Keep Your Subaru Running Like New! Subaru Engine Maintenance Kit

[@solargoomba]

Dealership wanted $300 for this treatment. Thanks for saving me some money

[@Whyrant]

They just quoted me 2k 🤮

[@Cheeseypoofs85]

fuel inductions services and brake services are the biggest scams at the dealership. never pay for those

[@21jimmyo]

Good to know Subaru has a process to address the one major downside of direct injection. This is remarkably similar to using the old-school Seaform cleaner.

[@moparsrt1905]

They always had a process to deal with it. It's called port injection lol

[@21jimmyo]

@@moparsrt1905 the best is to have both, like my Toyota has.

[@roofcamper3473]

Yes, I have an IS250 and an IS-F. The IS-F is a masterpiece, the 250 not so much but its still a good car. Just need a walnut blast every 200k miles. I do redline the 250 once a drive when its at operating temp.@@21jimmyo

[@ft9kop]

​@@21jimmyo unfortunately cost more. I'd pay more for dual injections like Toyota or Hyundai

[@MadDogClyde741]

Hey Mr. Subaru 1387 ! I just have to tell you this because even though you already get a lot of thanks and appreciation from people as I can see in the comment section ! Thank You So Much Man ! You my man are “The Wizard” to me and I’m sure to a lot of other people ! Your videos are an excellent library of unending information and knowledge for many, many people ! I can tell by watching many of you’re videos already that you are a man of very high character and morals ! Your Family is very fortunate to have a Husband, Father, Brother like you and I’m sure you do an awful lot more to help people in your life than make videos to help many others to save money and make their lives easier ! Im just so appreciative of your videos because the help me an awful lot ! And I’m a pretty mechanically inclined person and it makes it so much easier to do myself then figuring it out on my own ! Thank You Again and I’ll always be a subscriber ! I’m gonna leave you a few bucks just to say thanks and hard work and to show you how much I appreciate you ! Have a great day and God Bless Man ! P.S. Just so you know I have never left a penny to anyone ever on you tube ! I have never felt anything I’ve seen that warranted leaving A Monetary Thanks Tip ! If some people just gave a Buck atleast I’m sure it could help out ! I don’t have much money but I’m going to leave you $10 bucks and maybe that will make some more people to think about it and just leave a $1 dollar ! Just like they should leave the guy who helps them when they pump the gas into their Subaru’s !

[@dylans3553]

i love how careful you are with removing everything

[@seant6624]

My moms 14 forester was having random misfire code. I did the the Subaru TI recommended fix with the top end cleaner, had to make the tool myself because no one had it in stock. Ran 2 bottles and changed oil, it didn’t fix it. Had to walnut blast the valves because they were that bad. That finally fixed it.

[@Didgeridoo42]

I just bought my 2019 Crosstrek that I've been leasing, learning to do all my own work because Subarus are just that easy, I've owned a Corolla and Altima before this Crosstrek and I've never felt this comfortable doing my own work. Thanks to Mr Subaru I'm confident I'll drive this Crosstrek till 250,000+ miles

[@jamesm.8392]

MrSubaru ( ? Jim ? ) Would you do some Eval's / Full Maint. on some late Model RU's. Some of us are not RU owners but thinking about it? Such as me . . . a 15K / 30K / 45K / 60k mi. Full Tech Eval. along with your Prof. Opinion about what you see / what you expect might happen on late model 2.0 & 2.5's would very beneficial. When all we see is repair, repair , repair . . . it's easy to forget most of your video's are for much older model's. It Just leaves a lot of us with question's like . . . Well ? . . . How much of this has been corrected with the newer Models? If anything at all? *Especially Blow-By* . . . this would be an absolute deal breaker for me. This kind of stuff is no accident . . . *after this many years* . . . this is Car Maker Sabotage IMO and as you proved in an earlier video this involves all Makes/Brands. *Cars from a century ago did not leave the factory suffering from Blow-By* This is a Mgmt and/or/both QC Willing Decision to Fail the consumer. So should we even consider buying a RU if they are going to be that much trouble? I see a lot of new Crosstrek's on the road in my area and I don't know what to think ? Slow 2.5 Eng. / CVT - Uncertain / Have they fixed that Oil Pickup Tube ? . . . and a bunch of other things you have not yet covered/seen yet. Good ? Reliable ? Long Term $35K Investment or not ? Thanks . . . We Depend on You.

[@TDX3000]

Nonsense. Corollas and Altimas are not complex cars at all - in many ways more straightforward than Subaru.

[@depace311]

A word of caution - I had the WQW-58 recall (which included the top engine clean) performed on my 2014 Forester 2.0XT and the carbon/solvent sludge that went through the combustion process actually clogged the cats which the dealer then had to replace under warranty.

[@depace311]

@@Chippy569 my subaru had the CEL illuminated for (going by memory) misfire and when they were doing the recall for that campaign, they did a leakdown test and the results were out of spec. that's when they scoped the top end and found carbon build up and followed subaru's internal memos regarding the top engine clean.

[@rock962000]

Top engine clean is notorious for fucking up cats.

[@depace311]

@@rock962000 Well someone needs to tell Subaru because they have an entire service process with an OEM tool to use their own Subaru-branded Top Engine Clean on motors that are exhibiting certain issues.

[@rock962000]

@@depace311 if you think about it, all the carbon you're cleaning goes straight through the cat/cats. It's a pretty harsh chemical and I don't really recommend doing it unless the vehicle is a high mileage car (90k+ miles)

[@depace311]

@@rock962000 i absolutely agree with you - if your motor has carbon buildup issues due to DIT it should be disassembled and cleaned with a walnut blast (like Audi and BMW do). Unfortunately if you car is under warranty by Subaru, the top engine treatment is what they're going to do - unless they have revised their processes in the past ~4-5 years

[@asmodeusasmodeus7591]

Great video, thank you. Something that would be nice from a viewer's perspective, would be a borescope view of the intake valves before and after. You are the Number #1 Subaru guy on the internet!

[@jamesm.8392]

Not criticizing MrSubaru"s procedure just adding another with Scotty's . . . Humor kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZnFk4Vje6qLY5o

[@stevemcrichards8768]

So important to think tiny little sips and not big gulps when using that top end engine cleaner with the special tool. I think you did a good job of showing how you need the special tool to regulate the flow of the top end cleaner into a three part process.

[@petset77]

Sips versus gulps are what general intake cleaners recommend by spraying short bursts with the aerosol types, and having another person on the throttle so the engine doesn't stall. I'm here on this video to ask if those are safe with this engine.

[@timbrown9731]

The clear flood mode works great, if your Subaru has been sitting for a while and you can Crank to build oil pressure before had.... and on oil change too

[@dustinbarrow]

This method is whats recommended for a oil change don’t wanna run it on dry

[@eriku571]

It's so awesome that you're doing this and other repair videos on a 2013 Crosstrek. I just got my first Subaru and it is a 2013 Crosstrek, so I'm learning a lot from your videos. I have to keep this car running strong for a long time. Your videos are invaluable!!!

[@bmwrules28]

Thank you sir!!! Great video as always. Quick story to share, I went to the only dealership locally here in Las Vegas and the parts guy…gave a heck of a hard time with a bunch of BS stories. Supposedly they don’t sell the maintenance kit to the public blah blah so he tried to sell the wrong Carbon cleaner with the tin bottle (not the plastic one). What a headache but thankfully all the parts with part number checked out when I searched online to confirm they weren’t the wrong ones. I even told that clown if we use the wrong bottle/parts we can damage the engine/fuel tank or worse. Anywho, for others make sure you have the part numbers (as a back up just in case they claim they don’t sell the maintenance kit as shown in the video.) For everyone, follow Mr. Subaru’s advice EXACTLY as he says and this service should be excellent for 30, 60, 90k. I bought the OEM throttle body mounting gasket as well just for piece of mind. The Subie just hit 60k so I’m going to change the spark plugs right after performing this service and the car should run like a champ. Mr. Subaru happy new year! Thank you always for golden advice and for helping everyone maintain the Subaru. Cheers! Update: Whew this job for the DIT 2.0 Turbo (I have a 17 WRX) took me 8 hours or so to complete yesterday. To reinforce what Mr. Subaru said he did make it look easy haha. But I did this from my garage and that was from start to finish. The items slowing me down was the intake duct connected to the throttle body. It was stuck (literally) and wouldn’t budge so I had to use some WD40 and carefully/lightly sprayed on the top to loosen it/remove. Also I drained about 3 quarts of engine coolant since I completely forgot to get the clamps to stop the preheater hoses when disconnecting from throttle body. You’ll definitely want to have the long needle/hose grip pliers to do remove them. I was thanking Mr. Subaru (in my mind and right now) when taking each hose off because you don’t have a lot of room to work with and that really saved me a lot of time. As well the special tool to slowly connect the top engine cleaner is strongly recommended. Why? I was lucky not to get any DTC (Check engine light etc) but notice how he carefully opened the valve to slowly pour 1/3 the bottle each time. You don’t want to risk damaging the engine, spark plugs, etc by putting too much in at once. I cannot stress enough: Follow his advice and watch the video/take note of the tools and how he removes/installs the each part. You must have patience and tolerance to do this job. You can’t risk damaging the car and then creating more headaches. Finally, Mr. Subaru thanks again! Do you a Venmo account? Or Google Wallet/Apple Pay cash? I’ve watched your radiator/coolant change video, spark plug change for DIT 2.0, this video, dude you’ve helped me become a trainee mechanic haha. But I’d like to support your channel even more if I could send some moola directly to you let me know. This was a long job for me but every 30k for this, goodness I know this Subie should last 200k-300k thanks again for your videos! Keep up the good always!

[@briancoverstone4042]

May I ask where you purchased the throttle body gasket from? I can't seem to find what the part number is, and searching on google seems to reveal very little. Kind of odd.

[@jackd1582]

Great comment

[@jordanjensen4860]

Careful, the solvents in WD can damage rubber. Happy wrenching!

[@LordFetustheGreat]

I have used Liqui Moly Pro line engine flush before every oil change, engine has 160k miles (2005 legacy 2.5 N/A), the engine has never given me any issues for the past 10 years of ownership. Car itself is totally stock and has lost 2 HP since 2004, had id dyno'd last month. Costs 15 dollars a bottle;)

[@williamsanter125]

The FA engine has port injections so the carbon buildup isn't an issue if you use high detergent gasoline. I don't think engine flush does anything for carbon build up on the valves. Should help keep the rings from getting stuck though.

[@tutcity]

This is one of the most useful videos to me as I am a new Subaru owner and didn't know how to deal with the direct injection issues.

[@TimJoseph08031990]

I did take my mom's 2014 Forester for this kind of engine service to the Subaru dealer. The only things I do myself is change the oil and oil filter, CVT Fluid, and Front and Rear Differential Fluid. The Front Differential Fluid needs a 1/2 in. I.D. and a 5/8in. O.D. tubing with clamp for the quart pump to put fluid in the overflow plug, because my fill plug for the front differential was unable to turn counterclockwise with the 8mm Allen socket before removing the overflow and drain plugs. I also use Gumout fuel system cleaner once a year, since it also has the PEA additives.

[@The9meister]

I do a Italian tune up on my vehicles, basically I add fresh fuel with fuel injector cleaner, and go for a long drive at 70mph, burns the carbon up, then as soon as you get home, drop the oil and filter, then replace fresh oils / filters , will run so much better 👍

[@TiesOfZip]

If you’re only going 70, that’s not an Italian tune up, unless you’re in 2nd gear

[@mresab1997]

@@TiesOfZipyeeeee 😏🔥

[@extraglutenplz3758]

for direct injected engines this will do nothing....

[@steves7072]

70mph 😏😉

[@LetterToGodFromMeToYou]

People talk about Italian tune-ups confidently, as if Italian cars last a long time or something.

[@dx3200]

Another great video. One question. Whenever you do such maintenance service videos, can you please trust at what mileage the given service should be done. That would be very helpful. Thank you.

[@axeya366]

Great video. Everyone with a Subaru needs to get this done more often, especially those with DIT. My 2014XT was running like choof head smoking 2 at a time. I was getting black smoke on 60%+ throttle. Normal driving you could not tell anything was wrong till you gave it some then it chugged and choked blowing smoke. I got it serviced and now it feels like a new car. Engine oil, filter, upper cylinder (SA459)cleaner. Cleaned throttle body and intake system and the Map sensor. Its like a new car now. (95k KM or 60k Miles)

[@jackd1582]

And air filter? Fuel filter?

[@axeya366]

@@jackd1582 Changed both new and was still blowing smoke.

[@jackd1582]

@@axeya366 Aha. Hesitation here did nt stop till after fuel filter done

[@wanglee21]

Do you know where to connect the top engine cleaner on the newer Ascent/Outback/WRX motors? They don't have that small hose on the top

[@20VA]

used the CRC 5 in 1 GDI performance rejuvenation kit on my 2018 Elantra Sport turbo every 5,000 miles for 2 years and neen using it on my 2020 wrx Limited every 5,000 since I traded my Elantra Sport for it back in june of 2020 and both vehicles have ran like a charm ... no issues whatsoever ... I actually pour the fuel treatment in on an EMPTY tank so it mixes well as I fill up and I pour the oil friction gaurd in after pouring HALF the engine oil in so that mixes very good as well and I spray the valve cleaner through the intake duct so it cycles through the entire intake system ... I also have a Crawford's Performance v3 air/oil separator that I literally installed the day I purchased the vehicle brand new and brought it home ... let me tell you that thing works like a charm because my oil level is at the exact same mark from when I filled it up when I change the oil ...

[@alanshaw6161]

Your knowledge on these subjects is invaluable! Thank You for taking the time to share this information.

[@stanp3646]

did this procedure on my 2021 crosstrek premium 6mt this past weekend. Used the kit with the metal can of top clean and the tool for the metal can. There was no way to tell how much top clean was being consumed by the engine. Could not see through the metal can. What I did was wait for the idle to get a little rough, then turned off the valve and burned it out and repeated till the can was empty. At one point the engine threw a blinking check engine light, but it went away after a few seconds after burning out the top clean using the throttle. CEL never came back. Everything went well and this video helped. Saved me some money too. Thanks Mr. Subaru.

[@JacobLambeCarGuy]

One very important question is do you know JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR?

[@ricepony33]

Get the tool! Just did this on my 05, the valve really helps meter it when you’re working solo.

[@scottmcd5885]

Another great video thank you! I wanted to add one thing. While air plenum is off look around. On my 2009 Forester I noticed that the rubber bell housing cover had become hard an was literally ready to fall in the bell housing. (I bumped mine and had to spend an hour fishing it out). Service was as straight forward as shown. And surprisingly enough. My local stealership had both parts in stock and even price matched the prices found online.

[@davetravels9273]

I just use the CRC direct injection and turbo cleaner. Same procedures but it comes out atomized and you spray it before the trottle body so it does two jobs without any major screwing and virtually no risk of hydro locking. I follow that up with a bottle of gum out (pea) fuel system cleaner. Does great and costs less than this.

[@petset77]

I'm checking out this video to see if the spray intake cleaners are safe for Subaru engines. My wife's 2013 Crosstrek runs great with 150k miles on it, but recently has the P0420 code. Gas tank cleaners haven't worked, and I'm just learning the downside of direct injected engines.

[@davetravels9273]

@@petset77 yes, it’s hard to clean them once they gunk up. It’s important to only use top tier, name brand gas that has more detergent, which helps prevent a lot of build up while off brand/grocery store gas has around 90% less detergent. You also want to use fuel system cleaner with PEA every 5,000 miles. Otherwise you will eventually need to have the carbon mechanically removed using walnut shells for example, which also requires removing the head, an expensive procedure. But the spray that goes into the intake might reduce it by some so that the code goes away. 🤞🏻

[@gbhrps]

YOU ARE THE MAN! This is just what I've been looking for to fix my Bride's 2019 Forester (my own 2017 OutBack Premier doesn't have DI)! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Abucody]

Thanks Mr. for the best information on Subaru’s outside the dealers.

[@jacobserugo9434]

I have tried on my impreza N14 with only the injector cleaner, but now , I feel a big difference . Thanks Mr Subaru

[@leonardkellum6984]

Replaced my PCV valve today while doing the throttle body, laid it on its side, so the cleaning fluid could maybe linger a little longer. Sprayed 2 little squirts upward from each side a few times, to let the chemicals do their work, then brushed, etc. 19mm and torque 17 ft lbs on PCV. Old one did'nt rattle as good as new.

[@robertshaw9437]

I reached out to my Subaru dealership in Nova Scotia Canada to buy the engine maintenance kit. I was told that they do not sell these kits to the public, they are stocked for their service techs only. As a workaround I went to Car Quest and the rep helped me identify similar or better products (i.e. higher PEA content) and used these items with great results.

[@wanglee21]

The plastic bottles are discontinued. They we replaced by the tin cans. I'm assuming they still have stock of the plastic ones tho

[@jimluense1494]

Thanks for the great video. My Outback is do for this service job on my need oil change. I will let my Subaru dealer do this because my Subaru dealer will keep track of all the service work I had done.

[@siecieh]

Same issue on '12 forester FB25 with 40k miles, 10 min fix by cleaning the throttle, smooth ride and a great night sleep... actually I didn't take off any hoses, just the air duct and the throttle body.

[@slowawdyoutube8372]

I would love to see a chemical comparison of the Subaru brand chemicals and the market competitors. I would say seafoam and something like HEET or Gumout which come in at a fraction of the price

[@jeffreygoss8109]

Playing armchair mechanic. I would have loved to have seen a bore scope of the valves before and after

[@MrSubaru1387]

Yeah, I wanted to, but the grid pattern behind the throttle body prevented this. Would have remove the intake, but twice for a video... Maybe in the future. 👍🏻

[@heyaisdabomb]

@@MrSubaru1387 Please do because I'm debating between this and getting the upper body walnut blasted. Are you also concerned about where this carbon is going, i.e. the catalytic convertor?

[@MrSubaru1387]

That's part of the smoke. Increasing RPM pushes it out/burns it, but there's likely some residue left in the cat/cats.

[@Thee-_-Outlier]

There is another video on a non-suburu where the guy scoped before and after the process of carb cleaning. The effect of the cleaning was minimal at best. Most of the cleaning it did was prior to the actual combustion chamber. It only showed a noticeable difference in one combustion chamber and the others showed no reduction in carbon and actually showed even more fresh carbon buildup than prior. You could tell it was fresh because it was wet and glossy still. Maybe if you ran it thru the system routinely it would clean more but one pass didn't seem to do anything on a direct injected engine

[@TheOmegaFleet]

​@@Thee-_-Outlier the biggest problem on DI Subarus is the intake tract before the valves I thought. That's where all the EGR gasses and buildup gets stuck as there is no fuel spray to wash the back of the valves and intake diverters.

[@binnsh]

Wow, cleaning the throttle body got my forester running much smoother, especially at low throttle!

[@johnf.6942]

What year is yours ? I need to do it soon ..

[@FlowJunkie65]

Heck of a good instructional video. Sorry, I was listening to part of this video while helping the wife around the house -- when or how often should this service be performed? Thank you! Liked and subscribed!

[@nigozeroichi2501]

Figures, bought a 2011 Forester and thought this might be worthwhile to give it a clean, BZZZZZZZT cleaner kit no longer available from the links, haven't checked the dealerships yet.

[@stealthg35infiniti94]

I do a similar operation but instead use CRC Throttle body cleaner to the butterfly and barrel using a toothbrush without removing the the throttle body. Then use Seafoam Spray into a vacuum line near the manifold. Running about 2.5 K RPM, spray the entire can. It will take about 10 minutes to empty the entire can.Let soak for 15minutes, then go for highway driving. Put one can of Seafoam in your gas tank.

[@bgable7707]

Another great video. Great explanation of the tool. Maybe insert that part in the beginning so that we know better for those that don't watch the whole thing try this.

[@mtmike5335]

Perfect timing, my dude! I'm getting ready to buy the tool and kit to do this on my 2017 Forester with just over 60k miles.

[@m_k5268]

Did you get to do it on your Forester XT? How did it go.

[@dogburrito]

I did a carbon valve clean treatment using a CRC product containing PEA. The car began throwing lean codes and increased HWY mpg from 23 to 26. The improvement occurred over about 1500 miles. The only problem is the car throws a code every 600 mile or so. So far it's been left bank lean, right bank lean, and a CAT code

[@sugarbooty]

Let me know what comes of it, how many miles are on the car? Might need a valve job

[@dogburrito]

@@sugarbooty 250,000 miles. The engine runs smoothly with the exception of some hesitation and the occasional stutter (once every 2 weeks). Stuttering occurs at any speed and can be a split second to a few seconds long. The stuttering is like a 50-80% power loss during which the engine runs very roughly.

[@sugarbooty]

@@dogburritointermittent issues like that are the worst, it can be any number of things. A leakdown test will tell you if it is the valves or not, had a kind of similar issue after seafoam with a JDM EJ20 but a lot worse. Slowly it got worse and worse, from occasionally bogging down to only being able to use it between 3k and 4k rpm without it just misfiring like crazy and throwing lean codes. The LTFT and STFT were both maxed out. Unfortunately I don't know what the issue was or is this is the same issue you're having, I just swapped the engine back to an EJ25 I had sitting around in an old car but i suspect the lean condition overheated some stuff and the valves are toast. That's what I get for buying someone's beater car as a daily

[@RESPAWN1983]

Curious what code you get?

[@dogburrito]

@@RESPAWN1983 P420

[@denniss1211]

As normal ... outstanding advice....I have 9K on my 2021 Forester. If using something like AMSOIL gasoline additive, when should I perform this routine. Please do not retire...we need you.

[@MrSubaru1387]

30k miles would be the recommendation for the upper engine/carbon cleaner.

[@denniss1211]

@@MrSubaru1387 thanks

[@paulwatts9910]

Planning on replacing the cat system and O2 sensors on my manual 2010 Forester with 250K. Going to perform this service 1st so as not to clog the new cat system.

[@aechdea]

Great video in all aspects. The only small correction is the link for the Upper Engine Cleaner Tool goes to the one for a metal can (SOA868V9431), not plastic bottle (SOA868V9430). Interestingly, the metal can product is named Top Engine Cleaner, while the plastic bottle is called Carbon Clean/Engine Maintenance Kit.

[@pauljohnson1404]

All DI cars have the same problem, it can get really bad to a point where the carbon build up is so much it can bend or break a valve

[@golding69]

I wish MrSubaru was my car's mechanic! (BTW, i think the cleaner's bottle black cap may have fallen off around minute 18:00" ) Thanks for all the Subaru technical info you share!!

[@kathykaura7219]

This makes me want to work on my Subaru and I don't even have one yet.

[@cihanugur8973]

Thank you Mr.Subaru. I used this maintenance kit , but mpg dropped by about %25-30 after.Not sure if it was a coincidence.Been having low power issue for last 2 years , still have it. 09 Outback , 215K mile on it. New Cat , new O2 sensors , New spark plugs , new ignition coil pack , new knock sensor , timing belt was replaced 3 years ago.. Please comment.

[@jakekwhitey]

You should recommend carrying out an oil change post clean

[@jerryyoung6494]

Why? Is there a reason

[@MrSubaru1387]

Sometimes the excess cleaner/additives make their way into the oil and dirty/contaminate it.

[@jerryyoung6494]

@@MrSubaru1387 thanks

[@Tom-ej8bb]

I would assume an oil change would be a good idea afterwards? T Y. I don’t have a Subaru but son does. A non turbo! I have a 1.6T in my crv. I am concerned about doing a service like that on it due to the turbo! Wish you were in Michigan. I would trade my Crv in for a non turbo in a minute!! Your a great mechanic. I was a long time ago only for a short time so I never considered myself a true mechanic. I appreciate your perfection!!!👍🙏

[@shamalanon-time4209]

Thanks for the great video. At what mileage should this be done please??

[@sergserg7769]

The Subaru service bulletin #09-74-21R states to use up the whole bottle of top engine cleaner first in step 7 and then do the 3500 RPM cycling to get remaining carbon deposits off the spark plugs in step 8. I did not see using the 1/3rd bottle combo you are showing here. Did I interpret it wrong or is there another bulletin for this Engine Maintenance Kit? Appreciate all the information you are bringing to the Subaru DIY community.

[@SRM20240]

All Subaru are reliable with the proper maintenance except early models (head gasket, fixed). We used to own three. Last year we bought new Impreza RS 2024 model (wife drives it, she likes Subies). At 14k miles have got multiple messages on display (check engine, eye system...), went to dealer, checked, said engine carbon buildup. They cleaned all that gunk under warranty. Wife drives 70% highways/ 30% city, never had this problem with previous cars. I did research and found that Subaru switched from port injection to direct injection engines during 2019-2020, now all models have Di, except BRZ( Toyota GR86 joint project, D-4S dual injection). Be prepared for this, if you will get this problem under warranty-no charge, no warranty or preventative maintenance it's around $350. But it is too soon at 14k miles!

[@alangodin2090]

Wonder if it might have defective pcv valves or something like that. I’ve got 85k miles on a 2019 wrx and it’s never had any issue with carbon build up.

[@coupedayville4038]

This is a lot like the procedure we use to do with sea foam on cars and 2 stroke boat engines.

[@El-Fartomatic]

Exactly what I was thinking. One can, 1/3 each section of cleaning and done.

[@Tsnor150]

really clear. great editing to remove time wasting stuff. indexed so we can jump past intro. excellent video. Subbed.

[@jojopojo9516]

As always, very insightful and helpful. I don't know why I thought all the FA / FB / CB engines were port injected. It would have been nice if a borescope could have given us a before and after of the valves.

[@marksandstrom4248]

XT WRX and Ascent FA20 and FA24 engines are definitely direct injected, thus "DIT" on my XT's engine cover

[@Lockwood360]

Fb20 is port injected

[@AbleMable]

@@Lockwood360 FB20B = port, FB20D = direct inject

[@williamsanter125]

@@marksandstrom4248 I'm pretty sure those are FB engines.

[@Airjimbo90]

Thank you for making this video. When I first noticed the oil leaking, I thought it was because I didn't install the spark plugs Correctly. Just replaced the seals at 175,000 and it sounds way better now. Hoping they also helps with the P0420 code too.

[@Jestr86]

i'm a subaru guy myself, i never have done this kit to any of my subarus.. should work with my old subies.. 89 XT6 and 90 Legacy

[@mattholmes8214]

Do you know how this works on the 2015+ WRX engines? Carbon buildup on the valves seems to be an issue and I've been using the CRC cleaner some other mechanics have suggested. Just curious how this might work on the turbo FA20.

[@auomwehttam]

What you used most likely worked. I used a borescope to check before and after using essentially the same method with seafoam. Even tho I only had 80k miles, it made a difference! I got the same engine btw

[@rcdyer]

I only have 63,000 miles on my JB25 so shouldn't need to do this just yet. I'll save this video though for future reference! Thanks

[@patricklosiniecki8503]

We do these at work a lot for higher milage cars and I can say from experience that it really helps with MPG, smooth operation, and overall longevity. In some cases, you'll even see oil consumption drop to almost 0. I would recommend changing PCV valves if you didn't already when doing this service as well.

[@notasgoodasapple]

Curious if you need to change the valve first, or after doing the top engine cleaning, or does it not matter.

[@patricklosiniecki8503]

@@notasgoodasapple I usually do it after, but I don't know which is the "most correct" way to do it. I just figured doing it after will discard and garbage that may have made it in during the service and start you off fresh

[@williamsanter125]

Yup, my PCV valve started getting sticky at 65k miles and I started burning oil. Pretty easy to change. They probably should be a time change at 50-60k.

[@charlesolinger6250]

My friend says it's frequently changing oil but he uses Amsoil Ss oil. I have switched to it but my car is Pontiac firebird.

[@spelunkerd]

Can you tell us about whether you agree with the theme of replacing the in-tank fuel filter regularly? It seems like a huge amount of work if you don't replace the whole fuel pump module at the same time.

[@mergerysichembe3961]

Very helpful am expecting my Subaru this month end can't wait

[@T-SquaredMusic]

We have a complete service kit (oil, oil filter, sump plug washer, upper engine cleaner, fuel treatment, window washer fluid) in Perth :) makes it easy to buy it all

[@andytennant4094]

This was a good video, I just spent several hours today removing the egr valve and cleaning it with wd40 and an old toothbrush hoping it would clear the check engine lights since it’s pulling an egr related code (P0400 EGR AFlow.) I put everything back together and nothing changed. Went back to the auto parts store thinking hooking the car up to a computer would clear the lights and they’d stay off but they came back on after 15 miles or so of driving like they did when nothing was fixed. It’s pretty depressing to deal with this on a car that’s close to but still not paid off.

[@jermainemorgan171]

Very nice. Can you not put on back coolant hose and it run ok? Cause were I live is in the tropics.

[@michaelweatherhead9470]

I just did spark plugs on my 2011 outback noticed oil in both holes drivers side I'll be taking care of that.

[@MrSubaru1387]

That's cam cover gasket and spark plug tube seal gaskets.

[@michaelweatherhead9470]

Thanks

[@Mikki-Media]

Lol, the intro being the ez30 timing cover reminded me of the "fun" time I had rebuilding mine

[@stephengalgay784]

Great video. Learning how to take care of my 2011 Outback and your instructional videos have been easy to follow and extremely helpful.

[@4skully]

i love both my 2011 subs my girls!!!

[@Braap708]

robert is the subaru man.

[@HondaWagovan]

The FA20/24DIT cars need the Toyota D4S system from factory, but that seems like that won't happen any time soon.

[@paulforst4225]

Thanks!

[@dlg5485]

I have a 2017 Impreza Sport with about 85000 miles. I plan on doing this procedure soon, but I'm also wondering how often should this be done as ongoing maint. UPDATE: I completed this procedure yesterday, but instead of the Subaru kit I used Seafoam, CRC throttle body cleaner, and Techron complete fuel system cleaner. I also changed my spark plugs and changed the oil right after and man does my engine run much better now! The one thing I did differently was to shut the engine off for 10-12 minutes after sucking up the last 3rd of the Seafoam bottle. I saw a few videos where people did this to allow the cleaner more time to work on the carbon deposits. Then I took a spirited 15 min drive. I too had a check engine light after the Seafoam treatment, but after a spirited drive and removing the battery (required to get to the spark plugs), the check engine light went out and has not returned.

[@jamesm.8392]

I was thinking the same thing

[@oregonfelder1]

I know you mentioned preventive maintenance long-term and thought you’d discuss catch-cans and AOS systems. I know you’ve touched on them in previous videos, but have you done a full break-down of them? Of course each manufacturer is going to tell you why their’s is best, but it would be nice to see a comparison by a proper technician on these motors. I personally have the Cobb AOS on my 2020 WRX installed before 3k miles.

[@brianmanguso4126]

I wanted to ask the same thing. I’m getting a new wrx soon and I’m debating if I should get a Aos right away or maybe just stick with this method. I plan on keeping it stock until the warranty ends.

[@highflya2709]

That seems like the seafoam treatment for more $$$. Should really put a borescope camera down the intake ports to show the before/after.

[@bradq2769]

Dude, you are awesome! Can you move to Utah? We need honest Subie lovers like you.

[@060racing8]

That's interesting in Australia I've only ever seen aerosol style upper engine cleaner

[@phoozle]

Was about to comment the same thing. This method seems far easier too

[@scottmasker4389]

Love your videos. I bought a 2024 subaru legacy sport. Any advice is more than welcome for my car. 👍

[@philboytano]

Can you do a video of this for 2016 WRX?

[@argeldelacruz9545]

Hey Mr s you think I can syringe that cleaner fluid into the engine? Instead of buying that tool?

[@AquariusRising]

Thank you for this! I just called my Subaru service center and asked them if they could do this for me.

[@paultice610]

Great video I should probably do A throttlebody cleaning on my 09 Subaru Forrester I don’t know if it’s ever been done I’ve bought it on the cheap and been working on it for the past year and a half but it’s always been drivable the whole time and I’m averaging 22 miles to the gallon mainly just normal higher mileage maintenance stuff have 158,000 on it

[@mattromano6992]

I have a question. So you connected the carbon clean tool to the end of the purge hose that you disconnected. On STIS it says to connect the carbon clean tool to the intake manifold that you disconnect the purge hose from instead of connecting it to the purge hose itself. Ive done it both ways. Can you explain to me the differences in both?

[@darrenvanderwilt1258]

Nice! This procedure is extremely similar to how we perform compressor washes on turboprop aircraft. In regards to the throttle body butterfly, is there concern about wear at contact between the I/D of the body and O/D of the valve? Also, how often should this be performed.

[@MonkellD]

I deleted my 100k comment because Mr subaru states bellow it is 35k miles. I use ethanol free 91 octane so I'm going to do it soon, I'm at 83k miles now.

[@cmazz...]

It this the same for a 2024 Outback? Great videos thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@longphan7568]

Just an update since im trying to clean mine. The top engine mount tool part# is SOA868V9432 which will work with the new style top engine bottles.the part# ending with 30 is longer available

[@garybaldwin1061]

I guess the only way to tell is to do a before and after inspection of the back side of the intake valves. Do you think you would see a difference? Isn't your cross trek port injection anyway. Can you damage the cats that way...or no.

[@jeffreygoss8109]

I bet there are not ten other technicians that would torque the throttle body. If I ever need work I’d take my vehicle to him.

[@kevbeek1]

Very clear and concise video. I am wondering about the torque wrench you were using when reinstalling the intake damper. I don't think it's in your amazon collection.

[@fractal815]

Great Video! I've got a '21 Outback touring XT with the 2.4 turbo engine. Obviously this engine has a lot more plumbing than the '13 crosstrek shown. Would you do a video for this cleaning operation with the newer engine or is it not a DIY project?

[@pcmountaindog]

How do I know this really cleaned up the intake? I would love to see a before and after image of the intake valves to see what the result was. I would never buy any engine with direct injection only. What bad engineering.

[@Sams911]

how bad is the carbon coating on the newer Direct Injected 2.4 turbo engines? have you had a chance to look at one?

[@griot-hf5ok]

Great video, as always 🎉🎉 In the future, I hope that you can do an EGR valve cleaning tutorial on the 2015+ Subaru legacy. That would be great 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@Dylan-san]

Where would the vaccum line be on a 2011 outback 3.6r? Should I run the top engine cleaner through the hose that goes to the brake booster instead?

[@mattheviewer]

Good to know! Where might one hook the valve carbon cleaning dispenser safely to an FA 2.4 engine ?

[@mattheviewer]

Web search discovered a Subaru service bulletin 09-74-21R (08/30/21 version) that shows connection points for DIT and DINA engines including the 2.4. Plenty of caveats on it so I'll let the pros tackle mine when it's due for cleaning.

[@michaelchristensen2786]

There is a sensor just downstream of the throttle body that is very easy to get to. I take that sensor out and use that hole. Since I use CRC intake valve cleaner instead of what MrSubaru shows, I just cover the hole with duct tape (making sure to clean the top surface so the tape sticks well) and put an 1/8" hole in the duct tape with a drill bit. Without the duct tape and the resulting hole size reduction the engine won't idle. Then I follow the instructions on the CRC can. This has worked well for me although 40,000mi is probably not enough to significantly carbon up anyway. With this method you don't need a special tool and it's a lot cheaper than using the Subaru OEM cleaner. I do this once a year. Time will tell if it prevents carbon build up.

[@ppwewe6868]

I would love it if you could do a upper engine clean on a Outback XT? Is it the same process?

[@TechsHelpingHand]

Firestone uses the exact same system. Even the bottles look the same except for the throttle cleaner

[@MichaelPSmith-mps]

is it necessary to remove the throttle body? i guess i don't understand why not just remove the air intake hoses and clean in place

[@stompy11]

Have you seen the "bg" kits at least some Subaru dealerships are using? Seems like they need more specific tools.

[@drussellu.s.1034]

Hey nice presentation. Thanks! What torque wrench do you have. Very cool.

[@MrSubaru1387]

Snap-on