ktdenali

The engine is an EJ252 I did not do the head gasket, a local Subaru mechanic did. I trust he does a good job, but who knows. he does HG's about once a week and only works on Subarus. It was done 9000 miles and or 10 months ago. I do not know any other details. I had it done because of the same issue we suspected the HG was going. Bubbles in the overflow tank and not sucking it back in the radiator when cooled down. The engine does not and never did over heat. At least right now. ?????

2000 Outback ltd. 142000 miles. The last few weeks as I start my Subaru early in the morning I can always hear trickling noises before the car reaches operating temperatures. There has to be air or some sort of gas in a "should be airtight" cooling system. I do not know how. I took it on a longer trip and just for kicks I stopped on the interstate to check my overflow tank. For some reason my coolant in it full of bubbles. Kind of like when you're boiling eggs. I squeezed the upper and lower hoses (both hot so my thermostat is obviously not stuck shut) and with that the bubbles intensified. When I got to my destination and it cooled down, the overflow tank was very full (more than maximum) and my radiator was low as I opened it. So obviously I am not loosing any coolant anywhere, it is just acting weird. I had this problem a few thousand miles ago and someone suggested it it was combustion gases and a leaky head gasket. The head gaskets were replaced not long ago after that. Not it's acting strange again. Any ideas anyone? I could use some smart advice here. Thanks

Also! On a previous Subaru ('96 legacy, manual), I had a bad ECT sensor. Symptoms: It was not only the fans came on at the wrong times, but also it would have the hardest time starting. Unless it was butt freezing cold outside, then it fired right up. In less cold weather, the engine would shake, like imbalanced, kind of like if a piston was not firing or something. That is another reason I am now convinced I had no problem with ECT sensor in his Subi because it was only fans messing me up, no other signs.

After a couple of days of using and watching it, I am pretty sure it was just my defrost left on. Now I pay attention and turn it off when I park the car. So the fans have not come on at all on cold engine. No, I did not have an overheat. As far as I know, which is little, not all head gasket problems end up in overheat (some internal, some external leaks.) I caught my HG problem because I had bubbles in my overflow tank. Combustion fumes in the cooling system. What you say makes sense though. If there is an overheat, it makes sense to replace all temperature gunge parts, 'cause they will be inaccurate. Thanks!

Just from reading some posts... I forgot to look if my defrost was on at first starting up. I did not think that would turn my engine cooling fans on. Also if the ECT sensor was bad, wouldn't that trigger the "Check Engine" light??

When I first started my Subaru (2000, manual,Outback LTD) this morning the engine cooling fans came on right away. In fact I noticed they come on at the oddest times. The Head Gaskets have just been replaced, so the thermostat is new, my coolant is new, and all that goes with it. I am wondering if my ECT sensor is bad. I have had that problem on a different Subaru before, but that one would also have a rough start. The engine would shake unbalanced and the the fans would come on at -20 F, on cold start. Replacing the ECT fixed that. On this one I just noticed the fans coming on at some odd times (like first start in real cold) and also lately I had a small leak of coolant somewhere. Can't find it, and it's kind of gone now. Mechanics! Any input? Please...

is it hard to do? I have never replaced a clutch? are there any special tricks mechanics know and novices miss?

I hate automatic transmission, but that's besides the point. You're probably right on the torque multiplication. The funny things is, I never really experienced such as this with my '96 Subaru Legacy Wagon, which had a smaller engine (2.2) and less ground clearance. I burned the clutch out in that one when I got stuck in a huge snow drift. This one seems to give me warning signs (smell and such) on flat ground deep snow... Strange! and also seems gutless at times.

I do not know if it's original or not. I bought it at 126000 miles and they did not have any maintenance record at all. Some things I have found in it, i.e. the thermostat was a cheap one. I have also noticed some other cheap NAPA parts that must have been added on regular maintenance schedule. So who knows... but it does sound like it's going out doesn't it.

Subaru Legacy Outback 2000 Ltd. 5 speed, 140000 miles We just got a huge dump of snow/cold where I live and so the roads are slick. This is my second Subaru and I have never had a problem with them in winter. they handle slick roads awesome. I noticed with this one in the summer when I was camping in the mountains that if I worked it just a little hard trying to back up (reverse) on slope on wet ground it was quick to send off the smell of burning clutch. Again 5 months later I was trying to get our of the garage, and as soon I hit snow (1 foot of it) it stalled on my several times and again gave off some awful clutch smell. My previous Subaru's clutch went out gradually, pretty much in one day, so I know the feel and smell of one going out. This one only gives me this smell, when in situations of wheels spinning, and sometimes on a cold start it has a tendency to shake a little in 1st and 2nd gear. Until it warms up. Is my clutch going out? How soon? Do they just go all of sudden or gradually. As I said my previous one got burned a little in a one time getting stuck, and a few months later it just went on one day gradually. The smell is gone and it drives fine on highways and at good speed. But it's gutless and starts to smell when stuck. Shakes a little on first start. Anyone has any good advice. What's a new clutch cost for this model?

thanks! I do think that test is a good idea, but I am convinced by just what I have seen and hear from you guys. One thing I am still kind of confused on. Someone said once that the 25D and 251 first phase engines have internal leaks, while the second phase 252's have external leaks (no overheating) I guess maybe we cannot generalize them. It is unpredictable.

I have not done combustion gas testing in the coolant. I did not know how expansive that would be and how reliable to DIY. Something tells me the mechanic won't do it either. When I told him the latest after we put the new radiator cap on, he was just smiling and nodding. Doing a HG today, tomorrow, and mine is next inline:-) The fact that after a longer drive the bubbles are constant and with revving the engine the bubbles intensify, I think that has to be it. Where else could gases come from? Anyway. Even though it is going to be costly he will overhaul that engine pretty good, replacing a lot of parts as well as smooth the head surface out. Hope the car will run better... This forum is awesome, brain stimulating. I learned more about Subarus not being a mechanic than any book could tell me.

ok my mechanic gave me a new radiator cap just to see if the one on there was faulty. I took the Subi on a trip for about 300-350 miles over the course of 3 days. I kept my eye on everything. I checked the reservoir on the first 40 miles of the trip and it was bubbling like boiling water. Got to my destination and it did the same thing as before when I checked the cooled down engine - reservoir coolant level high, radiator low. same conclusions: -no loss of coolant anywhere -no white smoke through exhaust -no leaks anywhere on the engine -no overheating -no engine oil/coolant mixing ...but lots of bubbles in the reservoir after driving it long enough. I tried something my mechanic suggested. When got home after driving it 140 miles, I did not shut the engine off. There were bubbles, but if I revved up the engine the bubbles intensified. Is this a sure sign of a head gasket leak and the bubbles are combustion gases or should I be looking at other options before we scream HG? I am scheduled to get it done Wednesday/Thursday. What do mechanics out there think? (at one of rest/check stops along the interstate a car mechanic came and asked what I was doing. He said even though I had bubbles he did not think it was HG, cause I had no overheating, white smoke, or coolant oil mix etc. I said maybe not yet.)

I think you're right. there is a bunch of should've-would've-could'ves on Subarus part. It has been an apparent problem way too long. Unfortunately somewhere down the line they are probably trying to meet standards set by people who don't care about good engineering as much as money. Some mechanics say it is hard to NOT have head gasket issues with any aluminum cast engine blocks. Not just Subaru. But I am not an engineer to know anything about that. Anyway, besides this problem I am still sticking to Subarus. They're great cars, absorb a lot of beating.

I do not necessarily blame Subaru. I would still buy one after this one, and the years coming. In fact I bought this one knowing that this was probably going to be an issue. Maybe not all Subarus have HG failure but from what little I understand a huge percentage of the 2.5's do. Several generations. I do not know enough to blame Subaru for sure. I am just comparing the 2.5 engines to the 2.2's which had no such issues on such large scale. I asked my mechanic about the additive Subaru came up with to solve their HG problems, and most people seem to think that was just a bandaid. it may work but they still are keeping in business by changing head gaskets as a solution. I do no have an internal leak, or an external one yet. But I assume once things get worse it will be an external one.

I am not terribly frustrated 'cause I knew it was coming. It was a matter when... NOT if... I kick myself for buying a used Subaru, in which the head gasket has not been dealt with. But since the dealer who sold it to me had no idea of previous maintenance records, I did not know. I was optimistic that it's been dealt with at 126k (when I bought it). Subaru makes great cars, and I will probably stick with Japanese cars for the rest of my life, particularly Subarus. But I wish they (Fuji Heavy Industries) would have dealt with an obvious problem they have head since the 2.5 engines came in (1996). The 2.2 was literally bomb-proof.

It all makes sense now. I will get her done but will try the new radiator cap first. I am very skeptical about that though. I guess our Subi mechanic is trying to save us money, just in case it would be a faulty cap. I did not think the subi cooling conditioner would do anything. I do wonder though if that additive is still necessary after the new head gaskets have been installed?

I am not 100% sure what you mean by the coolant jacket getting pressurized??? I have NO coolant anywhere on the engine. neither underneath the car, or anywhere outside. In fact it's all where it was supposed to be, AT THIS POINT. I just got air in the system somehow, and not sure where. Even though there is a very small chance of it, my mechanic said we will try a new radiator cap first, just to see if maybe the new one I put on there is defunct. if that does not resolve the issue, it maybe a head gasket. Anyway, if you could tell me what you meant in your comment ("coolant jacket") I will look into that too. Thanks a lot

Talked to my Subaru mechanic guy and he said it is probably going to be a head gasket issue. I guess the only other place I can imagine air getting in the system would be through a radiator cap, but since that is almost new it is very unlikely. Anyone? Any further ideas, suggestions from the symptoms I described? Thanks

forgot! Looking and sniffing around the exhaust, I saw a little bit of water on the ground dripping from the end of the (exhaust) pipe. But it was just clear liquid, water, sweat, which I think is normal.

ok I started the car up and got to operating temperatures. Drove it a few hundred yards just to make the warm up faster. there was a lot of trickling sounds of water while driving it. Came back home, put the front on raps and let it run until the radiator fans cam on 3 times. Since this one does not have a bleeding screw on the radiator I believe the only way to air the system out, is to get it warmed up. There were many many bubbles in the overflow tank and I think I ran it long enough that all the air came out. In the mean time I kept squeezing both lower and upper radiator hoses. It is now in the garage, letting it cool down, so I can open up the radiator cap again and see the situation. No I have never added any kind of an additive to the cooling system. I have only had this car for the last 9000 miles so I have no idea what the previous owner(s) did to it. Conclude and answer some of your questions. I notice no leaks anywhere Thermostat working properly, both hoses get hot after a while. Both fans come on, and I cycled it three times There was air in the system and I think it's now out. The question is! How did air get in the system? Now that I blurped it, will it remain airless?

yes I did replace the radiator cap just 5000 miles ago along with the thermostat. The symptom back then was a fluctuating temperature gauge. When I drove it uphill, such as up to a ski resort in the winter, my temperature gauge would climb up. Did not overheat at, as it was still in the safe zone, but I did not like it. temperature gauges are supposed to be rock solid. A mechanic suggested it was the thermostat, and he was right. I pulled out a cheapooo and put in an OEM Subaru part. Ever since that problem disappeared. I also suspected the radiator cap, but since that is almost new, I wondering if it could be something else. I have not toyed with the idea of head gasket yet, because I have not seen any of the symptoms that people say can be a head gasket issue. Different engines, react different ways to head gasket problems. This is an EJ252. No leaks in the back of the engine. No sweet smell in the exhaust. No cooling fluid mixed in my oil. Cooling fluid level still solid. Absolutely no overheating. So I am still confused on what can cause this.

I have a 2000 Outback ltd. 136000 miles. I noticed the strangest thing this morning I have ever seen. I drove it last night for about 80 miles. Everything looked normal (engine temp etc.) This morning all cooled down I checked the fluids My coolant overflow reservoir was way too full and my radiator was way low. I poured the excess fluid back into the radiator, and it seems like the radiator was needing the exact amount that was excess in the overflow tank. So I am not missing any coolant. No leaks anywhere on the engine. No sweet smell or any sign of coolant leak. I just recently had a faulty thermostat issue, which I changed (replaced a cheap aftermarket thermostat with an OEM Subaru part), as well as a new radiator cap. That was 5000 miles ago. The car has been running great since and that solved my previous problem of fluctuating temperature gauge. What can cause my overflow tank to be way full and the radiator low? Do I have another thermostat issue? I have not warmed up the engine to compare the upper and lower radiator hoses yet, but it maybe the next thing on my agenda. Anybody? ideas?

I replaced the thermostat with a new OEM (Made in Japan) part ($15), as well as the radiator cap ($8 made in japan). Took the car on a 500+ mile trip and my temperature gauge is rock solid again. The thermostat I pulled out was 1/2 inch shorter than the new OEM one, and quite a bit smaller in the core copper part. Made in USA - looking like a cheap aftermarket band-aid someone used before me. Everybody who says to use OEM Subaru parts, is RIGHT!

Thanks for all the tips. Exactly what I suspected. Hopefully this is the problem as it is an easy fix. Thanks a lot.