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Question about 2.5 motor and HG failure


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one can google various combinations of "thrown rods EJ25 bearings failure" etc - it's widely known and common.

 

on EJ25D's it's related to the random overheats.  car with 30,000 miles overheats and in the 1990's no one was thinking headgaskets, it wasn't known back then and the internet wasn't yet sparkling with insight.  in the early 2000's mechanics were calling me about it because they thought I knew a little bit about Subaru's. Typical scenarios - car overheats, limp it home but it's fine the next day so "bad luck" and keep driving.  overheats a month later and they limp it home.  mechanic finds nothing and changes coolant.  wash-rinse-repeat with various combinations of radiator, thermostat, radiator cap, water pump replacements - and the car has been limped and overheated multiple times when all along it was the head gasket failing. 

 

that overheating compromises the oil which degrades the bearings that fail sometime later. 

 

That's a good explanation of how this eventuates - so it's not really the design of the EJ25D as such - just how they were miss diagnosed time and time again really.  Still, I haven't heard the same over here on such a frequent number of vehicles but that could be the difference in the markets and how Subaru America and Subaru Australia dealt with the issue.

 

If you're really worried about temps and potential HG issues, jump on fleabay and look up engine watch dog - these use metal temps rather than coolant that once lost, won't give you an accurate temp reading.  You can also set an alarm for a particular temp setting above what is normal to alert you to something abnormal going on.  I'm yet to put one on my cars but it's on the to do list of 2018!  There are other, cheaper versions of this around too.

 

Cheers

 

Bennie

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Well the design of the EJ25D causes massive headgasket issues - but like you said yes, the oil and ultimately rods and subsequent issues are infuriated by the repeated overheating.

 

As for engine watch dog - might need something like that on the newer subarus that’s don’t even have a temp gauge.....whaaaattttt???!!! Who’s idea was that? are they trying to make these disposable like appliances haha.

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  • 2 weeks later...

As for engine watch dog - might need something like that on the newer subarus that’s don’t even have a temp gauge.....whaaaattttt???!!! Who’s idea was that? are they trying to make these disposable like appliances haha.

Don't get me started on the "added safety" technology that actually reduces the drivers need to know how to actually monitor what's going on around them as they "drive"...

 

Then there's the canbus system where one thing in the car goes a bit funny in operation and the whole car has a hissy fit. HGs will be a thing of the past - because cars will be disposed of before they can blow a head gasket :/

 

Cheers

 

Bennie

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