The Dude

Hi Lisa, I drive a 99 Forester, the MAF sensor died in my car and was replaced for free under a recall. The only symptom I experienced was the "check engine" light came on, and the error codes indicated an improper gas/air mixture. Could you have an actual physical obstruction or leak in the housing leading to the MAF? Perhaps the wiring or the connector to the MAF is failing intermittently. People have killed their MAF sensors by over oiling their after market cloth air filters. The Haynes Legacy service manual is very helpful. I believe it gives actual "values" for checking the MAF. I would suggest buying a copy. It will save your "hubby" a great deal of time and aggrevation.

I own a 99 Subaru Forester. I have been informed on several occasions by SOA that the 2.5L Phase II is NOT an interference engine. In fact, the 2.5L Phase II IS an interference engine. At first there were Phase I and Phase II 2.5L engines. Now it turns out that some early 99 2.5L engines may be hybrids, containing bits of both the Phase I and Phase II engines. I have also seen the SOA recommendations for towing AT and MT vehicles change. Bottom line: It has been posted that the 2.2L became an interference type in MY99. Proir to MY 99 the 2.2L was reprtedly a non-interference type engine. So check carefully before replacing the engine.

The newer 2.2 L engines ARE interference type engines. I believe your engine is one of them. The valves are probably trashed in your engine. I dislike interference engines. It seems like a huge amount of liability for a very small increase in power. Sorry to hear of your problem. I will not not be buying a new Subaru if I can find an interference-free alternative.

Actually, I would suggest that you post your question on the "Older Generation" Subaru board. There are some very excellent amateur mechanics there, and they may be able to help you with testing the center diff. But basically, when the front wheels spin the silicone in the center diff heats up and becomes very, very thick. This locks the front and rear axles together, and rear wheels get 50% of the drive power. Usually, the silicone thickens and locks the axles together in milliseconds. That is why towing your car on the rear wheels for even 10 seconds most probably toasted the center diff. However you test it. Remember, if the center diff is good, the rear wheels will PROPELL the car forward. So plan ahead, and be very careful.

If the car was towed on two wheels for ten seconds, it is almost certain that the center differential has been permanently damaged. Basically, you now have a FWD car instead of one with all wheel drive. Frequently, there are no symptoms for a failed viscous center diff. The car merely will not "go into" AWD when the wheels slip. The center viscous diff can not be repaired, it must be replaced as an entire unit. Certainly have the center diff tested before you have it replaced. Check with your local dealer, but if I recall correctly, the job typically runs about $800. On the other hand, if you don't actually require AWD, you may consider leaving the car in it's current condition.

Is a valve job ABSOLUTELY needed, or is something that the shop would like to along with the head gasket repair? How many miles were on the engine when the head gasket failed? I would would be inclined to spend as little money as possible to keep the Phase I engine going. At this point your car has depreciated substantially. It's a question of economics. Is a head gasket repair alone likely to get you a few more years of use out of your car. I have not personally dealt with CCR, but they seem to enjoy an excellent reputation among Subaru owners. I would guess the cost total cost for a CCR rebuilt engine replacement would be about $4,000. I have little doubt that CCR would absolutely honor any warranty they supplied with their rebuilt engine. But would you be satisfied with just the warranty miles from your $4,000 rebuilt engine? I sure wouldn't be. Even with a thorough rebuild from a top notch company like CCR can you really be assured of long, trouble-free operation from the Phase I, given the history of the engine? I DON'T know about CCR specifically, but usually if a rebuilt engine fails during the warranty, you'll get a replacement engine from the rebuilder, but re-installation expenses are on you. What I am saying is that purchasing a rebuilt engine involves an element of economic risk. Given a good engine and a good rebuilder, I might take what I would consider to be a small risk. Given a bad engine and even a great rebuilder, I would have to think long and hard about taking what I would see as a considerable risk. I would run a Subaru with a Phase I engine for as long as I could, for as cheaply as I could. And when it dies, move on. With the Phase I engine, the car is never going to become a classic, anyway.

The engine block for the 2.5L Phase I engine is basically a bored out 2.2L block. I suspect that the engineering design for the Phase I engine called for the 2.2L block to be bored out too close to it's absolute limits. Due to variation in material and manufacturing tolerances, some of the Phase I engines were overbored. Too much metal was removed, and these engines do not have sufficient stability. So, depending where they fall on the manufacturing curve, some Phase I engines are OK, some are repairable with an upgraded head gasket and revised head bolt tightening, and some are beyond any permanent repair. I would guess that, in general, the longer the Phase I engine goes before it's first head gasket failure, the better. I suspect that hanging a good luck charm from your rear view mirror will be as effective in preventing a Phase I head gasket failure as any other measure you might undertake.

George , I have a 99 Forester AT. However, I have been reading the various Subaru boards for a number of years. First, viscous coupling units do fail, but it does not appear to be a very common problem. Second, when the viscous unit fails the typical symptom is a loss of AWD. Usually the driver is unaware that the viscous unit has failed until he gets stuck in snow and then notices that the rear wheels aren't turning. I guess that it could happen, but I have never read of a viscous unit failure causing binding during sharp turns. When the multi-pack in the AT goes, that almost always causes binding. I wouldn't be so certain that the viscous diff is the problem. I would check the front end and steering just to make sure. You don't want to replace a fairly expensive part, and then find out it was the wrong one. Perhaps one of the more experienced mechanics on this board could provide some additional advise on this problem.

You may wish to consider the following: 1. Given a negative hydrocarbon test, it very possible that the oil you see is residue from BEFORE the head gasket replacement. How was the cooling system flushed? Was it flushed with an agent DESIGNED to remove oil contamination? Oil is pretty tenacious stuff. Have it flushed again, and personally verify that an appropriate cleaning, in the proper concentration is being used. Use the car a week, and see if the amount of oil in the coolant has been eliminated or reduced. There may be a good deal of residual oil in the cooling system, and you may need to flush with proper agent more than once. 2. If you have an AT, your car may have an engine oil cooler. Another possible source for an oil/coolant leak. 3. If you have an AT, the cooler for the AT fluid (oil) runs through the radiator. Another source for an oil/coolant leak. Frankly, given your description, my money would be residual oil contamination.

Since Subaru has choosen to remain largely mute on the subject of 2.5L Phase I head gasket failures, I feel free to engage in admitted speculation. Several posters have reported finding ovalized piston holes in the failed head gaskets of their Phase I engines. This may indicate that the cylinders themselves are vibrating!! The 2.5L is an "open deck" engine, and the block is essentially a bored out 2.2L block. Let's say that the 2.5 Phase I engine block had been bored out pretty much right up to it's engineering limit. Well, given normal variance in materials and manufacturing tolereances, SOME of the engines might have been overbored. Bottom line, too little metal for the engine to remain dimensionally stable. For those engines that were margianlly overbored, new head gaskets and tighter head bolts might just provide that slight touch of additional stability that is required. For those engines at the other end of the manufacturing curve, the really overbored engines, probably no permanent repair exists. Hey, some 2.5L Phase I engine owners have reported that they are on their THIRD, and even FOURTH set of head gaskets. If your head gaskets have blown again, and the original head gasket replacement was done properly, I would not be a happy person. There is a possibility that the engine can not be permanently repaired. I guess you figure the expense and inconvienance of head gaskets replacements vs. the number of miles, or years, between replacements. Believe me, I am truly sorry that you are in this unpleasant situation. Due solely to dumb luck, I waited a year and bought a 99 Forester. Had I bought according to my usual replacement schedule, I would have purchased a 98 Forester with the Phase I engine. I live in the Deep South, and shortly, when I replace my present vehicle, I believe that I may just make do without AWD.

I can't help noticing that both posters live in pretty cold parts of the world. It seems that Canadians, and other world-wide frost belters have more than their share of head gasket failure. Aluminum has much greater expansion and contraction that than steel or iron over the same temperature range. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I do not accept that head gasket replacement is standard maintenance for an engine with only 120,000 miles. Some people on this board appear to "dumbing down" expectations for Subaru reliability. A Subaru used to be a great car because of it's outstanding reliability. Simply putting a Subaru name badge on a vehicle with a failure prone engine doesn't make it a great car.

Frankly, I wouldn't touch a car with the Phase I 2.5L engine. It's expensive and inconvienent to repair the head gaskets, and you may need to do it more than once. AT THE VERY LEAST have the coolant tested for exhaust gas. The Phase I head gasket leak can be very hard to detect in it's beginning stages. Sometimes you can see bubbles of exhaust gas in the overflow container when the engine is at FULL operating temperature. I'm not an expert on testing for exhaust gases in the coolant. The seller may have put fresh coolant in the car. Find out what you need to know. This car may very well be OK, but several posters have reported buying used Phase I cars with the head gaskets already blown. As far as the Aussie poster goes, I pretty sure that the don't HAVE the Phase I 2.5L engine in OZ! Lots of poisonous snakes there though, so it's about even, I'd say.

The 98 Forester has the Phase I engine. The Phase I is prone to INTERNAL head gasket failures. We're talking overheating, warped head gaskets, and other potentially serious problems. One poster on this board has reported that he is on his fourth head gasket replacement. A fair number of posters have reported multiple head gasket replacements on their Phase I engines. Other Phase I owners have reported no problems. Sooooo........are you feeling lucky?

You might consider giving a little more information about your car when posting a question. The short answer is, yeah, of course, a knocking noise is almost always something to be concerned about. Funny thing, if it's a main bearing, it could go another 100 miles or another 100,000 miles before failing. Main bearings usually get REAL LOUD before they fail. So, you will probably have a good deal of warning before the bearing finally quits. You haven't given any information about your car, but it is possible that you'll wear out the rest of the car before the bearing fails. Keep an ear open, but don't loose any sleep over it.

That's the first time that I have heard that the spare tire MUST go on the rear axle when the inserted fuse puts the AT into FWD. If I may ask, where did you get that piece of information? It would seem to me it would not matter on which axle the spare was mounted as long as the AT was in the FWD mode. It doesn't matter on the average full-time FWD car.

... if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I believe that one recent poster said that his 2.5 Phase I was on it's FOURTH set of head gaskets. Another recent poster wrote that his 2.5 Phase I was on it's THIRD set of head gaskets. So, it may be that the latest revision head gasket for the Phase I really doesn't permanently solve the problem at all. Some posters on this board have hypothesized that too much metal was removed when the 2.5 Phase I was bored from what was originally a 2.2L block. Due to small differences in materials and manufacturing tolerances, it appears that some 2.5 Phase I engines are OK, will others are beyond repair. So, it would seem that you are one of the lucky ones. At 110,000 miles, your head gaskets may well last the life of the engine or car. At the worst, the head gaskets blow, and then you replace them. The Nederlands are a small country, if your wife breaks down, how far away can she be?

..........because your financial projections aren't even close to reality. The first time you put your backside in the driver's seat of your new Outback KABOOM!!!! Over $5,000 of instant depreciation, and it isn't even off the dealer's lot yet. KBB shows a peron-to-person value of a three year old Outback with 60,000 miles to be about $12,365. You'll pay almost twice as much per mile from new and 0 to 60,000 miles as you will three years old and from 60,000 to 120,000 miles. If you live in a state with high car property taxes, like I do, a used car is even a better financial deal. Try $900 property tax on a new Subaru Forester OUCH!!

Hey Spruitt, If you find a way to make the 2.5L DOHC head gasket "bullet proof", in the name of humanity won't you please tell Subaru of America? Those goobers could really use a clue.

... if the low oil pressure light when on for JUST a few seconds, and then went out, that's probably normal. It it stayed on, why then you could have real nasty problem on your hands. It is not unheard of for "quick oil change" places to drain the automatic transmission or the front differential, and then add four additional quarts to the oil which was NOT drained from the engine. So, to recap the situation- AT or front diff-bone dry, engine incredibily hyperfilled with about 9 quarts of oil. This situation is not compatible with the continued long term operation of your car. If this is the case , NEVER, I say NEVER, trust your beloved Sube to this yo-yo again.

Are you absolutely 100% POSITIVE that that the fluid went down the AT dipstick tube and not the one for front differential? Think, because it can get very expensive if you get it wrong.

I would stay away from the Phase I 2.5L under any circumstances. The Phase II seems to suffer from external head gasket leaks. ON THE OTHER HAND If you can believe the posts on this board, the Phase II failure rate in Canada is high. It makes sense, the aluminum block and head expand and contract a lot more going from -20F to operating temperature. As it can get pretty freaking cold in Wyoming, you might want to be cautious, even with a Phase II. FWIW, I don't have a lot of confidence in "head gasket redesigns" as fixes for serious head gasket failure problems. The problem(s), through design or manufacturing, is in the METAL of the block and heads. Look at the specs for a re-build. Gaskets can accomodate only VERY minor surface imperfections. Is it reasonable to believe that some special "magic gasket" can cure a major defect? I find reports of head gasket failures in MY 2003 cars to be very troubling. I would like to replace my Forester with an other Subaru when the time comes. But, I will not buy another Subaru until this head gasket problem has been solved once and for all. A free can of "stop leak" is not an acceptable response to this on going saga.

No way, no how. You're going to need a minivan for that. A bike will probably fit on it's side, with one or both wheels removed.

This subject has been discussed on this board many times. The consensus is that it will not damage the car to continuously operate it in 2WD. I am not a mechanic, and if a mechanic on this board says otherwise, you would probably do well to follow his or her advise. Others that have placed their Subarus in 2WD have reported no, or insignificant, increases in mpg. There appears to be no advantage to placing your Subaru in 2WD. It is probaby good practice to put your car in 2WD when using a spare tire. Unmatched tires can rapidly destroy the center differential in the automatic transmission.

.......because they can blow again! Quite a few posters on this board have reported having their Phase 1 engine head gaskets done two, and even three times. I would not use the car until the headgaskets have been replaced. IT"S NOT WORTH THE RISK. At the very least severe overheating will warp your heads (more$$$). At the worst your block can crack and you will need a new engine (mucho $$$$$$$$$$$ ). Many people purchased Subarus based on their legendary reliability. I am sorry that you, like many Phase 1 owners, got hosed. It's disgracefull how Subaru is ignoring what appears to be a rather widespread problem. They are giving me a free bottle of stop leak for my Phase II engine. How very, very thoughtful.

You are aware that the 98 Forester has the 2.5L Phase 1 DOHC engine, aren't you? I would recommend that you run a search on that engine.