stanigu

Exhaust leak? If it changes with the RPM or the load, it could be...

Wow...what a great board! So much responses...thanks to you all! It's kind of making sense to me now...the bay area is fairly mild weather-wise, but it still does dip into the 30's now and again where I live. I thought I'd take a crack at this product: www.rxauto.net Run with it a while, replace the thermostat yet again, and see what happens...I'll keep you all posted.

Hello all: First the facts: '99 Legacy SUS 2.5L Auto. 142K miles. The car appears to have a blown HG...(classic symptoms--bubbles in the overflow tank, oily residue, temp climing rapidly, etc.). This happened on the road a few weeks back, and the service station mechanic removed the termostat. No overheating.... So I thought, what the heck, I'll try re-installing a new t-stat and see what happens (maybe it was a bad t-stat?). Well, all the symptoms returned. (I replaced the rad. cap at the same time). BTW, t-stat is OEM. So I remove it again, and overheating problem is gone...no more bubbling, no overheating, overflow tank at the correct level... So my questions are: -what am I risking, other than no heater on chilly mornings, and poor gas milage, by driving w/o thermostat? -I *think* I understand how thermostat works, but I can't quite connect why removal of t-stat would have such dramatic difference...if I have a HG leak, it leaks weather t-stat is in place or not, right? Then it should heat up the coolant too rapidly, if slower than before? So I should expect to see overheated situation, right??? Or not? Thanks for helping out a newbie.

Umm a stupid question: how do I tell a build date? Is it part of a VIN in some way? Or is there a placard that I missed?

Thanks! Now I'll try replacing the thermostat...

I got a hold of Haynes manual for something like 1993-1998 Legacy's, and I have a '99. The car looks pretty much the same as in the picture, so I'm wondering if there's any significant difference between the '98 and '99 models that would impact me servicing the motor, or is it the same??? TIA!

So when headgaskets are going "south", could that be a periodic problem? I drove the car about 45 miles today, and the engine ran pretty cool (cooler than regular operating temp). At lunch, I went out to a burger joint, and while I was in the drive thru, the temp went up to the normal operating temp and stayed there (I assume because the fan kicked in). And if you guys could enlighten me...how are failing termostat and blown headgasket related? Does one cause the other? TIA

Hmmm. Doesn't sound too great...How long, generally, do I have till the HG absolutely needs replacing? I drive pretty gently, so hopefully that would prolong the life of HG.. Also, does anyone have experience with additives? Like the redline water-wetter, or SOA additive? Hate to spend big bucks right before the holiday season....

Hey thanks for the reply. Just an update for all: The mechanic at the gas station removed the thermostat (didn't replace it, apparently), and filled the coolant. That did the trick (of course, I'd have to replace the thermostat, but at least it's not overheating...predictably, it runs too cool now). Just for a good measure, I invested $6 in a new radiator cap, just in case. So **Hopefully** I don't have a headgasket issue!

Hello: I just purchased a 99 Legacy SUS a few days ago...ran fine for a while, and yesterday, after driving for about 25 miles, I saw the temp gauge pegged to "HOT". I crank the internal heat to Max high, which blows hot for a while but then blows cold, and when I pulled over, the reserve tank is full. I filled the radiator after allowing it to cool, and drive a few miles with the same results. Visually, the oil looks fine--not milky or anything. I don't notice anything unusual on the oil filler cap, and the exhaust isn't steaming. So...I'm hopeful that It's just a radiator cap or thermostat problem or something less expensive... It's got the non-turbo 2.5L, and the car has about 142K miles on it. The engine runs fine otherwise, with good power. TIA for any advise! The car's sitting at a gas station some 25 miles from home. Definitely not a place I'd have a major repair done on my car!!