1998 Subaru Legacy Overheating

[tommyfullington]

Ok I recently bought this car used at 91K miles. Now it has 92K
miles.... I've had it for about a month. I'm driving down the road one
day going about 60, when all of a sudden the check engine light comes
on and the temp. gauge goes to max. So I stop the car, and I have lost
all of my coolant out of the overflow. I stick some water in the car
and get it home. I've replaced the thermostat, fan sensor, radiator
cap. The radiator checks out fine and holds pressure on both lower and
upper hose. Fans work fine. When I bought the car a new water pump and
timing belt were placed on the car, so I'm going to get both replaced.
The car just frankly acts funny, if you drive it 60-70 mph it will
remain about at operating temperature. If you drive it about 45 or up a
hill it will heat up. If this is a blown head gasket or a cracked
block, I'm just going to throw some of that crap in it that blocks the
leak / crack and drive the engine until it dies. Because a new engine
costs as much as the repair. At least with a new engine I'll get a
warranty. I am a little discouraged at this and am wondering if I
should hold onto the car or not, after I get it repaired.
Oh one more thing, there's a strange clicking noise comming from the
left side of the engine .... it's only when you accelerate the car.
This is begining to look more and more like a cracked block, cuz air
would escape into the cooling system and create a vapor lock. So I'd
lose my coolant... another strange thing. The car doesn't overheat AT
ALL with water in the radiator?????????? I donno I'm thrown for a
loop... I might just try replacing the temp gauge lol. Anyone ever used
the crack block / blow head fix??? Does it work??

 

[Edward Hayes]

I would go to www.nasioc.com and state you problem in one of the
forums. Lots of experience there.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Ok I recently bought this car used at 91K miles. Now it has 92K
miles.... I've had it for about a month. I'm driving down the road one
day going about 60, when all of a sudden the check engine light comes
on and the temp. gauge goes to max. So I stop the car, and I have lost
all of my coolant out of the overflow. I stick some water in the car
and get it home. I've replaced the thermostat, fan sensor, radiator
cap. The radiator checks out fine and holds pressure on both lower and
upper hose. Fans work fine. When I bought the car a new water pump and
timing belt were placed on the car, so I'm going to get both replaced.
The car just frankly acts funny, if you drive it 60-70 mph it will
remain about at operating temperature. If you drive it about 45 or up a
hill it will heat up. If this is a blown head gasket or a cracked
block, I'm just going to throw some of that crap in it that blocks the
leak / crack and drive the engine until it dies. Because a new engine
costs as much as the repair. At least with a new engine I'll get a
warranty. I am a little discouraged at this and am wondering if I
should hold onto the car or not, after I get it repaired.
Oh one more thing, there's a strange clicking noise comming from the
left side of the engine .... it's only when you accelerate the car.
This is begining to look more and more like a cracked block, cuz air
would escape into the cooling system and create a vapor lock. So I'd
lose my coolant... another strange thing. The car doesn't overheat AT
ALL with water in the radiator?????????? I donno I'm thrown for a
loop... I might just try replacing the temp gauge lol. Anyone ever used
the crack block / blow head fix??? Does it work??

You must make sure you 'burp' all the air out of the cooling system when
refilling it(perhaps it wasn't burped well when the WP and TB work was
done?). Put the heater on max, put the nose of the car up as high as
safely possible (ramps, curbing, etc.) fill overflow bottle with
coolant, confirm radiator cap is new/good, fill radiator, start car, run
till fans engage, fill radiator (clean up spilled coolant - it is deadly
to cats and dogs - really!) Drive car and monitor o'flow bottle - top
off as required.

If the temps misbehave and you still get colant blasted outta the o'flow
- you have a bad headgasket. Combustion pressure wins against coolant
pressure and an 'additive' is a waste of time and money.

You should prepare youself for a HG problem.

Carl

 

[bj]

You must make sure you 'burp' all the air out of the cooling system when
refilling it(perhaps it wasn't burped well when the WP and TB work was
done?). Put the heater on max, put the nose of the car up as high as
safely possible (ramps, curbing, etc.) fill overflow bottle with
coolant, confirm radiator cap is new/good, fill radiator, start car, run
till fans engage, fill radiator (clean up spilled coolant - it is deadly
to cats and dogs - really!) Drive car and monitor o'flow bottle - top
off as required.

If the temps misbehave and you still get colant blasted outta the o'flow
- you have a bad headgasket. Combustion pressure wins against coolant
pressure and an 'additive' is a waste of time and money.

You should prepare youself for a HG problem.

Carl

 

[bj]

blown head gasket...do a google search ..subaru blown head
gasket...bring it back to where you bought it from.

 

[Mickey]

Carl 1 Lucky Texan wrote:
.....

You must make sure you 'burp' all the air out of the cooling system when
refilling it(perhaps it wasn't burped well when the WP and TB work was
done?). Put the heater on max, put the nose of the car up as high as
safely possible (ramps, curbing, etc.) fill overflow bottle with
coolant, confirm radiator cap is new/good, fill radiator, start car, run
till fans engage, fill radiator (clean up spilled coolant - it is deadly
to cats and dogs - really!) Drive car and monitor o'flow bottle - top
off as required.
.....
Carl

While I agree with most of the procedure, I'm not so sure
I'd recommend putting the car noise up. While I've done it
that way, looking at the engine design, at least my 00 SOHC
engine, the coolant exit the block mid-point between the
front and rear cyls. Looks to me noise up guarantees air
can be trapped at the front end of the engine.

Mickey

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Carl 1 Lucky Texan wrote:
....


While I agree with most of the procedure, I'm not so sure I'd recommend
putting the car noise up. While I've done it that way, looking at the
engine design, at least my 00 SOHC engine, the coolant exit the block
mid-point between the front and rear cyls. Looks to me noise up
guarantees air can be trapped at the front end of the engine.

Mickey

I think at least some of the concern is to increase the the likelihood
of getting air out of the heater core.

Carl