2014 Forester XT oil leak… $4.5k to fix?

So my 2014 Forester XT is having this oil control valve leak, and it’s triggering check engine lights. The dealership quoted me $4,500 to replace the OCVs and engine harness, but they won’t guarantee that’ll fix it. They also suggested resealing the front timing cover. If oil has wicked to the ECM, that might need replacing too. Just wondering if this is normal pricing or if they’re overcharging? The parts themselves are about $900. I could probably swap out the OCVs myself, but the harness and timing cover… not so much. Anyone dealt with this before?

Maybe try blasting the harness with brake cleaner first? Might save you some money if the contamination isn’t too bad.

Robin said:
Maybe try blasting the harness with brake cleaner first? Might save you some money if the contamination isn’t too bad.

Yeah, I was thinking of doing that this weekend. Any specific kind you recommend?

Had this issue on my wife’s '14 XT. Ended up rebuilding the engine because of other problems, but the OCV leak didn’t actually cause my codes. Dealerships love throwing expensive solutions at these things.

@Rye
So replacing just the OCVs might not even fix the codes?

@Rye
Exactly. I’d start with the cheaper fixes first—clean connectors, check harness, maybe replace the solenoids yourself before committing to a big job.

What kind of oil change intervals were you doing? These engines get picky if you stretch them too long.

Marlowe said:
What kind of oil change intervals were you doing? These engines get picky if you stretch them too long.

5-6k miles usually.

Dealt with this exact thing last year. Oil wicking into the harness is no joke—it actually made it all the way up to my ECM. I replaced the OCVs and let the harness drain, but in the end, I had to swap the engine harness too. Subaru has a TSB on this issue, but good luck getting them to help.

@Drue
Wait, you actually had oil in your ECM connector? That’s wild. Was your car throwing P0017 and P0606 like mine?

@Drue
Yep, exact same codes. The dealership first told me to replace just the OCVs, but the codes came right back. Had to do the harness swap.

If you replaced the OCVs and P0017 is still showing, you might need to check your cam sprockets. Sometimes the solenoid is fine, but the cam itself isn’t advancing properly.

Rye said:
If you replaced the OCVs and P0017 is still showing, you might need to check your cam sprockets. Sometimes the solenoid is fine, but the cam itself isn’t advancing properly.

Yeah, that’s my worry now. Hoping to avoid tearing into the engine if I can.

Rye said:
If you replaced the OCVs and P0017 is still showing, you might need to check your cam sprockets. Sometimes the solenoid is fine, but the cam itself isn’t advancing properly.

Fair enough. Maybe get a mechanic to check timing advance values before pulling everything apart?