Help! 98 Forester 100k miles overheated for first time. Pulled over, opened hood and coolant overflow was full of oil! Let sit to cool, drove to nearest station, flushed antifreeze and changed oil. Appeared to be no coolant in oil. Let idle for an hour without overheating. Drove home (2 miles) and foaming coolant everywhere! There was no smoke out the back and no change in performance either time. Every board I see with similar symtoms looks like gasket issues. Sounds like big bucks. Any guesses as to what's a matter and how much as well as anyone in the S. Jersey area that can recommend a good place to take 'er? Once again, help!

Sounds like very bad, and very expensive news.

HG for sure! Can't help on the price or a good shop in NJ, but I'd consider an engine from CCR out of Denver CO. The Best!

There's nothing I can think of but a catastrophic failure to cause the symptoms you describe. Likely bad head gasket(s), but could even be a cracked block. See http://home.comcast.net/~skipnospam/ and visit the guest book to get an idea of just how bad the HG problem is. Sorry...

 

--OB99W

ok, expensive. but how much? 500? 2000? do I auction it off? I just bought it used in April. No warranty naturally. Long shot additional clues-engine hot radiator cold, heat shut off right before it blew, no put-put air/sound from exhaust but............gasket, right?

ok, expensive. but how much? 500? 2000? do I auction it off? I just bought it used in April. No warranty naturally. Long shot additional clues-engine hot radiator cold, heat shut off right before it blew, no put-put air/sound from exhaust but............gasket, right?

 

Yeah -- the reason the radiator and heater core were cold was that the coolant was low, from being slowly burned. Sounds like the classic head gasket to me. When I blew mine I got a cloud of white smoke for a minute or so, then nothing till two weeks later it overheated bad, and when I checked, it was about a gallon low on coolant. Never did see any smoke past the first burst, and I never got oil in the coolant or vice versa either. Just used alot of coolant.

 

I've heard estimates from $1200 to $2800 on this forum for fixing it. If you don't have a cracked block. If you are mechanically inclined and have a warm garage, you could do it yourself, for about $400 in parts. I'd allow two full weekends, based on my experience.

I had my HGs done,(98 O/B), for $1200 Cdn. Including new plugs, timing belt, crank and camshaft seals. I didn't go to the dealer but instead, went to a local garage who had already done the same work on Subarus before. He was going to use Felpro gaskets but I told him to get them from Subaru....they were about $75 more.

 

 

It's been 5000 kms..so far so good.

It's not how much the car is worth. What is important, is, how much the car is worth to you.

Thats really what it comes down too. if this is the only thing wrong with the car, and you know the car well, i would get it fixed. Otherwise its loking to buy a car, the fees, the insurance etc etc

 

 

nipper