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Educated Guesses Needed - Vol. 1

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OK, I'm not going to get into the long story about this car, but here's the specs:

 

1999 Legacy GT Limited

Sedan

Automatic

34,000 miles

 

 

It overheated.

 

There appears to be no leak.

 

Could be:

Thermostat (Need symptoms)

Headgaskets

 

What else? (this is where YOU come in.)

If thermostat failed closed, you should still get hot heat out the heater.

 

Radiator could be clogging. Water pump could be failing (not too likely but it could happen, especially if the impeller became damaged somehow or something...) Other clogs/blockages in the system.

 

Is there any mucky murky stuff in the overflow tank or any bubbling?

  • Author
If thermostat failed closed, you should still get hot heat out the heater.

 

Radiator could be clogging. Water pump could be failing (not too likely but it could happen, especially if the impeller became damaged somehow or something...) Other clogs/blockages in the system.

 

Is there any mucky murky stuff in the overflow tank or any bubbling?

 

the coolant looks clean, but smells like chemical, not sweet.

 

there's no bubbling i can tell of, but i did take off the cap while it was running and warm and it was fountaining out like a gyser, which i assume is normal.

 

when i pulled over after it overheated i let it sit for about 3 minutes and felt the upper rad hose and it was cool, which i thought was weird.

felt the upper rad hose and it was cool, which i thought was weird.
That is kind of weird. I'm not sure if that is typical in an HG failure or not. It definitely would be a symptom of clogged radiator or clog somewhere and/or failed closed thermostat. Also could be an air pocket trapped in the system or low coolant level possibly?
  • Author
what services have been done to the car recently?

 

i'm not sure.

 

i bought it from a dealership and this all happened the night i recieved it. now they're trying to right the wrongs.

bought it from a dealership

Hm...definitely make them make it right. It may be becoming evident why someone traded this vehicle in.....

  • Author
Hm...definitely make them make it right. It may be becoming evident why someone traded this vehicle in.....

 

we actually got a hold of the previous and only owner and he said that the only reason he got rid of it was because he had two cars and ended up not driving the subaru as much after he bought his cadilac.

Hm...okay, well that could be true. It seems odd it would act up right after you got it though it is certainly possible. I wouldn't want to say 'oh yah i was having overheating problems like the dickens with that car, that's why I traded it in'.

  • Author
Hm...okay, well that could be true. It seems odd it would act up right after you got it though it is certainly possible. I wouldn't want to say 'oh yah i was having overheating problems like the dickens with that car, that's why I traded it in'.

 

well, either way, it's too nice of a car to let it go without a fight.

Absolutely! Good call getting it from a dealer though; not sure about PA but in NY cars sold by dealers come with an implied warranty if the vehicle is under 100,000 miles and some mileage.

  • Author
Absolutely! Good call getting it from a dealer though; not sure about PA but in NY cars sold by dealers come with an implied warranty if the vehicle is under 100,000 miles and some mileage.

 

i actually had him throw in a 90 day Guardian warranty so even if the dealer can't find out what it is and a SUBARU dealership CAN, and it's covered by the warranty (which anything these problems could be caused by seem to be on the list of covered repaires) then i only pay a $100 deductable.

 

 

i just don't want to have to pay 10 $100 deductables...naw meen?

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