Cambelt Replaced, Now Problems With Idling.

[Squav]

Hi, I'm new to this forum.

I've got an Impreza UK300 WRX.

Recently it went in for Headgaskets to be replaced and cambelt to be done.

Now, this is what it used to sound like:



And this is what it sounds like now:



I am told by the mechanic who fitted my headgaskets and cambelt, that it was timed up wrong when he took the engine out (which is how it was in the 1st video). So it is timed up right now in the 2nd video.

To me it doesn't sound right, it's idling rough, its kangarooing up the road and it's hesitating a lot.

So will someone please confirm my suspicions that it was timed up properly before he changed the timing?

Also I have a code P0327 if that helps.

Thanks guys.

[SD_GR]

I can't imagine a motor running well at all if it's timed wrong; anything past a tooth or two would be a show stopper from what I've seen. Let's assume your mechanic was correct though; in that case, the timing belt has been done once already, and now twice, since presumably the factory didn't time the motor wrong - someone replacing the belt must have... unless it skipped teeth while you were using the motor.

What happened to the head gaskets?

Simplest theory I can come up with: Exhaust leak coupled with unplugged knock sensor and/or damaged knock sensor wiring would explain your symptoms. It may not be correct, but I'm at least 5,000 km away and it's my best shot in the dark right now...

You can check the timing for your self; this thread shows what to look for and in your case I'd just pull the side covers and rotate by hand and look.

Timing Belt and Water Pump Replacement

You don't have to do all that obviously; you just need to line up the marks and see what the belt is doing. Anyone that's a mechanic and awake though is unlikely to get this too wrong I'd hope.

[juantawn]

hopefully they didnt bend a valve. if you let any of the cams turn when the timing belt is off, the valves can hit eachother and bend. do a compression test. hopefully its somthing else. any trouble codes?

[juantawn]

DTC P0327 - KNOCK SENSOR 1 CIRCUIT LOW INPUT (BANK 1 OR SINGLE SENSOR)

*are any knocks present (can you hear a knock)
*make sure sensor is pluged in
*check sensor wire and connection

[teflon_jones]

The engine sounds fine in the first video. The timing definitely isn't wrong.

In the second video, it definitely doesn't sound right. I don't think it's the timing though since it would run a lot worse than that, if at all. I'd start with the code that it's throwing to troubleshoot it. I'd also go back to the mechanic that did the work and tell him he's full of crap and the timing wasn't off in the first video, and that the car ran perfectly fine.