OUTBACK 1999 OVER HEATING

[ThosL]

Good luck getting any justice from the manufacturer, dealer, mechanic, etc..  Unless there are clear contracts, not very likely, they are in it to make money not to help customers later in most cases.  You may also want to look at the Blue Devil and other products on youtube videos, just do a search.  Read the comments too.  Amazon also carries Blue Devil, cheaper than elsewhere but guarantee would not be honored through them.   Short term fix at best with both 2.5 and 2.2 engines.   It is a lot easier to find used 2.2 engines than 2.5 ones as the HG went like clockwork on the 2.5s around 150K miles.   

[idosubaru]

I called my local Subaru dealer and asked about the "recall" fix whatever on the 2.5 liter engines from 1999..he said there wasn't any??.

 

He is corrrect - that wararnty doesn't apply to your vehicle.  99 Outback is a Phase I engine, not a Phase II covered by the extended warranty. 

In 1999 only the forester and impreza RS have the Phase II engine and extended warranty. 

1996-1998 and 1999 Legacy/Outback EJ25's have no extended warranty.

 

And even if it was covered under the warranty - it expired 10 years ago - it was for 100,000 mile/8 years.  Honoring a warranty 10 years after expiration would be exceptional. 

 

EJ22 swap it. 

[idosubaru]

HG went like clockwork on the 2.5s around 150K miles.   

Nope, they are completely random actually.  Plenty never have headgasket issues and they were blowing headgaskets under warranty at 20,000 miles in the 1990's, you just weren't around Subaru's enough to see it.  Or 70,000 miles like this guy.

 

Things that skew the perception:  Pre 100k, lower mileage ones are more likely to be repaired without ever hitting the interwebs, so you're less likely to hear about lower mileages ones. 150k is just what the average older Subaru is going to have, so that's what you're seeing now.  The cost to repair is questionable with the value - creating an internal dialogue and questions of options.  Very few sub-100k 1990's Subarus are around so we're not going to see it now, not because it doesn't happen - they just don't exist in big enough numbers to see it.  But years ago - they were failing.  And with much more than 200k they're more likely to just hit the junk yard/trade in rather than an online forum. Cost to repair may be well above their value.  100-200k (150k being the median) is roughly the most likely type of car to hear about just based on economy and the market. 

 

You can read through the "when did your headgasket fail" logs online and see the variations there.  Feel free to create or post an average - that would be interesting to see - but it would still be strictly an average and nothing close to "like clockwork"

[ThosL]

It's what I have heard a lot before on this board, that the 2.5 engines always eventually failed.

[RBGERSON]

But at 150,000 or so..

Edited November 18, 2016 by RBGERSON

[idosubaru]

Back to Blue devil or similar products..given what's said above some say it works at least for a couple of years and some say it won't work on internal leaks..at all..Any consensus on this  will it work on internal leaks of the head gasket or only external???

 

Doubtful it's a black/white or yes/no answer.  In some situations it would would mitigate issues for some time.  Egregious failures would have no chance of remedy.

 

Put that money towards an EJ22:

 

$500 EJ22 (here's one in Phoenix: 602-276-8043)

sell your old EJ25 for $250

 

$250 repair and you end up with one of the best engines subaru ever built.   reliable, robust, cheap, easy to maintain and work on.  spark plugs, valve covers, timing all cheaper and easier. 

 

add $150 for timing kit and seals for excellent 100,000 mile reliability.

[ThosL]

Or  he could look around for another car; head gaskets could be just one expensive problem. I picked up a mechanically sound Subaru for around $1000 in spring. I would recommend doing a thorough overview of the car's condition and value.

[RBGERSON]

The car  in great shape..it's a limited edition, all leather, upgraded sound system,, nothing more than parking lot dings, no sun faded paint..garage kept it's entire life, low miles  78,000,  newer tires and brake pads etc.,air filter every 20,000, oil changed every 3,000 to 4,000 miles; j

Edited November 18, 2016 by RBGERSON

[Numbchux]

Back to Blue devil or similar products..given what's said above some say it works at least for a couple of years and some say it won't work on internal leaks..at all..Any consensus on this  will it work on internal leaks of the head gasket or only external???

 

I have seen several internally-failed head gaskets mitigated for quite some time with the original Blue Devil product (nothing else, and not the "pour and go"). I admit, none were on a Subaru, and only one of them was a car/owner I was in contact with for more than a few months (that one was an MR2 which was beat like the proverbial red-headed stepchild for years). But internal failure (overheating and such) is exactly what it is designed to combat. Just make sure you do it correctly, it's a fairly in-depth procedure.

 

 

If the car is that nice, though, you really should fix it correctly.

[ThosL]

Blue Devil recommends various procedures and their technical service line is pretty helpful:  https://gobdp.com/blog/blown-head-gasket-repair-procedure/

[RBGERSON]

Flush done things better

Edited November 18, 2016 by RBGERSON

[Rooster2]

I'll update once I try the Blue devil..I ordered the full treatment stuff with the flush, not the pour and go..so just to be sure..I seem to remember someone saying the thermostat is on the lower radiator hose..correct??  I thought thye were usually on the upper hose but Subarus are special..right!!!

thermostat definitely on lower hose.

 

Good luck with the Blue Devil. I hope it works.

 

Just my 2 cents worth........when my 99 Outback blew a head gasket, I did a lot of reading on the subject. The crux of the problem is that Subaru built the motor so that the top of the piston protrudes so very slightly out of the block at top dead center. Because of that, Subaru had to use extra thick head gaskets. The "extra thick" hasn't worked out real well. There have been several head gasket upgrades by Subaru to correct the problem. I think my 99 has the last upgrade. The chatter on this forum is that the latest head gasket is probably good for 100K miles, beyond that i need to keep my fingers crossed that the head gasket will hold.

[RBGERSON]

Still good

Edited November 18, 2016 by RBGERSON

[ThosL]

Good luck with it, it may last a while with normal driving.

 

I bought the pour and go product some days ago because I was seeing some bubbles in the overflow after changing out my radiator and cap.  Bubbles started up again.  I am not getting over-heating.  I may try the Fiberlock product.  the key with that is to dilute it enough, use less than half a container in smaller engines, and read directions.  Another product with a guarantee that worked for me a while back.