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water pump vs head gasket problems in 2.5L


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Hi - I'm new to this forum, and have spent a few hours reading through many of the topics on the 2.5L engine. I didn't see anything that addressed my situation, so will ask here.

 

I have a 97 Legacy GT with about 145000 miles on it. Has always worked wonderfully. Last spring, the dealer told me that the water pump was beginning to seap, and I should plan to replace it. No performance issues, no overheating, nothing. Since I saw no immediate problem (dealer also said it could wait a few months) & I was strapped for money, I waited until last fall to get it replaced. I was about to go on a trip to Grand Junction (over the Divide) & didn't want to get stranded in the snow up at the top. Still was not having any problems at this point, but decided to be proactive...

 

Got the water pump fixed, went to GJ, no problems-cool weather. Put about 900-1000 miles on the car. When I got home and it was later driven to Denver, it overheated. Took it back to garage, where they bled the lines (again; said they'd done it before), test drove it in the mountains & said it was fine. Overheated the next day, too. At this point, took it to the dealer, where they said the water pump was full of air & had caused enough overheating to wreck the head gaskets. Got those fixed to the tune of $2000+.

 

Since I had not had any problems with the car's performance before the water pump replacement, what are the odds that the air in the lines caused the head gasket failure? I realize that there is a percentage of failure in this engine type, but it seems too coincidental that mine failed with the water pump.

 

Comments are appreciated... Thanks

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Well, the problem you have is this, you have a car known to be prone to head gasket failure with 145,000 miles on the clock. Under these circumstances , I think the burden will be placed on you to prove that the repair shop acted negligently. One other consideration, it seems in MOST cases that if a driver with an overheating Subaru stops the car car as soon as it starts overheating the head gaskets are not damaged. In other words, if the overheating is caused by a bad thermostat, air in the cooling system, failed cooling fan, or failed water pump, then quickly turning off the engine will usually save the head gaskets. On the other hand, if the overheating is caused by head gasket failure, obviously the head gasket are already toast. So, if you did not continue to operate the car after it started to overheat, gasket failure most likely CAUSED the over heating.

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  • 13 years later...

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