ok everyone my lady has a 2000 subaru outback 2.5 automatic, randomly the car will stall when you come to a stop but not always about 1/3 of the time , she just informed me that she has been loosing coolant for along time does anyone have any idea what could be wrong , and the check AT temp light comes on but i have checked the fluid and it is full

 

 

thanks in advance Jason

Edited April 18, 201213 yr by jheat71

Regarding coolant, easiet method is to crawl under it and see where it's coming from. My first guess is your head gaskets are leaking.

no apparent leak under the car will take it in and have a pressure check done today , any idea's about the stalling ? do you think they might be related

possibly related. Get the coolant issue investigated soon. Maybe test with chemical test for exhaust gasses in coolant. Could be as simple as bad radiator cap, thermostat, etc.(careful with aftermarket thermostats)

 

Or a few other stalling possibilities. IACV/throttlebody gunked up, TPS, etc.

 

CEL on?

sorry for my ignorance but what is a CEL ?

just wondering if you have a Check Engine Light on and if you could have the code read and post it here (like a P0123 type code.)

 

if the stalling is related to a computer monitored sensor, it might be useful to help diagnose the problem(s) with the car.

ok here is what i have done , checked for leaks of coolant NONE to be found , had the idle control valve cleaned , and had a compression check to see if we could find a leak nothing , and no check engine light only the ALT temp light comes on ............ any guesses

 

and thanks again for the help ........... the mechanic said maybe the idle control might need to be replaced what do u think

if that coolant isn't going into the oil sump, coming out of the gaskets, a hose, waterpump weep hole or the o'flow bottle - it's leaving via a combustion chamber.

 

from waht I've read, HGs are notoriously resistant to pressure testing, they fail after heating up on the road.

 

Try a chemical test for combustion products in the coolant, find out if the overflow bottle appears normal or is filling up(bad rad cap or small o'flow hose). Make certain the engine oil looks good and is the proper level. Doa any topping off with the nose of the car elevated and recheck the coolant level after the next drive cycle. Soobs often need to be burped.

 

Did this problem show itself after any maintenance, mods or a wreck?

Compression test is useless for HG checking. So is a pressure test on the 251's where they leak externally. Won't show anything useful. Check the head to block seam for evidence of coolant seepage.

 

GD

i am only needing to put coolant in evry 2 or 3 months and not a lot at that .......... could this little of coolant loss be causing the stalling issue ... Since i had the automatic idle control valve cleaned it stalled about the same amount of times the first day but only stalled once today and another time i felt it start to stall but then didn't. so maybe the whole assembly i think it called the throttle box maybe needs to be replaced .. what do u think guys ????

 

 

 

thanks again you guys have been a great help

i am only needing to put coolant in evry 2 or 3 months and not a lot at that ..........

 

If it is going down that slowly, you probably wouldn't ever find the "smoking gun" puddle. One option to help find the leak would be to buy a bottle of the UV dye from the local auto parts store, pour it into the radiator (not the overflow bottle!), drive it for a while (a week or two?), and then look around the engine bay and underneath at night with a UV flashlight. Any place where the coolant has been leaking will glow under the UV light.

 

If you go a few months with the dye, and still don't see anything, but the coolant has still gone down, then you will know that it is an internal leak.

 

 

Note that if you do try the dye, be sure to check your car over with the UV light first before you add the dye. Someone else could have used the dye in the past, particularly for an air conditioner repair, and you would want to clean off any remaining dye first so that you can tell where your NEW leak is at.

what about the stalling issue happening about 3-5 times a day , only when i'm coming to stop at a stop sign or light and the idle will go up to about 12-1500 rpms and then drop to 500 and finally stall ( unless i put it in neutral) any ideas

I think a cracked vacuum hose can produce that, without leaving CEL traces...

ok so whats the best way to track down a cracked vacuum hose ?

do you think the stalling issue could be a bad solenoid in the AT trans ? and if so how do i replace it and how do i know which one to change ?

when the key is turned to 'on' and all the instrument cluster lights come on, before starting, does the CEL light come on? Has it ever come on when the car stalls?

 

Maybe have the OBDII system scanned for pending codes. An AutoZone or similar car parts place can use their scanner. write down any code as P0123 or w'ever.

it could be two separate problems.

i used to have a 97 legacy 2.2 that had a radiator

leak, and the only way i found that out was

when i drove it all the way from PA to Mass and

saw a little steam coming out of the front at a gas

station cause now it was cold and winter. i never

saw it when it was warm out.

and, while the topic is cooling, if anyone could address the last post i made to the "Stant thermostat" sticky posting, I'd appreciate it. (The part about how there seems to be an identical Gates tstat also at Rockauto? Thnkx

the only light that ever comes on is the AT temp light , when the car stalls . Could there be a pending code that is not showing a CEL , is that possible????

Edited April 25, 201213 yr by jheat71

the only light that ever comes on is the AT temp light , when the car stalls . Could there be a pending code that is not showing a CEL , is that possible????

 

 

certainly possible, but, since your problem is on-going, not likely an issue.

 

But, just to be clear, the CEL bulb is actually working right? It should be tested everytime the key turns to 'on' like the other lamps.

No it does not come on .......... so if the CEL is not working would the code be there? or should i wait for the car to stall again ? and if so , will the cars comp reset itself ?, my girl said the mechanic has looked for codes and didn't find any but this was always at least 30 min after the last stall.

 

thanks Tex for all your help so far , i feel as if i am getting somewhere with this problem

 

use to live in Texas myself... great place

well, I'd definitely either own a scanner or get the bulb repaired if I was 'in charge' of that car. If the bulb is burned out, how do you know at anytime if there's a code set?

 

Go to an Autozone and have it scanned.

 

It certainly is possible, with it failing intermittently, for a code to be set, then clear itself, but some codes may remain for a very long time.

 

If the Autozone will allow it, write the Pxxx code(s), and have them erase the codes. Then, the next time the car stalls or exhibits a problem, have it scanned ASAP and again, get back to us with the codes.

 

 

None of this means we will have an answer - but it has the potential to point us in the right direction.

 

And she should really consider having that bulb repaired.

alright Tex went to Autozone and the car stalled just before i go there , they pulled 2 codes

P0740 they said torque converter clutch and P1133 manufacture fuel air meter

 

they said that the P1133 code could be causing the other want do u think ?

 

thanks again for all the help so far

If general disorder is still monitoring this thread, he may have 2-3 ideas but, seems to me, you have a MAF-related problem. It needs cleaning or it has a poor cable connection, there's an intake hose routing issue or it needs replacing, etc.

so even if the car does not stall when it is in park or neutral this could be the issue the MAF, is that correct ? if so i will call my mechanic today .