Hey all,
So my little '97 impreza has been a great car to own for the last year. One minor issue that I sef-dagnosed as a loose timing belt tensioner was causing a "ticking" mostly on cold starts but would be fine after the car warmed up. the car warmed up fine and ran steady temperature for the last year.
Today coming home with my daughter in the car we both smelled a rather pungent smell at an intersection, my gauges were fine and I blamed my neighbor. Then a quarter mile later, just as we pull on to my street, the temp needle starts to climb rather dramatically. I stopped the car and rolled to my parking spot. I discovered coolant sprayed all over the firewall from the rear of the engine, driver side.
Now I'm contemplating my choices. Do you think my "ticking" was something more serious? It appears as though I may have a blown head gasket, would that come on so suddenly? Anyways, I will probably either attemot to "nurse it" a mile or two to my mechanic tomorrow or have it towed depending on my situation. Let me know what youguys think.
Thanks
B