bluevelvet77

I thought this "stutter"/error would show up on their computer, but they read nothing.

Thanks everybody. I had it taken in and the clanking turned out to be a rusted exhaust shield. Apparently, it is coming apart and they are suggesting I replace it at some point (OEM part is 200+ dollars) The sound has died down a bit over time and I guess I can deal with it (for now). Found no leaks so I'm guessing it was just residual from the work they did on it? I can confirm because the last time I laid cardboard out... nothing. Only thing that's been nagging at me... When I'm on the highway for awhile (20-30 minutes) and I slow down once I get into town.. almost feel like there is a misfire/loss of power/stutter when I let off the gas, and gently press it back in. Hiccups twice. Could that just be an awkward gear change? I mean to try this with the sport shift and see if it's still there. It isn't evident anywhere or any other time in the drive. It's only got me paranoid because I had a similar problem with my VW at the end of it's life.

oh okay.... do you have any suggestions ?

Just a little update, for those who might find this thread later.. It was the head gasket that was leaking. I also had them do the water pump/timing belt because I had no idea when it was last done. So I paid for that myself. Except now the car has a strange "clanking" sound near the dashboard that I'm a little concerned about. It's there on startup but quickly goes away. I've also noticed minor performance issues that I still can't tell if they are in my head or not. It feels like a stutter/loss of power here and there, maybe a slight delay when I accelerate. Don't know if I should go back to the same garage, have the dealer pay for a specialist, or just return it. Bummed.

Glad you brought this up. I'm wondering if they (the dealer who sold it) will pay for that too, but I doubt it. Worth mentioning. Thanks

Thank you!! That part about them getting blown back onto other parts of the engine is useful. It hasn't (yet) exhibited the symptoms of a head gasket leak so perhaps this mechanic is right. My strategy is to let them replace the water pump for free and see if that works. While at the same time, trying to drive it as little as possible.

This is definitely a coolant leak .. can't really tell from this picture but it was green. So maybe he's right after all, it is the water pump. I'm just having difficulty having a proper labeled diagram of the engine online.

Yes, it made me nervous when I read about mixing them. But I'm ... 90% certain I saw green before I topped it off. I was mostly curious about how corrosive green was over time. so thanks for mentioning your mother's car.

So this coolant business has been real confusing for me. My 2009 Impreza 2.5i is right on the cusp of the color change from green to blue. When I noticed it was low, I swear I was seeing green at the bottom of the res... so I added green. But the dealership is telling me blue ("you must get it in, green is corrosive!!!"), the town mechanic is telling me green is fine...who do I trust? Is it necessary to pay 130$ to have it flushed and make the switch to blue? Thanks everybody

another picture...

Hey everybody! Thought I'd come to people of experience on this. It's not so much mechanical as it is advice on how to deal with used car dealers/mechanics. I bought a 2009 Impreza and I've been loving it. However, I decided (after 2 weeks) to check on the fluid levels. The coolant was low in the res and after much research and debate, I decided to fill it with green (not blue) because that's what it had in it already. The color thing really bothered me but that's not the issue.My local Subaru dealership forwarded me to their Chevy branch. Those guys told me a coolant flush wasn't in order, but the head gasket was leaking. I called the dealer I bought it from, and he urged me to bring it in right away so his mechanic could look at it.That mechanic looked at it (after the leak was wiped away) and guessed it was most likely the water pump. Well I set out cardboard and in the morning it looked like the leak was to the back right, not the front.I sent the pictures to the dealer's mechanic and no word yet. But it sounds like they will have to do the head gaskets after all. Should I bother with a third opinion? Or give them a little more time and more or less demand it be fixed or I return it?