r3227 Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 Hi, New user here. Glad you all are around for me to bounce questions off of. I AM NOT a mechanical person, in fact you could call me challenged! My OB Sta Wgn is a 2003 with the 2.5L engine with 43,000 miles on it. About a month ago I began noticing the smell of anti-freez in the passenger compartment and around the front of the exterior. Last week the engine light came on and I took it to a local mechanic; he said the error was a problem with the catalytic converter. This seemed strange because Subaru replaced the CC under warranty at about 30,000 miles. He also said there "might" be a tiny leak of coolant from the rear of the engine but could not see a source. No loss of coolant that I can tell, the temp gauge is always indicating dead center. Does this model have a history of head gasket problems as some Subarus have had in the past? Is this covered by Subaru if it is a head gasket? How do I deal with the dealership? Thanks in advance for your help. Drew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muse Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 r, check this website http://www.alldata.com/recall/make/Subaru.html. I wasn't sure "which" kind of OB wagon you had,(there are quite a few types listed), so you can check yourself. You can view the general info on this site, beyond that, you have to pay. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muse Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 By the way, what kinds of problems were you experiencing that you had to have the CAT replaced? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r3227 Posted April 4, 2005 Author Share Posted April 4, 2005 By the way, what kinds of problems were you experiencing that you had to have the CAT replaced? Engine light came on...no problems noted. Thanks for your interest. Drew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottbaru Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 One of my customers has an '03 with a headgasket external leak. That is, the coolant that flows between the block and the head is leaking out through the headgasket. The dealership put some sort of gasket sweller/sealer in the coolant and it stopped, that's apparently the official fix for this not-uncommon problem. What dealership do you go to? I'm looking for a local place familiar with working on Subarus, half-hour to the nearest dealership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muse Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 Good luck Drew, it's a bummer when "newish" cars have problems! 2001 Forester S Automatic Previous Brat Owner (drove it till it blew up ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r3227 Posted April 4, 2005 Author Share Posted April 4, 2005 One of my customers has an '03 with a headgasket external leak. That is, the coolant that flows between the block and the head is leaking out through the headgasket. The dealership put some sort of gasket sweller/sealer in the coolant and it stopped, that's apparently the official fix for this not-uncommon problem. What dealership do you go to? I'm looking for a local place familiar with working on Subarus, half-hour to the nearest dealership. I go to GR to Delta Imports where I bought my Outback; I was given two names of mechanicis in Holland: Sybesma, 335-2197 and Mike, 396 5635; recommended by the Import garage on 8th St. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobyclimbs Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 Get the cooling system pressure tested for leaks .Then get a chemical test for the headgasket if needed. Headgaskets usually leak internally into the combustion chamber (so when a chemical test is done the color of the chemical turns a different color when exhaust gases are present). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottbaru Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 I go to GR to Delta Imports where I bought my Outback; I was given two names of mechanicis in Holland:Sybesma, 335-2197 and Mike, 396 5635; recommended by the Import garage on 8th St. I wish Holland Imports worked on Subarus, I was told by two friends they did, which helped me decide to buy my Subaru. I grew up down the street from Sybesma, kind of a difficult guy to talk to. He inherited the shop and house, and doesn't seem to need much work. I drive by his shop several times a day (I live out near Castle Park) and don't remember seeing a Subaru there. Who's Mike? There are several Subarus in my neighborhood, I plan to ask around about mechanics when people start coming out of their houses this spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 I don't know about the newer models but the older ones could leak coolant into the cylinders through the intake manifold ports. This may be another thing to check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
envy_petter Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 Just sent a PM to r3227. I just had the left head gasket replaced on my '03 Special Edition sedan. Subaru REFUSED to extend the warranty to 8 years/100k like they did with the '99 to '02 engines. The customer service rep was a complete bee-yatch and said that it is NOT the same problem because it is a totally different part that is failing. Same problem, different part...hmmm. Let's get a petition going to have the warranty extended. I'm all for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.