First off the gas mileage is terrible, about 21-22 mpg city for a fwd car is bad. It runs as usual nothing wrong , no cel on.

 

The radiator is leaking, a slow drip only when hot. It is coming from the base, passenger side. I thought it was the drain valve but it is well below that. Can this be fixed or new RAD time?? Should I buy one at pep boys ?

 

Should I replace the thermostat if I have to replace the rad.?? the thermostat was never replaced so its old.

Thank you for your assistance.

i'd want to repair that leak as soon as possible. you have no idea how long you have been dripping and blowing out - overheating. overheating any car is bad and 15 year old seals/gaskets don't make it any better.

 

any chance it's just a hose?

 

if you can find a good used on, that's fine, but you can probably get a new radiator for $100 or so. start pricing them out and see if you can swing it.

 

replace the thermostat with a new Subaru thermostat, the aftermarkets are really cheezeball, the Subaru one is extremely beefy and will last the rest of the time you own the car.

 

good luck finding/repairing that leak.

It is definitely the base of the rank area, the hose and valve are clean.

 

Pep and advanced both want 125.

 

What about the poor mpg could that be an o2 sensor? I may get rid of the car by sept so I want to fix it but keep costs low. thank you

if you're getting rid of it, i wouldn't "throw parts at it". but an O2 sensor *could* cause bad mpg. so could all sorts of other things. dragging brakes, fuel filter, air filter, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, injectors, intake...etc.

 

personally i'd start with a tune up or at least check the plug gaps and inspect the cap and rotor, both of which don't take very long at all.

personally i'd start with a tune up or at least check the plug gaps and inspect the cap and rotor, both of which don't take very long at all.

The car is MPFI and distributor-less - cap and rotor need not apply.