Subaru Forester (1997-2023) firing order — diagram & guide
Improving efficiency with the Subaru Forester firing order.
As one of the most popular Subaru vehicles in the American market, the Forester makes an excellent choice for lovers of SUVs and that famous boxer engine. Still, not all of the engines were created equally, so that’s where the Subaru Forester (1997-2023) firing order comes to mind.
So, if you are among proud owners looking to extend the lifetime of their engines yourself, we’ve got a special guide for you. Through it, we’ll cover the most important aspects of the firing order for each and every Subaru Forester model and we’ll also discuss the cylinder pattern to help you get started.
| FORESTER YEARS | ENGINE | FIRING ORDER |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Gen (1997-2001) | 2.0L | 1-3-2-4 |
| 2.5L | 1-3-2-4 | |
| 2nd Gen (2002-2008) | 2.0L | 1-3-2-4 |
| 2.5L | 1-3-2-4 | |
| 3rd Gen (2009-2013) | 2.0L | 1-3-2-4 |
| 2.5L | 1-3-2-4 | |
| 2.0L diesel | 1-3-2-4 | |
| 4th Gen (2014-2017) | 2.0L | 1-3-2-4 |
| 2.5L | 1-3-2-4 | |
| 2.0L diesel | 1-3-2-4 | |
| 5th Gen (2018-2023) | 1.8L | 1-3-2-4 |
| 2.0L | 1-3-2-4 | |
| 2.5L | 1-3-2-4 |
First-generation Subaru Forester (1997-2001) firing order
The first-generation model of the Subaru Forester came with only two optional engines and these two have remained on offer for the duration of the production run. It featured the 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter petrol engines, but these were pretty specific since it’s a boxer engine, so let’s see what these are all about.
Subaru Forester 2.0L firing order
As the base engine option for the Forester, we have the 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The Subaru Forester 2.0L firing order is 1-3-2-4 and this firing pattern is pretty unique in the world of four-cylinder engines. To put it briefly, it’s a boxer engine which means it has a different cylinder placement when compared with a straight-four engine.
Instead of a straight-cylinder configuration, the boxer engine features cylinders 1 and 3 on the passenger’s side, and cylinders 2 and 4 on the driver’s side front to rear.
Subaru Forester 2.5L firing order
Just like the 2.0-liter one, the Subaru Forester 2.5L firing order is 1-3-2-4 and this engine is also a four-cylinder boxer. Along with the common firing pattern, these engines also share the cylinder configuration which means that cylinders 1 and 3 are located at the passenger’s side, while cylinders 2 and 4 are on the driver’s side.
Second-generation Subaru Forester (2002-2008) firing order
The second-gen Forester model also offered two main engine options, including the 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engines. That means the cylinder firing order is 1-3-2-4 for both of these engines, as we previously discussed, so we’ll move on to the next-generation model.
Third-generation Subaru Forester (2009-2013) firing order
Now for the third-gen model, Subaru added the 2.0-liter diesel engine variant, but the boxer engines were still offered. So, the firing order 1-3-2-4 was used for these two, and since we already went over those, we’ll focus on the diesel engine next.
Subaru Forester 2.0L diesel firing order
The Subaru Forester 2.0L diesel firing order is 1-3-2-4 as well, but this engine had a different cylinder configuration when compared with the petrol counterparts. So, the first cylinder was this time on the left side with cylinders 2, 3, and 4 following right up toward the right side in a straight-four order.
Fourth-generation Subaru Forester (2014-2017) firing order
The fourth-gen model of the Forester also featured the same engine options starting with two boxer engines and finishing up with the 2.0-liter diesel engine. In other words, all the engines featured the same 1-3-2-4 firing order, so that makes it much easier for you to apply it.
Fifth-generation Subaru Forester (2018-2023) firing order
By the time the fifth-gen model came out, drivers were more or less accustomed to the 2.0L and 2.5L boxer engines. However, this generation also brought a new engine option in the form of a 1.8-liter four-cylinder, so let’s take a look at this one together.
Subaru Forester 1.8L firing order
Just like the previous boxer engines, the 1.8L Subaru Forester firing order is 1-3-2-4 as well. This engine also has the cylinders divided into two on each side, most notably 1 and 3 being on the passenger’s side and the cylinders 2 and 4 being on the driver’s side.
Our take
Well, now you know a bit more about the Subaru Forester engines and their firing orders and specs. If you are one of those drivers looking to make the repairs themselves, it should be just enough to get you going with the repairs, so feel free to use our guide as a reference before doing any repairs.
