Atomic Robot

Didn't SOA stop selling FWD vehicles before '95? I thought that the last ones were sold in '93...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by nicky nighteyes [/i] [B]ooh ooh ooh get some of that gold spray paint they sell at autozone for car trim and wheels, and BAM instant ghetto bling![/B][/QUOTE] Then get some of those shiny mylar pinwheels- the ones that kids bring home from a birthday party- and ductape them to the spokes... [B][I]Instant Spinners![/I][/B] Number one in the hood, G! :-p

mstreed- Have yourself some real fun: go find a parking lot full of ice and do some power slides! Driving sideways (on purpose) is fun!

It's not a loose exhaust cover is it? My '93 used to make a strange noise like that whenever it was cold until I finally ripped that thing off...

Instead of waiting around for a letter, last Friday I called SOA and got an official case number for my HG situation which seems to have been a good decision as far as pushing things toward a quick solution. After talking with them, I decided to get another inspection at a different dealer which I did this morning. They found that both HGs were leaking- why the previous dealer didn't find this is somewhat disturbing and needless to say, I won't be returning there again. Ever. Anyway, the good news is that SOA is covering the replacement which is a great relief. Dropping off tomorrow.

Very encouraging news, tacode. I hope I fare as well.

Just a follow up... This morning my wife called me at work to let me know that I left a small puddle of coolant on the garage floor, which prompted me to call dealer service about the status of the warranty extension; my '01 Outback is at 68K mi and is therefore no longer covered by the original drivetrain warranty. They were informed by their Subaru rep that we are still 1 to 2 weeks away from an official solution, but it will probably be what was previously discussed here: for small leaks, they would first try to fix with coolant additive and if that failed, they'd replace the head gasket. If the leak is severe, they'd go straight to repacement of the gasket. They're going to call me as soon as they get the official word. I'm in a pretty bad place at the moment because I don't know if I'm going to make it another couple of weeks. I'm watching my temperature gauge closely and haven't had any fluctuations so far. I'm also going to be checking my coolant level every day until I can get this taken care of. Good luck, everybody.

How much added HP does each sticker generate? Could I use them on my Odyssey or will they only work on Subies?

Ford Falcon- Last of the V8 Interceptors, eh? Welcome, mate! I'm pretty new here myself and have found this to be a great resource when browsing for technical info.

My first guess would be a slipping belt, also.

Going sideways on purpose is much more fun than going sideways by mistake.

I DO like the right-hand drive, though! Can we keep that?

Got the same thing going on here in Cleveland. The road crews do a pretty good job here on the main streets, but the side streets are a nightmare for anyone with 2WD. I made the switch to AWD just in time!

Looks like an Alpha Romeo made it with an old Mercury Cougar... (insert vomiting smilie here)

Here are my concerns about the whole coolant conditioner "fix"... 1) If you take your car to different dealers for service as I do, will each of them be dumping magic goo into your cooling system? I know the dealers check the SOA database, but how up-to-date is it? Plus, if they're doing it "on the sly" then you aren't even sure what's going on with your own car. 2) They're putting the burden on me to keep extra conditioner around in case I have to replace the coolant. What if I'm on a trip and my water pump goes and there's no dealer around to do the repair? Do I keep it in the glove box at all times? 3) Will conditioner be supplied free of charge whenever I want it? If this is a warranty issue then the additive shoud be free, right? 4) THE BIG ONE... What if the conditioner clogs up my radiator or otherwise wrecks something in the engine? Only the head gasket is covered under the new warranty so I'm guessing that I'd be picking up the tab on anything else that goes bad. Maybe this all seems like petty pissing and moaning 'cause it's got me in a bad mood here, but it already seems that I've been lied to by the dealer on this issue when they said my cooling system pressure tested OK. How could that be the case if I'm losing coolant? My conclusion is that either they lied or didn't test it properly.

This may be what's going on with mine, as well. Never noticed it at all until it got really cold here, and have never seen any leaks. Definitely a stronger smell outside and no goo on the windshield so I don't think its the heater core. Just spotted the Head Gasket Warranty thread and will definitely be following up with the dealer on it.

I don't know, but the fact that '02 owners are still complaining about coolant leaks pretty much shows that the "fix" wasn't very effective. Although, I guess they're saying that those were manufactured in '01...

Wow. I'm at a loss for words... Let me explain why I posted this lame/lazy question... Sometimes, I post during downtime at work and the responses come before I can even get outside to look at the car. There are so many helpful and knowlegable people on the USMB that I figured somebody might just know the answer off the top of their head and shoot me a response.

Thanks 99obw- I've only ever used the GREEN STUFF so I should be OK.

Wow, that's a new one on me- I never knew that mixing different coolants could cause potential problems. A while back, I added some antifreeze to get the overflow tank up to the fill line. I wonder if a thorough flush & fill might be in order or if this may have something to do with the coolant smell I've been experiencing lately...

Thanks Legacy- I'll do that to see if they're working. I'm guess I'm kind of "grabbing at straws" here since the system pressure tested OK and the coolant level stays the same, I can't figure out why I'd be smelling anything. I notice it mostly at stops, so I thought that maybe the fans weren't moving the air. Can't think of anything else to do at this point...

SIDEWAYS! I went there today. Mucho fun. I haven't said it in a couple of days, but MAN, I'M DIGGIN' THE AWD! What I really love is taking off from a light on a nasty, snow-covered road and watchin' everybody get smaller in the rearview- tires spinnin' away... :-p

Yup, you're right. Guess I'll just let it run a while in the driveway when I get home and see what happens...

Thanks, I'll give that a shot. Maybe I'll turn the heat off a few miles from home when I leave work today and have a look. Anybody know which fuse to look at, just in case?

Relating to my recent problem of smelling coolant: It's been really cold recently, but I'm wondering when the electric fans are supposed to kick in. I've been opening the hood a lot recently, trying to track down the source of the smell and realized yesterday that I've NEVER seen the fans operating. If they were on, there would probably be enough air movement to dissipate the coolant odor. Should they be going on with the engine at operating temp, or would the outside cold keep them from activating? If they should be operating, then maybe I've got a blown fuse- anybody know which one to check?