I own a 2002 Outback. It is overheating. We have replaced hoses, thermostat, water pump, the temp sensor, had the radiator tested. Nothing has changed our problem. My husband is at a loss and the mechanic who has is now has no clue as to what else it could be. The mechanic is referring to it as a ghost problem.
View 19 RepliesI have a 2002 Subaru Outback that has started overheating only when I try to go up into the mountains. It starts within a few miles of starting up a steep grade and cools down the instant you start down the mountain. I have had no problems with regular driving conditions. The only pertinent info might be that it did have a coolant leak last summer and overheated then.
View 8 RepliesMy wife has a 2005 Subaru Outback XT w/auto trans, about 135k miles. We live in SoCal.The car runs great...well, most of the time. During the summer, or when driving up steep mountains with the AC running, the needle will climb steadily north towards overheating. Call me timid, but I've never been curious enough to find out what happens if I let the needle get into the red.To let the needle drop, I have to turn the AC off. This isn't the best option now since we've been experiencing over a week of temperatures higher than 103.I also noticed that the temp needle will drop to normal within a couple of minutes if I turn on the heater.
I did open the bonnet when we returned from a trip and with the car running, checked to make sure both fans were running.
My 98 Subaru only overheats when going above 60 mph for more than 10-15 minutes. When it does and I pull over,the cap has blown off of the coolant tank. After letting it cool off and adding a bit of coolant - it doesn't occur again and I can drive for hours at high speeds. I drive the car every day, up and over mountain passes and up to the ski hill and never have a problem any other time. I know subarus have a tendency to blow head gaskets, but wouldn't there be other warning signs?
View 1 RepliesI have a 2000 Subaru Outback with a little over 162,000 miles. About 3 years ago I had the head gaskets replaced. This past March the car started over heating while on the highway driving back to Boston from New Jersey. It has been doing this intermittently since then, and I have had two mechanics look at it.
The first mechanic, who is my beloved mechanic in Maine (where I am originally from), checked the sensors and relays. He even replaced the relays for free, and it still overheated on the way back from Maine to Boston. Needless to say I did not give him enough time to really look at my car to figure out the problem.
I then went to my back up mechanic in Boston, who kept the car for about 4 days. He said there are no leaks and the car did not actually over heat while with him. He had one of his guys drive the car home at night and back to the shop in traffic in the AM, and had it run for hours while on a lift, and on the ground. Still no overheating. However, he did say that the car was eating up coolant, which indicated to him that there might be a head gasket problem.
I was a little upset by this diagnosis because I had them replaced already, and also because I am getting married this summer so this obviously is not the right time to be buying a new car. I should mention that both mechanics looked at my car at the end of August. I have still been driving and watching the coolant.
The car is still randomly overheating but i tend to notice it happen more while in stop and go traffic and when I accelerate. The needle will go all the way up to red, stay there for a few seconds and then slowly creep down. This happened this morning, and I had checked the coolant yesterday and it was full! I checked it again at lunch time to see if it had used all the coolant during rush hour and it was still full. This chain of events seems to keep happening and I constantly check the coolant. Since August I have only had to fill it once. I have also noticed that when I open the radiator cap the coolant is not sitting level like I've been told it should. I've put a decent amount of work into the car and everything else runs perfectly.
Is it possible that this is a pumping or air bubble problem, and not a head gasket?
I have a 2001 Subaru Outback Limited with 135K miles on it. In the last year, I had two complete head jobs (the second because the new water pump failed while on the highway). In addition, I have had multiple water pumps, lots of thermostats and a new radiator installed. The last thermostat is an OEM. The car had been running fine for about a month and now overheats after about 30-40 minutes of combined, but mostly highway driving. At first, the gauge would rise to about 3/4 and then drop after about ten seconds, but now it goes to almost red and drops to 3/4. If I blast the heat, it will drop pretty fast. My mechanic told me that while diagnosing an earlier overheat issue (just before the good period), he noticed that the gauge would rise, but the computer temp would remain stable. He tried a new sensor, but said it made no difference, so he returned it. What is left to replace?
View 12 RepliesI have a 2008 Subaru Outback that is telling me that it is overheating, the gauge is showing me that the engine is as hot as it could possibly get. However, its not actually overheating. It happened after a 15 hour day of driving from Cali to Colorado on 2 lane highways. In the morning it took 6 tries to get started, just sounded like maybe there wasn't enough gas or something to get it going and if I fluttered the gas pedal the car threatened to quit on me. Since that moment the temperature gauge has been stuck on high, the check engine light is on, the cruise control is disabled and flashing on the dash, and the AC doesn't work. I have turned the car off several times since the incident and it starts up just fine so far but the gauge and lights are still on. ......
View 5 Repliesmy 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?
View 10 RepliesI had overheating problem on the highway. Towed car to Automotive Clinic - They said I needed new radiator and hoses, so I installed. Couple weeks later, overheats again, this time said I need new head gasket, so I go ahead. Soon as I get back, my car overheats AGAIN. Now back in the shop, and they told me the head gasket blew again...they have taken all apart, and now say they can't find out whats wrong. The coolant is leaking, but they don't know why...it failed hydrocarbon testing. What can it be?
View 2 RepliesMy Subaru just had the thermostat replaced, and it seemed to work until the wife took it she said it over heats when not driving the fans are working, it's over flowing out the reserve tank the fluid looked good when changed the thermostat so I don't think it's the head gasket my next guess would be either the water pump... After I last changed the thermostat and test drove it I felt the upper radiator hose it was hot but the bottom one was cool/warm.
View 8 RepliesEvery once in a while in heavy traffic the engine overheats. I can't get out to check on the highway bit I suspect a an isn't on. I can drop the temp in the usual way of blasting the heat but I can also drop it precipitously by turning on the AC! It seems to stay down even if I turn the AC off - at least for a while. The radiator is new and it has plenty of fluid.
View 2 RepliesHave a 2000 subaru outback 2.5l, automatic, with about 245k, I replaced the thermostat,water pump, the radiator and the car is still overheating. both fans are working. no leaking coolant. Maybe this is related- over heats mostly when driving on the highway. But if a shift the gear to neutral and coast for a minute the shift back to drive the temperature gauge goes down. Whats wrong, running out money fixing the car, but love it driving it in the snow.
View 2 RepliesI 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?
View 11 RepliesI have a 2002 Legacy Outback 6Cyl with VDC. Over the weekend my dash lights for both the ABS and the VDC will not go out after the normal starting of the car. Does this mean I have a brake problem?
View 4 RepliesI have a 2002 Subaru Outback and can't get gas in the tank. The tank acts like it is already full. Any solutions?
View 1 RepliesI have a 2002 Subaru Outback with 5 speed tranny, when I go to get moving the car bounces kinda like the clutch is getting disengaged too fast but it usually gets going just fine, this doesn't happen as bad when I accelerate slowly, when I disengage the clutch and get going it kinda lurches a few times. No matter the combo of clutch and gas I can't seem to get it to stop. This happens when I start in 1st and second gear, and a lot of the time if I accelerate quickly it will smell like burning rubber.
View 5 RepliesI have a 2002 Outback with 98000 miles. I am running conventional oil. How many miles between oil changes?
View 4 RepliesI have a 2002 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport with 110,000 miles on it and recently noticed a patch of clearcoat which has flaked off the left rear quarter panel and am wondering if there is a way to patch it with something or is the only remedy to have the entire car clearcoated?
View 5 RepliesI have a 2002 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport with ~140,000 miles on it. Recently, it's started having a problem, where when I make a right hand turn, it fails to accelerate until the wheel is straight...as if it's revving but not catching/accelerating until I've straightened the wheel and am headed straight onto whatever road I've just turned onto...does that make sense?
It tends to happen more at 1st start up in the morning...and then, once its warmed up it's not as bad, but still present. Left hand turns I don't notice it...maybe because they aren't as sharp? Also, fyi, the check engine light has been on for a while, but I know this is due to the catalytic converter..and am saving up to get that replaced.
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?
View 6 RepliesI just took my 2002 Subaru into the dealer to have them fix a fuel line leak that I was hoping was on recall (it wasn't). I don't take my car to them regularly but they had to be the ones to diagnose it in case it was a recalled part. They called today and said that the fuel line was leaking onto my engine, that there was no recall, and that because they heard a ticking sound coming from my engine they were predicting my cam bearing was giving out and it would be $3000 to fix it. I asked how they diagnosed it and they said they have a guy there who knows the sound well and can hear it and predict it accurately, but they didn't actually take the engine apart or anything to check.
I'm feeling a bit confused. I will have my mechanic look at it and ask him what he thinks but he did my brakes not too long ago and did not mention any concern about the clicking. I change my oil like a responsible car owner and take care of it, but it does have 200,000 miles on it. I need to drive a long distance in a couple of weeks and am wondering if my engine is about to give out....