wnysubob99 Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Our Outback (2.5) had the classic HG problem and was fixed by our Subaru dealer approx. 20k miles ago. We have had no problems since and the dealership has an excellent reputation for quality repairs. The car was parked for a week in sub-zero or near sub-zero temps for a week. Started right up today and let it run for about 40 minutes including a brief drive to lunch. It operated fine with no temp problems. While driving home from work, it began to run hot. So hot that even in below-freezing temperatures, the fan came on. There are no drips beneath the car to indicate a leak of any kind, and the heat inside the car was working fine. The overflow appeared low, but then again it has never had much in it since we bought the car ten years ago. Where to begin? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Subaru usually offers a 1 year warranty on their repairs - so I'd be getting it back to them pronto. classic EJ25D headgasket signs are bubbles in the overflow tank and no heat in the cabin (it'll be hot for a minute) when it's overheating, and one of the radiator hoses will be relatively cool to the touch. *but* they are capable of different symptoms after being repaired so harder to say definitively. if the coolant is low in the radiator, air bubbles can prevent circulation and cause overheating. why did you let it idle for 40 minutes? radiator could be clogged. thermostat could be stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Did it over heat or run hot/ Over heat, could be a kink in the HG job Run hot in extreem cold- Raditor cap Antifreeze mix (doubt it) Low coolant clogged radiator stuck thermostat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnysubob99 Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 Did it over heat or run hot/ Over heat, could be a kink in the HG job Run hot in extreem cold- Raditor cap Antifreeze mix (doubt it) Low coolant clogged radiator stuck thermostat It ran hot. Thanks for the tips - will use your checklist tomorrow a.m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 another possability, a hariline crack in the radiator allowing for leakage when cold or hot. If it opens up when hot you will never see the source of the leak. I dont think this is a HG issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnysubob99 Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 Subaru usually offers a 1 year warranty on their repairs - so I'd be getting it back to them pronto. classic EJ25D headgasket signs are bubbles in the overflow tank and no heat in the cabin (it'll be hot for a minute) when it's overheating, and one of the radiator hoses will be relatively cool to the touch. *but* they are capable of different symptoms after being repaired so harder to say definitively. if the coolant is low in the radiator, air bubbles can prevent circulation and cause overheating. why did you let it idle for 40 minutes? radiator could be clogged. thermostat could be stuck. It is beyond a year since the repair, so if it is the HG again, I will probably be out of luck. The car was covered in snow and ice and the air temp was about 10 - 15 degrees F. I wanted to not only start it, but let it run a bit after sitting in the cold all week. It probably idled for closer to 30 mins - drove to lunch and back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 If this is a one of thing, was the radiator clogged with snow? that can cause a run hot issue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnysubob99 Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 I dont think this is a HG issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Run hot in extreem cold-Raditor cap Antifreeze mix (doubt it) Low coolant clogged radiator stuck thermostat fans not coming on, would be most prevalent during idling and cool down when you start moving. you'll want to start keeping your eye open and see if it's random or predictable (highway, city, iling, stopped, moving, temp dependenet, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnysubob99 Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 Update: Radiator was about 1 qt. low, and added coolant mix. Two 20 mile trips this weekend @ 50+ MPH, no problems. No visible signs of leakage. This morning, 40 mile trip, ran fine, started getting warm after about 15 miles on thruway in wet snow, freezing rain, fans came on and cooled right down. Going to get new radiator cap anyway. After lunch steam coming from grill, but believe just water burning off from road-spray/wet conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 from road-spray/wet conditions. oh wow, yeah it can never be simple can it! LOL I'd check coolant level when convenient to keep an eye on loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnysubob99 Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 I guess we're heading to the dealer for a diagnosis. On the way home from work today, the temp gauge was in the red and I had to pull over to let it cool down. The overflow tank was overflowing. Not the thermostat because there was plenty of heat in the car. Hopefully, after paying $150 for them to diagnose, it won't be HG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Knowing how some dealers repair head gaskets, I wouldn't be surprised if that's the cause. But it could just be due to low coolant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnysubob99 Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 Installed new thermostat, radiator cap, got coolant up to good level, bled air out, and took it for a ride around town. Stopped in parking lot and checked overflow tank and saw bubbles coming up. Just cannot believe we are facing hg issues again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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