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The A/C of a 2002 forester doesn't work. What could be the problem? Turning the A/C on doesn't make the AC metal lines cold in the engine. How do I know it engaged or not, if not why, and if yes why it's still warm? - Can the compressor or any expensive part be damaged from not being used (aka I'm thinking no lubing) knowing the car's 4/5 years old? - Is it just low on coolant? If so why would it leak, and what's the ballpark cost of an AC purge + refill? - Fuses? There must be fuses for the AC. Where is the fusebox? Is there more than one? Are the fuses labelled with their purpose (I have limited access to the car simple knowledge can help me move fast to work things out). - Anything else that could cause the failure, or symptoms or things to look for to push the diagnostic and home in on the problem? Thanks!

Which engine models blow head gaskets? compilation on Head Gasket failure modes by model/year Also added links to useful information: - description of other common issues - where to buy rebuilt engines - maintenance schedule - endWrench mag timing belt replacement how-to I think a FAQ entry on torque bind and piston slap is needed too.

I've managed to tone it down even more. Now it's almost not scary

Well I don't know if you realize, but I'm making a real effort to glean infos to make something that could be useful for others looking into Subarus. That's my way of helping out. I am trying to make it honest, so I've been asking input to fix the over-alarmist tone, and come to a plain fact post. I am not a mechanical engineer, and I am not a mechanic, but I am an engineer with formal training. If you don't make a FAQ on the most asked question, people will continue to p**s you off with the same question over and over because the threads on it are just overwhelming and confusing. I am sorting though a bunch of infos to make some kind of -erh- truth come out from what could be seen as statistical analysis of infos. I know Wikipedia is not god's word, it doesn't have much on Subies anyways, but it tends to be right just by the sheer number of people giving their 2 cents (it's a self repairing system). If I knew it all I probably would not even bother to ask the question in the first place, right? If you read the 1st post correctly, I do list the failure to be about 15%. Now I put it in bold letters so it stands out. AFAIK, many subies for sale now are 100k~140k and it's a reasonable question to ask about the HG. I called a dealer and a reputable shop, and now the cost is 2.5k and 2k, so it IS a valid question to ask when you buy, and needs to be factored in. Prices have gone up or are more in my region. And as for why I'd get a 100k mile subie if they all blow gaskets? I would not if it's not factored in. However they are dependable cars from what my friends say and would serve my lifestyle. BTW, the engines in our honda models start at 1.5L, but most are 1.6L/1.8L which may be why I never really saw anything on HG's. One (read 1) guy threw a rod last year and the average age of our model I'd say is 10 years and 130k miles. As for the other inexact infos like compression, it's what I understood from reading other threads, which are linked! I will try to correct them if I people are willing to give me the time of the day. I think you don't realize that the stuff you take for granted from surfing this forum for years, is that when you start it's all new and darn hard to find. PS: I've re-updated the first post, I hope you think it's more fair now.

My first post is extensively updated with all that i've gleaned. If a seasoned member can proofread and correct, i think it's ready to be FAQ'ed... I'm missing pics of SOHC vs DOHC engines (no big). BTW, the linky on Hondas does not show any honda problems. Just discussion of wich engines are open vs closed and how to sleeve them (for turbos I bet). Also: Timing belts are changed at 105K, right? Do we need to pull the engine or is boxter shape making it easy for DIY?

Waa interresting linky!!! So now I know what's open vs close deck Now I know my Honda-93's D16z6 is open deck. I think I've seen pics of it. I'm not just trying to start a new thread for the heck of it. I'm saying this problem is in the mind of all prospective buyers knowing this issue, so it should have been FAQ'ed years ago. If not expect it to be asked over and over by all newbs! Thanks for pointing to the piston slap. And I saw a bunch of Commuter's list of things that go bad, in a few of his posts, beyond the HG (like torque bind you need to check by driving in circles w/o gas). I guess I prefer to have a leak than a blown gasket if I have to choose between the two. At least you can tell when your cat croaks drinking the coolant on the driveway instead of seizing:) When I have a sec I'll update my 1st post to reflect what you guys just told me. Thanks!

As you can see below, it's *very* confusing. Some posts say DOHCs are failing, others SOHC. It seems EJ25D is DOHC, but I thought it was SOHC, and EJ255 was DOHC. Some posts say EJ251 is good, others it's bad... New types EJ disasters becoming common Phase 1 2.5 HG as low as 70k Phase 2 2.5 HG as low as 60k, not so frequent When was 2.5L Head Gasket problem fixed? Internal leak: 96-99 EJ25D, the DOHC Phase I 2.5 engine External leak: EJ251 Good: EJ253 ANY Subaru is susceptible to headgasket failure How to positively Identify 2.5 Engine in 99 Outback? '99 outback EJ25D DOHC blows gaskets '99 forester EJ251 SOHC does not '00 and beyond: EJ251. 2003 Head Gasket Failure HG issue solved '03 and beyond However this '03 has hg failure.

Ah a search . Well, there are TOO MANY threads on the leaking gaskets (sorry not blown) that I don't even know what search keywords to use . There's nice pics of the problem in the repair FAQ. There's even threads that discuss it but it seems contradictory, and none are exhaustive. I'll put a post with a few links next. What's missing is a good FAQ writeup as to *which* 2.5 engine versions have bad HG, stickied in the main FAQ. So the thing I haven't figured out is exactly which engine models are sold with the defective gasket that is likely to leak (from flawed design, not from pushing the car too hard and overheating it). Also when I ask my friends about it, for Subies, it's not that rare. 3 out of 5 have had it happen, and it seems to be around 100k. Of the others, one just reached 100k, and another has the V6, so AFAIK, that looks more than 15%. The 1st year (96) is notorious. Also the '02 forester I almost bought at just 66k had that suspiscious leaking too. Around where I live, a HG job is $2500 (dealer) and $2000 in a good shop. Honda: I don't know of such widespread problems on hondas for example. Solid engines. Heck they even turbo stock NA engines without destroying them. I know someone with a 360k miles stock integra with only regular service (he went through a half dozen timing belts!!!). Mine is 170k and going strong. People in my honda forum rarely talk of HG issues. Maintenance wise, the unusual thing is having to adjust the valves regularly (many cars "self adjust" now). Neons: I've had a neon'95, and was on the neons forums, and yes it was a known issue, and no it didn't seem as prevalent as it is for subies. It was because one spot on the block where the wall was a little too thin so overheating could do it more easily, and overheating could happen because of a $5 coolant pressure cap not set right or faulty. But muuuch cheaper to fix... And if I recall it was felt to be a regular maintenance check to do like the timing belt. That car had other reliability issues, that were OK if you stayed on top of it, not a bad car (stick only), but still. I don't want that kind of ************ any more, especially on a long haul where it could break in the middle of nowhere. Shopping for a Subie in the 100k range now, I wanna know if I should list as a must that the HG was changed, like I ask for the timing belt, and consider suspiscious any car that did not?

I'm shopping for a Forester or Outback BTW around '00~02 so this is what the forum infos provided me so far. Take it with a grain of salt, the info may not be 100% exact, so do post corrections if you can. General HG rule of thumb All EJ25 2.5L 4cyl. engines up to 2002 have a higher incidence of gasket failures than normal: DOHC, aka Phase 1 have the worst symptoms with blown gaskets (internal leaks). These engines have 2 humps for the camshafts on the black valve cover on the front of the engine near the radiator. Air filter is on passenger side with tube going through the fender wall. That should be Forester '98~'00 and Legacy/outback '96~'01 (?). SOHC, aka Phase 2 develop external coolant leaks. They have one hump, and appeared around 2000. Air filter is at top rear of the engine behind the throttle body with the tube going above headlight on top of the radiator. Tha should be Forester '01~'02 and Outback '02 (?). '03 and beyond, the gasket failure seems to be fixed. Maybe... The gasket failures tend to happen more frequently around 100k~140k miles, but some have been reported at 60K... Past 140K some board members would consider it normal wear and tear for any engine to develop a HG leak, especially if an incident causes the engine to overheat. Most HGs can be trouble free for over 200K. The consensus in the forum is at most 15% of the engines experience the problem (about 1 in 7 cars). Head gasket failure (1, 2) is said to be related to the open deck construction of new engine blocks which pioneered in the mid'9's by many vendors. However the technology was not well controlled and many of the vendors have had issues with gasket leaks due to the smaller contact surface, and getting the gaskets right took some time (Nissan VQ, Dodge Neon 2L, Honda 1.3L). New replacement multilayer steel gaskets from the dealer solve the problem definitively, as the problem seems to have been understood and solved, but it will cost about $2000 to do the replacement (engine drop, resurface, and reinstall, though it could be done on the car). Details This is a detail per engine model (maybe not exact). It will be hard to tell which model you have anyways, and not needed. a) EJ22* - 2.2L 4 cyl SOHC 135HP/140ftlbs (most solid & non interference) Legacy 90-96 Impreza 95-01 NO Gasket problem on the older ones, rare on newer models EJ251 - 2.5L 4cyl SOHC 155HP/155ftlbs Impreza '00-'02 Forester '00-'02 YES Gasket problem: external coolant leak Non turbo EJ25 engine. C) EJ252 2.5L SOHC Legacy '00 YES Gasket problem: external coolant leak D) EJ253 2.5L SOHC Impreza '02-'07 Legacy '01-'02 Forrester '99 NO Gasket problem past 2003 Designed to take turbo boost. E) EJ25D 2.5L DOHC Legacy '96-'99 Forester '98-'99 YES Gasket problem: Internal leak/blown F) EJ25E 2.5L DOHC Impreza '99-'01 Forester '99-'00 Legacy '00-'01 YES Gasket problem: Internal/blown G) EJ255 2.5L DOHC turbo Impreza '06-Now Forester '02-Now Legacy '05-Now NO Gasket problem Designed to get turbo boost. H) EJ257 - 2.5L DOHC turbo 300HP/? Impreza WRX STi '04-Now NO Gasket problem Designed to get turbo boost. I)EG33 - 6-cyl NO Gasket problem G series are closed deck. Getting rebuilt engines http://www.ccrengines.com http://risingsunengines.com Interresting threads on HG and other common failures Subaru Maintenance Schedule EndWrench magazine: Timing belt procedure All *OHC, 2.5L DOHC (2), 2.2L overhaul 2.5L DOHC Head Gasket Failure *PICS* Phase 2 2.5L head removal pictures (naked SOHC, many pics!) Subaru 2.5L headgasket FAQ New types EJ disasters becoming common (lists engine problems) When was 2.5L Head Gasket problem fixed? 2.5L head gasket revised Phase 2 2.5L SOHC WWP-99 recall info, 100k waranty and info on SOHC vs DOHC gasket failures. Help deciphering compression results Phase 2 2.5L SOHC: 175psi +/-7psi is normal. A big difference in compression is more a problem than a lower number. Toronto: blown head-gaskets on Phase I & Phase II ej2.5's (How to avoid HG problems by tapping the coolant X-over tube, not confirmed) Another scenario for the HG failure If you hear piston slap, listen in the belt cover. It could be bad tensionner, not piston slap, it could then cause overheating then HG failure. HG failure often happens when engine overheats. Also check/replace the radiator pressure cap (OEM), look for clogged radiator, etc. if the car keeps overheating. Post 4, Post 2, Post 9: List of other problems listed by commuter, including piston slap (annoying) and torque bind ($1K! Detect before buying by driving in tight circles, forward and back, should not need gas, nor shudder). Some of these threads are considered to be over-alarmist, as Subaru cars tend to be reliable workhorses in general, but they still list the issues that are frequent with the brand. Every car model will have its quirks that frequently pop up, so it's good to know them and learn to recognise them early.

Well, I figured $9~$10K for a 2002 with 66k miles is reasonable, and if I fix all the issues myself then it becomes a solid reliable car for another 100k miles. However I called the Stevens Creek dealer in Santa Clara and the gasket is a $2500 job, plus on top of that the other repairs. We're looking at $13k. Not worth it. The next in line is a $6500 150k miles outback with a full carfax dealer maintenance history, held in one family...

I need to find nice dealers that could be willing to take on a leaking gasket as good will or under guarantee, without any BS or sloppy job. Location: South San Francisco Bay preferably (Santa Clara, San Jose, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, MtView, etc.) I am (finally) found a 2002 Subaru Forester 66k miles, I wanna buy in, my price range ($8k). The car seems to have the "conditionner" recall on it. In turn I could pay them to handle some of the other issues... it has many: - There's a leak under the car (gasket?!) Not sure if it's oil tranny fluid or coolant. More likely coolant and gasket failing, right? - The power steering pump is wobbly and makes noise. I think it's about to fail. - The left fender is bent chipped and rust is starting. - A few things inside are broken like the clock, chipped or dented. - It needs new breaks pads - The A/C doesn't work I think it may need a refill. The owner probably never used it.

Thanks guys, Grossgary: I'd love to find a cheaper car especially, since the engine swap is gonna be $4000 to $5000 total, but where do you see them at the price you mention? Craigslist or autotrader don't have that kind of price... Nipper: I guess my question was more like "OK, what's burried under the engine I need to take care of" because I should assess total cost if I ask a shop to do it all. The swap itself will likely be in the $4000 range with 12 hours of labor. JPX: I saw your thread. And looking at how long it is took you, I think it might be worth paying the 10~12 hours of labor to install the engine. Especially: I don't have a garage and would probably want a mentor for my 1st engine swap. The engine itself will run around ~ $3200, so $4Kish for a swap.

I am planning on buying a 98 subaru AT 150K miles with blown head gasket from a friend for like $3000 US. Help would be appreciated for deciding on work to do on the car. i have many questions: Engine: - Should I just replace the gasket or get a new engine from http://www.ccrengines.com? Seems the difference is $1000 to get a zero-miles engine with waranty... - Any recommended shops in South Bay Area, CA for that (around Santa Clara county)? Preventive: In any case, the engine needs to be pulled out, right? So more prevention maintenance should be done: - Reading the forum, I should ask to replace at the same time: * rear seperator plate * rear crankshaft oil seal and o-ring. * Anything else needs to be done while the engine is out? Anything in A/T Transmission? Monst importantly: At 150K miles, what parts in need of attention? I.e. what are the parts likely to be worn and needing attention? Which ones would be costly and need to be done by a mechanic (I can do small stuff)? Seems like "torque bind" is not an issue post-97 models. If I work fast, it can be used as a snowmobile this year Thanks!