Does anyone know anything about Subarus?

[RTFM]

Thanks, Beez. I was waiting for something like that. BTW, is that your sister?

 

[heyhar]

Interesting turn in this thread considering that the Outback is one of the favored cars of the Rainbow crowd.

 

[Ralph]

Interesting turn in this thread considering that the Outback is one of the favored cars of the Rainbow crowd.

I had always heard they were pretty decent vehicles. It doesn't make any difference now as the seller never contacted me.

 

[DrMoab]

I had always heard they were pretty decent vehicles. It doesn't make any difference now as the seller never contacted me.

Like sensible shoes...the butch crowd doesn't get everything wrong.

My wife loves hers. It's fairly small and easy to get around town yet it has a butt load of interior room. She has a 120lb dog she takes everywhere so the big cargo area is awesome. It also kicks serious ass in the snow which we deal with a lot here.

 

[heyhar]

We have an '04 OBW that we bought new, and I've over-maintenanced to death. Last September I thought I smelled antifreeze while driving slowly through a resort community. Yeah, the overflow bottle was suddenly almost empty. Log onto subaruoutback.org, and it was like Welcome to Headgasket Hell! I took it to the dealer, and they suggested waiting till timing belt time to fix it. Gave me a little bottle of Subaru coolant additive, which is re-branded Holt's Rad Weld, and sent me on my way. It seems there is one major flaw in a horizontally-opposed engine, at least in Subie's version. After shutting the engine off, hot coolant sits at the lower back end, and the coolant, still under pressure, weeps through the gasket. According to what I've read, it almost never weeps into the oil or combustion chamber, but just to the outside. The danger here is losing the coolant and overheating, something that oddly shaped aluminum castings cannot tolerate well.

It's a shame to have such a major design flaw, because up till now, it's been an amazing little beast, and we've been to many parts of the country in it, all the while averaging about 32 MPG driving with a sensible foot.

 

[philagony94xj]

I wouldn't say coolant passages cannot leak into the combustion chamber. Case in point, I've seen coolant spout out of a radiator neck cause of the pressure in the combustion chamber. It was quite a surprise.

Bad head gaskets can leak in any direction, internal, external, oil in coolant, coolant in oil, exhaust in coolant, so on and so on.

 

[heyhar]

According to what I've read, and been told by the dealer, typically the coolant will tend to leak at a specific spot, the lower rear of the head/block seam, and usually to the outside, not into oil or combustion areas. It seems the greatest number of leaking engines were installed in the 2000 and later 2.5 engine equipped cars, and the problem became apparent as the cars gained miles (usually about 70k) and got older. If I can recall, the gaskets were modified around '06-'07, giving better results, but there have still been complaints

As for our car, I check the coolant and oil level at least once a week, the oil has been almost crystal clear, and I keep my fingers crossed. When I had it checked at the dealer, they said that with how little it was weeping, they didn't even want to take my money. Just add the Holt's at every coolant change, and all should be well.

 

[Beezil]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0epJOwMCTg

 

[XJLI]

2.2 or 2.5? if its 2.5 is prob DOHC. the 2.5 is a tad more prone to HG leaks than the 2.2

the 2.2 is a beast of a motor, itll take a lot of abuse.

 

[philagony94xj]

^^^^^^^^ True statement. Turbos are about the worst. 2.2's are excellent motors.

The dealer is probably correct in the sense that maybe that's the only place they've seen them leak. But around my neck of the woods, the gaskets can leak anywhere. Just speaking from my own experience.

The newer 07+ cars have been much better as far as head gasket issues, but then again they haven't seen the amount of miles or time needed to have issues arise. Give them a few more years and see if the newer style gaskets are what they're hyped up to be.

 

[DrMoab]

Ours is a 2.2

It was leaking oil out of the head gaskets, not water.

 

[bcmaxx]

The 98 is a dohc engine, and if it hasnt had head gaskets upgraded, they will almost 100% need to be replaced at some point. Amost always go between the combustion chambers and the coolant passage, it will over heat at the weirdest of times, even going downhill. The rad becomes overpressurized with combustion chamber gases, and tills the overflow then onto the ground. quickest check you can do is sniff the overflow tank, if it smells like exhaust or gas fumes or discolored head gaskets are in order. In the hundreds we have done maybe 2 or three mixed oil and coolant.

 

[heyhar]

2.2 or 2.5? if its 2.5 is prob DOHC. the 2.5 is a tad more prone to HG leaks than the 2.2

the 2.2 is a beast of a motor, itll take a lot of abuse.

Outbacks have 2.5 four cylinder or the 3.0/3.6 six cylinder. I don't think they have used a 2.2 in an OB since '99. And I don't think the headgasket issues started until 2000.

 

[XJLI]

Outbacks have 2.5 four cylinder or the 3.0/3.6 six cylinder. I don't think they have used a 2.2 in an OB since '99. And I don't think the headgasket issues started until 2000.

Nope, all the older non turbo ej25s had hg issues.. my 98's blew and the PO had the new longblock put in..

 

[Beezil]

damn, this forum has a lot of lesbians

 

[lesslimited]

You got a problem with that?

 

[heyhar]

Maybe I'm one? I like women, and occasionally drive an Outback. And wait, both my XJs were previously owned by women. I feel my Congressman Anthony starting to shrivel...

 

[karstic]

damn, this forum has a lot of lesbians

Maybe thats why you came back.

 

[XJLI]

i was definitely a lesbian for a while, N/A 2.5s are a joke... but it looked and sounded pretty...

 

[RTFM]

I'd lick it.