CluelessOutback

Hubby has an 04 outback that will randomly start over heating when idling and will cool down once you start going. He took it to his moms "mechanic", the guy had it for a week and when he picked it up the guy basically said, well this hose may have been a little loose, so I tightened it and added coolant. That was the beginning of June and today it started to overheat again and when we checked it when we got home both the over flow tank(reservoir tank?) And radiator were empty. I've told him numerous times he needs to keep an eye on it but clearly he hasn't. I went through this crap with my 00 and it overheated so bad I needed a new engine, we've only has his car over a little over a year so really don't want to have to do major work to it. Hopefully the headgasket isn't bad. Any ideas what the issue could be or do you think head gasket?

So update on remote issue, just replaced the battery and still nothing, what else can cause the remote not to work? The red light comes on on the remote when I push the bottom but the car does nothing. I honestly don't lock my car very often (only if I go to the store or something) so it may have been an issue for a few weeks lol

Thank you both. The first time it did the not start thing, I thought it was battery so I connected it to my jumper box thing and it started right up, but I noticed my one clamp was so loose that it came off when I took the jumper cable off. I tightened that up and hoped it would be the end of the issue but not so much. I'll see if anyone I know has a voltage tester to check the battery. Next time it doesn't start I'll also try priming it to see if that gets it to start. I couldn't get the spare remote to work either, but it is just as old so I'll try to get new batteries for them just in case. I read in Hubby's manual for is 04 that if you turn the key to on and off 3 times within 5 seconds it deactivates the security system which also worked for mine and it started on the second time when I went to leave. Someone told me that the not starting issue could be the starter going, do you think that could possibly be the problem? The starter us original to the car to my knowledge and I've had it for 7 years.

I feel like its always something with this car. It's a 2000 outback that in December swapped the ej25 engine for the ej20. Over the last few months(yes I know I shouldn't be ignoring these issues for this long but damn I just hate to keep putting more money into her) its been not starting, usually its after the weekend when I haven't driven her. I'll turn the key, nothing, nothing nothing, then I'll get a little vrum of sorts and maybe a nothing time or 2 and then it finally starts and i don't have any more issues for a few days. I'm thinking probably the starter is the issue, but I have very limited mechanical knowledge. This morning I went to start it and I really thought it was done, it must have taken me 20 tries before it finally started, I was thinking about taking Hubby's car it was so bad(but didn't want to have to transfer all my stuff to his lol) but it started and drove as normal, but where I got to the barn and went to lock it the remote wouldn't work(red button came on but it wouldn't lock or unlock), but I was gonna have the keys on me so no biggie, I'll just lock it with the door panel. So when I go to leave the remote obviously still didn't work so I unlock it with the key and open the door and the horn starts blaring and obviously I can't shut the alarm off. Nothing worked, I ended up getting a ride home and leaving it there because I have to go back tomorrow anyway. Hubby has a remote for my car that we're going to try just in case its that simple(as if it ever is) but if that doesn't work can anyone give me a suggestion before I end up having it towed. I'm seriously so frustrated with this car but I only put the engine in in December so I feel like I've invested too much into it to get rid of it now, and I don't have money to get something else. Thanks in advance

Thanks everyone, its fixed, one of the hoses wasn't connected

That was my first thought, but then I second guessed myself because I couldn't understand why the psi was so high if there was a leak

It won't let me edit it, but I forgot to say that its a 2000 Subaru outback if that info is also needed

Hey everyone, back in December you guys helped me when my neighbor swapped my EJ25 for an EJ20, anyway its been unbearable hot this week and the AC was blowing hot air so today I picked up a bottle of the recharge stuff. When I had the only engine I would have to recharge it every summer so Im pretty sure I did it correctly. Anyway there was no cap on the port, not sure if that too big of an issue, but regardless, when I connected the bottle(got the one with the gauge) and pull the trigger on the bottle, the psi shoots all the way up to the red and it makes like a gurgling or hissing noise(and smells like I imagine this stuff would smell) out of the other side of the engine(like air outtake or whatever, plastic thing on passenger side in the front of the engine). Obviously I didn't do anything after that as to not cause damage to anything. I can't tell if the compressor is coming on or not. My neighbor is gonna look at it for me but can't tonight, so I'm hoping maybe someone on here can help me in the meantime. Thank you!

Also, does the ej22 get significantly less mpg then the ej25? When I first got the car I got about 300/tank, overtime it for worse and I was getting around 240, replaced the knocksensor and it increased it to about 260/270, since the engine swap I'm getting about 220, however I filled up after I got the exhust fixed so maybe that will alter it? I do have some codes, one of which I believe is a rear o2 sensor. Not sure abut the others. P0170 P0139 P0130

Unfortunately there are no curbs or sidewalks around here lol, I'll have to wait for it to dry up a bit and see if I can shimmy under, maybe if the weather is better tomorrow I drive to the drive through car wash and do the wash with undercarriage wash, there should be a curb there I can use afterwards to get a pic of the underneath, or if not at least if I pull into the car wash bay, it won't be as bad as getting under it on the gravel driveway.

I was finally able to get some pics today, it was icy and rainy out so I was only able to get them through the top of the engine bay, I can't see anything in them but maybe you more expiranced people can, I tried to get pics from underneath but wasn't able to, if the weather is better tomorrow I will try again. Here are the pics I did get http://s920.photobucket.com/user/Rachel1786/library/2000%20outback Hope that works, I didn't want to post them all individually since they mostly show the same thing, however I thought maybe one angle would be more helpful for someone to see something lol

Thanks, I will try to get those pics tomorrow as long as it isn't snowing too badly. It's hard to get pics from under the car with the low ground clearance, I can squeeze under but not with much room to move my arms lol

would he have needed to take the pan off while swapping the engine? It never leaked before the engine was swamped

I just picked up one of those transmission filler funnel hose things at walmart (although I couldn't get the stupid funnel to stay in it so I ended up pouring it right into the tube lol, it worked well enough). I know I should have checked trans level sooner, but it didn't really dawn on me that it wasn't oil on the ground until this morning. I checked it shortly after the incident at the stop sign this morning. The first pic (of the fluid on the paper) was taken before I added anything, I stuck that under the leaking area while I left the car run while letting my neighbors dogs out, that accumulated in about 10 minutes. The last 2 pics were taken a few hours after the spillage, it drips off the bolt in the pic

Maybe I should've listened to my neighbor who said "I'll replace the engine for you, but I would just cut your losses and get a new car"(when the head gaskets blew for the 3rd time, he was going to replace them but the engine needed a lot more work then just that, you can read more about that here if you'd like) but I'm stubborn and I couldn't afford anything other then slightly newer anyway, so I had him swap the engines. He said the trans fluid showed signs of impending failure, but it wasn't having any transmission issues so I figured it would get by for a while longer(I only put like 6-8k a year on the car). I got the car back on 12/11 and after a few days I started noticing spots on the ground where I park. I thought it was oil but the oil level never got any lower. A few days ago I noticed it started slipping a bit more then normal and then today after I stopped at a stop sign(sorta a rolling stop) when I hit the gas again it sorta didn't go, and then lurched forward to the point there it actually made a tire squealing sound, so I started thinking maybe it's not oil, but transmission fluid. I found the dip stick(hidden low on the driver side in the back of the engine, yellow handle, right? I hope lmao) and when I first checked it(wrongly because the car wasn't running and was cold) the level a little on the low side, but readable(mind you the fluid didn't look anything like the trans fluid I got ). A little later I decided to do some googling and learned that the car needed to be warm and running so I checked it again properly and it barley read on the stick . My neighbor had had me buy a quart of trans fluid so I attempted to add that in, failing miserably as 90% of it went on the ground since the funnel opening was too big, then i had the brilliant idea that maybe trying to poor it in would be better, it wasn't, too many hoses in the way. So i borrowed my neighbors car and went to walmart to get a funnel(and one of those special trans filler hoses) and more fluid. I only ended up adding the rest of the quart(maybe half of it actually made it in) and a bottle of the stop leak stuff(the one thats the 2 different bottles in one, forget the name) and after that I couldn't seem to get an accurate read, but I can clearly see something slowly dripping out from under the car. Before I added anything to it, I stuck a piece of paper(junk mail lol) under the car to get a pic of the dripping fluid and a few pics from under the car. Kudos if you read through all of this. I got interrupted about 15 times so I'm sorry if it's a bit jumbled. Fluid that was leaking before adding anything. the leaking from under the car, engine was running in these I'm 99% sure. FYI, neighbor is away hence why I'm stupidly doing this myself and possibly Fing up my car more , I didn't want to drive it without trans fluid and we're expecting snow tomorrow and while I have permission to use the neighbors car, it isn't very good in the snow, especially when you're used to driving an outback lol

Just wanted to update that he changed out the cam pully and crank gear and the car is running. The weathers been bad so I haven't really been able to drive it hard enough to notice a difference in pick up but I don't drive long distances anyway. Now I have to have the exhust system fixed, a few months ago my muffler had broken off, I had bought a new one and they were going to install it for me, however when I where messing with it (or whatever they were doing) they said the "y" pipe pretty much just crumbled, so now I've gotta drive with the windows down(and damn is it cold lol). My question, if it's broken at the y pipe, does that mean I'll need a new catalytic convertor and if so, do I get one meant for the new engine? This whole different engine is making my head spin lol, I'll end up bringing it to a shop for this as my neighbor doesn't have a lift or anything, but depending on cost, I may buy the cat. So that they don't install a ridiculously expensive one,I've found them for about 100.

Thanks, I'm gonna guess you're right. How much of a job is it gonna be to swap them out? What are the chances that the ones from my old engine are shot? I'm having trouble finding any listing in any auto parts stores or anything.

No idea if he did, but I will certainly ask him tomorrow if he did. I just looked on the website I got the engine from and it doesn't specify which ej20 it is. http://jdmengineworld.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=409 Thanks for your reply!

I'll start off by warning that I am not a mechanic, my knowledge is limited, my neighbor is a mechanic(or at least used to be) and offered to do this work for me, so I may not have all the relevant details or answers you need. I have a 2000 subaru outback wagon, had a 2.5 in it. A few months ago it started randomly overheating, I would add coolant to the radiator and it would be fine, my neighbor had looked at it and said it was probably the thermostat. Unfortunately he hadn't had the time to change it for me (and I wasn't going to nag him to do it) beginning of November it did it again, added coolant and then only 2 short weeks later it was out again. At this point neighbor said it was probably a head gasket(I've had the car since 5/2010, it had been replaces once before I got it and again in 8/2010 after I bought it, so no huge suprise there). He started working on it last Friday and found a boat load of other issues, oil where it shouldn't be, lateral play in the camshafts (I think) oil leaking in multiple places. He basically said that it was pending catastrophic failure. He tried to talk me into junking it, but what can I say, I'm attached (and I don't have money to afford something in much better shape). So we started looking for replacement engines. Ended up with a jdm ej20 2.0, it was a complete engine for 750. He needed to use the manifold from the 2.5 but the "new" engine came with everything else (and it was all in much better condition then on my current engine). Today he and his mechanic friend spent the day installing the new engine, we got new plugs and a new radiator. However he called me after trying to start it and said "there's no spark" afterwards he text me and said that there's "spark at the coil" and he think I need new wires, which are the wires from the 2.5, which were working last week. So could it really be as simple as the wires just stopped conducting(?) Working(?) Or is there something bigger going on? I'm just worried I'm gonna spend another 40 on wires and it still not work. Anyone have any thoughts? I plan on picking up wires on my lunch break tomorrow, at this point I'm not getting my hopes up that my car will ever run again, which will devastate me in many many ways lol.