Subaru - Legacy :: 1998 - Overheating After Replaced Thermostat - Gasket?
Aug 14, 2011
problem is the my 1998 Legacy (142K) overheated this past weekend. It shut off and I had it towed to a "new" mechanic around the corner from my house. He diagnosed the problem as being a faulty thermostat. He replaced the thermostat and returned the vehicle to me. Two days later my wife was driving home and the car had a major overheating incident with resulting serious mechanical failure. I did a little research and within about five minutes found that this problem is quite common for this car and is more commonly related to a head gasket issue. My question is should this mechanic be held responsible in any way for the misdiagnosed problem? If so, what would be the best course of action? The car was otherwise running fine and in fact I recently had the transmission rebuilt.
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So my issue, had heat last year, turned on first time this year and its cold. So I did some research on the site and have done a few things but still no heat
First thing I did was flushed coolant system and add new coolant as I have 235,000 miles on the truck and it looked rough
Ran the truck for a while and checked heater core hoses, they were both warm, not hot by any means so I pulled the thermostat and replaced the thermostat and gasket
Now the hoses to heater core are both hot and my temp gauge went up about 1/4" higher than it ever has, but still no heat.
Blows fine, just cold or sometimes luke warm. I pulled the glove box back to try and see I I could hear anything when I change from hot to cold and I hear or see nothing. Only movement I see is when changing cycles from defrost, heater, ac... So could this be a blend door issue an how do I get to the blend door, is it behind the big plastic plenum box?
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My engine started overheating, and because I was stuck on a bridge during rush hour (George Washington Bridge in NYC), I couldn't get stop the car. I drove it for approximately 30 min (slow crawl), and this happened: [URL] .....
Yes, I know how stupid it is, but there was not even a shoulder to pull over to the side. The only good thing is that this happened pretty much soon as Igot off the bridge, and not on the bridge.
Hose by the radiator cap (is that the overflow hose?) popped out and spewed steam for good 5 minutes. The car did not start at this point. I left the car by the gas station after the bridge, and came back later on in the night. It started and I was able to drive it home (about 10 min away) at crawl speed without it reaching the red zone.
Today, I just did the oil change, topped off on the coolant, and also replaced the thermostat. But the engine still overheats (to the red). The upper radiator hose is burning hot and the bottom radiator hose is not. Also, the fan is working, but it blows out pretty hot air.
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Bought this truck at auction a few days ago. Started drive home and noticed temp gauge almost pegged full hot. Stopped and left it and pickup up later that day with trailer. Got home and started and ran it. Will not overheat at idle. Gauge fluctuates between full cold and 1/2 at idle. Rev up and temp drops to full cold. Drive around town under 35 and it stays between 1/2 and 3/4. Get on the highway and Pegs full hot. Replace thermostat and flushed system. Lots of rusty water and chunks of rust/mud poured out.
Upper rad hose is firm and hot. Lower rad hose is warm soft. Bypassed heater core and still over heats. I can run water hose from top hole on radiator and water crosses threw radiator and pours out the bottom so I don't think it's clogged. It's not the head gasket, I have no smoke, no milky oil and no oil in coolant. Fan clutch seems fine, I can spin it with the engine off and feel resistance. Truck hasnt boiled over while running hot so the gauge may be wrong. If it means anything the truck runs very rough and pulled up a misfire on cylinder #1 and had a iac code.
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My son has a 2002 Jetta, we just changed the water pump and the thermostat. The car will sit at idle and the temperature will stay around 190. When you drive down the road the temerature will rise and when you let off teh gas the temperature goes back down. What this could be, I have tried everything I can think of to fix this car.
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So after hitting a deer in my car a few weeks ago I fixed it and drove it around town a little bit and it ran fine. But 15 mins onto the highway the next day it overheated. It was out of oil, which I had checked a couple days before when I fixed it. so after it had cooled down I filled it up with Coolant and oil and started driving it home. the roads where bad and I wanted to go easy on the engine so I took it at about 25-30 MPH. as I was driving it would slowly overheat, but I could get it to start cooling down but dropping it into neutral and just letting it idle while I coasted. I had to get off the frontage road and take the highway the last couple miles before town so I turned the engine off and let the fan run for about 20 mins, and started off again, the weird thing was when I got on the highway I was doing about 55Mph and the engine didn't try to overheat at all, but as soon as I got back in town and started doing 25 again it started overheating again. another thing that is happening is that the car will blow air through the heating system but won't heat it. I realize that was long but I'm really at a loss. I replaced the head gaskets less than a year ago so it's not from worn gaskets.
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No white smoke, no water in the oil. I think the antifreeze is not circulating. thermostat? plugged radiator? faulty water pump? air blocked? I have had heat in the car when the gauge is on "H" and then cool air when in the same place. Have loosened the radiator cap and the engine appeared to cool off quickly then when it got up on "H" again opening the radiator cap just to relieve pressure did nothing.
The next time i let it idle and it started to come down, then accelerated to 2000 rpm and it cooled quickly. The next time repeated this same type of thing and did no good. Next time the gauge said "H" i kept moving and the heater blew hot air for 4 miles then it blew cold air?Start with a thermostat? Try bleeding the heater? replace radiator? take a compression test?
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I have a 1990 legacy and just replaced the water pump gasket and now it is leaking out of an upper bolt head on the pump and how to cure this....
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I had a leak in my water pump so we had it replaced and a new thermostat. Now it is overheating in just about 2 minutes and my heater is now not working. I was told that it is most likely an air pocket in the coolant. I have let the car heat up, not to the point of hot but over half way and shut it off, taken the cap of let it sit for a while and then trying it again. No luck so far. Is there another way to get it out of there? and would the cap have anything to do with it? it has been hard to take off in the past and now its coming off easy. It is the plastic kind. I am at the end of my rope here . the car runs like a dream, its just this one thing.
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Hitting a diagnostic dead end here - car wants to overheat/drink coolant on hot days when inevitably the A/C is on. A/C fan never comes on. Car was in a front-ender accident about 18 months ago, could be related, unclear. The A/C condenser was damaged then, but I replaced it, recharged the system, and the A/C now blows nice and cold. I've swapped the fans and the same fan works fine when plugged into the other side. I've swapped the fuses.
I've taken a working relay (as the other fan stops when I pull the relay out) and rotated that relay thru the other 3 sockets with the engine and A/C on. Still no movement. So I'm a bit stumped puzzled as to what to consider next, and then a part of me started to wonder if the fan is the red herring, and might I have a radiator issue which is the real culprit. I don't see any leaks. I had the thermostat fail about 1-2 months after the accident but a shop replaced it and this overheating issue really only flared this summer. This is a 99 Subaru Legacy SUS Sedan, the 30th Anniversary edition, with 189K+ miles, so minimal expenditure is the game plan.
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I have a 1997 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited, ~180,000 miles. It has been a good car but we've run into some problems the last few months. About a month ago we were driving back from vacation and experienced a loud belt squeal from the engine. Had a nearby mechanic look at it -- turned out it was a timing belt pulley which we had to have replaced.
Now, a couple weeks ago, the day after getting my fluids changed, I was driving over the mountain on another, shorter, trip and experienced sudden overheating - steam coming out from the radiator - lots of discouraging gurgling and clunking sounds as liquid moved around. Had to have it towed 40 miles back home.First thought being a Subaru person -- head gasket. A couple of mechanics nearby when I was broken down on the side of the road gave that as a preliminary diagnosis as well.
Unfortunately, we were leaving for a week on another trip, so I had to wait to have my car looked at until we got back -- about 2 weeks. Now my regular mechanic takes a look -- he says it isn't the head gaskets, but a hold corroded in the bottom of the radiator that the coolant is just pouring out of. Also the fans aren't working. F
I have heard that most people get their radiators replaced before it becomes clear that it is a head gasket issue. So I am very nervous that this issue is actually a head gasket and that for whatever reason my normal mechanic can't find the signs for because it was sitting for two weeks, or for some other reason. He's not a Subaru specialist. I asked specifically that he check the head gaskets and he says no oil in coolant, coolant in oil or sweet smell from tailpipe.
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So this car is having overheating problems -- it's a 2001, Subaru outback legacy wagon, 125,000 miles on it, automatic. I was driving it an hour on the highway, pulled off an exit, it overheated and stalled. Got it into a gas station only to find the coolant cap on the reserve had blown off and coolant went everywhere. So i put new coolant and water in and got it to go 20 minutes only to overheat again.
Drove it back home blowing the heater and seemed to somewhat remain at 1/2 to 3/4 mark on the temp gauge. Then i took it to shop-- they said probably an air bubble that worked its way out?! and they basically did nothing. Drove it again an hour this weekend, same thing happened--drove it back with the heater on. Brought it to ANOTHER shop that first off thinks its the timing belt. The person i bought it from had head gaskets, timing belt, water pump and thermostat all replaced. The only thing they were told to do was flush the radiator which they did not do.
SO...what do i do? I'm taking it to yet another place and don't want to be ripped off -- Change the radiator cap? Could it be one of the parts blew again? They were replaced last year. Should i flush the radiator-- what would that do really? Could it be an electrical/fuse problem with the fans?
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Just wondering if it's my car or does Subaru have a light issue going on with the 2011 Legacy's??
I bought my car 1/31/11 (so I'm still under warranty... barely) but here is my history with bulb replacement:
3/22/12 -- 14,251 miles -- driver side headlamp out
6/27/12 -- 17,322 miles -- passenger side headlamp out
6/19/13 -- 27,783 miles -- driver side headlamp out (although was taken in for a passenger side, side marker light)
7/16/13 -- 28,987 miles -- passenger side marker light out (the one that they didn't replace on 6/19/13)
1/22/14 -- 33,759 miles -- driver side head lamp and side marker out
Six bulbs in under 3 years???? Granted these have all be replaced under warranty but the next one won't be despite the fact it's an ongoing issue and that concerns me. I know I'm spoiled because I had a 2002 Honda before the Subaru and in 12 years (mom is now driving it) and 100+k miles I've replaced 1 burnt out bulb.
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my friends mechanic is telling him his 2000 outback (2.5 4 cyl) has a blown head gasket. there is NO water leaking/seeping out from anywhere outside the motor AND there is NO water in the crankcase motor oil. the thermostat has been replaced. the cooling fans work. I'm inclined to say it's a plugged radiator. he is considering replacing the head gasket (to the tune of $1500+) on advice of his mechanic. is it possible to have a blown head gasket and not be leaking coolant?
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I jumped in my car, started her up, and drove the 10 miles or so to meet up with her on the other side of town. And hour and a half later, I jumped back in my car and tried to turn her over....and nothing happened. I got the normal lights on the dash but no sounds at all - not even the usual "click".
I tried a couple more times before I went back inside and retrieved my brother-in-law, who is a retired truck mechanic, and asked him to take a look at it. He found nothing wrong and even he couldn't get it to start up.
I finally relented and called AAA to tow me to my fav mechanic. Before the dispatcher sent someone out, she offered to run through some troubleshooting stuff with me. She tells me, "Jump in, make sure the car is in park and your foot is on the brake, and give it one more try." And guess what? YES! THE CAR STARTED! It wasn't the normal start - it was silent for about three seconds before it finally roared to life - but at least it started.
So, I rush to my mechanic's place and ask them to give it a check over and make sure everything is okay. (I'm heading up to the high desert tomorrow and don't want to get stuck out there.) They came back a couple hours later saying everything looked fine - the battery, starter, and alternator were all fine. The advised me to keep an eye on it and come back when it "finally dies".
In the past year, I've replaced the fuel pump, battery, tie rods, and a boot. The alternator was replaced about 5 years ago and I've never had the starter worked on.
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I have a 98 Subaru Legacy wagon and have replaced alternator FIVE times in last 7 months or so -- originally my mechanic (who has been awesome & doing all the replacements for free) thought the parts were defective, but last one came from a different supplier and only a month or so after installing, my car just died at a light this morning. Battery not drained, and mechanic was able to start it after had it towed there. What can it be?
FYI, bought the car used two years ago, so don't know whole history, but was fine for first year or so. The first time I lost power, I think it really was the alternator (and snapped belt), so I don't know if something happened or something was not reconnected correctly. (First time it broke was on a Saturday and my regular mechanic was closed to went to someone not very good -- and if this is useful info beyond just complaining, when this guy put in the new alternator, he didn't connect it to the battery, so I stalled out within hours of the "repair.")
My mechanic is stumped and I am at a loss -- don't want to sink a bunch of money in if this is the beginning of the end of the car (mileage is just over 100k, though, so seems to young to die), but need a bit more reliability.
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I brought my Outback to one mechanic due to overheating and a strange skipping feeling when accelerating. First mechanic said head gaskets needed to be replaced, I wasn't surprised since I have about 142k miles on it and it has been leaking oil, quoted between $1800 and $2000. I took it to another shop, recommended by a friend, and they agreed the gaskets needed to be replaced and there was also a misfire due to the spark plugs. This shop quoted me at $2200-2600 for the head gaskets, spark plugs, all wires and timing belt, all other engine gaskets, thermostat, engine oil and coolant. I still owe a good bit on this car (parents bought on the fly from a less than stellar used lot and now it is my problem), and my thinking is I do not want to bring on more debt by attempting to trade this one in and go for a new car. My question is, do I go with the second mechanic that wants to basically rebuild to top of my engine, or would I be ok limiting the repairs to the head gaskets and spark plugs?
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'98 Subaru Legacy L, Automatic Tran., 2.2 L, ~140,000 mi. (a youngster)
My issue is with intermittent/delayed starting. What happens is that when I turn the key, the starter solenoid will click once. Eventually after several tries of turning the switch, it starts, usually with some hesitance. When I try to start, I don't hear anything laboring like the starter Bendix grinding against the flywheel, just click and nothing. I did have the CEL come on once for like 40 minutes and then go out. Once started, however, the car tends to run well and once warm starting is still hesitant, but is quicker. Did conk out on me once at an intersection, was able to restart. Luckily I can walk to school, so I have been keeping it off the road.
As far as troubleshooting goes, the car has the same difficulty starting in neutral as well as park. Within the past year I have replaced the alternator (died), timing belt (routine maint.) as well as the battery (bad). I have also reseated all the ground wires and coated them with dielectric grease. A few months ago, I took the starter out and had it bench tested as good at a "popular auto parts store" in my region - it tested good (starter readily turned over and the Bendix deployed and retracted). Funny thing, when I pulled the starter and replaced it after being checked, the car started flawlessly for a month or so, so I chocked it up to a bad connection. Guess not.
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I got a 98 Subi Forester L, stick, 130k mi.
I've been thinking about what gs ragtop & tester mentioned about the silicate stuff and I'm ready to take the chance, but there's one thing bothering me: If that stuff is supposed to be drawn into the combustion chamber where the silicate comes in contact with the super hot temps that solidify it, thereby sealing the leak, that assumes coolant is going into the combustion chamber, right? Well, I've been driving this car with a blown hg for at least 2yrs maybe 3, (that in itself amazes me), and I've never seen any sign of coolant in the exhaust, no smoke, nor any rough starting issues to speak of.
So, my question is simply, HOW THE HECK DOES THAT HAPPEN!! How in the world can I lift the hood and watch exhaust gases bubbling up in the radiator, yet when I park on a hot, 95 degree August day with a fully pressurized cooling system, the next time it's started there is no sign of coolant. The physics of that defy me! I mean, it says that the head gasket magically blew a "one-way" valve in itself? What do you think? Am I missing something?
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I have a 1998 Subaru Forester that is leaking oil through the head gasket. Repairs for the head gasket seem to be in high range, which is at or above the value of the car. Is trying any of the head gasket sealant products such as Blue Devil worth trying? Do they have the potential to do more damage than good? I love the car, but I'm also not sure if it is worth getting if fixed or if I should be looking to sell it for parts and buy a different used car.
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I had the car worked on a while back. They replaced the clutch and the viscous coupling in the transmission. ('03 Subaru Legacy manual transmission) Things seemed fine, then I realized my reverse light was acting like it was going out. Fuses are fine. A while later the car decided the clutch didn't need to respond as smoothly. Then: "Nope, you're funny to think you can drive me. I'm not budging." The car started grinding gears. I have to slam it into gear for it to work so I can drive it home and let it sit. The car will go into gear when off, no problem. New fluid has been put in. Bled. Then some sort of SUPER LUBE was put in and it still grinds. What might be happening? I really don't have the fundage in order to buy a new car at this time. But at the same time I hate feeling like I'm chasing a rabbit down a hole..
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