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My wife's car-she tells me that the car is running hot.  I check it out and the primary fan is dead.  Relays and fuses are all good.  I replace it and everything is good for a bit.  Then it starts getting hot again.  I replace the thermostat this time.  I didn't realize that there would be issues with using an AutoZone thermo. Thermostat worked good but the car is starting to get hot again.  I will replace the thermostat with one from Subaru this afternoon.  The reason I went with AutoZone is the fact that there weren't any dealerships close that I could have gone to to purchase an OE exact.  The last time she told me that it was hot, I checked the radiator and it was low on coolant.  I am assuming that it is low due to the car getting hot.  I filled it and checked the dipstick to look at the oil and it looks good.  Am I heading in the right direction with an OE exact thermostat?  Any other ideas?  Fans work great now, no coolant in the driveway.

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Look very close from the bottom where the heads bolt on to the block  , use a bright light .  look for any coolant seeping along the gasket , particularly on the pass side. It drips on the catalytic and leaves no puddle. You can also look near your heater hoses , one small hose leads up to the throttle body , it can spring such a small leak its hard to find. .This year group has head gasket issues (less with 03-04)  How many miles on this ? 

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2004 outback with approx. 150K miles. 

The problem is, I never know when there is a problem until there is a problem.  We go in different directions for work and get home at different times.  When we go somewhere, its in my car (not a fan of her driving skills).

If the heads were in fact leaking, shouldn't there be something evident in the oil?  Like I said, I checked the oil and nothing at all is showing up.

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No, this year group has external leakage (thank goodness)  150,000 is just about normal to need HG on this motor. Won't get in the oil , but will slowly lose coolant and heat up if you push it to hard.  Check it out if this is your problem get it fixed sooner rather than later... eventually it will do damage to the head if allowed to continue leaking.

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I will check this out.  I haven't done the searching yet, but how hard and what is involved in replacing the gasket if it is in fact bad?  Is this something I should tackle with moderate mechanic skills?  I have never replaced one and haven't seen it done.  I am not scared of doing this if it can in fact be done in a driveway.

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 Hey no problem , lot of guys here know more but I've owned and worked on subi's for the last 30+ years and i've picked up a few tricks.    Yes ;  it can be done at home but it is a large job. Easiest to pull the motor out but it can be done in frame you'll just have to unbolt motor mounts and the upper link to jack up the engine.  At the same time you do this you will want new timing belt/ tensioner / idler pulleys / cam & crank seals, water pump . Ever do timing belts before ? Remember this is an interference motor so you must do it right the first time. Also use high quality parts ... no china junk or you will be an expert after you do it all over again .   

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Nope, no timing belts.  I will do some research, but it sounds as if this might be a bit more involved than my skill level allows.  I used to have a Honda element in which the starter died.  This involved removing the front half of the engine and components to change out.  It was located behind the intake manifold.

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In the meanwhile use the Subaru "conditioner" to help slow the external hg leak. Make sure the system is full. Once it gets hot and pushes into the overflow, you have to do everything to make sure the block side has coolant and minimal air.

Stant makes an Xacstat #(not positive of  number   474.....) that is the same as Subaru's unit.

O.

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If you decide to do this yourself check /ask here for guidance first . Lots of posts about changing timing belts  (its not that hard) the head bolts use an odd method of tightening (tighten ,loosen, turn 90 degrees ,turn 45 degrees  it works . You can do this, but only if you're slow and careful.  Check prices on parts , gates offers a good belt kit, subaru head gaskets (don't skimp) all the pieces I mentioned including oil / air filters.  After you see about cost doing it yourself check with a dealer on cost and IF there is a subaru specialty shop with good recommendations ask them for a quote as well. Make sure they are changing all the parts I mentioned on their quote.      

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