05 HG failure? add more additive?

[brus brother]

82K miles. 05 Legacy. Just noticed dampness at lower rear driver side HG area and on cross-member below.

Coolant was changed with additive at 70K miles.

Coolant isn't down drastically in overflow.

Is it worth a shot to add another bottle of Subaru's coolant stop leak or just bite the bullet?

[ivans imports]

dont put that stuff in anything reacts to rubber and wrecks your hoses and wp just change the gasket nothing is going to replace the crap coating on gasket make shure you surface heads

[brus brother]

After some reading it appears the 05s are subject to an "oil only" external head gasket leak problem.

As I said, the "wet" area is beneath the driver side rear cylinder and on the cross-member below.

Does a coolant leak leave a residue after the car is sitting overnight or would it dry without a trace unlike oil leaks?

[GeneralDisorder]

Use the Subaru coolant conditioner. Works great. Does not hurt hoses or gaskets. Not sure where he got that idea. I've used it sucessfully a number of times.

 

Coolant will sometimes leave a white residue when it dry's. You sure it's not oil?

 

I've seen oil leaks on as new as '06 with under 100k.

 

GD

[bheinen74]

Verify it is either oil or coolant.

 

If it is oil leaking which is the normal on the 05+, then the conditioner for coolant will do nothing. The oil passageway is totally separate system from the coolant system.

 

It usually shows up as oil drips on the lower part where the head meets the block, on the bottom edge. It is just where the oil passageway is for return back to pan, at least that is the place where i have found the 05+ ej25 to leak.

 

That is liveable for a while until it leaks enough to cause smoke from burnoff or strong oil smell when the engine gets warm and operating temp. It usually is liveable cause it leaks only a bit and the oil can be topped off. When it gets real bad you will run low on oil and then damage could occur.

 

My dad is going to replace the passenger HG on his 06 outback with 290k miles. The driver side head actually looks new on the car, shiny, and dry. The passenger head looks original to the car, and it leaking on the bottom. My mom is going to complain of the burning oil smell so it will be addressed.

I will attempt pics of the replacement, he is going to try to do it IN CAR. I ordered a intake gasket, headgasket, cam oil seal, and valve cover gasket. I guess if it cannot be done on car, then will post that info later.

Edited February 5, 2012 by bheinen74

[brus brother]

Have a "feeling" it's an oil leak. I hope, I hope, I hope!

Just for reassurance, I checked the wife's 05 OB and it has the same "leak" as my daughter's 05 legacy.

I prefer consistency...

[Fairtax4me]

Coolant usually leaves a white/greenish powder-like residue after a few days of drying.

Oil is oil. It doesn't really dry. If you check it when the engine is warm after running/driving for a half hour or so you may be able to spot a drip forming.

[Robert Harik]

Have a "feeling" it's an oil leak. I hope, I hope, I hope!

Just for reassurance, I checked the wife's 05 OB and it has the same "leak" as my daughter's 05 legacy.

I prefer consistency...

 

Just bought a 05 forester 55,000 miles and it, and every other forester and outback( newest was 06) I have looked at( all N/A, non turbo) have some oil weeping at the head /block line on drivers side rear. Coolant usually dries to a semitransparent( the color of the original coolant green , red, blue, ect) sticky/oily feeling spot. From what I have seen /read the later models mostly have external oil leaks.