Big Scare!

[jerryeveretts]

I used to be a service manager at a car dealership (not subaru), I
always get my service done there, and I am still quite good friends
with the owner, the current manager was one of my employees. They
always treat me good.
I went today for an oil change in my 98OB, I recently did the tranny
fluid myself. The current service manager changed the oil himself, as
we are pretty good friends, while chatting with him while he was
changing my oil, I noticed dried antifreeze all over the battery, and
washer bottle. Damn blown headgasket I said to myself. Even though I
had no symtoms, the temp guage stays dead on 40% no matter what. The
overflow bottle was low, I pulled the radiator cap off, and it was a
very small amount low as well.
As he finished up the oil change, I topped the coolant and rad off with
water, then he started the car and I grabbed the chemical block
tester... snifff... sniff snifff.... sniffff, still blue. The only
thing I can figure is I did accidently drive the car with the overflow
bottle removed when I changed the tranny fluid, I guess it blew out
then. There was no wet fluid just dried stuff. Ill have to keep an eye
on it, but if there was no C02 from the radiator, I would assume my
gasket is holding fine.

Jerry

 

[daszkiew2000]

hmm, i always thought tranny fluid flush or even drain-down with filter
replacement was a harder and messier job, than oil change..... but
it's just me

 

[jerryeveretts]

hmm, i always thought tranny fluid flush or even drain-down with filter
replacement was a harder and messier job, than oil change..... but
it's just me

I would say it is, problem is I ran out of time. I was waiting to get
some of that new Amsoil series 2000, but I am leaving tonight on a
trip, so since I was completely out of time, I figured a regular oil
change, and have somebody do it quick. This was not a problem of
difficulty.

Jerry

 

[glasceus]

my advice: sell it while it still runs, which wont be for long

 

[jerryeveretts]

Thanks for the advice, just over-loaded it up, and took it for a
weekend canoeing/camping trip, had the car COMPLETELY loaded with two
full 52qt coolers, and camping gear for 5, and 5 adults, went about 500
miles, in Florida heat, hit an I4 traffic Jam which made us creep for
20 miles, plus let it idle for about an hour with the air on max to
keep the women cool while we (over)loaded the rooftop cargo basket.
Result?
temp never fluctuated at all from 40% on the guage, coolant level
didn't move in the overflow tank at all. No coolant leak whatsoever.
And to top it off, I had to slow from 40mph on a 10 mile long dirt
washboard road to creep behind a BMW 5series who really couldn't go
over 10mph comfortably, kinda felt like living in a Subaru commercial.
I'll keep it, and IF the headgasket blows, I will fix it myself, I'm
not the kind of mechanically inept moron that sells a good car at the
first sign of trouble.