Just a quick question, I know OEM gauges aren't that accurate, but where does the needle normally sit on these things? Is it supposed to be down near the bottom in the small, notched section or in the middle?

My mother's H6 runs in the middle and I suspect it has a pinhole leak in a head gasket, the coolant overflow always bubbles away, radiator fans always running, rare but frightening temperature spikes, just need something "visual" I can show her to at least pursue fixing it... Picture is of a cluster with the same gauge

Middle.

 

1 minute ago, FerGloyale said:

Middle.

 

Sweet, but I still suspect blown HG. She missed 8 oil changes, changed oil air and fuel filters once in 3 years. Has blown a radiator before. The overflow needs topping up frequently because it boils out.

No signs of external coolant leaks and I have burped it thoroughly once for her, still slowly boiling.

As I understand it HG failure on a EZ30 is rare but I'm sure that level of neglect could do it...

It's a HG failure. Junk it. Not worth fixing. 

GD

HG.  H6's are less common so people don't see many, but with age and miles HG failure isn't rare. In the US a sometimes reasonable option is to swap a $600 JDM engine. 

20 hours ago, GeneralDisorder said:

It's a HG failure. Junk it. Not worth fixing. 

GD

 

12 hours ago, idosubaru said:

HG.  H6's are less common so people don't see many, but with age and miles HG failure isn't rare. In the US a sometimes reasonable option is to swap a $600 JDM engine. 

Live in Australia so things don't look cheap, quick look around seems to be $1500 AUD locally...

How long do you think this thing has? At 280KM on the odo I think. I messaged her about it and she reckons she's going to try keeping it on the road but I think things are about to go downhill fast. The scary temp spikes started about 2 months ago and while they are rare it is becoming more frequent.

Glad it's not mine..

 

 

parabolic escalation. they can start out very slowly.  It’s almost random at first, a few weeks or even months between symptoms.  once it seems regular and is consuming coolant, it’s going downhill fast from there. The gaskets will blow catastrophically or it’ll eat a rod bearing if a blown radiator or hose doesn’t wake her up. 

I’ve seen a few make it through summer with a few run hot events, and the first winter have no issues. Once temps creep up the following summer the symptoms return and get worse very quickly.  I’d think this pattern was anecdotal, or was something else going on, if I hadn’t seen it multiple times on H6s and I think never in H4s. 

Which is interesting.  with 1,000 degree combustion temps and controlled/maintained 200 degree operating temps, an ambient temp swing of 30-90 degrees seems trivial and I don’t think I could believe it if I didn’t see it b