No!! Is it the head gasket demon? 2000 Outback

[porcupine73]

So while driving this morning I stopped at a light and noticed an awful lot of smoke coming out. I pulled off and it looks like coolant, coming out the RH/driver HG. Will see after it gets towed home. 156,000 miles, original HGs AFAIK.

2000 Outback.

Edited October 15, 2010 by porcupine73

[samneric]

So while driving this morning I stopped at a light and noticed an awful lot of smoke coming out. I pulled off and it looks like coolant, coming out the RH/driver HG. Will see after it gets towed home. 156,000 miles, original HGs AFAIK.

2000 Outback.

 

- best of luck

[porcupine73]

Well it got towed home and I picked up a spare Subaru out of the driveway. I haven't had a chance to look at it closer. But the underdoor was all wet with some kind of liquid, and it wasn't oil or trans fluid, definitely watery like coolant. It was still too warm to open the rad cap to check the level when I got home.

 

I had two bottles of that Subaru stop leak in there but maybe it didn't work. I have to get the underdoor off and get it on ramps so I can see where it's coming from. I was leaving a major steam cloud behind me and I didn't realize it. I don't think I overheated it but I wasn't looking at the temp gauge either. I was only about 4 miles from my house when I noticed it.

[idosubaru]

my guess is you have a leak somewhere else. it's rare for the Phase II's to just let loose so obviously all at once. usually they begin seeping and you would have noticed oil or coolant (more often the case) leaking and a loss of coolant over time. they can typically go a REALLY long time with weaping head gaskets if you just keep the fluid level full, they don't overheat until the level gets too low.

 

but of course it could have let loose too, who knows.

[SuBrat84]

I'm going to think it's more likely a burst hose somewhere. Maybe the heater hoses if they've never been changed.. maybe the main radiator hoses but those are more likely to have been changed. I would fill the radiator up with the car running.. then cap it off and let it warm up and see if you can find the leak...

Edit: I would also like to point out that the common head gasket issue is an internal failure that allows exhaust gasses into the coolant system.. in which case you would notice air bubbles in a full radiator.. or the coolant overflow bottle overflowing in a pressurized system.

Edited October 15, 2010 by SuBrat84

[94Loyale]

I'm with Gary, The head gaskets won't just pour out coolant. I'd figure on something else. My first two guesses are a bad water pump and its coming out the weep holes, or the small bypass hose that goes into the side of the water pump.

[porcupine73]

Hm....yes there are some coolant hoses that run around down there aren't there. I will check those out. All that stuff was replaced a few years back with the timing belt, I did radiator hoses, heater hoses, water pump, oil pump, that little bypass hose coming out of the throttle, etc with genuine parts.

 

My plan is to get the underdoor off and then pull up on some ramps so I can see where it is coming from. I didn't check the radiator yet or overflow to see if those are actually low.

 

When I pulled over, I felt the upper rad hose and it felt pretty hard.

 

This is the phase II 2.5L sohc, this is one of the years (2000) that had the known possibility of external head gasket peeping leak. The earlier 2.5L phase I dohc's were the ones that were likely to develop the blowing into the exhaust issues.

[porcupine73]

Thank you for the suggestions and hlep. Well the coolant level was fine, it was not low in the overflow or under the cap at all. I got the underdoor off and looked around. What looks to have happened is that some oil was collecting on the underdoor, and got mixed with some water/condensation/rain or some kind of watery liquid, then blew or spewed onto the exhaust. Because I can see the remnants of it still on the exhaust. The head gaskets look pretty dry.

 

The oil is coming from a failed diy PCV catch can from a few years back, so that needs to get patched up. It has been having increased oil consumption lately now that I think about it, probably 1/2 quart every few thousand miles or so. The oil was leaking out of the catch can, then down near where the front o2 sensor is, and collecting at the edge of the underdoor it looks like.

 

I am sooooo happy it is not the HG's!!!!!!!!

 

I got thrown off because the steamy smoke didn't really have much odor. It didn't smell like coolant when I had stopped but it didn't really smell like burning oil either.

[johnceggleston]

. Because I can see the remnants of it still on the exhaust.

 

check your cv boots, although they usually stink pretty good.

[porcupine73]

Yes those will make a nasty acrid stink. The boots are not ruptured. Both front axles I replaced within the last couple years. Though I do see one of the axles the inner boot is developing some cracks in it, not but it's not torn, yet haha. The first cv boot I tore yes I did see smoke and wow did that stink. It was funny because when I parked at a store, some people were walking in front of my car and they were wafting and wrinkling their noses because the smell was so nasty.

[scoobyru]

i am having a same problem, i have a 2000 subaru outback 2.5i and i noticed anti-freeze leaking, on the hose just under the coolant tank, on the heat shield gasket (correct me if im wrong) on the front of the motor, where the pullies are. by the oil pan. need help and advice. help?

[95legwagon]

i am having a same problem, i have a 2000 subaru outback 2.5i and i noticed anti-freeze leaking, on the hose just under the coolant tank, on the heat shield gasket (correct me if im wrong) on the front of the motor, where the pullies are. by the oil pan. need help and advice. help?

 

make your own thread. instead of posting on 4 other peoples threads...... its not hard to hit the "start new thread button" and surely wouldve saved you all the extra typing.

 

thanks again

-jarrid