Subaru - Forester :: 1998 - Head Gasket Leaking Oil
Jun 15, 2013
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 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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My mechanic told me that the burning smell I've been getting in my '02 Forester when I'm idling is a leaking head gasket. It seems to be a slow oil leak. If I keep an eye on my oil level can I continue to drive the car without doing further damage or having to worry about breaking down?
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I have a 2007 Subaru Forester X Sport Model. I just passed 86,000 miles - much of that open road driving. My head gaskets need to be replaced. This seems somewhat early. I recently switched from using regular motor oil to a synthetic blend that the dealership suggested. Is there any history suggesting that switching lubricants might cause the head gaskets to deteriorate?
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I have a 2006 Subaru Forester (auto trans) with 97,000 miles on it. It's behaving badly, and here are its symptoms:1. It is getting worse gas mileage now than it has in the past 5 years I've owned it. Up until the last few months, I've been able to get about 26 mpg on average. Since Sept. or Oct., I've only been getting about 21 mpg.2. It shifts rough on a cold start when it shifts into 3rd and/or 4th. No rough shifting is noticed when the car is started on a moderate or warm day (roughly 35 degrees outside or warmer).3. When doing mountain driving (specifically u to a hill at highway speeds that is about 10 miles long and a sustained 7%-10% grade), the engine temp rises to about 2/3 according to the gauge on the dash. (Under normal driving conditions it sits at about 1/3.)
I took the car to my mechanic and here's what they said:
1. The gas mileage on Subaru Foresters frequently isn't much higher than 22 mpg, so for the first 5 years, I owned the car I was just lucky.
2. The fluids need to be flushed and changed: differential, transmission, etc. - approximate cost $400
3. He's almost certain that the cause of the 3rd problem is blown head gaskets, and the cost of that is about $3000.
If the head gaskets are truly the culprit, is it a repair that needs immediate attention or is it something I can delay for a while?
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Had the head gasket replaced and metal machined due to HG failure. 2001 Forester, 120K miles. After I got it back, a bad oil smell. Cleaned and sprayed it, still there, though less; seems to be on drivers side. Comes into cabin from the air vents below windshield when stopped.
Could it be the line from manifold vacuum to brake master cylinder ie servo amplifier? Or something else?Should I worry? The car seems to get about 15 mpg, used to get 18 mpg, and the check engine MIL is on.
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I bought this Subaru outback with 100,000 miles- clean car fax, etc, did the timing belt, water pump, thermostat at 102,000. Now at 116,000, the head gasket is leaking ($2,200 estimate) so the repair shop is working on that and they called today to say the #2 cylinder is scored and the engine needs to be rebuilt. ($4,000 estimate). I'm not sure if I should have them proceed with he work- that's a bunch of money or look for another engine, or what to do !! Its a great little car- but geez- what to do-
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2000 Subaru Outback. The head gaskets have begun to leak slightly (oil and coolant), even though I brought it in for the recall at 80K and the dealer put in the additive. I recently (111,000 miles) put in another bottle of the additive coolant conditioner and the leak seems to have at least slowed to a trickle. Is it really essential to have the head gaskets replaced? Or could I just keep an eye on the oil and coolant levels and put a bit of kitty litter in my garage? Some of the information I googled indicates that the recall of this car is for an OUT leak and not an INNER leak--which would be worse. Is it true that an OUT leak is not as worrisome?
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I've never replaced a car stereo and have no clue what to look for as far as compatibility goes. My '09 Forester has a am/fm/sat. radio hookup/ 6 cd changer. Do I have to look for a specific stereo head other than it being a 2-DIN?
I'd like to be able to continue using the aux port that is in my center console, and I would like a USB port that I can plug a Galaxy S4 into.
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My Subaru dealer just told me that my 2004 outback with 88k miles has developed a head gasket leak. I haven't noticed any symptoms, and the leak started sometime between now and my last major service 10k miles ago. How serious is this? They want to charge me for it? If so, when? Is disaster imminent?
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A family member has a 2002 Subaru Outback. Possible blown head gasket per dealership. Should we just get rid of it or fix it? I feel the car had problems when we bought it a couple years ago due to dishonest salesperson. I hate to keep putting money into it. It seems to use a lot of oil also. Fix it then sell? Or just get rid of it?
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I recently had an issue with my head gasket. It was repaired but then learned the real issue was that I had diesel gas in my engine. (Long story, fuel hauler put wrong gas in tank and service station sold the gas to us unsuspecting drivers.) After head gasket was fixed, tried to leave service shop but car still had issues - turned around and went back. O2 sensor and other fuel trim numbers were off. But couldn't diagnose problem completely so told me to drive home (30 miles) and come back next day.
That's when I found out about the diesel gas issue. My car got drained of bad gas and cleaned. Got car back but now is leaking oil. My husband thinks it is either from the valve covers or from head gasket. Can diesel gas in your engine damage the head gasket? Could I have done more damage by driving the 30 miles home with the bad gas? Or did the shop just do a bad head gasket repair? I only bought this car 6 months ago - used. It now has 88K miles.
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I have a 1995 GMC Sonoma pickup truck with supposedly a blown cylinder head gasket. It only has 53K original miles on it. It overheated and I had it towed to a service shop. They put in a new water pump, new coolant, new thermostat, new radiator hose and did an oil & filter change. Well, 100 miles later, I noticed my water coolant was disappearing and the oil pressure was rising. I brought it back to the same shop and after looking at it for five minutes they informed me it was a blown cylinder head gasket. They said they had no way to determine this when they were doing the repairs the first time. So, I ask the following:
1-Was it proper for the shop to do the first repair without checking for a potential head gasket leak?
2-Is there some type of testing that could have been done by the repair shop to check for coolant leaks into the engine oil? 3-Would I have saved money (labor) by having this taken care of at the time of the initial repair?
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I have a 1998 volvo s70 with 273k on it. I am pretty sure the head gasket is blown. The shop I usually take my car to said i need to take it to a dealer and that volvo usually wants to replace the engine on a car that old. Would you pay the 6k for a new engine or think about a new car?
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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 have a 2000 Toyota corolla with about 170,000 miles and it is using about one quart of oil every 500 miles. The last couple places I took it to said the compression was bad in the number 4 cylinder. Another place said it was a leaking head gasket. Which is most likely, and is it worth getting it repaired given its age and mileage?
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A year ago (to the day), my car (2006 Hyundai Sonata) died on me while I was driving it. My boyfriend came and gave me a jump. The car got home fine. The next morning, we went out to the car, and the battery had died, so we jumped the car again, and got to the battery place and bought a new battery. I was worried there was another issue with the car- but my boyfriend was all like "You are feeble woman who knows nothing about cars" (kidding, kidding) so I listened to him and drove the car off that afternoon. On my way home, car died again. So, this time, we got the car towed to a dealership to get checked out. Well, turns out the head gasket was leaking and there was oil in the alternator. SOOOO. The dealer replaced the head gasket for free because the car had a warranty on the engine, but we were SOL with the alternator. So, we bought an alternator from a friend, and had another friend install it for us.
Yesterday, I got out of work, and car wouldn't start. When my DF came to jump the car, he and I could clearly see the head gasket is leaking again and there is oil in the alternator. I have a couple questions that I need answered...
1.) What causes a leaky head gasket? My boyfriend said that either the engine block was warped or that the replacement they put in last year was faulty. Are there other ways?
2.) How the beep do you replace the alternator in the 2006 Hyundai? It is in an odd location and we don't have access to the person who did it for us last time, so I need to see if this is a job my boyfriend can do. He does work on his car all the time (an 87 BMW), but he's never done anything on this car besides change oil, etc.
A little bit about this car: We bought the car from a Hyundai dealer in June 2010. It belonged to one of the dealer investors, so it was in great condition. However, we think the car was in a front-end accident. When my boyfriend waxed the car awhile back, it was pretty obvious that the front bumper was replaced as well. The dealer refuses to give us any mechanical records about the car (will only give us verbal summary) ...
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I have a 98 Eclipse (non-turbo) with 221,000 miles. Head gasket blew out on me this morning. Lost water, but stopped before temp went too high. Bought water to put in to make it to work.
Question: What are your opinions on the "Quick Fix" head gasket repair liquids I see advertized? Two that come to mind are Blue Devil and Steel Seal. I am cash strapped and several hundred dollars are not in my future.
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I have a 1997 Saab 9000 CSE Turbo. It has been a great car overall. Last summer, our water pump died while cruising on the highway, leading to a major overheat, leading to warped head. We decided to roll the dice on a rebuild, which was done by a reputable import specialty shop that has worked on many Saab 9000s. Since we got the car back 5000 miles ago, we have lost a few miles per gallon, and we hear a rough noise in the engine (particularly when it's cold). In the last few thousand miles, we lost a lot of coolant, apparently because the new water pump is faulty (the shop looked at it and agreed to replace under warranty). In the last 1000 miles (but no evidence of it previously), we have begun losing oil like crazy and occasionally (but not most of the time) smelling burning oil (the heater is on, moving air around). We are now adding about a quart per 200 miles. When we inspect the block, there is some small evidence of oil leakage, but not a lot, and there are never drips on the driveway.
Where is all that oil going? I showed it to the shop, we put it on the lift, and there is no spray on the underside, leaking oil pan, etc. I suspect the new head gasket is leaking, but there is little enough residue on the block that it's hard to be certain. What other explanations are there, and is it fair for me to blame the repair shop and insist that they redo the head gasket? The shop is a 6hr drive from my house, so I can't just drop by to discuss it with them.
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I am working on a friend's 2002 Camry 4-cylinder on which I recently replaced a leaking head gasket. Since that was competed the car runs fine but it has been throwing the P1346 code indicating VVT/Cam position sensor performance problem. I have a code reader and I have cleared the code a couple times and it re-appears each time after driving the car a while.
I also have a 2005 Camry with same engine, so I switched the cam position sensors between the two cars and the code showed up again on the 2002 while the 2005 still is running OK, so apparently the sensor is not the problem. The 2002 had been worked on before (some head bolt holes were stripped and I had to install inserts for all the head bolts - I used NS300L inserts) and whoever did the previous work was very rough with moving around the wire harnesses, etc, so I suspect it is a bad connection causing the error code.
My question is: can the car be driven in this condition OK, or is there a potential to damage something if the VVT is not operating? I checked the basic valve/crank timing and it is OK, and the engine feels/sounds like it is running very well. Should I be worried about this, or can I wait for a convenient time to try to find the source of the problem?
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2001 Chevy Silverado with a 5.3 L engine and a leaking head gasket that was getting worse (at 217,000 miles). Car has rusted body (upstate NY), so not going to spend too much for repairs. Decided to try one of those "magic elixors" in a bottle. Went for the Bars Leaks head gasket repair stuff - Followed directions, etc (put it into the top radiator tube, NOT the overflow bottle). The stuff had little strings of copper-looking stuff floating in it. It worked. After a little more loss of coolant, the coolant loss has finally stopped. Amazing that something like this really worked.
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