Hello friends,
I've been testing a few NA Foresters and they all have a relatively loud tick. All of them have been around the 150~km range for mileage. After doing hours of research on the internet from people who may or may not know what they're talking about, it comes down to injectors, piston slap, or something in the valve train, but ultimately it's normal and nothing to worry about.
I had a mechanic inspect one potential: a 2005 Forester XS with about 165~km. Some more history about the car: there is no history. At least, not maintenance history. The owner has had it for less than a year, but the car didn't come with any records. I haven't done a carproof yet.
Anyway, the mechanic determined that the ticking was coming from a passenger side valve, and he thinks the valve seat is falling out. If I wanted to fix it, he recommended that I could a) adjust the valves, or b) fix the seat and machine the head.
Not that I doubt the mechanic, but I do want a second opinion if there is one. Does this sound like a reasonable conclusion/solution? or can it be "normal and nothing to worry about"?
