2.2 Head Gasket?

[Smpol19]

hi all, getting a bit worried about my 01 Impreza OBS tonight i was driving and heard sounds of water moving, i looked back and there was some white smoke but that could have just been because its a cool night. When i stoped i looked into the coolant overflow and saw bubles coming up. I know i have the EJ22 in this car and thought this was suposed to be more relible then the 2.5. The car overheated for less then a minute a week or so ago because of the dealer putting a fan relay back in the wrong place but the water temp gauge didn't even get all the way to the red before i stoped it. Am i looking at head gaskets soon or is it something cheaper. I just got this car 4 months ago to replace a 88 GL wagon which may be proving to be more reliable.

[Setright]

Well, I had an EJ22 in a 1990 Legacy and that blew a head gasket at 120k miles, so it's not impossible. It is unlikely.

 

I think that the overheating blew some coolant out throught the expansion tank, and you now have an air bubble trapped inside the engine. Some Imprezas just gurgle a little now and then from cold starts. Mine does. The cabin heater core can get hold of an air pocket and keep it trapped for ages...

 

Park the car nose up, let the engine cool, remove the radiator cap, start and idle the engine. Pour in some coolant - same type as what's in there already please! - to bring the level up toward the filler neck. As the engine heats, the coolant will expand and the level will rise. Once it begins to climb up the filler neck, screw the cap back in. Make sure the expansion tank is up to the FULL mark.

 

Drive for a few miles, and park the car again, level this time. Let it cool overnight. In the morning, note the level in the expansion tank. Open the rad cap, and top off if there is still room. Close the radiator and leave it closed. During the next few days, take note of the level in the expansion tank. In the morning, when it should be at it's lowest. If it drops below FULL, top it off.

 

Immediately after a drive that gets the engine up to running temp, don't switch of the engine, but open the hood and look into the expansion tank. A little bubble every few seconds is normal. A stream of bubbles is bad. This can mean a blown HG.

 

During warm weather the level in the expansion tank will rise a few inches above the FULL mark, and this is normal. It should just refind it's lower level overnight as it cools. If it the expansion tank overflows during normal driving, that is another sign of the dreaded HG.