thechesirecat

Thanks all. I figured the guy was trying to see if he could score a deal. Always a worry when you're scouting out a new mechanic. I'll clean up the engine and figure out if the fan or sensor is the offending part. Thanks for the Test Mode tip, Fairtax. That's super helpful.

Before I begin, pardon my ignorance. I try to fix most stuff, but stay away from engine issues. I've got a '98 Subaru Legacy Outback that I bought a couple years back on the cheap after the obligatory EJ25 head gasket started to go and the owner had let it sit. Though it only had 105K, it needed some work. I got the head and engine gaskets, valve cover gaskets, timing belt, water pump, and cam gears replaced by a mechanic I'd used for decades. -In his haste to finish the engine work, my friend didn't burp the coolant or clean an engine that had been sitting for at least a year. I started to overheat about 3 months later, at which point I flushed and burped the system . The problem was solved, but I had the check engine code "P0483" pop up immediately. This indicates a cooling fan irrationality. Since nothing changed with the fan, would a thermostat that may have been damaged when I flushed the system cause the same error? -I've just moved to a new state, and hit some debris during the hurricane a couple weeks back, and went in for an alignment. The mechanic called me back in about an hour basically telling me that every engine seal was leaking and that I should immediately sell the car for scrap. Now, the engine block is still terribly oily from sitting for a year with bad seals and the car burns >1/4 quart oil in between changes, as a '98 is liable to do. I explained the situation, but he remained adamant. The odds of needing all new seals and a timing belt 8 months after being redone are very small, no?

Thanks for pointing me towards the air bubble. I replaced the coolant (which looked clean). After the temp initially shot up after idling for a bit, it normalized after I took it out and the coolant circulated. The check engine light came on, but I'll take a faulty sensor over a head gasket any day. I theorize that I may have inadvertently created the bubble when I replaced the heater hose, but who knows. Thanks again.

Hi all, I've got a '98 Legacy Outback w/ 115K on it. I bought it when the headgasket blew for the original owner, so the timing, water pump, and head gasket have all been re-done in the last 6 months. I overheated yesterday at the tail end of a 40 mile commute and had steam coming out from evaporating coolant. I figured I'd sprung a leak in one of the heater hoses, and sure enough one was spraying coolant. I fixed all that this morning, but aside from the antifreeze leak, am still having the same overheating issues. 1. overflow coolant tank was bubbling when I stopped the engine. 2. Upper hose and lower hose were compressed due to pressure, upper hose was hot and lower hose was cool. 3. heat does not work, and covers inner windshield with a film that makes me think antifreeze may be escaping. 4. car does not overheat while idling. I can't tell if I should focus on the water pump or heater core. It's possible the mechanic did a poor job and the water pump is bad, as he was a friend of a friend and took over 2 months to complete the repairs. However, the filmy residue left by the blower makes me think that the heater core may be the issue. Any ideas?

It buzzes and sparks right before the engine misfires.

No, it's about 6 inches to the right of the alternator, and 6 inches to the left of the oil spout.

I've got a 96 Legacy that has a faulty switch or relay (not sure which) that is starting to short out and causing my engine to misfire about 50% of the time. The offending part is just to the right of the alternator and on top of the belts. It's very accessible so I assume it is a common part, I just don't know of it. Any ideas?