Hi all. I now own an MY08 3.0r-b, with 110k on the clock. Which compliments an older 3.0r outback with 250k, so i have some point of reference I guess, and i've noticed a few symptoms on the new car..
1. Cold starts after storage.. Whenever I leave it in the garage for a week + , and then start it, it runs on 5cyl for the first 10s to 20s - definatly a complete cylinder out, no mistaking the rocking vibration.. question is why, and if this is at all common.. whilst I don't think we've ever left the poor outback out of action for a week, I don't think it's ever shown this symptom!)
Thing is it never does it below a week in storage - leave it for a couple of days, no problem.. That said, any true cold start seems a bit rough compared to the outback i.e a few random misses can be felt, initially.
2. slight hesitation off idle - Now this is a 6MT, so I don't really have any comparison here as the outback is auto, but it always feels a bit strange off idle - can make transition from overrun to acceleration at low speeds a bit jerky - sometimes abormally so, ditto taking off slowly, as the hesitation can give the effect you've let the clutch out to quickly.. This doesn't occur all the time, maybe 50/50.. I know this sounds like nit picking the way i've described it, but it does make it a bit of a chore to drive smoothly in traffic
Anyway just fishing for ideas, see if any of these things are known traits. Everything else spot on - oil and coolant levels haven't dropped in the 3000k i've put on it so far. warm running Idle and accel is perfect bar that hesitation off-idle.
One other thing I did notice is that lifter clattering at idle seems a bit more pronounced than the outback - even with though the later has so many Ks on it. - It seems like a single lifter making more noise than others.. perhaps this is a clue to problem #1.