days, until the battery ran out, I had phone ringing and text message sounds now and then from the door.
And you didn’t think that allowing the mechanic retrieve his phone or returning the tools you found would have been the right thing to do? You are an example of what’s wrong with people today. Shame on you.
@@brianwaldo2642 I returned to the garage and had them remove the phone a few days later. They CHARGED ME for the disassembly/reassembly of the door. They never got to set another tool on any of my cars.
The tools were not worth my time to go back without having them do other work. I returned a screwdriver just the other day, when I made an appointment for a timing belt service.
As someone who did service work for a living.
Most people go out of of way to return your tools.
Most service people buy there own tools. They are very expensive!
We sometimes get in a hurry and forget, after we are human.
Yes, when working on equipment and finding others people's tools, I would go out of my way to return them. I know what they cost!
@@AllanFolm Very happy to hear you did return to have the phone removed. Very unhappy to hear that they had the gall to charge you for doing so. Anyway, well done Allan.
When I first got a car, we used a garage just up the road. The owner/mechanic was getting quite old (he had had a full career at a big shop before opening his own) and it seemed that every time my car came back, it rattled. I always found a wrench or something under the hood or up on some suspension piece. We always laughed when I brought it back.
I have a 2016 Toyota Camry. The car had abs light come on with the check engine light. It had the emissions code. The canister by the gas tank is the problem. It's really sad car companies make other lights come on for problems not related to actual problem.
Work at a dealer. Supposedly manufacturers do this to increase awareness of a trouble code. And yeah.. Some people do need it. An old lady yelled at the service dept because she couldn't believe subaru "Didn't make a car that told you when to change the oil"
The reason for the quick return is the badge in the grill. Those aren't stars in the emblem, they are bits of bearing
🤣🤣
Yeah, I'm guessing these cars are not on his "recommended" list. They wouldn't be on mine.
I have a 2011 Outback with the four cylinder and annoying CVT. Twice now, EVERY light on the dash has lit up and the cruise control didn’t work. After internet sleuthing, asking around, and having the codes read, I learned it likely was a bad ground connection. Someone told me to check the battery terminals for corrosion. I looked and the negative terminal was corroded. I took it off, cleaned it up, and it worked for another year and a half. The second time it happened was the same thing; more corrosion so I replaced the terminal. No problem now. What a rip-off that auto manufacturers shut everything down and scare owners to get more business.What a pain!
Car wizard video in the middle of me doing my breaks. Love to watch while I work!
Be respectful! I totally agree with you, Wizard!!!
It’s a good thing none of my cars have emission controls. 😉😂
The electronics are so tied together it’s ridiculous. To cutoff your a/c due to an emissions?!?! That’s insane!
yeah, better to pollute the air you breath, so you can have this awesome lung cancer!
Yet another reason not to buy a new car (I don't like anything on the market better than my current car anyway).
This is why people buy spark plug non-foulers and the like. What a bunch of BS.
Amusingly my track car also has no cats and doesn't set P0420s, even without any tunes or non-foulers etc. Just get the right sensors, I guess?
I work at a car wash that does interiors too. We had this Range Rover come in and it sounded like it was straight piped or something. I looked under the car and his cat was chopped right off in the middle.
Weirdest I've ever had happen like that was my oil sump springing a leak on the way home from the dealership after a full service.
Not their fault, just pure bad luck on getting the thing hit by a pebble or something kicked up from the freeway driving home and it already being old (this was a 15 year old car, original part).
Never blamed the shop for it.
What I DID blame the dealership for (another dealership, another brand) was running out of wiper fluid not 24 hours after a major service, and the mechanic had checked the box that he'd filled up the reservoir.
Car will be back soon :) the cat just doesn't go out so easily. Waiting for the headgasket replacement video on this same car soon. Had the same codes and finally discovered that headgaskets/ valve stems were causing internal leaks which lead to higher emissions which threw the same code.
Yeah a typical parts cannon mechanic 😉
Thanks for the awesome video, CW!
My question for you, and maybe you said it, but did you use an OEM catalytic converters or did you go aftermarket?
Love the videos, they break up my day of spreadsheets and construction prints.
I installed a new engine in a Mitsu Galant when I was at the dealer. The car came back 3 weeks later the the D bulb went out in the dash. The service writer told me it was my comeback I reminded him that we don’t install engines through the dash. Come pay day I wasn’t paid for the job. I was pissed. The owner of the dealership had seen me later and know I was pissed. He looked into it and actually tore the writer a new one.
those subie cats if you keep all the heat shields intact and dont cut it up, can be worth like 1100$
I worked for 2 years (before I retired) managing a battery shop... we carried replacement batteries for all manner of things, from cars and trucks to golf carts to laptops and cell phones. Of course, our bread and butter was replacing automotive batteries. Most people don't know how much trouble can be caused by simply replacing a 12 volt car battery... especially in newer vehicles! Our company was a stickler for keeping a 12 volt power source attached to the car's electrical system while the replacement was being done so that the computers in the vehicle are kept powered up. Failure to do this can result in multiple system faults when the new battery is installed! The days of the home mechanic performing such a (formerly) simple thing like installing a new battery are over... especially on expensive imports (read: Mercedes and BMW). Listen to the Car Wizard-- he knows what he is talking about!
The used wheel bearings probably put the engine under a bit of effort, computers sense that, giving a bit more play in the limits readings of the O2 sensors.
You change the bearings, no more effort, the O2 limits goes back to normal and give you an alert because the cat was blocked all along.
Makes sense
Good thing you are not a mechanic.
Did Wizard say he installed used bearings?
All Subaru's past 2005ish if you get a a check engine light it will throw on a sea of other codes in many systems. On the 14 outback the brake light will come on on a check engine light because it has an electric e brake and that goes for ALL Subaru's with an electric e brake.
I'd swap the rear O2 sensor first, just to be sure, since these cat parts are quite expensive and sometimes....it's just the sensor. And 42 cats in stock can also be because they are stolen a lot?
Or they fail a lot???
Seems difficult to cut out to be honest, since it is directly behind the collector. I dont think anyone would go for that if another car is parked next to this style Subaru
That's what live data is for. To rule out bad O2 sensors.
@@21Piloteer not to argue with the wizard but if your sensor is bad then the data would be corrupt too. Therefore you have to know that either the cat or sensor is good so you can be sure of what the data means.
he tested it by looking at the readings what do you mean, you dont get it
A friend works at a Mazda / Subaru dealership as a mechanic. He says they sell way more Subarus but the Mazdas are more reliable
Subarus are probably less expensive for the same size vehicle. Mazda is going premium so they are bound to sell fewer vehicles, for better or worse.
If there's a problem with something and you are nice to the vendor, typically they will bend over backwards for you.
Wizard is super knowledgeable and mentioned reading the live scan data, so his analysis is likely correct. FYI, my 2010 did the same thing. I replaced the corroded body to ground strap, added a second on the other side of the engine, did a hard reset and a let the computer go through a new drive cycle. It never came back on for 40k miles and remains off to this day.
We have a 21 Forester Sport and within 2000 miles we kept getting codes regarding an evap leak. That problem triggers every warning light and disables eye sight. Very annoying.
try resetting the codes and retighten your fuel cap.
@@MikhailScottKy After 3 service visits they figured out there was a leak in the system. I thought it was a fuel cap issue as well. All good now.
Mine kept throwing a P1449, turns out a exhaust leak I had ended up melting a evap hose.
My 2013 Chevy Impala is crazy with those emissions codes. OMG the issues. Luckily I have a trusted mechanic. Once one of those engine lights comes on it disables my remote start as well.
One reason I don’t work on friends vehicles because once you do you’ve adopted it.
I hear you, and I understand completely. I am an electrician and I deal with complaints like this all the time. However, I also I’m not perfect and a time or two did cause an issue. It also helps not to be so defensive
Subaru with a bad catalyst who would have thought🤫 those flat 4 and 6 engines like to burn oil past 100,000 miles the newer engines start doing it much earlier from the low friction piston rings. Either way between the burning of oil and the head gasket issues a lot of the older engines had it's no wonder the catalysts fail like they do.
And what if they don’t burn oil or have head gasket problems and still have a bad cat?
@@RichiPuppi timing issues can kill catalytic converters as well. The GM 3.6 is a great example of that everyone I've ever done timing chains on for being stretched usually end up within 6 months needing catalytic converters. Catalysts can die from just use as well. They say that they are a "lifetime" item but that's not really true. No-one has ever made it 1 million miles on the factory catalysts.
@@jeremypike9153 and the GM 2.4 EcoTec engines as well. They also have timing chain failures as well as excessive oil consumption on direct injected versions of the 2.4 EcoTec.
I had an inefficient cat code on my 14 Crosstrek for a little bit, then had my battery replaced and it cleared the check engine code. The main difference was that only the check engine light was on.
However, when the stupid brake lamp switch burned out my dash looked like christmas lights and i damn near had a panic attack.
Sounds like this car suffered the infamous Subaru "Disco Dashboard" that kills the cruise control and flashes everything at you. LOL! I own two of 'em and this has happened to me for something as simple as a loose gas cap. Subaru really wants to owner to acknowledge that something is amiss and needs attention right now. As for the P0420 code, a failed PCV valve on one of mine caused continuous oil mist to carbon up both O2 sensors and set the code. Replaced the PCV ($16 from Subaru), both O2 sensors (OEM Denso units from Rockauto, total of $171 for both) and, VOILA! No more issues after 1500 miles (I was getting P0420 every 50 to 125 miles previously). YMMV...
Well done, sir. Very well done indeed.
Junk The Subaru; I've Done that Already
I’ll never own another Subaru product; they’re money pits… 🤮
I have been having these conversations regularly with customers. They don't realize that car makers are linking emission issues to daily driving functions to force people to fix the emission issue. I have more than once had to look up sources such as yourself to prove to the customer that I am in fact not trying to put one over on them....so THANK YOU for publishing this info.
Honda shuts off traction control, just went through this
I work at an auto parts retailer who offers free check engine light diagnostic. I am surprised how many times I see that cat efficiency code. It may be that monitoring is more strict, but I can't help but wonder if they just aren't building the damn things cheaper. My wife's first car went 320 thousand miles before we sold it. I replaced the entire exhaust system twice in that time, except for the catalytic converter. 1994 Mazda Protege.
Bad things come in threes, so I'm already looking forward to the next video on this Outback.
“Technically” it did have the CVT flush and fill first, but nothing was wrong. This is his third video, so I’m hoping it’s just maintenance from here on out.
same with houses too Wiz! Fix a hot water heater and they call you for a sewer plug next day swearing that the HW tank had something to do with it! And yes the bill was doubled because they screamed at my wife. Bad Idea
I wonder what the mileage is on this Subaru? Because, considering what new cars cost nowadays, I don't expect my catalytic converter to fail after eight years of ownership.
I thought there was 10yr emissions system warranties for just this reason - maybe that's Canada only.
My cousin had the same code on his Subaru Crosstrek. I told him to hurry before the emmissions warranty ran out. He has a 2016 with just over 70k miles ( I believe the engine light came on around 68k). He got it replaced under warranty and without hassle giving me the impression it's common on many Subaru cars.
I mean... 8 years is a LONG time.
'02 outback h6
392k kms, original cat.
@@TheScrubmuffin69 8yrs is exactly when you'll be done paying off your car mortgage, only to be hit with such a costly failure! That's unacceptable! Especially from a Japanese company. Considering how easily you're willing to roll-over and accept this as the norm, I can presume that you've already drunk the Kool-aid. Meaning that you're also on board with car companies selling you their products whilst taking your freedom to have whomever you want to repair YOUR own car away.
Months ago I was at this shop that I know the owner. He told me he will give me a good deal that the customer did not pay her $3,000 bill and turned into the title to the shop when that Honda worth at least 5k. I said ok will buy it for 3k just help him to recover the cost to charge her to fix. After driving away the engine light came on. I took it back and he told me it is the cat. I said no problem. I took it to an exhaust shop that owner put in a new cat for $550 in 15 min. Still a great deal for this Honda when he fixed up all the issues including the engine mount!
A Subaru back at the shop three days later? Sounds like the Outback I owned.
my 2008 outback was throwing this same code on mine only cruise control went outline the code would go on and off by itself depending on the weather I guess when it was raining it was off subaru are notorious for turning off car features when the check engine is on for any reason
It's either for safety or emissions reasons.
Subaru combines one of the Airbag fuses with the ignition switches fuse. You can't start the car without that particular fuse.
Wished they'd stop making the cat built in with the header/mainfold instead of just being able to unbolt 4 bolts and swap them out like the old days.
It's been a problem since the late 80s from subaru
Back in the day my 06 XT Forester had the cruise control disabled by dodgy Secondary Air valves. The dealer quoted $4200 to replace the dodgy air valves even though the XT was only a couple of weeks out of warranty.
I had no idea cars were setup to shut down other systems when catalytic converter fails
I'm just an appliance tech and the price tag for washer/dryer purchase /repair is different from car prices ,but last week I had one customer who called me and said "After you replaced a broken belt on my dryer (2 months back the dryer drum stopped rotating ) today it stopped heating ! You destroyed it !" so I told her that dentist who replaced your tooth filling has no responsibility for diarrhea what happened to you 2 month later. Yes I know I have no customer service skills but it feels so genuine and good to be yourself !
Key question: How much OIL is the car burning between oil changes?
It's a Subaru the answer is a lot I've seen brand new Subarus I mean they still smell like they left the dealership and they're burning oil
Here in Commierado, if you're due for an emissions check, you can't renew your plates if you don't fix it. If it's not repairable, you have to prove you've spent a specific amount of money trying to repair it.
In the current environment, (for me) that Subaru is well worth investing several hundred/coupla grand on to maintain a trusted/reliable car and avoid purchasing another new or used vehicle. Entirely worth it. Shame Subaru stopped offering the Outback with a manual transmission option around 2010, but hey - that's also happening all over. Thanks Car Wizard.
I think u can still get the new foresters manual
That’s why I got a Crosstrek! Still comes in manual! I got a 2019 6spd
@@redcatxb125 forester no, Crosstrek yes!
I wish everyone would watch this video. So much good info. This explains multiple things I have to explain to someone weekly.
The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on UA-cam! I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just waddling around on his stubby little legs with Pantera's WALK as the background music!
………HUH….?
@@noonehere1793 and more odd five others think its a great comment.
Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information! I have friends that have Subaru's and I've been warning them of this. Well, all my friends who have newer cars in general. A dishonest mechanic could really hurt someone's wallet as well for just a simple sensor. All this for the environment. Rather then try to design these things better, maybe have a filter on the intake to the catalytic converter or something to make it maintainable, just make the customer replace it and lie to them about the failure in the dash. It's all about making the most money at the expense of the customer and honest mechanics out there.
What I believe is that by placing a vehicle on and off of a lift can cause flexing in parts of a vehicle that can just be enough to cause issues. It can be enough to flex hoses, electric lines, and other parts and if something was already prepared to fail the extra movement can just finally be enough to trigger the problem or code. Like a rusty pipe that doesn’t leak until you move it then it starts leaking or breaks.
It wont cause catalyst to stop working. The computer is making this code appear based on data thats weeks old. Mutiple drive cycles that occured long before the vehicle came into my shop in the first place.
My girlfriend has a 13 Outback and she had the exact same thing happen where the bearings went bad and probably went too long replacing them to the point of loud grinding, then a few months later her cat needed replaced but had it taken care of quicker than the bearings. A few more months and her engine completely failed and needed a new engine(possible lack of oil changes) but she had the exact same issues as this one. So certain things are common and I never could get straight answers til you pointed them out. Not only thank you but to your dentist friend for having the same car. The Wizard is magic.
A tire shop replaced the clutch in my '92 Acura Integra. We later noticed the temperature gauge showed the engine was occasionally overheating. (Spoiler Alert: I knew it was not actually overheating because the gauge would quickly go from normal to hot and back.) The same shop thought it was the thermostat, but the problem returned. We took it to the dealer and they ran tests and confirmed it was overheating, and blamed it on an incorrect sealant used on the thermostat. We took it back to the tire shop and they eventually noticed that there was a spark at a cable connection on the transmission. They tightened it and the "engine temperature problems" were fixed.
What I hate about shops is that they know you have another car to drive they put you on the bottom of the list even though you scheduled that day to have it fixed and it aint fixed and they have it 2 weeks later still not fixed and they have the parts for it and just don't do it and u have been going to that shop for years. And u r like best friends with him
This also happens if you forget to put your gas cap on your car. To get rid of the lights you have to disconnect the battery. Scared me when it happened.
Yeah, the interconnectivity between systems is tight... One engine issue shuts down multiple systems.
Buy an obd2 scanner from harbor freight...don't have to disconnect battery
thats fine on older cars but god help you if you do it on some new models
Ahhh the old "sincyou"
"Since you changed my oil my wheel bearing is now going out".
On my 2005 Lexus LX470 the cats are no good and the check engine is on for a PO420. Well the computer disabled the stability control and traction control. What a great system they have designed.
The 2014 Outback is known for burning oil even at low miles. Could be why the cat went out (prematurely IMO). Tell your customer to check his oil often. I'd be trading it in while the market is still good.
I do check iT and add probably 1/4-1/3 quart between oil changes. I bought the car with 80k and have driven it about 26k since October. I know the car wasn’t abused but did have some definite deferred maintenance. Honestly, I did purchase it about $5k Below book (I honestly don’t think the previous owner knew whatthey’re worth right now) and I knew it would need the CVT flush, trailer hitch install, and front and rear differential changes. The wheel bearings and CAT were just things that happen. I honestly have no hesitations about driving the car (and will take it up to Dubois Wyoming and the area in September.
It’s my daily driver, about 75 miles each day, I truly love the car (especially in snow and ice-it’s truly a tank) and I plan on owning it to retirement.
My problem is I fall in love with cars and sign human traits to them and never want to get rid of them.
Thanks for the comments though. I truly think Subarus are god cars, easy to work in and very comfortable.
@@terranwoolley4226 I have a 2013 Outback with pretty low mileage (65k) and it has been a great car. Change the fluids on a regular basis, be careful with tire tread depth when replacing a single damaged tire, and you should be good to go. Subaru extended the CVT Warranty on these model years to 10years/100k miles. My only complaint would be the gas mileage... You will only get the epa rated mileage while going downhill with a tailwind.
@@GetOffMyyLawn great info! I average right at 28 mpg. Not great, but 10 miles per gallon more than the Jeep Liberty it replaced.
Work at a subaru dealer. We have a lady who's getting her shortblock replaced by subaru of america because she was burning a quart every 200 miles. She put up a good sob story about going through bankruptcy so they're helping her out.
I've had my 2014 since 70k, and I've certainly had worse for oil burning. About a quart every 7k or so. I still love it at 124110
On my 08 Aveo I had a half a dozen dash lights on. The codes said I had multiple bad sensors. I replaced them all with the pig tails but the codes came back. I’m just a shade tree mechanic so I was ready to give up. Finally I decided to give it 1 last chance. But the battery was dead. I bought a new battery threw it in and fired it up. No dash lights on. I talked to and old experienced mechanic and he said ya you probably had a bad battery and these newer cars don’t like low voltage the computer goes crazy. I wish I had talked to him before spending all that money but at least I learned something 👍
In most cases its the O2 sensors , i usually connected a live diagnostic and see if its the "working at all"
Again I feel like your judgement is clouded because you're a good mechanic that does good work.
I can think of 5+ occasions off the top of my head where a vehicle that was mine or a family members was returned in worse condition than what it was dropped off. The first example is my mom taking her car to get the brakes done and the mechnic broke one of two bolts holding on her rear caliper and just left it like that!! I know because I did the brakes previously and then checked after his work was done and noticed the missing bolt. I had a second mechanic charge me for a wheel bearing replacement that he never actually did which caused more issues. He finally ended up admitting thay he didnt actually change it because it was "fine" and "charged by mistake". Two seperate times, once on my car, and once on my mothers, the muffler system was replaced without adequate support. The first time I instantly drive it back to the shop because the muffler sounded like an ak-47 against my frame. He goes "oops" I fogot the rear hanger. My mom had an almost identical sitation bit the muffler just fell off from lack of support. My mom bought a used truck in the early 2000's that had a blown engine in the first week of ownership. The dealer would keep it for weeks and return it just before they would get in legal trouble claiming it to be "fixed". The reality is that this shop didnt really know how to fix it or knowingly sold us a destroyed vehicle and then rufused to honor their warrenty. Another time I went for an inspection and the mechanic came in and said that my transmission fluid was really bad and needed to be changed. This was hilarious because I had actually had it done a few days prior. I called him out on the spot and it was VERY uncomfortable. After the inspection I checked the fluid just to make sure and .....yup brand new.
There many more Shady dealings and lies I just cant type all day. Most of this work was done at different shops as well meaning that half the mechics in my area are just terrible. The reality is that many mechanics are SHIT. It unfortunate that the car wizard is not aware of the reality for many americans working with "mechanics"
You’re lucky you can charge people double when you feel like it. Those of us in the medical field are bound by set fees from insurance companies 😑
It is always interesting to see what insurance will allow for the medical procedure. I have seen the bill drop by almost half. It is great for someone who has insurance. If I don’t have insurance, I get to pay the whole bill.
Wizard didn't charge double.
@@21Piloteer oh I know. You’re right. I worded it poorly, I meant like that he could charge whatever he wanted if he felt like it.
I did mechanics and can tell you, you could change someone's oil a brake light bulb could burn out and they blame it on you. Even though I've known of mechanics that fix with one hand and break with the other. Having a trusted mechanic is key and not cheap. Pay cheap pay twice.
Altima has two converters, just crazy
Retired technician here…. In the 80’s, I had an elderly lady do her best to get me fired from my job because the brake lamps in her 77 LTD quit working after I did an oil change.. thank goodness for a great boss… she was spitting mad…
Not sure why Subaru is known to be so reliable... literally every person i know that has one either has or had a blown head gasket or needs to add a quart of oil every thousand miles 🤔 Yet other car brands that do the same thing are called POS's?? I don't get it🤔
Because no one cares about problems with 10-20 yr old cars. They're a lot better, still have some issues but no more/less than others makes.
Because Subaru head gasket "problems" haven't been a thing since 2009 and oil is cheap and EVERY new car that uses really low viscosity oil (0w20 or 5w20) will burn some. That's reality and to be expected, regardless of manufacturer. I had a Crosstrek that used 0w20 and burned a quart every 5k miles. So what. The extra 1 mpg from the thinner oil and weaker valve springs saved $43/yr in gas by burning $11 worth of oil. My Forester XT uses 5w30 and doesn't burn any oil at all because it has stronger springs and thicker oil.
@@Noah_E if you say so my neighbor with an 2018 STI has a blown head gasket with 2200 miles on it bone stock so there goes your theory right out the window🙄
@@Noah_E well what you're saying is the case for many cars though like some people complain about Volkswagens using a little bit of oil because they switch to a 0w-20 as well so if we use your excuse for Subarus doing this oil consumption issue and everything then that's okay for All brands so what I'm saying is why is it that it's okay for Subarus to consume oil and blow head gaskets and that's okay in the community but if a Volkswagen does it or some other brand does it their pieces of crap? It just cracks me up how biased people are about brands🤣
@@BeaverEJ1 yeah but these are problems happening now not 20 yrs ago🤣
Same happened to me years ago for internet. We worked on a connection outside the customer's house. He called in the next day stating that his "TV" always stays on. His monitor will not go to sleep anymore. I told him that would be the same as me changing your brakes and now your windows won't roll down. He understood and realized we did not mess up his computer.
I'm my teens I took my 1990 325i for tires and by the time I got home the car was jumping back and forth. Opened the air filter housing and seen a rag spread out nicely around my air filter !!! I went back and gave them HELL!!!!
Ivan from Pine Hollow found a bird inside his wife's airbox...
I remember driving my 2014 outback in South Carolina when it was winter time. My check engine light came on. I put in my bluetooth OBD 2 reader and pulled up the Torque App on my phone.
Code told me the coolant was running too cold lmao.
I love this car. Toyota Injectors, an engine that gives plenty of mileage, the cvt is okay at best.
That is a sign of a money pit if parts fail one after another. When I did a clutch and used transmission on my 2014 civic because something punched a hole in the casing, the steering angle sensor went bad and the wheel bearing tone ring was broken. Now for those that want to save money to fix a p0420 you can always space out of the oxygen sensor with a 90 degree spacer. Car enthusiasts do this all the time
This is why I don’t get attached to a car. When things start to fail I dump it. Wheel bearings and cats generally fail slowly. Subarus are not exactly the best cars. They are very overrated in my opinion, but they do fill a niche.
A $40, 90⁰ oxygen sensor spacer would solve that. It would still pollute just like the day it failed, but it would not light the check engine light. I did that 5 years ago when my CAT threw a P0420, and it was never back since then (I have a V6, so I did it to both the downstream sensors).
In most countries in Europe this wouldn't help you, because you would fail the MOT. Because they put a probe in your exhaust and check your gases and if they don't fit expected values, you can't pass the inspection and they don't let the car on the road.
@@Renesis
Ohhhh... I get it. Ours is done only with a scan tool.
Well Shane, enjoy your lung cancer from the pollution you're creating. The catalytic converter actually does have a purpose you know?
Check for oil consumption… subies are known for drinking oil. Bump from 0w20 to 5w30 ( manual says use that weight for heavy duty severe service ) it reduced my subies oil use to 1/4 qt per 3000mi from 1 qt per 3000mi. Out in Las Vegas when it’s real hot, like 120deg, and stop n go, that is categorized as severe.
I currently have a check engine light and TRACTION CONTROL light on. There is only one code: the downstream O2 sensor. When I first had those lights it was the upstream sensor. Replaced it, ran a couple days, lights came back on. I haven't bothered to do the downstream sensor yet but surprising to me O2 sensors throw a TRAC light.
Very good video, I have a great auto repair shop in Illinois and the mechanics are the very best and as honest as can be. I pay a little more but it's better than having the to pay for the same thing 2x
That's called a smart investment. I feel fortunate to have the same/similar local shop here.
Oh my goodness... "I have bills to pay".... good one.
We need each other! That’s the bottom line people need to be kind! Wizard you’re an awesome guy!
When I get a code that says the cat is below normal efficiency, that means the cat needs replacing, but instead of replacing an expensive catalytic converter, I just add an extension to the mounting port for the oxygen sensor (I add two 'anti-fouling extensions, and then screw the oxygen sensor into that). This tricks the oxygen sensor into thinking that everything is okay with the cat. It is a simple trick that will get your car past the emissions check.
The reason the pcm code tricked the abs system is it uses engine data to facilitate the trac control and throttle stuff which is part of the abs system!
with a Subaru, when the CEL comes on, all the other systems get disabled, causing their lights to come on
I’ve had a couple of my own Subarus develop the p0420 between 120k and 200k mikes so it’s really common. As a bandaid I used the Pittsburg power max mileage stuff from my semi truck in the gas to reduce suit in the exhaust. Some kind of iron chemical that lowers the burn temp of suit and seems to work for a while on the subaru cats. Different gas stations will vary the amount of it they use as an additive in the gas and keep the light off too for a little bit longer. In the end they will still need changed though.
I’ve never understood the concept of yelling at someone you need service from will help you get the service you require.