JBRIII

You ain't lyin brother!!!

The shop has a test probe they stick down into the radiator to detect any exhaust gases. So far - Negative.............

As of right now, it may not be the headgaskets. They did more leakdown testing and couldn't find anything. They think it may be a leaking tranny cooler line in the radiator. As there is oil in the coolant, but no coolant in the engine. They are going to further test to make sure. But right now it looks good. a radiator beats the headgasket job hands down when it comes to $$$$$. That's why I love this shop. They are not going to do a job, just to make the money. they want to fix the problem, without doing something you don't neded.

We lost the headggaskets on my wifes 96 2.5L Outback. Having them replaced. Our shop is top notch. Pricey though. They are going to mill the heads, Replace the Water Pump, Timing Belt and all of the Cam Seals while they are in there. Also totally steam flush the radiator. The car has 112K on the clock. Is driven about 10k a year. What type of longevity should we expect after theis replacemnt? Is it something you'd keep for a while and then trade off? Or would you drive it till it falls apart? Anyone have any mileage statistics after they've had theirs replaced? Thanks, John

headgaskets are shot. Will send off heads to make sure no cracks. $1,500 at least...........

Thanks for the replies. Shes's going to drop it off at the shop this morning. John

Guys, Posted before about a gurgling coming from the dash. Well tonight my wife came in and says there's a strong coolant smell coming from her 96 OBW. I checked the carpet under the dash. Dry as a bone. Can't smell it inside. Can smell it when you lift the hood. The overflow tank is brackish brown and so is the coolant. Although I was using a flashlight to look at it. And I put some bars leaks in it this fall. Coolant level is not low at all either. Any ideas? John

Didn't sound too bad. Most thought it was trapped air. Not using any coolant. I'll keep an eye on it. John

Guys, My wife's 96 Outback 2.5L makes a funny noise on startup, when you first get moving. Sounds like gurgling water. Goes away after a few seconds. Any ideas? Anything to be concerned about? Thanks, John

I used Bosch on my wife's 96 Outback. They were about$80 from Partsamerica.com Been totally happy with them. No more check engine light. John

I'd say get it fixed. We had some cam seals on my wife's 96 OB fixed 2 years ago and no leaks since. They have to take off the Timing Belt anyway to do the other work. The belt itself is $30. As for the plugs and wires, I did them this weekend. I got a set of Bosch wires for $85 and NGK plugs for another $40. Crawled uder the front and had all four swapped out in 30 minutes. Have them do the major work if concerned about price, then buy the plugs/wires and do them yourself and save $180. Good Luck, John

Ordered some new wires and plugs. So far the code has not re-emerged. I put in a bottle of fuel system cleaner as well. I'll swap out and see what happens. Car seems strong, so it may have been an anomoly. Thanks for all the input. John

The car has 110K and to the best of my knowledge has never had the O2 sensors replaced. She bought the car in 98 with 67k

My wife's 96 Outback threw code P0304 (Cylinder #4 Misfire) last night after sitting at the airport for 2 days. The light went off by itself today. I ran the code when I got home this afternoon. It has also been throwing code P0420 (Catalyst below efficiency) about once every 4 weeks also after sitting for extended periods. Is this anything to be overly concerned about? Thanks, John

It wasn't coolant at all. It was the ABS unit failing and dripping down the radiator and mixing with the coolant residue. That's what the greenish tint was from. $1,200 or so to repair they say. John

Guys, My wife's Outback is leaking a little coolant. It's leaking from the Passenger side. It's just a little dribble. I've looked and looked and can't find the source. It's dripping off the tow hooks underneath the front bumper. The petcock looks dry. hoses show no signs. There is also some coolant residue on the R inner fenderwell under the evap canister and airbox. Also it has thrown code P0420 twice in the past three months. But not recently. System was pressure tested at the shop the other day while it was in for new valve cover gaskets. They could find no leaks. Does anybody have any ideas where this may be coming from? Would it be safe to drive short distances until I can get it into the shop when I get back on Weds? Thanks for any help, John

Looking for some info for my wife's 96 Outback. I'm currently using 10W30 Valvoline Maxlife in this vehicle. It has 110k on the odometer. Doesn't use much oil between changes, but leaks around the valve covers. (have to replace every other year) What is the preferred brand and weight of Oil for Subaru? What have you guys had luck with? We do get some very cold winters here on occassion as well. Thanks for any help. John