Shax

hi everyone, I'm looking to purchase a Widetrack STI 05 reg with slightly high mileage.

When checking the engine oil level it shows theres hardly any there?
Im worried about how much life is left in the engine and was wondering if theres anyway i could get it all tested before purchasing for peace of mind

Is there anything specific i should look out for?
I did try to book an RAC inspection but after speaking to them they aren't sounding too confident.

Any help appreciated.

johned

Personally i would walk as if an owner cant be bothered to check the oil what else has been neglected but no engine oil is about as bad as it gets for me and who would try and sell a car in that state.

boosted

agree, I bought my blob with no oil on the dipstick at all! needing discs and pads, tyres, wheels refurbed, no centre caps, dents and scratches and stone chips. It was very cheap though so I was fully aware of the work needing done.
Gave It a respray and a good service. The engine lasted a month before running the big ends, it seems the damage was already done

Tidgy

basic maintenance and not even done when someone coming to look at it, walk away as fast as you can!

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Walk away pal, if it's got high milage and is consuming oil then it's tired and on it's way out, coupled with an owner that has obviously not paid attention to the oil level makes it a money pit waiting to happen.

Much better to pay a little more now for one that's been loved and well looked after than fork out £3k+ paying for someone else's negligence.

Shax

Thanks everyone, its a really tidy car otherwise apart from this issue. And a slight knock from the exhaust hitting the anti roll bar ( I THINK)

the owner has never been able to get a reading off the dipstick and said it wasnt an issue for him.

I was wondering if there are others on here with the same issue?

Ill continue my hunt for a Widetrack STI

Tidgy

if i got no oil reading on the dipstick i'd be very worried. sound like hes just bsing to sell it

RAF1

iTrader: (5)

Is Stevie Wonder selling it?

Shax

seems like a very genuine seller. also a scoobynet member.
http://www.classicandsportscar.com/c...e-spec/4847286

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Seriously, the guy is a comedian, by the sounds of it he's never had any oil in it, so it's a definite walk away, in fact i'd be running as fast as my legs could carry me.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Looks genuine advert and with some nice mods, but the oil situation would still concern me.

Your money, your choice.

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

So this is my car, and it's also advertised on here. I wrote the oil change guide on this forum as well.
The car has been run on Millers CFS 10w50 during my last (nearly) 4 years of ownership (currently has Nanotech in)

The oil pressure on the engine yesterday was just over 6 bar when driving, which shouldn't be the case if the car had no oil in it; you would see a noticeable drop on the gauge reading under braking etc etc. as well as whilst driving.
I actually checked the oil just two weeks ago and it seemed fine to me, but then I've always found dipsticks on the newage to be a crap design and difficult to read - when I fill the car after a change I use the recommended amounts rather than using the dipstick as a primary indicator, it's vaguely helpful but not all that great; the last oil change was carried out around March this year. There was plenty of oil on the stick when I checked it two weeks ago, and it was still a good colour - not jet black!

I have receipts to prove purchase of the oil and filters at each service interval, and those in my local group will vouch the car is well looked after - they've seen me do it!
I am confident in the car's condition, and have volunteered to have the car inspected by Subaru or another local specialist if he's not happy with my word on that.

Please be a little less keen to jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts at hand guys, many on this forum have also met me in person and will vouch for the car being very well cared for.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Well all I can say in retort is I have had 4 subaru's over almost 12yrs and only been without for about a year in all that time and I have never had a problem getting a reading, warm or cold on both newage and classic (currently have both).

Looking at it from the point of view of the OP, he goes to look at a slightly high milage modified Subaru and can't see much in the way of oil in it, what are we supposed to say to him that's ok pal they do that I for one wouldn't say that and I doubt you would either if the circumstances were reversed.

I don't doubt you are genuine, but you have to agree under the circumstances as described, I wasn't giving bad advice.

GLWTS.

urban

iTrader: (1)

I've had 5 new Impreza's during my time with the marque.
Never once had a problem with dipstick readings - well up until I had a 330S.
It had oil level problems, but more down to the crap engine that the dipstick!

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

Have only had 2 in the last 10 years, but I didn't think the dipsticks were great on my previous bug wrx or this one.
Any comments re oil pressure?

Shax

Sorry mate didnt mean to start anything on here. was just getting genuine owners advice. appreciate everyones advice.

Mr Noisy has been very patient and is trying to see if subaru can do a health check on the car before completing the sale.

Its a very unique issue with the dipstick , and id love an explanation so i can get on with it

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Oil pressure sounds about right but to be fair there is only about 1L of oil between the full mark and the bottom of the dip stick.

Also in my experience the oil pressure only drops when the engine is already fubared, so not really a great deal of use as a gauge, much like the OE oil light or as it's commonly known 'engine fcuked' light.

My oil pressure gauge hasn't been working for the last year and I've done nothing about it because it only served to make me paranoid, when I do replace it, it will be with an AFR gauge.

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

I can completely understand you're here asking for advice, and I'm also just trying to let everyone know I'm a genuine seller who has looked after their car properly, not a "BS artist" as some appear so keen to label me; I have nothing to hide.

I'm perfectly happy for the vehicle to be compression tested or anything else to prove its health.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Best way to check the oil is get the car up to temp, find a flat surface, I usually do this on the garage forecourt when filling up.

Turn car off open bonnet, pull dip stick out, then go and fill up and pay, wander back to the car, make sure the picture on the stick is the right way round and give it a dip, straight in as far as it will go and straight back out again, this usually gives an accurate reading or at very least tells you if there is something in there, mine uses very little oil and it's done 121k.

I do lots of short journeys as well 10/15miles at a time so most of the time it's hardly had chance to warm up and I'm done, even under these circumstances I use about half a litre between changes which is around every 5/6k miles or twice a year.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Hey mate I'm not getting at you and to be fair at least you have had the ***** to come on and defend yourself.

As I said I'm sure you are genuine, but the original question and the answer the op said you gave did sound a bit vague, so I am sure you can understand our original scepticism.

Now you're explaining yourself, you ARE in fact showing yourself in a better light.

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

The sender for mine is T'd off the sensor in the block rather than in a sandwich plate so should get a relatively decent reading.
A mate with an 06 widetrack who runs the same gauge set saw a small but noticeable drop in pressure when he'd used antilag a lot (which apparently uses oil - the truth of that I can't comment on) and found the car needed about half a litre to top it up.

So it's handy as long as you know the figures. Know what you mean re AFR.
Dunc actually asked said I could go with a wideband on the Alcatek if I really wanted very fine control on the fuelling side but I never went that far.

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

And here is one thing which we all forgot - the car was parked on a slope facing up hill when this was checked

pflowers

I'll agree with the seller on this, I've had two 2 litre Imprezas and a 2.5 Forester and on all getting an accurate dipstick reading was a pain in the backside.

I ended up having a specific parking position for oil checking and always with a warm engine. I found oil would get stuck in the dipstick tube when cold giving a false reading, not an issue when the engine was warm. Even just moving the car a couple of feet would send it wildly either way.

Not too much of a problem on both my 2.0 as neither drank a drop between changes, but the 2.5 used to drink a litre every 1000-1200 miles depending on how hard it was driven so getting a reliable reading was vital.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Yep well that would definitely explain the low reading.

And I do agree they can be a pain, it needs to be done the way I explained otherwise oil in the tube can give a false reading, and the dip stick needs to be the right way round.

urban

iTrader: (1)

I doubt anyone can label you with that title anymore

ScottyPPP

82k is high miles?

Shax

lol oops sounds like i might have said something wrong...

Scrappy9

You checked the oil when the car was on a slope - had to check the date felt sure it was going to be 1 April

Berks-Jack

iTrader: (10)

Oh dear. Come on OP.....

Fwiw - I've known the seller for alot longer than he's had the car and all I can say albeit may be viewed as biased but I'd have no issues in buying the car personally if I was looking for one myself. The money that has been spent on it considering the asking price is ridiculous. Giles is a straight guy (maybe a bit miserable but no one is perfect) and you can see from his ad that nothing has been left to chance.

Also I personally wouldn't class 82k as high mileage.

johned

Oh eck.