Greg S

look in the coolant overflow, if you see any oil residue there could be a head gasket problem, BTDT the hard way. Take it for a run and see if the tranny has any unusual shifts. Check CV boots, do some zig/zags or figure 8's(in a empty parking lot) and see if there are any unusual front end noise (grinding or clicking etc.)

It must have been pretty bad for them to replace the motor at 46,000 Km!

The short block was done because of piston slap. Coolant did not get in the oil, it was dark but not creamy. I have seen coolant in oil before when I had a cracked head on a Toyota Land Cruiser. This stuff was like jelly and burnt sugar, ulgy! As you said insufficient flow of oil could be the cause of the gasket failure after overheating and the dealer is looking at it the same way. The mechanic and the service manager said they haven't seen that much crap inside that type of engine before and they seemed pretty sincere. Both heads were caked with sludge and the crap could be seen all the way into the block. I questioned the oil pump but the final jusgement was that it was always in the "wet" oil at the bottom of the sump while the sludge was stuck on parts up above. However, I can't help but think the oil pump had to have pumped some crappy oil at some time. The timing belt was replaced just this spring as was a cam shaft sensor and other components ($1,700.00 in repairs). I doubt the mechinic would put a contaminated belt back on. Both heads were milled for a fresh edge, pressure tested and checked for cracks etc. All in all I am not feeling very good about this car.

Well the 97 Outback that I bought less than 2 months ago blew a head gasket. On the way home last week I took a relatively steep and long hill where shortly after I noticed a lot of heat coming out of the vents. When I looked at the temp guage it was well on its way to the top, luckily I pulled over before it could get to the highest level. Coolant puked out of the overflow reservoir. I let the car cool off and then drove home, less than 5 min without any further overheating. After adding some coolant I went for another test drive and sure enough it overheated again after going up a few long steep hills. Again, all ran well after letting it cool of. The next day I drove to the dealer without incident, no overheat. The mechnic had a look and said head gaskets. There was oil residue in the overflow tank as well as air bubbles. So, I bought this car because I was told by the dealer that the short block was replaced in 2001(with only 46,000km). I figured new block, better gaskets all would be well, no such luck. Now at 112,000Km new head gaskets. The other disturbing thing was the condition of the inside of the engine. The oil was filthy and gelled, so much so that you could barely tell the bolts on the bearing caps were hex head. The PO had changed the oil before I bought the car but apparently not nearly often enough, if ever. What really sucks is that the dearler was going to go to bat for me and see if they could get the local Subaru Atlantic Rep to pay for part of the head gasket repair but once they opened up the engine and saw the sludge they said sorry we can't help. Fortunately, the cams and related bearings look to be OK(of course looking OK and being OK are not always the same). The sludge will be removed and the valve train should operate a heck of a lot better. The heads went to the head shop for a cleaning, inspection and milling. In any case, my confidence in this vehicle has been shattered but given what I have spent thus far I can't get rid of it.

I just bought a '97 with 68K for under $8,000CDN, It has new brakes and the short block replaced in 2001. Could use new tires though.

The tray(carpet protector) is more of a hard vinyl than a rubber. They are a good idea but stuff slides around on them too easily, IMHO.

Alrighty then! Well the new ride is home. These puppies sure do fly, mind you its been a while since I drove a gasser and the old diesels are a tad slow. So... what is with the climate control lighting... The lights work when buttons are pressed but I cant see the darn fan knob or anything else. Guess I better start a search to learn how to get at those lights. The headlights are a bit dimm, IMHO. The G I ahve been driving has H4s, perhaps a change is due for the new ride also. Other than that the car seems pretty tight and handles nicely. I look forward to trying it out when the snow comes, should be interesting.

Moose sightings are part of the traffic report in this part of the country. I know a fellow that bought his hunting licence based on the fact that he could listen to the local radio station and then go hunting. Glad to hear you weren't hurt, shame about the car.:-\

Tx for the note Dr. but if you notice in my profile I own 2 Benz's that both have F&R locking diffs, part of the reason I bought them. The G-Wagon has selectable lock f&R, and the Unimog has both locks on at the same when selected. FWIW, locking diff on really slippery surfaces, such as ice, can be very deadly(ie dangerous), as can limited slip diffs, but that is a whole other conversation. I'm off to pick up the car now! Strange that I must have seen about 4 Subaru's on the way home! :wave:

Cookie, I am inclined to agree with you. The engine hasn't given any problems since it was redone, except for the cam shaft sensor. It stands to reason that is ought to be a better engine now than when is was new. I am going to go pick up the car today!! Thanks for the help! I'll BE BACK....

I contacted the local dealer regarding this car. Luckily he he was more than happy to give me every bit of history on this car that he had in the computer. All call backs were rectified and all the repairs claimed by the PO are accurate, except he didn't mention the new engine, hmmm.... Turns out that the engine (short Block) was replaced in 2001. I would think that is a plus as far as sales goes, perhaps the PO was thinking it would scare off purchasers, thoughts anyone? I'm am thinking that since the engine was replaced in 2001 it should have better/newer style head gaskets? The timing belt was reused at the time but replaced this spring, this seemed odd to me but they do things according to schedule. If it were me doing the engine I would have replaced the belt at the time of the rebuild but I guess when it is warranty work they do what they want. What might have cause such an early failure with only 70,000km on the clock? Bad engine or maybe bad Owner or just bad luck? A crankshaft sensor has also been replaced Sorry if I m beating this to death but....

Hi Folks! I am considering the purchase of a 1997 Legacy Outback, it has 110,000Km, automatic, air etc. The body is in great shape given its age (some parking lot dings and the like). The car has been maintained at the dealer and recently had the timing belt changed and brake service work done. The are no oil leaks and everthing looks to be in pretty good shape. I have searched the archives here trying to find out what I can and about all I have seen is a that there can be problems with the 2.5L engines. Should this be enough to make me walk away from this car? Or is it just one of those things where a few horror stories make everything look bad? One final question: how does the AWD work on these things? I am used to 4X4's with selectable t/case(2, 4Hi, 4Low). Will one tire breaking traction on these get you stuck or is there some sort of proportioning method for power to the wheels (limited slip?)? Thanks in advance for any advice!