At 165K miles, I would recommend replacing the engine with a gently used one. Problem is that you must do a compression check on the used one first, to be sure it doesn't have the same problem! I can usually buy a gently used engine for around $350 to $550 plus shipping. Actually, I think most junk yards might do a compression check ahead of time anyway to make sure the engines are okay. Definately want to clean/flush the coolant system really well too. I'd buy it myself, but not sure it would make the drive across the midwest to Iowa. Is it an automatic?

Good luck.

Im in the same predicament. A few days ago my 98 2.5 RS started to overheat. The coolant had black stuff floating in it and it was overflowing. I had researched the vehicle before I bought it, and found that the 2.5L engine is known for head gasket problems. I took it to a local shop. The mechanic there, told me that subarus are not known for blowing head gaskets and that there is no way that is the problem. He replaced the thermostat and gave it back to me a couple of days later. Yesterday the same thing happened again. Unfortunatly I took it back to the same place(i didnt have much of a choice, it broke down in front of the shop). I read a whole lot of posts on this site relating to my problem. All of which point to the head gasket. Im a student and im pretty much broke. I do have a job............delivering pizza, so i guess technically I dont have a job anymore.

 

This really is a no-win situation.

 

MY COOLANT ALSO HAD WEIRD STUFF IN IT. SORRY ABOUT YOUR PREDICAMENT.

Melissa,

 

If your coolant had weird stuff floating in it, your mechanic is not going to fix the problem by replacing your water pump.

 

Tom

If you are up to wierd stuff in the coolant you have a bad head gasket.

If you are planning to keep the car for at least 5 more years then I would suggest getting a rebuilt engine from CCR. This will give you a 3 year warranty along with a totally rebuilt engine that will last a long time.

 

The lack of coolant movement and other symtoms you have sure do sound like gaskets to me also.

 

To Grimmreaper:

Your mechanic knows his stuff alright. He could work on my Soob anytime.

I prefer an engine compression test to check for head gasket leaks. Never fails.

Melissa,

 

If your coolant had weird stuff floating in it, your mechanic is not going to fix the problem by replacing your water pump.

 

Tom

I JUST GOT A CALL FROM MY MECHANIC. THEY CHECKED MY WATER PUMP AND SAY IT IS WORKING FINE. THEY AREN'T REPLACING IT. HIS NEW THEORY IS THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE RADIATOR. HIS GOING TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR AND SEE IF THAT DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN I SAY THE COOLANT HAD WEIRD STUFF IN IT I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN DIRT OR SOMETHING AROUND THE SIDES OF THE RESEVOIR. I GUESS IF IT'S NOT THE RADIATOR I WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY RECOMMEDATIONS FOR MECHANICS IN THE ST. LOUIS MISSOURI AREA.

Melissa, replacing the radiator won't solve the problem. Benefit, as I did, from the experience of the countless people with the same engine who went through the same things, and replaced several hundred dollars worth of parts that didn't need replacing. You need head gaskets, and a new mechanic.

 

Tom

 

And the weird stuff in the coolant does look like dirt, or grime, around the sides of the reservoir. It came from your cylinders.

Good idea Midwst. Perhaps a leak down test would convince the mechanic about the problem.

a number of folks whose engine passed a compression check and still had bad gaskets.

The problem is that when the gasket is just beginning to fail it will seal when it cools down. By the time you get the plugs out to do a compression or leakdown test the engine has cooled a fair bit.

If the gasket gets bad enough both tests work fine. At least trying a radiator is cheap, but frankly this car sounds like it has a blown gasket.

It is true that a lot of folks have thrown many parts at this problem trying to diagnose it.

Folks have even been able to limp these cars for a while by pulling the thermostats as the engine runs cooler and the gasket seals until it gets worse.

If it were my car it would get head gaskets now with no more fooling around.

I agree, Cookie. These head gaskets aren't "blown" in the sense of having a hole. They are actually intact, and the combustion gasses are leaking between the gasket and the block or the head in the area of the exhaust valves. A tiny puff of fuel mix gets pushed out on the compression stroke and into the coolant. It's not enough loss to get picked up on a compression test. The tiny puffs build up in the coolant and displace it to the reservoir.

 

Skip's page on HG replacement documents his compression of 200-210 PSI in all four cylinders but he had an obvious Phase I Hg failure.

 

http://home.comcast.net/~skipnospam/

 

Tom

Whe I first saw skip's site there were only a few listed. Now there are so many I got bored before I could read them all. Here is one that ried all the usual test and it was sitll the HGs.

 

Bought cheap used 1997 legacy at 80K miles needing repair, service, and TLC. After repairs and service, strange overheating symptoms began. Temp gauge shot up while idling or parking, even though ran fine on freeway for 45 minutes. Coolant blew out of reservoir, but engine not really hot - no hissing, steam, etc. If stopped before loss of coolant then some bubbles rising in reservoir. Took to shop numerous times for overheating and mechanic did the usual - t-stat, burb coolant system, etc. Co-worker found Skip's Head Gasket Failure web site for me and I took a printout of it to mechanic. He did compression test, cylinder leak test, and hydrocarbon test and ruled out the head gaskets. Two weeks later he gave up trying to find the cause of overheating and called his expert service. They told him it was the head gaskets. After replacement and machining of 1 head ($1350) car seems to be running fine. I love the car, but I will always keep one eye on the temp gauge. Thanks for your site, Skip.