That Subaru sound.. State inspection fail

[ShadowGT]

We all know that Subaru's and the famous beloved boxer flat 4 and the unequal length headers give our cars a nice sound. Sounds nothing like your typical inline 4 engine.
I've had my Leggy for a bit now. Rebuilt everything. I know when the car is running odd or when something doesn't sound right. I have friends with newer Scoob's and the sound remains the same for the most part.

I did my state inspection today. I live in a non-emissions check county meaning I don't have to be smog compliant. However..
For reasons unbeknownst to me I decided to take my Scoobie to the place across the street from the tire shop after getting some Falkens put on. It happened to be a muffler shop.

Yes.. the first time I rolled in I was aware that my CEL was on and one of the heater wires had come off from the front O2 sensor. So there was a rich smell coming from car. Fully aware of this.

A bunch of guys pop my hood and start pointing and whispering to each other. I have a SRI, open hood scoop, some blue hoses, some stainless bits, some red painted bits under the hood. Maybe they're marveling at my workmanship. Or, they've labeled me as a "ricer."

Who knows. I live in redneck county where the most popular vehicle is the enormous pick up truck.
They fail me because they said I have an exhaust leak. I'll give them the rich fuel condition. Fine. I drove home and soldered up the wires, cleared the code.. drove around for a bit to make sure the car is fine.. went back.

They told me if I paid them they'd locate the leak source. Maybe I need a new cat or a muffler they tell me on the way out.

I return, I coast into the parking lot and shut off. As I walk up the mechanic comes out and says "you still have a leak, I can hear it." I told him I fixed my O2 sensor so I'm not running rich anymore. He says you can hear the leak from the back.

I told him to explain what it sounds like because I'm confused. I started the car and let it idle. He says "hear that?" "It sounds uneven.." "It sounds too throaty.."

I told him it's a boxer engine, they do that. He said it doesn't sound like a four cylinder. I said it's fine, Subarus have a distinctive sound.
He swears there is something wrong. I asked politely if he has worked on a Subaru. He said no. I assured him this is normal. He gets uppity and practically yells "how long have you been a mechanic?"
I just said long enough to really know the car.

He refused to pass me until essentially the car sounds more like a 4 banger. Theres no foul smell, no smoke, the car idles solidly at 750 RPM.
Sorry for the epic long post.. I'm just aggravated. I'm just going to take the car somewhere else. I'm out 15 bucks from that last place.

I know my car, it's fine. Homedude thinks our cars are supposed to sound like Hondas I guess.

[1-3-2-4]

idiot... I say we stick 100 subarus in his shop and let him not pass them all because they don't sound like a inline 4 cly :roll:

[dodik]

what a bunch of freaking losers, if it was me i would've bet with them assholes if you don't find a leak or damage anything while looking for one i get free inspection and you fix whatever you broke for free or something, i hate when shops try to screw you out of money .
It happened to my father few years back when we had a grand am, he went to get inspection, guy said that we needed rear shoes to pass inspection my father agreed cause he didnt know any better at the time, year later im driving the damn thing and a freaking loud ass noise just blows from the rear, and keeps hammering as i drive on. come to a stop take the wheel/drum off and what do i see the asshole put the dam pins and some minor hardware the wrong way, i dont know how he managed to do that because i there is no way to put it in the way he did so i reassembled. went to the shop and told them to fix the rear brakes. this time it was the boss mechanic doing them and as he was doing he was cursing the crap out of the previous guy and he also said that i should go to whoever did my brakes and ask for my money back, i reached in the glove box pulled out a receipt and just gave gim tip for doing it right the second time around. he got extremely pissed but thats was his problem. lol sorry to hijack your thread. take the car to place you trust it will be easier.

[dplacencia]

Just go to a private shop that does inspections and pay and call it a day. that is what i have to do. If I go to dmv they will fail me for sure.

[1-3-2-4]

that's also why I wanted to get my mid pipe fixed before I did emissions so I wont get any flap.

nice to hear that good ole 5MT gear meshing :D

[2.5GT]

I'm not 100% sure about your state inspection laws.

But in VA, CEL does not matter if it's on or off when it comes to the inspection. And if the "mechanic" said they were a leak and he can "hear" it. How does he know 100% that there is a leak without pin pointing out where the leak is actually coming from? You should be very angry that he rejected you. Hell, I'd fucking complain and ask for the state inspection trooper's number and call the trooper to come down to the shop and straighten things out.

Next time, take it to a Subaru dealership or someone you can trust.

[ShadowGT]

I'm very pissed about the situation because basically it equates to the fact that this shop is trying to screw me, they think I'm just going to take their word and hand them my credit card.
Sure there are some weird things I don't know about the car.. like that one parking light that doesn't come on anymore.. but I know what the car is supposed to sound like and I for damn sure know I don't have a leak.

Oh and yeah.. it's a muffler shop by the way. Go figure. Stupid me for thinking I could just go across the street after getting new tires and take care of the inspection all at the same time. Oh.. and stupid me for even looking remotely interested in getting a Flowmaster muffler while I was waiting for my car to get cued up the first time.

But they fucked up. Well they fucked up a lot, but they made a crucial fuck up besides pissing me off.
In Texas, you pay first before the inspection begins. That I did.
Then they are supposed to remove your old sticker so if you fail you have no inspection sticker and you have to return within 14 days to prove you fixed the problem.
But they didn't take my sticker off.
I'm out 15 bucks and I'm for damn sure taking my Leggy to a different place. Probably the same place that passed my old Chevy Lumina and that car was a total death trap on wheels.

In non-emission testing counties in Texas, the CEL light doesn't matter if it's on or not. I know those guys where just trying to rip me off because there is no emission test here, it doesn't matter if my car is spewing blue smoke out the back and giving polar bears in the artic sunburns. It doesn't matter if I'm the sole reason we have a hole in the ozone layer.

I think I'm going to talk to the BBB about these scam artists.

By the way the closest Subaru dealership is 100 miles away from me.

[Huffer]

That's not that uncommon. I took the waggy into a shop to diagnose what I believed to be a sticking caliper or similar, and this same shop (who had worked on Subaru's before, just not one with a custom exhaust) told me there might be a problem with the exhaust - it was "too throaty and deep".

:lol:

Good luck!

[BlackBK]

they were just jealous of our sound......

[jey]

That's one thing is distinctly different about the stock EJ22 in my 1995 Legacy vs. the 1998 Legacy. The 1995 has a more direct intake and the dual-port heads/exhaust. The 1998 has the big box thing on the intake and single-port heads. One/both of those differences plays a huge part in the gnarly sound of the 1995 car because the 1998 car never sounded this good, even with the silencer removed. It's too bad Subaru made an effort to get RID of this sound it seems because customers complained?

[KAG]

It's too bad Subaru made an effort to get RID of this sound it seems because customers complained?
Yep, that's exactly it. There was a technician at the dealership I went to who told me people have brought their brand new cars in complaining that it's misfiring :neutral:

When will they learn?!? It's just the boxer inside trying to get out...

[1-3-2-4]

That's one thing is distinctly different about the stock EJ22 in my 1995 Legacy vs. the 1998 Legacy. The 1995 has a more direct intake and the dual-port heads/exhaust. The 1998 has the big box thing on the intake and single-port heads. One/both of those differences plays a huge part in the gnarly sound of the 1995 car because the 1998 car never sounded this good, even with the silencer removed. It's too bad Subaru made an effort to get RID of this sound it seems because customers complained?

The big box is the plenum think of it is "extra air on call"

but you know what's funny.. the first gen subaru's had a louder boxer sound stock then any other subaru I've heard...

so glad I have dual ports.. from what I hear the 96 Legacy came with single.

[LunchBox04V]

I hear you dude. Take them to the BBB. I could not imagine dealing with emission checks. I live in the Detroit area, no emission checks in Michigan. :cool: Don't get me wrong, I like a lifted truck, and a V8 every now and then. But being ignorent and not being able to "prove" exactly where the leak was, total rip off. Oh, and call their local trooper too. Mess with them, they were trying to STEAL from you. Anyway.....

I know what you mean about the "lack" of the boxer sound. I have a '99 BK with the 2nd gen 2.2. Single port..... I have a custom cat back, and it just does not sound like a Subaru. So.....Time to drop in a EJ20 or the EJ22t. :twisted:

[henryq89]

take the car to the bronx...30 bucks any car passes :lol:

[ScaryFatKidGT]

the worst idiots are the ones that think they know everything

I cant wait to get my wrx ebay headers and rig them to my STi catback so I can get these funny coments on how my car sounds...my friends just say it sounds like a go-kart :smt012

edit: and i love being in minnesota i dont think theres any inspections what so ever hear?

[TheAngryPidgeon]

That's one thing is distinctly different about the stock EJ22 in my 1995 Legacy vs. the 1998 Legacy. The 1995 has a more direct intake and the dual-port heads/exhaust. The 1998 has the big box thing on the intake and single-port heads. One/both of those differences plays a huge part in the gnarly sound of the 1995 car because the 1998 car never sounded this good, even with the silencer removed. It's too bad Subaru made an effort to get RID of this sound it seems because customers complained?

The big box is the plenum think of it is "extra air on call"

but you know what's funny.. the first gen subaru's had a louder boxer sound stock then any other subaru I've heard...

so glad I have dual ports.. from what I hear the 96 Legacy came with single.

My '98 GT has dual ports.

[impreza_GC8]

The 1995 has a more direct intake and the dual-port heads/exhaust. The 1998 has the big box thing on the intake and single-port heads.
My '98 GT has dual ports.

You have a 2.5GT, Jey had a '98 2.2L.
Thats unfortunate about the exhaust shop, just take the car to a place with more intelligent workers.

[TheAngryPidgeon]

The 1995 has a more direct intake and the dual-port heads/exhaust. The 1998 has the big box thing on the intake and single-port heads.
My '98 GT has dual ports.

You have a 2.5GT, Jey had a '98 2.2L.
Thats unfortunate about the exhaust shop, just take the car to a place with more intelligent workers.

Touche. :smt016

[xXGTBspecXx]

i would have put my hand or foot over the exhaust so it cant come out the back. and said wheres the leak?

[impreza_GC8]

i would have put my hand or foot over the exhaust so it cant come out the back. and said wheres the leak?
You would've proved your superior intelligence by placing your hand over a hot exhaust? Facepalm.

[TheAngryPidgeon]

i would have put my hand or foot over the exhaust so it cant come out the back. and said wheres the leak?
You would've proved your superior intelligence by placing your hand over a hot exhaust? Facepalm.

Haha, I wasn't going to say it, but I'm glad you did. :smt021

[ivwarrior]

Exhaust isn't that hot at the tailpipe. Have a rag in your hand, you can cover the exit long enough to prove the point easily enough. Hell, it's how I use to help pinpoint smaller leaks when I worked in a garage.

[OutbackMat]

FWIW...anyone who's worked on cars long enough can usually pick out one that has an exhaust leak just by the sound. My Neon has two--one at the header (yay, cast iron!) and one at the cat donut.
Obviously, the thing that made these guys tools is that rather than admit they don't know anything about your engine, they insist YOU'RE wrong, you hoity-toity Jap-car driving asshole. :lol: Normally I'd agree that you bet them they can't find the leak, but sounds like these guys would make one if they had to.